Model Answer - Academic Writing (Task 1)

The chart shows the division of household tasks by gender in Great Britain.

The bar chart shows how many minutes men and women spend on household tasks in Great Britain.


The task that takes the longest to perform, in fact more than 1 hour is cooking, baking and washing up. This is done by women while men spend half as much time doing this per day. In addition, women spend more time than men cleaning and tidying the house (almost an hour) and looking after the children and playing with them (three quarters of an hour). Men spend a little more than 10 minutes doing the former and 20 minutes with the children. Men spend almost no time washing, ironing and sewing clothes whereas women spend about 25 minutes doing this.

Men take care of the garden and pets the most, spending about 50 minutes per day on this duty while women only allocate 20 minutes of their day doing this. Similarly men spend more time performing maintenance duties and odd jobs (25 minutes a day) and women less than half of this time.

Overall, there is no domestic gender equality with woman spending more time doing household tasks in all categories except for gardening, pet care, maintenance and odd jobs.
Question taken from Cambridge Instant IELTS p.79

Model Answer - Academic Writing (Task 1)

The charts show the number of people using the Internet from 1995 to 2002 and Internet users in the world in 2003.

The line chart shows worldwide internet use over an 8 year period between 1995 and 2002 and the pie chart focuses on 2003 online users around the world.


1995 showed the least number of online users at 26 million. By 1999 this figure had risen to almost 200 million. The greatest increase is observed between the years 2000 and 2002 where users settled at approximately 600 million.

About half of the internet worldwide usage in 2003 is from the USA and Canada. Europe accounts for 24% of the world's internet users while Asia/Pacific has 15%. South America has a little less than half of Asia/Pacific's amount. Finally Africa and the Middle East constitute an extremely small percentage of global internet users (1%).

To conclude, the use of the internet is on the rise, having increased to almost 600 million users. Most users were from the USA and Canada whereas very few people used the internet in Africa and the Middle East in 2003.
Question taken from Cambridge Instant IELTS p.83 

Model Answer - Academic Writing (Task 1)

The charts show the share of the Australian and British cinema markets in 2001 and cinema admissions in Britian and Australia from 1980 to 2001.

The bar chart shows the country of origin of films being watched in Britain and Australia in 2001 and how many people went to see movies over a 20 year period in these two countries.


Films from America were the most popular variety in both countries with almost 80% being screened in Britain and about 10% less in Australia. British films were not as popular in these two countries. 20% of films made locally in Britain were watched there while Australians watched less than half of these. No Australian films were seen in Britain while only 10% were seen in their country of origin. Finally, while very few other films were seen in Britain, Australia watched about 15% of this category.

In 1980, 100 million people went to the cinema in Britain and this amount was reduced to around 60% four years later. Admissions rose steadily over the next 14 years reaching almost 160 million in 2000. Admissions in Australia were less for all the years starting at 40 million and ending up at about 90 million 20 years later.

To sum up, American movies were favoured by both countries and British viewers watched more films than Australians between 1980 and 2000.

Question taken from Cambride Instant IELTS p.82

General Training - Model Answer (Task 1)

You are looking for a part-time job. Write a letter to an employment agency. In your letter: 

• introduce yourself
• explain what sort of job you would like
• say what experience and skills you have

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am from Zimbabwe and currently studying for a Bachelor degree in Marketing in London. I have been here for six months now and I am looking for a part-time job to gain some additional practical experience.

As I live and study in south London I would prefer a job in a small marketing company in this area. I would be interested in a company that engages in any type of promotional activities such as organising events and public relations. Twenty hours a week is what I am legally allowed to work and my mornings are free as all my lectures are in the afternoons.

As my CV points out, I have been employed in my family-run public relations company in Harare as an event’s organiser. I have good organisational, time-management and communication skills due to this experience. I am also able to respond to unforeseen circumstances efficiently. With respect to languages, I am fluent in Shona, English and German. In addition, I am computer literate.

I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Yours faithfully,

Vimbayi Ruhanya

Question taken from Cambridge Instant IELTS p.100

General Training - Model Answer (Task 1)

An English-speaking friend wants to spend a two-week holiday in your region and has written asking for information and advice. Write a letter to your friend.

In your letter:

• offer to find somewhere to stay
• give advice about what to do
• give information about what clothes to bring

Dear Gabriel,

I’m so happy that you finally decided to visit me in Istanbul in December. You mentioned that you will be bringing your girlfriend with you so I would like to suggest you stay in one of the cheap but comfortable hotels in the centre of the city which are close to all the major attractions.

Two weeks is more than enough time for you to see our fabulous city. In the old part of the city there are historical buildings, churches, mosques and museums such as Aya Sofya, the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Basilica Cistern which are well worth a visit. You should definitely spend an afternoon at the Grand Bazaar and the Spice Bazaar. There are frequent ferries which allow you to explore the Bosphorus too. For a taste of modern Istanbul and the branded shopping district you can visit Taksim Square and Independence Avenue. Of course you will have to sample our traditional food and sweets as well.

December is a cold and wet month here so I suggest you bring plenty of warm clothes including gloves. The strong winds have been known to fill the streets with broken umbrellas so make sure you bring a strong one.

Looking forward to seeing you soon,

Emre Tonguç

Question taken from Cambridge Instant IELTS p.103

General Training - Model Answer (Task 1)

You are going to take a short holiday in Sydney, Australia and you want to rent a holiday flat while you are there.
Write to the tourist information office. In your letter:

• explain what you need
• say when you will need it
• ask for information about prices

Dear Sir/Madam,

A satisfied client recommended that I contact your office in connection with renting a holiday flat in Sydney. I will be visiting with my family which includes two young children under the age of seven. For this reason a two bedroom flat with a double bed and two single ones would be ideal as would one bathroom and a small kitchen for us to cook our meals. It is important for the flat to be located centrally as we will be doing plenty of walking.

We will be arriving on May 15th and departing on the 30th. On our first night we would want to go directly from the airport to the flat.

You webpage notifies clients that you offer a discount for off-peak periods and for people staying in Sydney for more than 10 days. Can you please inform us about the price we will be expected to pay for the duration of our stay?

Yours faithfully,

Allan Dellon
Question taken from Cambridge Instant IELTS p.107

General Training - Model Answer (Task 1)

In general, people do not have such a close relationship with their neighbours as they did in the past. Why is this so and what can be done to improve contact between neighbours?


In the past neighbourhoods were smaller and consisted of tight-knit communities. It was common for everyone to know each other, drop by for something to drink or eat or even to chat and of course to lend a helping hand if a neighbour was in need.

This personal contact and intimacy between neighbours no longer exists. In a world of high-rise apartments, people barely notice their next door neighbour and are too busy living their individual lives to care about what is happening next door. In other words, there has been a move from communal living to individual living.

What is more, people are not rooted in a single location anymore. They change neighbourhoods, cities and even countries for various reasons. This can be seen in large cities in China where there are thousands of migrant workers. Frequently changing homes does not give a person time to get to know their immediate environment.

It is very difficult to restore the type of relationship people had in the past with their neighbours as areas are overcrowded and people are suspicious and cautious in their dealings with others. Perhaps if people feel they have a common interest to improve their neighbourhood they can get together for meetings and get to know each other. Communal areas like local parks and playgrounds might encourage people to spend time together. Some neighbourhoods have even set up Neighbourhood Watch units to keep their area safe from crime. However, in order for all these changes to be effective, people living in the same area will need to make an effort.
Question taken from Cambridge Instant IELTS p. 109