Important Lesson on Tenses for IELTS Writing Task 1

Do you know what tenses to use while writing task 1 and task 2? Here are some instances: 

1. When there is no mention of date, use present tense. 
2. When the dates are in the past, use past tense. 
3. When the dates are in the future, use future forms.
4. When dates range between past and future, use both past tense and future forms.

Besides the above, there is a long list of different tenses that are used in the IELTS Writing Taks. Here is the list for your reference:

• Present Simple
• Present Continuous 
• Past Continuous
• Present Perfect Continuous
• Past Simple
• Past Continuous 
• Past Perfect 
• Past Perfect Continuous 
• Future Simple
• Future Continuous 
• Future Perfect 
• Future Perfect Continuous 

In both writing and speaking it's important to understand how to move from one time frame to another, without making a grammatical mistake. In IELTS Writing task 1 and IELTS Writing task 2, tenses play an important role in deciding your band score. 

In IELTS Writing Task 1 for academics, you get questions that are based on a map, a diagram, a bar chart, a line graph, a table, or a pie chart. The examiner will mark you on the following parameters: 

• Task achievement: Information, Overview, Accuracy of data
• Coherence and cohesion: Paragraphing, Linking words
• Vocabulary: Collocations, Spelling and Accuracy
• Grammar: Sentence structure, Tenses, Punctuation, Grammar range and Accuracy

The right tense is important in IELTS Writing Task 1 because the questions asked have a date range, comparison of different time periods and so on. And if you do not capture the essence properly you lose your chance of getting a good score. 

In the IELTS Writing task 1 for General, you get scored: 

• Task achievement: Purpose, tone and expanding points 
• Coherence and cohesion: Paragraphing, linking words 
• Vocabulary: Collocations, spelling and accuracy 
• Grammar: Sentence structure, tenses, punctuation, grammar range and accuracy 

You use a range of tenses in your letter depending on the aim and purpose.

In this video, Sunita Kadian, our IELTS instructor, explains tenses and how they can be correctly used when writing essays for IELTS Writing Task 1 and IELTS Writing task 2 for both Academic and General.