✦ IELTS Topic: Linking Words for Purpose – 10 Useful Phrases

1. In order to
   e.g., I study every day in order to improve my English.

2. So that
   e.g., I left early so that I could catch the train.

3. For the purpose of
   e.g., This test is designed for the purpose of measuring fluency.

4. With the aim of
   e.g., He joined the course with the aim of passing the IELTS exam.

5. With a view to
   e.g., She saved money with a view to buying a house.

6. For the sake of
   e.g., For the sake of clarity, let me explain again.

7. For the intention of
   e.g., He travelled abroad for the intention of studying.

8. For the objective of
   e.g., The project was launched for the objective of reducing waste.

9. To the end that
   e.g., The government increased funding to the end that education would improve.

10. For the purpose that
    e.g., He spoke slowly for the purpose that everyone could understand.

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✦ Why These Words Are Important in IELTS

• They help you explain reasons + goals clearly, especially in Writing Task 2 essays.

• They make your speech sound formal and academic, which boosts Coherence & Cohesion.

• They prevent repetition of simple “because” or “to.”

• They are especially useful for problem–solution essays and future-focused questions in Speaking.

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✦ IELTS Speaking Practice – Purpose

Part 1: Introduction & Interview

1. Do you study English in order to travel abroad?

2. Do you work hard so that you can achieve your goals?

3. Do you use social media for the purpose of learning, or entertainment?

4. Did you choose your job with the aim of developing new skills?

5. Have you ever saved money with a view to buying something important?

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Part 2: Cue Card

Describe a goal you achieved. Explain its purpose.
You should say:

• what the goal was

• how you achieved it

• why it was important
  and explain the purpose behind it using at least three linking words for purpose.

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✦ Sample Answers Using the Phrases

Part 1

1. Yes, I study English in order to pass IELTS and continue my studies abroad.

2. I always work hard so that I can feel proud of myself.

3. I sometimes use YouTube for the purpose of practising my listening skills.

4. I chose this course with the aim of improving my job opportunities.

5. I saved money with a view to travelling to Japan last year.

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Part 2 Sample Answer
A goal I achieved was finishing my bachelor’s degree. I worked very hard in order to complete it on time. I attended extra classes for the purpose of improving my grades. I studied late at night so that I would not fall behind. With the aim of getting into a good master’s programme, I did several projects. In the end, I succeeded, and now I feel more confident about my future.

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✦ Comprehension Test: Linking Words for Purpose

1. "I study every day in order to improve my English."
Q: Why does the speaker study every day?

2. "I left early so that I could catch the train."
Q: Why did the speaker leave early?

3. "This test is designed for the purpose of measuring fluency."
Q: What is the purpose of the test?

4. "He joined the course with the aim of passing the IELTS exam."
Q: Why did he join the course?

5. "She saved money with a view to buying a house."
Q: What did she want to buy?

6. "For the sake of clarity, let me explain again."
Q: Why does the speaker want to explain again?

7. "He travelled abroad for the intention of studying."
Q: Why did he travel abroad?

8. "The project was launched for the objective of reducing waste."
Q: What was the objective of the project?

9. "The government increased funding to the end that education would improve."
Q: What did the government want to improve?

10. "He spoke slowly for the purpose that everyone could understand."
Q: Why did he speak slowly?

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✦ Answer Key

1. To improve his English.

2. To catch the train.

3. To measure fluency.

4. To pass the IELTS exam.

5. A house.

6. To make things clear.

7. To study.

8. Reducing waste.

9. Education.

 

📊 IELTS Writing Task 1 – Topic 5

🎯 Question

The stacked bar chart below shows the value of exports of five product categories (machinery, vehicles, textiles, food, and chemicals) from Country Y in 2010 and 2020.

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📝 Model Answer (Band 8–9, ~190 words)

The stacked bar chart compares the value of exports in five product categories from Country Y in 2010 and 2020.

Overall, machinery and vehicles remained the dominant exports, while textiles declined. Chemicals and food saw moderate growth over the decade.

In 2010, machinery was the largest export sector, worth around $50 billion, followed closely by vehicles at about $45 billion. Both increased over the period, with machinery rising to approximately $60 billion and vehicles to $55 billion in 2020. Together, they continued to account for more than half of all exports.

Textile exports, by contrast, fell significantly, from roughly $30 billion in 2010 to just $20 billion in 2020. Food exports grew steadily, climbing from $25 billion to $35 billion, overtaking textiles. Chemicals also showed growth, increasing from $20 billion to $30 billion during the same period.

In summary, while machinery and vehicles continued to dominate Country Y’s exports, the most notable changes were the decline of textiles and the rise of food and chemicals.

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🔑 Useful Vocabulary

• Dominant exports / accounted for / represented

• Rose steadily / increased significantly / declined sharply

• By contrast / overtook / continued to dominate

• Worth around / valued at / reached approximately

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🔗 Linking Words

• Addition: in addition, furthermore, together, combined

• Contrast: whereas, by contrast, on the other hand

• Trends: over the decade, during the period, continued to

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✍️ Guidelines for Writing This Essay

1. Plan (2–3 minutes)

   • Identify dominant categories (machinery, vehicles).

   • Identify decline (textiles).

   • Identify growth (food, chemicals).

2. Structure

   • Intro: paraphrase question.

   • Overview: key trends (machinery & vehicles dominant, textiles decline).

   • Body 1: machinery, vehicles.

   • Body 2: textiles, food, chemicals.

   • Conclusion: summarise.

3. Topic Sentences

   • “Machinery and vehicles remained the largest contributors to exports.”

   • “By contrast, textiles declined, while food and chemicals increased steadily.”

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💡 Language Focus

• Verb vs. Noun phrases:

  • Textiles fell sharply / There was a sharp fall in textiles.

  • Food exports rose steadily / There was a steady rise in food exports.

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🔟 Practice Exercises

A. Fill-in

1. Machinery exports ______ from $50bn to $60bn.

2. Textiles ______ sharply to $20bn in 2020.

B. Rewrite with noun phrases

1. “Food exports increased steadily.” → …

2. “Textiles declined significantly.” → …

C. Choose overview
a) Machinery $50→60bn, Vehicles $45→55bn, Textiles $30→20bn, Food $25→35bn, Chemicals $20→30bn.
b) Machinery and vehicles dominated, textiles declined, and food/chemicals grew steadily.

D. Comparisons

1. Machinery in 2020 was ______ as high as chemicals in 2010.

2. Food exports in 2020 ______ textiles exports in 2020.

E. Spot the error
“Vehicles export increased steadily between 2010 and 2020.”

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✅ Suggested Answers

A: 1. rose / increased 2. fell / dropped
B: 1. There was a steady increase in food exports. 2. There was a significant decline in textiles.
C: b)
D: 1. three times 2. overtook / surpassed
E: Wrong form → should be “Vehicle exports…”

 

IELTS Writing Task 1 – Topic 4

🎯 Question

The table below shows the percentage of journeys made by different modes of transport in City X in 2000, 2010, and 2020.

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📝 Model Answer (Band 8–9, ~190 words)

The table illustrates the proportion of trips made by five types of transport in City X in 2000, 2010, and 2020.

Overall, private car use increased significantly over the period and became the most common mode of travel. By contrast, bus and bicycle use declined steadily. Walking and train travel showed more stable figures, with only slight changes.

In 2000, buses were the most popular, accounting for 38% of journeys, followed by cars at 30%. However, bus usage declined to 25% in 2010 and fell further to just 18% in 2020. Similarly, bicycles dropped from 20% to 10% over the same period.

Car use, on the other hand, rose steadily, reaching 35% in 2010 and 45% by 2020. This made cars the dominant means of travel by the end of the period. Walking accounted for 10% in 2000 and remained fairly stable, fluctuating slightly to 9% in 2020. Train travel also remained relatively low but increased gradually from 2% to 5%.

In summary, City X witnessed a shift away from public and non-motorised transport towards private car usage between 2000 and 2020.

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🔑 Useful Vocabulary

• Dominant mode / accounted for / represented

• Declined steadily / fell gradually / dropped sharply

• Rose steadily / increased significantly / fluctuated slightly

• By contrast / in comparison / became the most common

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🔗 Linking Words

• Trend changes: over the period, by 2020, during the decade

• Comparisons: whereas, by contrast, compared with

• Overview phrases: overall, it is clear that, in summary

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✍️ Guidelines for Writing This Essay

1. Plan (2–3 minutes)

   • Identify largest (cars by 2020).

   • Identify smallest (train throughout).

   • Identify decline (bus, bicycle).

   • Identify stability (walking).

2. Structure

   • Intro: paraphrase question.

   • Overview: key trends (car ↑, bus/bike ↓).

   • Body 1: buses, bicycles, cars.

   • Body 2: walking, trains.

   • Conclusion: summarise.

3. Topic Sentences

   • “Car use rose steadily and overtook buses to become the most popular mode.”

   • “By contrast, buses and bicycles declined steadily over the period.”

   • “Walking remained stable, while train usage grew only slightly.”

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💡 Language Focus

• Verb vs. Noun phrases:

  • Bus usage declined steadily / There was a steady decline in bus usage.

  • Car travel rose sharply / There was a sharp rise in car travel.

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🔟 Practice Exercises

A. Fill-in

1. Car use ______ from 30% to 45%.

2. Bus travel ______ from 38% to 18%.

B. Rewrite with noun phrases

1. “Bicycle use fell gradually.” → …

2. “Car usage rose steadily.” → …

C. Choose overview
a) Cars, buses, bicycles, walking, and trains all changed between 2000 and 2020.
b) Car use rose sharply to become dominant, while buses and bicycles fell steadily.

D. Comparisons

1. By 2020, cars were ______ as popular as trains.

2. Bicycle journeys in 2000 were ______ times higher than in 2020.

E. Spot the error
“The percentage of bus use decreased steady from 2000 to 2020.”

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✅ Suggested Answers

A: 1. increased / rose 2. fell / dropped
B: 1. There was a gradual fall in bicycle use. 2. There was a steady rise in car usage.
C: b)
D: 1. nine times 2. two
E: Wrong word form → should be “steadily”.