IELTS Writing Push: the four weeks before the exam

How the plan is meant to run

The minutes are a budget, not a target: a day that overruns is a day that skipped the plan, not a day that worked harder. Ticking a day off is kept in this browser only.

Type everything, with the spell checker off. The exam computer has neither.
Task 1 starts with the ritual on paper: the tense, the family, what that family gives you, and the overall story.
Task 2 starts with a plan, never with a first sentence.
Never read a model answer before writing that prompt. Read it afterwards, and only for the prompt just written.
Don't invent grammar in the exam room. Invent the ideas; the sentences come from frames already owned.
After each piece: fix one thing, rewrite one paragraph, and stop.

The exam is on Sat 10 Oct: Listening, Reading and Writing in the morning, Speaking in the early afternoon. Two mocks measure the plan on the way — one already run, one on 4 October in the full shape of the exam day.

Week 1 — Build Task 1

Wed 16 Sept → Tue 22 Sept

Run the five Task 1 lessons on real dates. Task 2 stays warm with plans only.

Wed 16 Sept
Task 1 lesson
70 min
- Task 1
  Session 1 · ritual + tense
  Five ritual sheets, no writing
- Task 2
  Plan Test 12 (zoos)
  Discussion — the type your bank is short on
LearnTask 1 starts with two separate decisions, not with the chart type. Tense: recorded data is past; a process or a map of what exists now is present. Words: two or more points in time means dynamic words (rose, fell); one point in time means static words (accounted for, the largest). Then the overview is simply the two biggest features.
Read
- My teacher's Task 1 book, part 1pp. 9–10What Task 1 actually asks you to do
- My teacher's Task 1 book, part 1pp. 16–18The four-part report, the 20-minute plan, and what each part must and must not contain
- My own Task 1 method notessection 2The five steps — especially step 2: does the figure really show this?
- My teacher's Discussion-essay handoutPDF pp. 1–2How a Discussion essay works: all three parts are marked
Do
1. 20 minRead the Task 1 pages above (not the Discussion pages yet).
2. 2 minAsk for the five figures. I'll send the prompt images only: Cam 17 p.93 · Cam 21 p.94 · Cam 17 p.50 · Cam 21 p.72 · Q3 p.40.
3. 30 minFill one ritual sheet per figure, on paper, four lines, no sentences: 1 tense · 2 which family · 3 what that family gives you — dynamic: direction and turning points · static: rank and gaps · map: added, removed, changed use · process: phases, start and end · 4 the two biggest features.
4. 5 minOnly now open “Check after” below and mark your sheets.
5. 3 minRead my teacher's Discussion pages.
6. 10 minTask 2: Pass 0 and a fragment plan for Test 12 in the training guide. Write MY POSITION first.
Check after — open only when the writing is done
- Cam 17 p.93 · shops opening and closing 2011–2018 → past · dynamic
- Cam 21 p.94 · library users, one survey → past · STATIC — the trap: past tense, but nothing rose or fell
- Cam 17 p.50 · police budget, 2017 and 2018 → past · dynamic (same chart types as p.94, opposite words)
- Cam 21 p.72 · rain-shadow desert, a process → present · sequence words, no trends
- Q3 p.40 · patients rating three hospitals, one survey → past · static
Done whenFive ritual sheets are filled, and your Test 12 plan has MY POSITION written.
Thu 17 Sept
Task 1 lesson
90 min
- Task 1
  Session 2 · two vocabulary sets
  Dynamic and static, harvested from real Band 7.5 answers
LearnThe data decides the words, not the chart. Two tables with pie charts can need opposite word sets: one compares 2017 with 2018 (dynamic), the other is a single survey (static). Writing rose or fell about static data invents a time dimension — that's a Task Achievement error, not a vocabulary one.
Read
- Saved Cambridge sample pagesCam 17 p.137Band 7.5 · line graph → your DYNAMIC list
- Saved Cambridge sample pagesCam 17 p.130Band 7.5 · table and pies → your DYNAMIC list
- Saved Cambridge sample pagesCam 21 p.137Cambridge's own model overview → your STATIC list
- My 27 August Task 1body paragraphsYou'll rewrite these with your new phrases
- My teacher's tenses and time shiftsthe three time framesMixing present and past was a baseline error
Do
1. 5 minMake two blank lists. DYNAMIC: up · down · no change · peak or low · fluctuate · time frame. STATIC: share · rank · extremes · gap · comparison.
2. 32 minRead the three samples. Copy 8–10 phrases from each into the right list, exactly as they appear in the sentence.
3. 5 minOnly now open “Check after” and compare your lists.
4. 20 minRewrite the two body paragraphs of your 27 Aug Task 1 with your new phrases. Don't write a new essay.
5. 8 minPut old and new side by side. Send both lists and the rewrite.
6. 20 minAccuracy: my teacher's tenses and time shifts — the three time frames. Mixing present and past was a baseline error.
Check after — open only when the writing is done
- Dynamic examples: rose sharply · climbed to · kept rising · fell to · declined steadily · more than halved · remained stable · showed little change · peaked at · reached a low of · fluctuated · over the same period
- Static examples: accounted for · made up · a quarter of · by far the largest · in a minority · the smallest group · least satisfied with · twice as many as · whereas · by contrast
- Baseline fixes: drops more than a half → more than halved · grows up from 9% to nearly 22% → rose from 9% to almost 22% · records slightly reduce → fell slightly · is double in 1968 → was twice as high in 1968 · the only factor has no change → household goods remained stable
Done whenTwo lists with at least 8 phrases each, and your two baseline body paragraphs rewritten.
Fri 18 Sept
Task 1 lesson
90 minMock 1 tomorrow 08:00 — check the audio folder opens
- Task 1
  Session 3 · maps and plans
  Full essay: Cam 17 p.28 (map)
LearnMaps need a third set of words: location and change — to the north of, was demolished, was replaced by, has been converted into. The overview names the big transformation (old use → new use); an unchanged landmark goes in only when it helps orientation. Group the body by area; don't walk round the map clockwise. Take the tense from the labels, not from the fact that it's a map.
Read
- My own Task 1 method notessection 5The map branch: boundary → transformation → location → connection
- My teacher's Task 1 book, part 1p. 152.7 Map or plan
- My teacher's Task 1 book, part 1p. 20before / after · existing / proposed
- Cambridge IELTS 17p. 127Band 6 sample for this map — read it AFTER you write
- Cambridge IELTS 21p. 129Café plan, Band 6 — also after
Do
1. 15 minRead the method section and the two book pages.
2. 3 minAsk for Cam 17 p.28. Map ritual: what disappeared · what was added · what changed use.
3. 20 minWrite the full essay, timed, typed, spell-check off.
4. 30 minNow read the Band 6 sample for this map (Cam 17 p.127) and its examiner comment, then the café plan sample (Cam 21 p.129).
5. 15 minWrite down three concrete differences between your essay and p.127. Start a MAP list of location and change phrases.
6. 7 minIf there's time: ritual and outline only for Cam 21 p.51 (the café, before and after).
Check after — open only when the writing is done
- Map words to look for: to the north of · was demolished · was replaced by · has been converted into · now occupies the site of
- Overview test: does it name the biggest change? An unchanged landmark is worth adding when it helps orientation — the method calls it useful, not required.
- Changed from the lesson plan: write first, read the sample after — reading p.127 first would give away the map you're about to write.
Done whenA timed map essay, three differences written down, and a MAP list started.
Sat 19 Sept
Mock
Ran on RealIELTS Vol 9 Test 1 and a forecast Writing pair — Cambridge 15 Test 4 is still unused
- Writing
  Mock 1 — Cambridge 15 Test 4, Listening · Reading · Writing
  Locked test · Saturday morning, start at 08:00 like the real exam · type the Writing with spell-check off.
LearnNothing new today. A mock is a measurement, not practice. It runs on Saturday morning on purpose: no workday before it, and a start close to the real 08:00.
Read
- Cambridge IELTS 15 — Mock 1Test 4Listening, Reading and Writing — nothing else from this book
Do
1. —The night before: open the audio folder and play three seconds of ielts15_test4_audio1. It was extracted and pinned on 16 Sep — this is only the check.
2. —Start at 08:00. Listening, then Reading, exactly as in the exam.
3. 60 minWriting in a plain editor, spell-check off: Task 1 for 20 minutes (start with the ritual), then Task 2 for 40 (start with Pass 0). Stop at 60:00.
4. —Send both Writing tasks. It's a mock, so ask for band estimates if you want them.
Done whenBoth Writing tasks are saved and sent.
Sun 20 Sept
Light day
65 minClass 19:30
- Task 1
  Consolidation · no new essay
  The algorithm from memory, then the Mock 1 bar chart: introduction, overview and four body sentences in safe frames
- Task 2
  Test 8 (museums) · Test 4 (older parents), light
  Type A–F → thesis → Body 1 idea → Body 2 idea
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 1
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S12
LearnFrom today the two pages are used, not read. Retrieval before reading: write the algorithm or the frame from memory first; open the page for 20–30 seconds only if it won't come, then close it and use it. The rule until 10 October: don't invent grammar in the exam room — invent ideas; the sentences come from frames you already own.
Read
- The Twenty-Minute Reportonce, then close itThe ritual and the four families
- Safe Sentence FramesChange over timeOnly if a frame won't come: rose from A to B · fell to A before rising to B · fluctuated between A and B · reached a peak of A · While X fell, Y rose
- My Mock 1 Writing promptspage 1The chart you rewrite from
- Shadowing FortnightDay 1Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
- My Speaking Part 2 method notessections 3 and 5The story frame and the timing, read once
Do
1. 3 minOpen The Twenty-Minute Report once: the ritual and the four families. Close it.
2. 5 minFrom memory, write the algorithm: time and labels → family → exact quantity → overall story → grouping. Then check it against the page.
3. 20 minThe Mock 1 bar chart. Don't rewrite the essay: write only the introduction, the overview and four body sentences. Write each frame from memory first; if one won't come, open Safe Sentence Frames for 20–30 seconds, then close it.
4. 7 minThe five-check gate on those six sentences: a main verb in every sentence · no be before fluctuate, remain, rise or fall · a / the · tense from the labels · -s, -ed and agreement. Send the six sentences.
5. 12 minTask 2, light: Test 8, then Test 4 — say the type (A–F), write the thesis, then one line each for the Body 1 and Body 2 main ideas. Test 8 says rather than; Test 4 says legally.
6. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenThe algorithm is written from memory, six sentences pass the five-check gate, and both Task 2 theses are written.
Mon 21 Sept
Task 1 lesson
108 min
- Task 1
  Session 4 · process
  Full essay: Cam 21 p.72
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 2
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S13
LearnA process has no numbers to compare. The overview names the overall transformation and its major phases; stage count, start and end go in when they are clear and useful — they are tools, not a checklist. Group the body into phases. Keep the technical words, and choose active or passive step by step: “processes must be passive” is not a rule. Today's grammar focus, from the Stages panel of Safe Sentence Frames: voice per step · after which, once, before · at + a temperature, for + a duration.
Read
- My own Task 1 method notessection 4The process branch
- My teacher's Task 1 book, part 1p. 142.6 Process diagram
- Safe Sentence FramesStagesOnly if a frame won't come — then close it
- Cambridge IELTS 21p. 132Band 5.5 sample for this process — read it AFTER you write
- Shadowing FortnightDay 2Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. 12 minRead the method section and the book page.
2. 3 minAsk for Cam 21 p.72. Process ritual: count the stages · first stage · last stage · the phases they fall into. Then write from memory the three joins: after which · once · before.
3. 20 minWrite the full essay, timed, typed.
4. 25 minNow read the sample (Cam 21 p.132) and the examiner comment. Why only 5.5?
5. 15 minThree concrete differences, and a SEQUENCE list: first · subsequently · once this is complete · the resulting … is …
6. 15 minRewrite ONE body paragraph of your essay with what you found.
7. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Check after — open only when the writing is done
- Overview test: does it name the transformation and its phases? Stage count and start/end only when they are clear. No “the largest” either way — there is nothing to compare
- Body test: grouped into phases, not one sentence per arrow
- Changed from the lesson plan: write first, read the sample after.
Done whenA timed process essay, three differences, a SEQUENCE list, and one rewritten paragraph.
Tue 22 Sept
Task 1 lesson
88 min
- Task 1
  Session 5 · multi-figure
  Full essay: Q3 p.34 (four pies, dynamic)
- Task 2
  Plan Test 5 (university fees)
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 3
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S11
LearnWhen there's more than one figure, no figure may be left out — but cover them by COMPRESSING: group the shared pattern instead of inventorying each component. A Cambridge examiner marked a Band 6 answer down for ignoring a figure, not for using few sentences. Where the overview sits doesn't matter; that nothing is dropped does.
Read
- Saved Cambridge sample pagesCam 17 p.130Re-read the overview: it covers both figures
- Saved Cambridge sample pagesCam 21 p.136–137The examiner comment and Cambridge's model overview
- My Task 2 training guidePart 3The Outweigh skeleton, for Test 5
- Shadowing FortnightDay 3Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. 15 minRe-read both overviews and the examiner comment. What does the 7.5 overview do that the 6.0 one doesn't?
2. 3 minAsk for Q3 p.34. Ritual: it has two years, so dynamic words; four pies, so no pie is left out — group them. Grammar focus: the quantity is the subject (“the proportion of X rose from A to B”).
3. 20 minWrite the full essay, timed, typed.
4. 12 minSelf-check: do all four pies end up covered, through grouped comparisons rather than four separate mentions? Did I use dynamic words, not static ones?
5. 10 minTask 2: Pass 0 and a fragment plan for Test 5. Outweigh — decide the verdict first; the lighter side goes in Body 1.
6. 10 minWord shapes: cover the list and write each word from memory.
7. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenA multi-figure essay whose overview covers every figure, and a Test 5 plan with a verdict.

Week 2 — Combine under exam conditions

Wed 23 Sept → Tue 29 Sept

Three full Writing runs: 60 minutes, Task 1 then Task 2, typed, spell-check off.

Wed 23 Sept
Task 1 essay
53 minIDP computer session 17:00–19:00
- Task 1
  Full essay: Q3 p.42 (static table)
  Closes the Task 1 finish line — dynamic, static, map and process all written
- Writing
  No Task 2 today
  The IDP computer session is tonight — the day is already long
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 4
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S14
LearnStatic data has no trend: rank it, give shares, give gaps. Watch the trap — a single year is still past tense, but with only one year nothing rose or fell. Grammar focus, from the One moment panel of Safe Sentence Frames: account for, make up, compared with, that of — and no trend verb anywhere.
Read
- My own listsSTATIC listFrom 17 Sep
- Safe Sentence FramesOne moment, comparedOnly if a frame won't come — then close it
- My teacher's six paragraph criteria1 pageThe six criteria — applied to today's Task 1 body paragraphs
- Shadowing FortnightDay 4Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. 3 minRe-read your STATIC list.
2. 3 minAsk for Q3 p.42. Ritual.
3. 20 minWrite the full essay, timed, typed, spell-check off.
4. 4 minThe check your 27 Aug essay needed: read your overview, then make sure no body sentence says the opposite.
5. 5 minRead my teacher's six paragraph criteria and check your own two body paragraphs against them. Fix one thing.
6. —Evening, IDP computer session: type into the real answer box and watch the word counter.
7. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenTask 1 finish line reached — dynamic, static, map and process are all written.
Thu 24 Sept
Full writing run
93 min
- Task 1
  Re-measure: Cam 21 p.29 (line graph)
- Task 2
  Full essay: Test 4 (older parents)
  You wrote on this prompt on 3 Sep — compare the two
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 5
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S15
LearnNothing new — exam conditions. This Task 1 is the re-measure against your 27 Aug baseline.
Read
- My writing daily chainrule 2Your broken 3 Sep sentence on Test 4 — read it AFTER the timer, not before
- Shadowing FortnightDay 5Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. —Before the timer: open a plain editor with spell-check and autocorrect off. Ask for today's Task 1 figure; today's Task 2 prompt is in the day's summary.
2. 20 minTask 1 — ritual on paper (30 seconds) → read the figure until 3:00 → introduction → overview → two body paragraphs → from 17:00 check figures, tenses, plurals and word count.
3. 40 minTask 2 — Pass 0 → fragment plan (about 6 minutes) → write → last 3 minutes: -s and -ed endings, verb agreement, articles, and a LINK at the end of each body.
4. —Stop at 60:00, even mid-sentence.
5. 15 minAfter the timer, re-measure Task 1 against 27 Aug: is the tense consistent? did you pick the right word set? is the overview there? Then read your 3 Sep sentence: is the main clause first now?
6. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenBoth tasks are saved, and the re-measure questions are answered.
Fri 25 Sept
Light day
73 min
- Task 1
  Ritual only, two new Q3 figures
- Task 2
  Rewrite the weakest paragraph from 24 Sep · plan Test 7 · plan Test 6
  Both prompts are complete in the guide — full wording added 15 Sep
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 6
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S16
LearnA two-part prompt asks two questions: one body paragraph each, each opening with a sentence that answers its question directly. Test 6's second question has two targets — society and family life — so both need a place. Both prompts are complete in the training guide, so nothing has to be guessed.
Read
- My teacher's two-part-question handoutPDF p. 1Identify, three steps, the outline
- My teacher's Discussion-essay handoutPDF p. 1Quick reminder before planning Test 7
- Shadowing FortnightDay 6Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. 10 minAsk for two new Q3 figures. Ritual only, no writing.
2. 15 minRewrite the weakest paragraph from your 24 Sep run.
3. 5 minRead my teacher's Two-part page.
4. 20 minPlans: Test 7 (Discussion) and Test 6 (Two-part) in the guide.
5. 5 minWord shapes: cover the list and write each word from memory.
6. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenTwo ritual sheets, one rewritten paragraph, two plans.
Sat 26 Sept
Full writing run
93 min
- Task 1
  Q3 p.36 (two tables, dynamic)
- Task 2
  Full essay: Test 12 (zoos)
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 7
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S1
LearnNothing new. Test 12 is Discussion: report each view fairly in its own paragraph, and signal your own view in the introduction.
Read
- My own listsTest 12 planFrom 16 Sep — two minutes, then close it
- Shadowing FortnightDay 7Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. —Before the timer: open a plain editor with spell-check and autocorrect off. Ask for today's Task 1 figure; today's Task 2 prompt is in the day's summary.
2. 20 minTask 1 — ritual on paper (30 seconds) → read the figure until 3:00 → introduction → overview → two body paragraphs → from 17:00 check figures, tenses, plurals and word count.
3. 40 minTask 2 — Pass 0 → fragment plan (about 6 minutes) → write → last 3 minutes: -s and -ed endings, verb agreement, articles, and a LINK at the end of each body.
4. —Stop at 60:00, even mid-sentence.
5. 15 minAfter the timer: pick the ONE thing that hurt most and rewrite ONE paragraph with it. Send both tasks.
6. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenBoth tasks are saved, and one paragraph is rewritten.
Sun 27 Sept
Light day
58 minClass 19:30
- Task 2
  Plan Test 14 (schools and behaviour) · plan Test 10 (companies to the countryside)
- Writing
  Accuracy: articles and countable nouns
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 8
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S24
LearnTest 14 turns on in addition to; Test 10 has two problems, traffic and housing. And one linking rule: use though or but, never both in one sentence.
Read
- My teacher's 35 mistakes to avoidSection II · mistakes 8–10Linking words — your 27 Aug “Though … but …”
- My teacher's nouns and determinersthe explanation partCount and noncount nouns, articles — a known gap
- Shadowing FortnightDay 8Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. 16 minPass 0 and plans for Test 14 and Test 10.
2. 4 minCheck both against the key.
3. 5 minRead 35 mistakes, Section II.
4. 15 minAccuracy: read the nouns and determiners explanation.
5. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenTwo plans checked against the key.
Mon 28 Sept
Light day
68 min
- Task 1
  Q3 p.58 (plan, same-time comparison)optional
- Task 2
  One paragraph from the Test 5 plan
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 9
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S17
LearnOutweigh means a verdict, not a list: state it in the introduction, keep the lighter side short, and weigh by scale, impact and who is affected.
Read
- My teacher's advantages-versus-outweigh handoutall 3 pagesSurvey vs verdict
- Shadowing FortnightDay 9Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. 5 minRead my teacher's outweigh pages.
2. 20 minOptional Task 1: ask for Q3 p.58. Two rooms at the same moment, so whereas and by contrast — not was replaced by.
3. 10 minIf you did it: does the overview compare the two rooms directly?
4. 15 minTask 2: write ONE body paragraph from your Test 5 plan — the heavier side.
5. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenThe Test 5 heavier-side paragraph is written.
Tue 29 Sept
Full writing run
93 min
- Task 1
  Q3 p.27 (four pies, static)
- Task 2
  Full essay: FOCUS p.26 Ques 2
  A fresh Opinion prompt — ask for it
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 10
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S20
LearnNothing new — a prompt you haven't planned. Pass 0 matters most today.
Read
- Shadowing FortnightDay 10Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. —Before the timer: open a plain editor with spell-check and autocorrect off. Ask for today's Task 1 figure; today's Task 2 prompt is in the day's summary.
2. 20 minTask 1 — ritual on paper (30 seconds) → read the figure until 3:00 → introduction → overview → two body paragraphs → from 17:00 check figures, tenses, plurals and word count.
3. 40 minTask 2 — Pass 0 → fragment plan (about 6 minutes) → write → last 3 minutes: -s and -ed endings, verb agreement, articles, and a LINK at the end of each body.
4. —Stop at 60:00, even mid-sentence.
5. 15 minAfter the timer: pick the ONE thing that hurt most and rewrite ONE paragraph with it. Send both tasks.
6. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenBoth tasks are saved, and one paragraph is rewritten.

Week 3 — Sharpen, then Mock 2

Wed 30 Sept → Sun 4 Oct

One more full run, rewrites of your weakest paragraphs, then the full exam-day rehearsal.

Wed 30 Sept
Light day
68 min
- Task 2
  Rewrite the weakest paragraphs from 26 and 29 Sep · plan Test 9 · revise Test 1
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 11
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S22
LearnRewriting is where gains stick. Pick the paragraph that broke, fix one thing, stop.
Read
- My teacher's 35 mistakes to avoidSection VII · mistakes 21–22Dangling modifiers — your 15 Sep “instead of relying on” was one
- Shadowing FortnightDay 11Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. 30 minRewrite the weakest paragraph from 26 Sep, then from 29 Sep. One fix each.
2. 5 minRead 35 mistakes, Section VII.
3. 8 minPlan Test 9. The claim is only “some negative effects”, so listing benefits doesn't disagree with it.
4. 7 minRevise your Test 1 plan with the three revisions in the guide.
5. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenTwo rewritten paragraphs and two plans.
Thu 1 Oct
Full writing run
93 min
- Task 1
  Q3 p.31 (three pies, static)
- Task 2
  Full essay: FOCUS p.26 Ques 1
  A fresh Discussion prompt — ask for it
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 12
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S18
LearnNothing new. A fresh Discussion: count the positions, report both fairly, signal your view early.
Read
- My teacher's Discussion-essay handoutPDF pp. 1–2Three minutes before the timer, then close it
- Shadowing FortnightDay 12Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. —Before the timer: open a plain editor with spell-check and autocorrect off. Ask for today's Task 1 figure; today's Task 2 prompt is in the day's summary.
2. 20 minTask 1 — ritual on paper (30 seconds) → read the figure until 3:00 → introduction → overview → two body paragraphs → from 17:00 check figures, tenses, plurals and word count.
3. 40 minTask 2 — Pass 0 → fragment plan (about 6 minutes) → write → last 3 minutes: -s and -ed endings, verb agreement, articles, and a LINK at the end of each body.
4. —Stop at 60:00, even mid-sentence.
5. 15 minAfter the timer: pick the ONE thing that hurt most and rewrite ONE paragraph with it. Send both tasks.
6. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenBoth tasks are saved, and one paragraph is rewritten.
Fri 2 Oct
Light day
68 min
- Task 1
  One Q3 map or processoptional
  Only if the Week 1 map or process essay broke
- Task 2
  One paragraph from the Test 7 plan
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 13
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S19
LearnSpend the time where the exam could still surprise you. If your week-1 map or process essay was shaky, do one more; if not, skip it.
Read
- My teacher's Discussion-essay handoutPDF p. 1Before the Test 7 paragraph
- Shadowing FortnightDay 13Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. 20 minOptional Task 1: ask for one Q3 map or process figure, timed.
2. 10 minIf you did it: three differences from your week-1 essay of the same kind.
3. 5 minRe-read my teacher's Discussion page.
4. 15 minTask 2: write ONE body paragraph from your Test 7 plan — one view, reported fairly.
5. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenThe Test 7 paragraph is written.
Sat 3 Oct
Light day
48 min
- Task 2
  Plan Test 3 (tours to remote areas) · plan Test 2 (shopping centres) · word shapes
- Speaking
  Shadowing Fortnight · Day 14
  18 minutes · Part 2 story S2
LearnPositive or negative prompts want a judgement on a trend, not a description of it. Test 3 has two groups to judge — local people and the environment.
Read
- My teacher's positive-or-negative handoutPDF p. 1Identify, three steps, two layouts
- Shadowing FortnightDay 14Today's Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3 set
Do
1. 5 minRead my teacher's Positive or negative page.
2. 16 minPlans: Test 3 and Test 2.
3. 4 minCheck both against the key.
4. 5 minWord shapes: cover the list and write each word from memory. Then rest before the mock.
5. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenTwo plans checked, and an early night.
Sun 4 Oct
Mock
Class 19:30
- Writing
  Mock 2 — Cambridge 16 Test 4, full exam-day shape
  Listening, Reading and Writing in the morning, Speaking in the afternoon. Locked test.
LearnThe whole exam day, in its real order and with its real gap before Speaking.
Read
- Cambridge IELTS 16 — Mock 2Test 4Everything for the mock — nothing else from this book
Do
1. —The night before: keep the Cambridge 16 folder on this device.
2. —Morning: Listening → Reading → Writing (60 minutes, typed, spell-check off).
3. —Afternoon: Speaking.
4. —Send the Writing. Ask for band estimates if you want them.
Done whenThe mock is complete and the Writing is sent.

Taper — Nothing new

Mon 5 Oct → Sat 10 Oct

Keep the rhythm and sleep. No writing the day before the exam.

Mon 5 Oct
Taper
48 min
- Writing
  Mock 2 Writing: fix one thing, rewrite one paragraph
- Speaking
  Shadowing · repeat your weakest day
  18 minutes
LearnNothing new. Fix the single biggest thing from Mock 2.
Read
- Shadowing Fortnightyour weakest dayThe day whose rebuild broke most
Do
1. 10 minRead the notes on your Mock 2 Writing and pick ONE thing.
2. 20 minRewrite ONE paragraph with that fix.
3. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenOne paragraph is rewritten.
Tue 6 Oct
Taper
48 min
- Task 1
  One Task 1 — your weakest figure family so far
- Task 2
  Plan Test 11 (internet news)
- Speaking
  Shadowing · repeat your weakest day
  18 minutes
LearnNothing new. One more Task 1 in your weakest figure family keeps it familiar.
Read
- Shadowing Fortnightyour weakest dayThe day whose rebuild broke most
Do
1. 20 minAsk for a fresh figure from your weakest family. Ritual, then write, timed.
2. 10 minPlan Test 11: judge the change from newspapers and TV to the internet — not the internet in general.
3. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenOne Task 1 and one plan.
Wed 7 Oct
Full writing run
78 min
- Task 1
  A fresh Q3 figure
- Task 2
  Full essay: FOCUS p.26 Ques 6
  Two-part prompt · last full run
- Speaking
  Shadowing · repeat your weakest day
  18 minutes
LearnThe last full run. FOCUS Ques 6 is a Why question plus a positive-or-negative question — my teacher has an outline for exactly that pairing.
Read
- My teacher's two-part-question handoutPDF p. 1The Why + positive-or-negative outline — three minutes before the timer
- Shadowing Fortnightyour weakest dayThe day whose rebuild broke most
Do
1. —Before the timer: open a plain editor with spell-check and autocorrect off. Ask for today's Task 1 figure; today's Task 2 prompt is in the day's summary.
2. 20 minTask 1 — ritual on paper (30 seconds) → read the figure until 3:00 → introduction → overview → two body paragraphs → from 17:00 check figures, tenses, plurals and word count.
3. 40 minTask 2 — Pass 0 → fragment plan (about 6 minutes) → write → last 3 minutes: -s and -ed endings, verb agreement, articles, and a LINK at the end of each body.
4. —Stop at 60:00, even mid-sentence.
5. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenBoth tasks are saved. Tomorrow you rewrite one paragraph.
Thu 8 Oct
Taper
43 min
- Writing
  Rewrite the weakest paragraph from 7 Oct · read your own lists
- Speaking
  Shadowing · repeat your weakest day
  18 minutes
LearnNothing new. Everything you need is already in your own lists.
Read
- My own listsDYNAMIC · STATIC · MAP · SEQUENCE · word shapesOne read-through
- Shadowing Fortnightyour weakest dayThe day whose rebuild broke most
Do
1. 15 minRewrite the weakest paragraph from 7 Oct.
2. 10 minRead your own lists once.
3. 18 minSpeaking — today's day in the Shadowing Fortnight. Five answers are marked for shadowing: read them once, shadow them aloud twice, then cover the rest of the set and rebuild each answer from its atoms. Finish with the transfer question and note one grammar miss and one collocation.
Done whenOne paragraph is rewritten and your lists are read.
Fri 9 Oct
Rest
5 min
- Writing
  No writing. Read the word-shape list once, then sleep.
LearnRest is part of the plan.
Do
1. 5 minRead the word-shape list once. No writing. Sleep early.
Done whenYou're rested.
Sat 10 Oct
Exam day
- Writing
  IELTS exam — Listening, Reading and Writing at 08:00 · Speaking at 14:10
LearnTask 1: ritual first, overview second. Task 2: Pass 0 first, a LINK in every body. In both: close the sentence before adding more.
Do
1. —Arrive early. Listening, Reading and Writing at 08:00; Speaking at 14:10.

What the days read from

Three of these are pages on this site. The rest are books, a teacher's handouts and my own notes, cited by what they teach — none of that material is reproduced here.

My teacher's Task 1 book, part 1: 20 pages. Printed page = PDF page.
My own Task 1 method notes: In Vietnamese. The days name the section.
Cambridge IELTS 17: Pages here are the printed ones. In the PDF, add 1.
Cambridge IELTS 21: Printed page = PDF page.
Cambridge IELTS 15 — Mock 1: Audio extracted and pinned offline on 16 Sep: Audio Cambridge 15/Cambridge IELTS 15 audio/, 16 .m4a files. Test 4 = ielts15_test4_audio1–4.
Cambridge IELTS 16 — Mock 2: Keep the folder on this device before the mock.
Saved Cambridge sample pages: Cam 17 p.130 and p.137, Cam 21 p.136 and p.137 — open these instead of the book.
My 27 August Task 1: Your first Task 1, kept unchanged.
My writing daily chain: Rule 2 quotes your broken 3 Sep sentence on the older-parents prompt.
My Task 2 training guide: Your 14 worksheets, the skeletons and the Pass 0 key.
My Task 2 phrase bank: Phrases for closing a paragraph and for mechanisms.
My teacher's Opinion-essay handout: PDF pages 4 and 6, and the top of 7. Stop at the Band-9 model essay.
My teacher's Discussion-essay handout: PDF pages 1–2: method and outline.
My teacher's two-part-question handout: PDF page 1: method and both outlines.
My teacher's positive-or-negative handout: PDF page 1: method and both layouts.
My teacher's advantages-versus-outweigh handout: 3 pages.
My teacher's six paragraph criteria: 1 page, from Lecture 19.
My teacher's 35 mistakes to avoid: Ten sections. The days name the section.
My teacher's tenses and time shifts: 10 pages.
My teacher's agreement notes: 11 pages. Agreement Exercise 2 is in the same folder.
My teacher's nouns and determiners: 16 pages.
My own lists: Lists and plans you made on earlier days.
My Speaking Part 2 method notes: In Vietnamese. Section 5 is the sentence frame for a story; section 3 is the timing.
My Speaking cue-card bank: The PART 2 section has 34 cue cards. Take the next one you have not used.
The Twenty-Minute Report: https://tadoeng.pages.dev/learn/task-1-twenty-minute-report/ — what to write: TIME → FAMILY → OVERALL STORY → GROUP.
Safe Sentence Frames: https://tadoeng.pages.dev/learn/writing-sentence-frames/ — how to write it: frames per figure type and per Task 2 type, and the five-check gate.
My Mock 1 Writing prompts: Page 1 is the Mock 1 bar chart. Your essay: Repo/evidence/mocks/2026-09-19-mock1/task1/ORIGINAL.md
Shadowing Fortnight: https://claude.ai/artifact/PzFtXmyLQfUyKQHsiYwoaf — 14 days of Part 1, 2 and 3 models from your own stories, plus Task 2 models. Local copy: Library/IELTS Test/07.Forcast/Shadowing_Pack_2026-09-20/

Written on 16 September 2026 and revised as the mocks came in. The dates, the minutes and the lessons are mine; nothing here is a claim about what works for anyone else.