{"id":3493,"date":"2021-04-13T19:31:55","date_gmt":"2021-04-14T02:31:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/ielts\/?p=3493"},"modified":"2021-05-04T16:41:14","modified_gmt":"2021-05-04T23:41:14","slug":"ielts-how-many-words-to-write","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/magoosh.com\/ielts\/ielts-how-many-words-to-write\/","title":{"rendered":"IELTS Writing: How Many Words to Write"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"150<\/p>\n

The IELTS Writing<\/a> Tasks ask you to write at least a certain number of words on test day\u2014a minimum of 150 words for Task 1 and a minimum of 250 words for Task 2. So what does this mean for your band score, and how do the 250 and 150 word essays for IELTS break down into paragraphs? Read on to find out!<\/p>\n

Everything in this article applies to both Academic and General Training IELTS Writing Tasks. And for even more great advice on both these tasks, check out our collection of the best IELTS Writing tips<\/a>!<\/p>\n

Write 150 Words for Task 1<\/h2>\n

You may already have heard that Task 1<\/a> is the “150 words essay on IELTS.” In fact, you’ll see this in the prompt<\/a>: the task tells you to “Write at least 150 words.” You will be penalized if you write less than this.<\/p>\n

Though the essay topics are different between Academic and General Training, the word requirement is the same. Therefore, for General Training, you’ll write a 150-word letter for Task 1<\/a>. For the Academic exam, you’ll write a 150-word graph or chart description for Task 1<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Write 250 Words for Task 2<\/h2>\n

You’ll need to write significantly more for Task 2<\/a>, on both the General Training and Academic exams. Here, the question type is the same on both tests, as you’ll be asked to write a formal essay. Don’t worry, you’ll have more time: 40 minutes, as opposed to 20 minutes for Task 1.<\/p>\n

Recommended Number of Words to Write<\/h2>\n

Although 150 and 250 are the minimum word counts for Task 1 and Task 2, respectively, you’ll want to write slightly more than this to get a higher band score. <\/p>\n

Now, you don’t have to write 200 and 400 words for these tasks! That would be far too much for the time given. However, aim for 30-40 words more than the minimum word count that each task sets.<\/p>\n