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Cambridge IELTS 11 Academic Writing Test 3 pairs a Task 1 graph with a Task 2 discussion essay, and the contrast between the two is what makes this paper a useful diagnostic. Task 1 asks you to summarise the average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden. Task 2 then turns to a discursive prompt: Some people say that the only reason for learning a foreign language is in order to travel to or work in a foreign country.
Lead with overall direction (rising, falling, fluctuating) and then group the lines or series by behaviour. Use two body paragraphs, one per view, then a balanced concluding paragraph that explains why both perspectives have merit. Use evaluative connectors — 'while it is true that', 'a stronger case can be made for' — to keep the discussion analytical rather than purely descriptive.
Budget twenty minutes for the Task 1 report and forty for the Task 2 essay, and resist the temptation to keep polishing Task 1 once your overview and two body paragraphs are in place. On a discussion essay, the introduction and conclusion deserve at least seven minutes of focused work between them — they frame the marker's first and last impression of your Coherence and Cohesion.
New to this skill? Read the Writing question types guide for tactics, scoring rules, and frequency analysis across Cambridge 10–20. Or browse all Writing practice tests.
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