WRITING TASK 1 TOPICS:

I) Informal IELTS letter questions

1) Invitations:
You won a competition and received a vacation for two as a prize. Write a letter to ask them to
go on holiday with you. In the letter, you should:
tell him/her about the competition you won,
state what kind of vacation it is,
explain why you would like him/her to go on holiday with you
You do NOT need to write your own address. Begin your letter as follows: Dear __________
2) Some advice:
a) Your friend is an expert in international food and is going to publish a book soon. Write a
letter to him describing a special dish from your country. In your letter you should
describe a special dish from your country
explain what season people prefer to eat it in
Say why your friend should include this dish in his book
b) An English-speaking friend has written to you to say that he/she is planning to visit your
country.
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter give advice about where he/she should go explain
what the best time of year to come is invite him/her to stay with you for a few days
Begin your letter with: Dear ___,
Forgetting something at a friend's
You stayed at your friend's house when you participated in a conference in Australia. You left a
briefcase with important documents in your room. Write a letter to your friend. In the letter:
thank your friend for the stay
describe the briefcase
ask him/her to return it to you by post

II) Semi-formal IELTS letter questions
i) A request
You are not happy with the course you are doing at college and would like to change to a
different course. Write a letter to the college director requesting to change your course. You
should include details about:
What course are you doing now?
Why you are not satisfied with that course?
What course would you like to change to?
You should write at least 150 words. You do NOT need to write your own address.

ii) An explanation
You are staying in rented accommodation. You recently held a party to celebrate your birthday.
Several neighbors have complained about the noise to your landlord.
Write a letter to your landlord. In your letter: apologise for the disturbance, explain the situation
say how you will remedy the situation

III) Formal IELTS letter questions. You should write at least 150 words.
I) A complaint
a. You have just bought a new mobile phone from a website on the internet. When it was
delivered, the phone was faulty.
Write a letter to the website. In the letter:
introduce yourself
explain the situation
state what action you want to be taken
b. You live in a small university town. Last week, you drove to a big city about two hours away
to buy a new laptop at a good price. You worked on the laptop all week and finished writing a
long assignment that is due shortly. However, this week, the laptop doesn't even switch on. Write
to the store. In your letter:
tell the store where you live & what happened
explain the problem with the laptop
state what action you would like the store to take

ii) An application
a. You are looking for part-time employment.
Write a letter to an employment agency. In your letter
introduce yourself
explain what type of work you are looking for
say what experience and skills you have
b. You have decided to apply for a job as a Spanish instructor that was advertised in the
April edition of the magazine Teaching Professional. This ad was posted by Mr John
Sullivan, director of the Spanish department at The Language Institute of Great Britain in
London, England. In your letter to Mr. Sullivan:
explain why you are writing
describe your qualifications and experience
explain how they can contact you

iii)The question
You won a competition and received a vacation for two as a prize. Write a letter to ask them to
go on holiday with you. In the letter, you should:
tell him/her about the competition you won,
state what kind of vacation it is,
explain why you would like him/her to go on holiday with you
You should understand from this question that you need to make the letter informal as you are
writing to a friend and that the key vocabulary you need relates to holidays.

iv) Asking for information:
You live in an English speaking country and you want to do some voluntary, unpaid work in a
developing country. Write a letter to a company called Cultural Expeditions, which organizes
such trips. In your letter:
Explain why you want to do the voluntary work.
State what your skills and experience are.
Indicate where you would like to volunteer and for how long.
Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir / Madam

3. Making Suggestions:
a. You eat at your college cafeteria every lunchtime. However, you think it needs some
improvements. Write a letter to the college magazine. In your letter:
explain what you like bout the cafeteria
say what is wrong
suggest how it could be improved
Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir / Madam
B.You exercise regularly and have been a member of many different gyms. Recently, you moved
into a new neighborhood and joined a new gym. You have noticed that people at this gym do not
bother to wipe down the machines after use and often leave dirty towels on the benches in the
change rooms. Write to Mr Koto, the manager. In your letter:
explain who you are
describe the problem exactly
make suggestions to improve the gym
4. Informing an Airline
Last Tuesday you flew from New York to Paris. When you arrived home, you discovered that
you had left your cabin bag on the plane. Write a letter to the airline. In your letter, you should
explain:
where and when you lost your bag
what your bag looks like
what its contents were
Begin your letter as follows: Dear Sir / Madam
5. Asking for Permission
you are studying overseas. You need to return to your country before the end of the semester for
a family event. Write a letter to your supervisor. In your letter:
Request time off
Explain why you need to leave early
Reassure him / her that your studies will not suffer
WRITING TASK 2 ESSAY TOPICS:

GOVERNMENT
1. Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth among poorer nations by
providing such things as food and education? Or is it the responsibility of the
governments of poorer nations to look after their citizens themselves?
2. What should a government do for a country to become successful?
3. Should money be spent on space exploration?
4. Should rich countries forgive all debts for poor countries?
5. Does foreign aid help donor countries more than the recipients?
6. Should rich countries pay more for environmental damage?
7. Most high level jobs are done by men. Should the government encourage a certain
percentage of these jobs to be reserved for women?
8. Should developing countries concentrate on improving industrial skills or should they
promote education first?
9. Safety standards are important when building people's homes. Who should be responsible
for enforcing strict building codes - the government or the people who build the homes?
10. Discuss the advantage and disadvantage of giving international aid to poor countries.
11. Should criminals be punished with lengthy jail terms or re-educated and rehabilitated
using community service programs for instance, before being reintroduced to society?
12. In most countries disabled people are not catered for adequately, e.g. buildings are often
inappropriately designed. Governments rely too heavily on charities and voluntary
organizations to provide assistance and funding. What further measures could be taken to
assist disabled people?
13. In your opinion should government intervene in the rights of the individual with regard to
family planning?
14. The best way to reduce the number of traffic accidents is to make all young drivers
complete a safe driving education course before being licensed to drive.
MODERN SOCIETY
1. Nowadays doctors can become very rich. Maybe they should not focus on profitable
activities such as plastic surgery or looking after rich patients and concentrate more on
patients health, no matter how rich they are?
2. Does travel help to promote understanding and communication between countries?
3. In your opinion what factors contribute to a good movie?
4. Are famous people treated unfairly by the media ? Should they be given more privacy, or
is the price of their fame an invasion into their private lives?
5. Is animal testing necessary?
6. Some businesses now say that no one can smoke cigarettes in any of their offices. Some
governments have banned smoking in all public places. Do you agree or disagree? Give
reasons.
7. To what extent is the use of animals in scientific research acceptable?
8. Human beings do not need to eat meat in order to maintain good health because they can
get all their food needs from meatless products and meatless substances. A vegetarian
diet is as healthy as a diet containing meat. Argue for or against the opinion above.
9. Forests are the lungs of the earth. Destruction of the world's forests amounts to death of
the world we currently know. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
10. Are our zoos cruel to wild animals? Discuss.
11. Zoos are sometimes seen as necessary but not poor alternatives to a natural environment.
Discuss some of the arguments for and/or against keeping animals in zoos.
12. To what extent will migration from the developing world to the developed world become
a social and political issue in the 21st century?
13. In Britain, when someone gets old, they often go to live in a home with other old people
where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this
care. Who should be responsible for our old people? Give reasons.
14. The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many
as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be
encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. What do
you think?
15. The best way to reduce the number of traffic accidents is to make all young drivers
complete a safe driving education course before being licensed to drive.
16. News editors decide what to broadcast on TV and what to print in newspapers. What
factors do you think influence their decisions? Have we become used to bad news?
Would it be better if more good news was reported?
17. TV: could you be without it? Discuss.
18. To what extent will migration from the developing world to the developed world become
a social and political issue in the 21st century?
19. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping
people's ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons
for your answer.
20. Tourism is becoming increasingly important as a source of revenue to many countries but
its disadvantages should not be overlooked. What are some of the problems of tourism?
21. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping
people's ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree this statement? Give reasons for
your answer
TECHNOLOGY
1. Does modern technology make life more convenient, or was life better when technology
was simpler?
2. Will modern technology, such as the internet ever replace the book or the written word as
the main source of information?
3. We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in businesses,
hospitals, crime detection and even to fly planes. What things will they be used for in
future?.Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more suspicious of
their benefits? Use specific details and examples in your answer.
4. In what ways has information technology changed work and working practices in the past
10 years?
5. Technology is making communication easier in today's world, but at the expense of
personal contact as many people choose to work at home in front of a computer screen.
What dangers are there for a society which depends on computer screens rather than face-
to-face contact for its main means of communication?
6. Will the Internet bring people of the world closer together?
7. The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many
as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be
encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. What do
you think?
8. The mass media, including TV, radio and newspapers, have great influence in shaping
people's ideas. To what extent do you agree or disagree this statement? Give reasons for
your answer.
EMPLOYMENT
1. Should retirement be compulsory at 65 years of age?
2. Telecommuting' refers to workers doing their jobs from home for part of each week
and communicating with their office using computer technology. Telecommuting is
growing in many countries and is expected to be common for most office workers in
the coming decades. How do you think society will be affected by the growth of
telecommuting?
3. In some countries the average worker is obliged to retire at the age of 50, while in
others people can work until they are 65 or 70. Until what age do you think people
should be encouraged to remain in paid employment? Give reasons for your answer.
ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY
1. To what extent should economic planning be influenced by the need of environmental
conservation?
2. Damage of the environment is an inevitable consequence of worldwide improvements in
the standard of living. Discuss.
3. The rising levels of congestion and air pollution found in most of the world cities can be
attributed directly to the rapidly increasing number of private cars in use. In order to
reverse this decline in the quality of life in cities, attempts must be made to encourage
people to use their cars less and public transport more. Discuss possible ways to
encourage the use of public transport.
4. The threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace. Nuclear power provides cheap and
clean energy. The benefits of nuclear technology far outweigh the disadvantages. Do you
agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.
EDUCATION
1. Education is the single most important factor in the development of a country. Do you
agree?
2. What are factors which are related to academic success in high-school students?
3. Do the benefits of study abroad justify the difficulties? What advice would you offer
to a prospective student?
4. The idea of going overseas for university study is an exciting prospect for many
people. But while it may offer some advantages, it is probably better to stay home
because of the difficulties a student inevitably encounters living and studying in a
different culture. To what extent do you agree or disagree this statement? Give
reasons for your answer.
5. Education is recognized as vital to the future of any society in today's world.
Governments throughout the world should make education compulsory for all
children between the ages of 5 and 15. To what extent do you agree or disagree with
this statement?
6. Foreign language instruction should begin in kindergarten. Discuss.
7. Should sports classes be sacrificed in High School so students can concentrate on
academic subjects?
8. To what extent should universities function as training grounds for employment?
9. To what extent should university courses be geared to the economic needs of society?
10. Should children be taught sex education in schools?
11. Computers can translate all kinds of languages well. Do our children need to learn
more languages in the future?
12. Are zoos necessary for education?
PARENTS & CHILDREN
1. Children should never be educated at home by their parents. Do you agree or disagree?
2. Children learn best by observing behavior of adults and copying it. To what extent do you
agree or disagree with this statement?
GENDER ISSUES - ESSAY TOPICS
1. To what extent has the traditional male role changed in the last 20 years?
2. Many people believe that women make better parents than men and that this is why
they have the greater role in raising children in most societies. Others claim that men
are just as good as women at parenting. Write an essay expressing your point of view.
Give reasons for your answer.



Speaking topics: TASK 1
1.YOU
Describe yourself.
2.FAMILY
Describe your family?
Do you have a large or small family?
How much time do you spend with your family?
What do you like to do together as a family?
Do you get along well with your family?
Are people in your country generally close to their families?
3. WORK
What do you do?
What are your responsibilities?
How many hours do you work each day?
Do you enjoy your work?
Is there some other kind of work you would rather do?
If you could change your job or profession, what would you do?
Describe the process of getting a job in your country.
Describe the company or organization you work for.
What is your position?
What do you like and dislike about your job?
4. EDUCATION
Describe your education.
What kind of school did you go to as a child?
Did you go to a co-educational school?
What was your favourite subject as a child?
Who was your favourite teacher?
What is the education system like in your country?
Do you think your country has an effective education system?
5. STUDIES
What are you studying now?
What is your area of specialization?
6. HOMETOWN
Describe your hometown.
Whats special about it?
Where is your hometown located?
Is it easy to travel around your hometown?
What is it known for?
What do people in your town do?
What are the main industries in your hometown?
What problems face your hometown?
What languages are spoken in your hometown?
What are the advantages of living in your hometown?
What are some problems faced by your hometown?
Compare your hometown with another city.
What are some environmental problems faced by your hometown?
7. WEATHER
Whats the weather like in your country?
Does the weather affect your mood?
How do rainy days make you feel?
Whats your favourite season of the year?
What do you like to do when its hot?
What do you usually do in the winter?
How many seasons does your country have?
8. HOME
Describe your home.
What kind of building do you live in?
How long have you lived there?
9. WEDDING
Have you ever been to a wedding?
Whose wedding was it?
Where was it held?
What clothes do people wear?
Describe the wedding ceremony.
What sort of gifts do people buy for the bridal couple?
What kind of clothes did the bride and groom wear?
10. TRAVEL
Do you like to travel?
What kind of places have you visited in your life?
Which place would you really like to visit? Why?
Whats the best place youve ever visited?
11. COMPUTERS
Do you think computers help society?
Do you think computers are bad for health?
How do you think computers have changed the world?
12. INTERNET
Do you use the Internet much during the day?
What do you usually do on the Internet?
What are some advantages of the Internet?
What are some disadvantages?
Do people in your country use the Internet a lot?
Do you do any shopping on the Internet?
13. EMAIL
Do you send and receive email regularly?
Who do you usually communicate with?
How often do you check your email?
Do you think writing email has strengthened or weakened peoples writing skills?
What are some disadvantages of email?
14. FRIEND
Describe a friend.
How long have you known each other?
What do usually do together?
What do you like the most about him / her?
How often do you see each other?
15. PLACE
Describe a place you like to go.
Why is this place special to you?
When did you first visit this place?
Where is this place located?
What language is spoken here? Do you speak this language?
16. SMOKING
What do you feel about smoking in public places?
Do you think smoking should be banned in peoples homes?
17. MARRIAGE
What is the attitude toward marriage in your country?
Do most young people plan on getting married in your country?
What are some of the advantages of marriage?
What are some of the disadvantages?
Is the divorce rate high in your country?
Do you think people should be allowed to get divorced?
18. HOBBIES
Do you have any hobbies?
What are some of your hobbies?
When did you first develop tis hobby?
What are some of the advantages of having a hobby?
How much time do you spend on your hobby?
19. FILMS
Do you enjoy watching movies?
Whats your favourite film?
Who are your favourite actors?
How often do you watch films?
20. SHOPPING
Do you enjoy shopping?
How do you feel about shopping?
Do you like shopping on the Internet?
Do you have any favourite stores?
What dont you like about shopping?
Which is the most popular place to shop in your hometown?
21. SPORTS
Do you like sports?
Do you enjoy watching sports?
Do you enjoy participating in any sports?
Which sports are most popular in your country?
Whats your favourite sport/
When did you first become interested in sports?
How often do you participate in sports?
What equipment do you need for your favourite sport?
22. FOOD
What are some of your favourite foods?
What foods are popular in your country?
What are some of the famous dishes of your country?
Do you enjoy cooking?
23. FESTIVAL
Whats the most important festival in your country?
How do people celebrate this festival?
What special food is associated with this festival?
What special activities are associated with this festival?
What do you enjoy most about this festival?
Do you think festivals are important for a society?
24. TELEVISION
Do you watch television a lot?
What do you usually watch on television?
How many hours of television do you usually watch?
What are the most popular shows in your country?
What kind of shows do you like to watch?
What are some advantages of television?
What are some of the disadvantages of television?
What did you last watch on television?
Why do you think certain TV shows are so popular?
25. TOURISM
Which places would you recommend to a visitor to your country?
Do a lot of tourists visit your country?
What do they usually do there?
How has tourism changed your country?
Is your country expensive for most tourists?
What are some famous landmarks in your country?
26. DAILY ROUTINE
Describe your daily routine.
What do you usually do?
What do you do on the weekend?
What is your typical weekday like?
Does your life change much from week to week?
Do you have any free time during the week?
27. YOUR COUNTRY
Which country are you from?
Where is this country located?
Which part of the country do most people live in?
What are the main industries in your country?
Is it easy to travel around your country?
28. CLOTHES
What type of clothes do you like to wear?
What kind of clothes do people in your country usually wear?
How important is fashion to you?
What kind of clothes do you dislike?
Do you think people behave differently in different kinds of clothes?
What kind of clothes do people wear to work in your country?
Are clothes expensive in your country?
29. GOING OUT
Do you like going out or staying at home?
What do you like to do when you go out?
How often do you go out?
Do people in your country go out a lot?
How and where do people in your country usually socialize?
What kind of entertainment is popular in your country?
30. GAMES
Do you enjoy playing any games?
What kind of games do you play?
Do you think adults should play games?
What do children learn from games?
What kind of games did you play when you were a child?
What games are popular in your country today?
What kinds of games were popular when you were young?
Do you think mental games like chess are good for you?
31. COLOURS
Do you have a favourite colour?
What are your countrys colours?
Do you think colours affect our moods?
Can you learn anything about a person from the colours he / she likes?
Do you like the same colours now as you did when you were a child?
32. MUSIC
Do you like music?
What kind of music do you like?
When do you usually listen to music?
What kind of music did you like when you were younger?
What kind of music is popular in your country?
Do you play any musical instruments?
Do you wish you could play any musical instruments?
Which is your favourite instrument?

Speaking topics: task II
1. Describe an artist or entertainer you admire.
You should say:
Who they are and what they do
How they became successful
How you found out about them
And explain why you admire them
2. Describe a subject you enjoyed studying at school.
You should say:
When and where you started studying it
What lessons were like
What made the subject different from other subjects
And explain why you enjoyed the subject
3. Describe an important choice you had to make in your life.
You should say:
When you had this choice
What you had to choose between
Whether you made a good choice
And explain how you felt when you were making this choice

4. Describe a job you have done.
You should say:
How you got doing the job
What the job involved
How long the job lasted
Describe how well you did the job
5. Describe an area of countryside you know and like.
You should say:
Where it is
What its special features are
What you and other people do in this area
And explain why you like it
6. Describe an object you particularly like.
You should say:
What it is and what it looks like
What it is made of
What it is for
And explain why it is special for you
7. Describe a newspaper or magazine you enjoy reading.
You should say:
What kind of newspaper / magazine it is
Which parts of it you read regularly
When and where you read it
Explain why you enjoy reading it

8. Describe a game or sport you enjoy playing.
You should say:
What kind of sport it is
Who you play it with
Where you play it
And explain why you enjoy playing it
9. Describe someone in your family who you like.
You should say:
How this person is related to you
What this person looks like
What kind of person he/she is
And explain why you like this person
10. Describe a museum or art gallery that you have visited.
You should say:
Where it is
Why you went there
What you particularly remember about the place.
11. Describe an enjoyable event that you experienced when you were at school.
You should say:
When it happened
What was good about it
Why you particularly remember this event.
12. Describe a song or piece of music you like.
You should say:
What the song or music is
What kind of song or music it is
Where you first heard it
And explain why you like it
13. Describe a festival that is important in your country.
You should say:
When the festival occurs
What you did during it
What you like or dislike about it
And explain why this festival is important