essay topics using past tense

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33 Interesting Writing Prompts for Language Learners (of All Levels)

When your language teachers and tutors advise you to get more writing practice , it can be hard to follow their guidance.

If your daily life isn’t action-packed, keeping a diary in your target language can get boring and repetitive, but what other topics can you discuss?

Whether you’re a beginner or an advanced learner, there are plenty of great things to write about. Here are 33 writing prompts for language learners to get you started.

Beginner Writing Prompts

1. who are you, 2. what are your favorite hobbies, 3. what’s your family like, 4. what’s your best friend like, 5. where do you live, 6. what’s your favorite food, 7. what’s your favorite season, 8. what’s your favorite movie or tv show, 9. describe your daily routine., 10. what are you going to do this weekend, 11. what’s your favorite animal, intermediate writing prompts, 12. what’s the funniest thing that has ever happened to you, 13. where would you like to go on vacation, 14. what’s the best vacation, trip or outing you’ve ever had, 15. where do you see yourself in five years, 16. what are your goals for the future, 17. what were you like as a child, 18. write a poem (rhyming or not) about something that inspires you., 19. pretend you’re instructing someone on how to do your favorite activity., 20. what’s your favorite (or your family’s favorite) tradition.

21. What do you think the world will be like in 50 years?

22. Why is education important?

Advanced writing prompts, 23. if you were given three wishes, what would you wish for, 24. what do you think the most significant world problem is, 25. if you could change one thing about society, what would you change, 26. how has the internet affected communication how do you see it affecting communication in the future, 27. what do you think would be an ideal political system does an ideal system exist, 28. who’s responsible for poverty why does it exist, and how could it be resolved, 29. what’s your favorite literary work, and what has it taught you, 30. if you could teach your future children or other children of the future one lesson, what would it be, 31. what medical issues have you or your loved ones faced how did you handle them or how do you continue to handle them, 32. what topics are not adequately addressed in schools today why should these topics be addressed more, 33. describe a recent world event. what are the potential consequences of this event, why use foreign language writing prompts, how to get the most out of writing prompts for language learners, and one more thing....

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Beginning level students usually know basic vocabulary related to describing people, weather, food, animals, routines and related topics.

Writing as a beginning student can be a bit tricky because you don’t yet have a vast vocabulary. Additionally, your verb conjugation abilities are probably limited, so you may need to stick to the present tense.

These writing prompts can be answered with simple, general vocabulary and present tense verbs , so they’re ideal for beginning students.

You can take this question in a wide variety of directions. Based on what vocabulary you want to practice, you might describe your appearance, your job and/or your interests. If you want to try using more advanced-level vocabulary, you could try getting more philosophical with your response.

Everyone has something they like to do. What are your favorite hobbies? If your vocabulary is limited, you might try simple responses, like “I like sports.” However, as your vocabulary gets more advanced, you can add more detail into your response. For instance, “I like sports, especially soccer. My favorite thing about soccer is hitting the ball with my head.”

What do they look like? What are their personalities like? How is each person related to you? What are their interests? This prompt can be used for quick, easy writing practice or for a book-length extended project.

You can describe your friend physically, describe their personality and/or explain what you like to do together. If you already know some past tense verbs, you might even tell a story about something that happened with your friend in the past to illustrate what your friend is like.

You could even break this one down into a series of prompts. Describe your neighborhood. Describe your city. Describe your state. Describe your country. You might discuss the layout, culture, businesses, natural environment or how you feel about your location.

Not only can you name the dish and list the ingredients, you can also describe how it tastes. As your language skills progress, you might even try explaining how the dish is made.

With this prompt, you can address a variety of subtopics. What is the weather like? What does the season look like? How does it feel? What events or holidays happen during the season?

You can describe what happens in the movie or TV show in either past or present tense. You might also note the genre and/or describe the characters.

Major bonus points if you can describe a Netflix movie or TV show that you also watch in your target language!

Beginning students commonly learn words related to daily routines, so go through your day and explain what you do. When do you wake up? How do you get ready for work or school? What do you eat for breakfast? When do you leave for work or school? How do you get there? What do you do once you’re there? What do you eat for lunch? When do you leave? What do you eat for dinner? How do you relax in the evening?

This question can be a little more advanced in that you could use future tense verbs. However, if you don’t yet know future tense, depending on what your target language is, you may be able to simply use “I am going to…” constructions. Writing about your plans can help you practice words for common activities and prepare you for real conversations you may have with native speakers.

You might describe the animal, what it looks like, what it eats, where it lives, etc. This can give you practice with animal words, physical descriptions, food words and location-related vocabulary.

As an intermediate writer, it’s time to up your game. Now, you can use a broader range of vocabulary words and verb tenses. These prompts will help you make good use of your advancing skills.

Whip out your past tense verbs for this one! Consider writing the story of the funniest thing you’ve experienced. Maybe it’s something that happened to you or maybe it’s just something you witnessed. Regardless, this will give you practice with more diverse vocabulary and past tense verbs.

This prompt invites you to give your conditional verb tenses a workout. Where would you like to go? Why would you like to visit this location? What would you like to do there? Who would you go with?

Describing the best out-of-the-ordinary experience you’ve had, whether a vacation or any other break from daily routine, gives you an opportunity to use plenty of past tense verbs. You might even work in some less common verbs to describe specific activities you participated in, like snorkeling or skiing. You can describe the experience, who you were with, what you did and what made it so enjoyable. Feeling nostalgic? Look at old photos if you have them and describe them in your target language.

Oh, the age-old interview question! In your native language, it’s probably an uncomfortable opportunity to reflect on your goals, but in your target language, it can be a valuable way to practice using future, conditional and/or subjunctive verb tenses while also employing industry-specific vocabulary.

Plus, if you ever need to do a job interview in your target language, you’ll be happy you have the practice. If you like this prompt, you might even consider using some of The Muse’s list of common interview questions for additional writing prompts.

What do you hope to achieve in your life? You might use future tense here, but if you prefer present tense, you can use an “I want to…” or related construction. From there, you can use all sorts of vocabulary words related to your career, family, housing, etc.

Use past tense to describe yourself as a child. You might describe your appearance or personality. To work in more advanced vocabulary, you might also note in what ways you challenged your parents and what you wanted to be when you grew up.

Writing poetry can be a fun way to use your language skills. To make it a little trickier, write in rhyme. You can write about whatever you like, but you can’t go wrong with a love poem. After all, you can always re-purpose it down the road if need be.

Whether it’s cooking, painting or playing Fortnite, this will require the use of commands and a strong vocabulary related to whatever activity you write about.

Whether they’re monthly or yearly, passed down through generations or made up on the spot, traditions shared by people can be a lot of fun. But they also afford a lot of opportunities to use whatever verb conjugations you need to practice. You can talk about your favorite tradition from the past, how you practice it today or how you hope to practice it in the future. You could even instruct readers on how to adopt your favorite tradition.

21. What do you think the world will be like in 50 years?

Think about society, culture and major world issues. How do you think everything will change and evolve? Not only can you use future tense verbs, but this prompt will give you the opportunity to use more advanced vocabulary related to science, technology, culture and/or politics. Depending on your vision, you could even expand your work into a sci-fi or dystopian novel.

This prompt could work with either present tense or conditional verbs. However, more importantly, it invites you to use plenty of more advanced vocabulary relating to learning, careers and society. Responding to this prompt could even serve as extra motivation by reminding you why education or learning of any kind (including your language learning) is so important to you.

As an advanced student, you should be aiming to write without having to think too much. You should be able to navigate seamlessly between any verb tenses and use your large and diverse vocabulary effectively. These prompts aim to help you exercise a broad array of skills.

Okay, you might not have a genie in a bottle, but what would you ask for if you did? This question invites the use of conditional tense verbs. Plus, the vocabulary you use is likely to be as diverse and varied as your dreams.

Writing about current world problems can help you use vocabulary words that are relevant today but might not be terribly common. While you could use present tense, you might also use future and/or conditional tense to examine how this issue could cause long-term consequences.

Take this world’s problems and turn them around! Considering what you would change about society will give you an opportunity to use conditional tense and/or commands to explain what needs to change and how.

Past and future tense in one prompt? How can you resist? Not only that, this prompt invites you to use the latest technology-related words, which are super useful for advanced learners.

This prompt invites you to use advanced vocabulary related to politics and society. Plus, you can use it to practice the conditional tense, future tense and/or subjunctive tense verbs.

This question may feel nearly impossible to answer in your native language, so it will be even more challenging in your target language. However, if you give it a try, you’ll be able to practice words related to society and politics. While you’ll probably use mostly present tense verbs, you might also work in some conditional, subjunctive, future and/or past tense.

Using key literary terms is often reserved for academia, so writing about your favorite literary work will certainly give your vocabulary a workout. While this will be largely in present tense, you might throw in a few other verb tenses for good measure.

What’s the best lesson you’ve learned? Why do you want others to learn it? This question is complex enough that you might incorporate a huge array of verb tenses.

Medical terminology can be a little tricky, but practicing using it is useful , particularly if it relates to a medical condition you or loved ones have. Writing about medical issues and their treatments will reinforce medical vocabulary and past tense verbs. Plus, if you ever experience a medical emergency abroad, you might be relieved to have practiced relevant vocabulary.

You’re educated. You know what’s up. What do you think should be covered more in schools? Addressing this issue gives you an opportunity to use education terms, present tense verbs and conditional verbs.

Not only can you use vocabulary that’s currently relevant, you can also use an array of verb tenses. Start with past tense and then transition to future, conditional and/or subjunctive tenses. Using this writing prompt can help you practice transitioning smoothly between tenses.

Using foreign language writing prompts can help reduce anxiety when writing in your target language . Staring at a blank page can be stressful and can make you want to procrastinate trying to write, but writing prompts can make writing seem less like hard work.
You can also use foreign language writing prompts to determine what vocabulary and/or grammar you need to work on . Writing can help you detect what grammar rules you’re struggling with and what holes in your vocabulary you need to fill.
Writing prompts can help you keep your target language in shape . Skills can slip over time, so continuing to practice your writing can help prevent backsliding.
Using writing prompts can help make it so that writing in your target language feels easy and requires less conscious effort . Writing in a foreign language is a skill like any other. The more you practice it, the easier it will become.
Don’t just write. Read. To write well in your target language, you’ll need to also read in your target language. Luckily, there are plenty of places to read content in your target language . Project Gutenberg offers many classic works in several languages, and BBC News gives you news stories in a variety of languages.
Write as often as possible. Writing as often as possible not only gives you the practice you need to improve your skills, it also keeps you in the habit. If you set aside a few minutes each day for your writing practice, you’re less likely to forget to do it.
Try to use specific rules or vocabulary you’ve recently learned. Trying to use specific grammar rules and vocabulary you’ve recently learned is a terrific way to practice using your new skills. It reinforces them and makes them easier to use the next time.
As you write, note what you’re struggling with. While you’re writing, you’ll probably notice a few hiccups. For instance, you may want a word but realize you don’t know it. Whenever you encounter one of these problems, jot it down. Then, after you write, you can go over your notes to work to resolve whatever issues you struggled with.
Read what you’ve written and correct your own work. Once you’ve responded to a writing prompt, read over your work with a critical eye. What errors do you notice? How could you improve your writing? Going over your work gives you an opportunity to spot some errors you didn’t notice as you wrote.
Consider having a native speaker correct your work. You might ask a friend or a tutor to read over your writing and tell you what they think. You could also consider finding a tutor through italki. Even finding someone to do a one-time check of your writing on occasion can be a huge help.

With these writing prompts for all levels, you’ll never be at a loss for words.

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2013

Past simple or simple past is one of the essentials in English language. You can tell a story or write a story using the past simple tense.

I drove my dad's car yesterday.

I washed my face last night

So basically the simple past uses the past tense of the verb plus one of these:

Last holiday

Last ....etc

Of course you need to know the past simple of the irregular verbs

Irregular verbs read more

The regular verbs end with ed like

Work worked

Walk walked

Wash washed

and so on... etc

After you got familiar with your regular and irregular verbs then you can start writing

For example:

Write about your last holiday

What did you do?

Where did you go?

My last holiday was fantastic. I went to the mountains in a place called Salalah in Oman. The mountains were so green and the people were so friendly. I visited many places like, forts, beaches, the hotels at night and went shopping in the grand mall. I stayed there for 10 days. The weather was really nice and it was great for camping. So we went camping on the mountains and made a small fire for BBQ.

This is a sample paragraph for the past simple tense

Now it is your turn to try writing

_________________________________________________________________________

Free writing samples

Go to short writing2

Go to short writing1

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25 Past Tense Question Examples

Once you have introduced students to the past simple tense , a great way to get students to practice using the past tense is to ask them many past tense questions . Asking past tense questions gives students an opportunity to talk about themselves and the things they have done. In this post, we have put together 25 past tense questions you can ask your students to help them practice speaking or writing in the past tense. We will also show you how to form both positive and negative past tense questions.

Past Tense Questions

Download and print, how to form past tense questions.

To create a past tense question, you must first begin with a past tense verb. For regular verbs, you simply add “-ed” to the base form of the verb. For irregular verbs , the past tense form must be memorized.

How To Form Negative Past Tense Questions

To form negative past tense questions in English, you will need to use the auxiliary verb “ did ” and the negative adverb “ not ” before the main verb. The order of the words in the sentence is the same as with regular past tense questions: the auxiliary verb comes before the subject, and the main verb comes after the subject.

Negative Past Tense Questions

Past tense questions – listening exercise.

To practice answering past tense questions, try this listening exercise. You will hear a man talking about his recent vacation to Paris. You will then be asked some past tense questions about the story. Answer the questions before the time runs out.

Related Resources

A Beginner’s Guide to IELTS
Common Grammar Mistakes [for IELTS Writing Candidates]

Writing Correction Service

Free IELTS Resources
Practice Speaking Test

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A Complete Guide to the Past Tenses

Posted by David S. Wills | Sep 29, 2017 | Grammar | 0

Introduction

In this previous article , we briefly looked at what verb tenses are and then explored the present tenses of the English language. In this chapter, we will look into the past tenses.

As with the present, there are four aspects to the past tense in English, and each can be divided into positive, negative, and question forms. They look like this:

	Negative	Question
I walked	I didn’t walk.	Did I walk?
I was walking	I wasn’t walking.	Was I walking?
I had walked	I hadn’t walked.	Had I walked?
I had been walking	I hadn’t been walking.	Had I been walking?

Let’s look at each tense in turn.

Past Simple

This is a really common and basic part of the English language, and knowledge of it is essential to IELTS success . Generally speaking, we form the past simple by adding “-ed” to a verb. However, in English there are hundreds of irregular verbs . So, whereas you might say “I walked” or “She watched,” there are also cases like “We ate” or “They wrote” for which you simply need to remember the correct past form. Here is an example using an irregular verb:

Positive	Negative	Question
I .	I .	I ?
You .	You .	you ?
We .	We .	we ?
They .	They .	they ?
He .	He .	he ?
She .	She .	she ?
It .	It .	it ?

When to Use Past Simple

I graduated in 2007.
She left home two years ago.
We called her every day.
He spoke with his grandmother often.

Past Continuous

Like the present continuous, the past continuous is formed using “to be” with “verb+ing”. However, as this is a past tense, “to be” is changed into the past (“was” or “were”) while the present participle (“verb+ing”) remains.

Positive	Negative	Question
I .	I .	I ?
You .	You .	you ?
We .	We .	we ?
They .	They .	they ?
He .	He .	he ?
She .	She .	she ?
It	It	it ?

When to Use Past Continuous

There are three uses that all suggest an act that was ongoing for a period of time.

We were walking our dogs last night.
I was brushing my teeth at ten o’clock.
I was washing the dishes when I cut my hand.
She was driving to work when the accident happened.
They were listening to music when the doorbell rang.
It was sleeping when the fireworks started.

Past Perfect

While the present perfect uses “has” or “have,” the past perfect simply uses “had” before the past participle of the main verb.

Positive	Negative	Question
I .	I .	I ?
You .	You .	you ?
We .	We .	we ?
They	They .	they ?
He .	He .	he ?
She .	She .	she ?
It .	It .	it ?

When to Use Past Perfect

The past perfect is used to refer to an event or action that took place prior to the time period considered. Therefore, in the examples above, the conversation would revolve around an event that took place in the past, but the eating took place before that. For example:

A: Do you remember last year when we first arrived at the hotel? B: Yes, I remember. Oddly enough, I recall being very hungry! A: Well, you had not eaten for hours.

In this case, we use the past perfect to show that the eating took place (or in this case, didn’t take place) before the arrival at the hotel.

Here are some more related uses:

We had lived in that house for six years.
By then, they had studied for a long time.
I wasn’t afraid because I had expected the worst.
He felt confident because he had already prepared.

You can learn about the difference between the past perfect and present perfect tenses here .

Past Perfect Continuous

The past perfect continuous is essentially the same as the present perfect continuous except that the point of reference is in the past.

When to Use Past Perfect Continuous

This tense describes an action that occurred further back in time than the other events, but that overlaps them.

They had been studying for several hours when the phone rang.
She had been working in a hospital before the war began.

Past Tenses for IELTS Writing Task 1

Not only is the past simple incredibly common in everyday speech, but it is also very useful for the writing exam. In particular, in task 1 you will mostly be using the past simple to describe details in a line graph or table because they will likely feature dates that are from the past. Here are some examples:

Prices rose in the first quarter.
The interest rate went up between 1999 and 2001.
French people consumed more wine than Italian people during the period.
In 1860, the population stood at four million.

You may also use the past perfect in order to explain relationships between points in time with greater clarity. As we discussed previously in the past perfect section, this tense shows an action that occurred prior to another action in the past. Here are some examples:

After it had risen to forty-six, the total volume then dropped to thirty-eight.
Sales returned to a higher level after they had fallen to just six thousand.

The other past tenses are not particularly useful in the IELTS writing exam , but can greatly improve the accuracy of your overall English. Therefore, they may come in useful for other parts of the IELTS exam.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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What Is The Past Tense?

I jumped in the lake.
I was happy.

Table of Contents

Video Lesson

The four past tenses explained, simple past tense, examples of the simple past tense, past progressive tense, examples of the past progressive tense, past perfect tense, examples of the past perfect tense, past perfect progressive tense, examples of the past perfect progressive tense, interactive verb conjugation tables.

Are you a visual learner? Do you prefer video to text? Here is a list of all our grammar videos .

The 4 Past Tenses	Examples	Uses
	to work. near the aqueduct.	The simple past tense is used to describe a completed activity that started in the past and ended in the past.
	to work. the door when a bird struck the window.	The past progressive tense is used to describe an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.
	to work. the pie before we got home.	The past perfect tense is used to emphasize that an action was completed before another took place.
	to work. the door before the dog scratched it.	The past perfect progressive tense is used to show that an ongoing action in the past has ended.

More about the Four Past Tenses

I played when I was younger.
I saw the angel in the marble and carved until I set him free. (Italian sculptor Michelangelo)
Drawing on my fine command of the English language, I said nothing. (Actor and comedian Robert Benchley)
Every man is guilty of all the good he did not do . (French writer Voltaire)
I wanted to buy a candle holder, but the store didn't have one. So I got a cake. (Comedian Mitch Hedberg)
I have never played a hero before so I jumped at the chance. (Actor Adrian Edmondson)
My fake plants died because I did not pretend to water them.

I was playing for an hour.
I was falling asleep when the phone rang.
We were preparing a picnic, and then it started to rain.
I feel like I sort of missed the eighties. At the time, we didn't know we were having fun, which is probably the way it always is. (Novelist Tama Janowitz)
She was seeing a psychiatrist, two plumbers, and a bartender. (Comedian Rodney Dangerfield)
I told my therapist I was having nightmares about nuclear explosions. He said don't worry it's not the end of the world. (Comedian Jay London)
I have an idea that the phrase 'weaker sex' was coined by some woman to disarm the man she was preparing to overwhelm. (Poet Ogden Nash)
I was having trouble making ends meet, and my beginnings weren't meeting either. (Author Allan Sherman)

I had played already.
I had crossed the line. I was free, but there was no one to welcome me to the land of freedom. I was a stranger in a strange land. (Political activist Harriet Tubman)
I had seen birth and death but had thought they were different. (Poet T S Eliot)
There are so many things that we wish we had done yesterday, so few that we feel like doing today. (Journalist Mignon McLaughlin)
I phoned my dad to tell him I had stopped smoking. He called me a quitter.
When I was younger, I could remember anything, whether it had happened or not.
If we had had more time for discussion we should probably have made a great many more mistakes. (Russian revolutionary Leon Trotsky)
What a wonderful life I've had! I only wish I' d realized it sooner. (Author Sidonie Gabrielle Colette)
I had always seen myself as a star; I wanted to be a galaxy. (Dancer Twyla Tharp)

I had been playing since I was ten.
I had been weeding my garden for weeks, but I just surrendered to the weeds in the end.
The jury had been considering its verdict for several hours when the judge effectively ordered them to find Jones guilty.
I was coming home from kindergarten. Well, they told me it was kindergarten. I found out later I had been working in a factory for ten years. (Comedian Ellen DeGeneres)
I had been writing fiction since I was in eighth grade, because I loved it. (Author Thomas Perry)
I thought that I was learning how to live, but I had been learning how to die. (Polymath Leonardo da Vinci)
Even though I had been boxing for three years, I had no idea that I could beat somebody in the ring.
Many people had been asking me to write an autobiography. I thought I'd better tell my story before other people told it for me. (Comedian Michael Palin)
It was funny to read a script that was so similar to what had been going on in my life. (Actress Piper Perabo)
I' d been shouting and shouting and no one wanted to hear me. (Singer Brenda Fassie)

Top 10 Regular Verbs

Top 10 Irregular Verbs

All 4 Past Tenses

Person	Simple Past	Past Progressive Tense	Past Perfect Tense	Past Perfect Progressive Tense
	is for a completed activity that happened in the past.	is for an ongoing activity in the past. Often, it is used to set the scene for another action.	is for emphasizing that an action was completed before another took place.	is for showing that an ongoing action in the past has ended.

All 4 Present Tenses

Person	Simple Present	Present Progressive Tense	Present Perfect Tense	Present Perfect Progressive Tense
	is mostly for a fact or a habit.	is for an ongoing action in the present.	is for an action that began in the past. (Often, the action continues into the present.)	is for a continuous activity that began in the past and continues into the present (or finished very recently).

All 4 Future Tenses

Person	Simple Future	Future Progressive Tense	Future Perfect Tense	Future Perfect Progressive Tense
	is for an action that will occur in the future.	is for an ongoing action that will occur in the future.	is for an action that will have been completed at some point in the future.	is for an ongoing action that will be completed at some specified time in the future.

This page was written by Craig Shrives .

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Writing Tips

Grammar Tips: Using the Past Tense

3-minute read
13th March 2018

The past includes everything that has ever happened . And with every second that passes, the past gets bigger and bigger! As such, there’s plenty of stuff in the past we might want to write about .

Lucky for us, then, we have the past tense to talk about things in the past. But to make sure your work is error free , you need to know how to use the different forms of this tense. We explain all here (with a little help from Isaac Newton).

But is Isaac more or less attractive than Socrates?

Simple Past Tense

The most basic form is the simple past tense. We use this to discuss something that both began and ended in the past:

Isaac Newton invented the cat flap.

Here, for example, we use the simple past tense verb “invented” to show that the act of invention occurred entirely in the past.

Most simple past tense verbs are, like “invented,” formed by adding “-ed” to the end of a base verb (e.g., invent → invented ). However, you need to watch out for irregular verbs that don’t fit this pattern, such as “swim” (simple past tense = swam ).

Past Continuous Tense

As the name suggests, the past continuous tense is used to refer to an ongoing action in the past:

Newton was sitting under a tree.

The key phrase here is “was sitting,” which combines the simple past tense “was” with the present participle “sitting.” This gives us a sense of a continuous action (“sitting”) occurring in the past.

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That apple looks a little loose to us, Isaac.

The past continuous tense can also be used to frame another action:

Newton was sitting under a tree when an apple fell to the ground.

The past continuous “was sitting” here describes an action that is then interrupted by something else. We can therefore see the difference between the ongoing “was sitting” and the sudden fall of the apple, which is described using the past simple verb “fell.”

Past Perfect Tense

We use the past perfect tense to describe something that happened before, up until, or since something else. It is formed by combining the word “had” with a past participle :

Newton had studied many subjects by the time he graduated.

The key here is a sense of completion: the past perfect phrase “had studied” implies that the action had finished by the point the second part of the sentence occurred.

Past Perfect Continuous Tense

The past perfect continuous tense combines the past perfect and past continuous tenses. It is therefore most commonly used to describe an ongoing action that occurred before something else. We form the past perfect continuous tense by combining “had been” and a present participle:

Newton had been acting as Master of the Royal Mint for five years when he was knighted.

Here, we get the sense of a continuous action from the present participle “acting.” But the “had been” gives it a sense of completion similar to the perfect tense. The result is that “had been acting” frames the later action of being “knighted.”

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IELTS Writing Task 1: Tenses & Grammar

What tenses to use and grammar tips for IELTS Writing Task 1. Grammar counts for 25% of your marks in IELTS writing task 1 and that includes the correct use of tenses based on the information given in the task. You can get tasks based in the past, present or future so tenses are essential to get right.

Below you will find:

Grammar for IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic
Tenses for IELTS Writing Task 1 General Training (bottom of page)

IELTS Writing Task 1: Grammar

For IELTS writing task 1 (Academic Test), you may be given a map, a diagram, a bar chart, a line graph, a table or a pie chart in the academic test. The IELTS examiner will mark you on the following (each worth 25% of task 1)

Task Achievement : information, overview, accurate of data
Coherence & Cohesion : Paragraphing, Linking Words
Vocabulary: Collocations, Spelling and Accuracy
Grammar : Sentence structures, tenses , grammatical range and accuracy

So, you can see that using the right tense is important in IELTS writing task 1 because it falls into the marking criterion of Grammar. You can read more about marking here: IELTS WRITING TASK 1 BAND SCORES EXPLAINED WITH TIPS

DATES & TENSES

On your IELTS writing task 1 graph, chart, map, diagram or table, you might find dates. These will tell you what tense to use.

Dates in the Past = Past Tense
Dates in the Future = Future Forms
Dates spanning both Past and Future = both Past Tense and Future Forms

Example Sentences for Tenses:

In 2010, the number of sales stood at 2 million and is forecast to rise to a peak of 10 million by 2050.
The maps shows that in 1962, the village, located in the west was small. However, currently, it has expanded to join together with the neighbouring town.
The number of people visiting a music cafe increased from 10,000 to reach 20,000 in 1975. By 2030, this number is predicted to hit 34,000.
Today, the number of people visiting the Dali museum stands at 100,000. In previous years, the figure was only 90,000.

What if NO DATE is given in the IELTS chart?

If there is no date given on your IELTS chart, graph table etc, then you will use the present tense.

PASSIVE VOICE

There are candidates who have been told by some teachers that they will get a high score if they use the passive voice. This is not true. No tense is more valuable than another. You can only use the passive voice when it is appropriate and correct to do so. Most writing task 1 will not give you this opportunity. For example, the majority of all bar charts, line graphs, tables and pie charts will unlikely use the passive voice and to attempt to force it into your writing will probably result in an error. However, if you get a diagram or a map, they are often a combination of passive and active voice. Look at the paragraph below and see how the passive voice (red) is used along side the active voice (blue).

Paragraph: Rain is collected as it falls on the roof tops of houses. This water then passes through the drains and is eventually transferred to a water filter. The water is filtered to remove impurities before it then goes to a storage tank. From the tank it travels along pipes to reach the water treatment where it is treated with chemicals.

To see the model answer, click here: Diagram Model Answer

Articles: Using THE in grammar

In writing task 1, you are often given bar charts, line graphs and tables that refer to different countries and different nationalities. One of the biggest problems with this is the use of “the” with country names. Lets see how good you are with this.

Which options below are wrong?

the British
the America
the Britain
the English
the Americans
the England

Click below for answers and for information about using “the” with country names.

Number 3 “the America” is wrong
Number 4 “the Britain” is wrong
Number 8 “the England” is wrong.

Almost all country names do not require the article “the”. We refer to France, England, Britain, Vietnam, Canada, China, India – all without “the”.

However, there are exceptions. Countries that are made up of a group of states or islands use “the”, such as the Philippines and the US. Any country that uses the words “states” or “united” or “republic” also use “the”, for example the UK, the US, the Republic of China. So, we would write “the UK” because it contains the word “united”, but we would write “Britain” without “the. Please note, the word “Britain” is not a synonym for England. Britain means the UK. Britain refers to the group of countries that make up the UK: England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The word “Britain” actually means “Great Britain”.

We also need to use the article “the” when referring to nationalities as a group of people : the British, the Americans, the Chinese, the Vietnamese, the English.

IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 Tenses

The examiner will mark you using the same criteria as the AC test, but with one difference in Task Achievement. The IELTS examiner will mark you on the following (each worth 25% of task 1). See below:

Task Achievement : Purpose, tone and expanding points
Grammar : Sentence structure, tenses , punctuation, grammar range and accuracy

For students taking the General Training test. You will use a range of tenses in your letter depending on the aims and purpose. Below are some sample sentences:

I am writing to …. (present continuous)
I visited your store … (past simple)
…the poor service I have received (present perfect)
I hope the problem will be resolved … (future form and future passive)
I had hoped that … (past perfect)

Tips for IELTS Writing Task 1

Academic writing task 1 tips, click below:

All Tips, Model Answers, Free Video Lessons & Practice for IELTS writing task 1

GT writing task 1 tips, click below:

Essential 10 tips

Differences between GT and Academic Writing Task 1

FREE SUBSCRIBE Subscribe to get new lessons & tips by email. Email Address Subscribe

can i use has/have+been in task 1 if year is not given

If the year isn’t given, you use the present tense. You use a perfect tense whenever it is suitable to do so. This isn’t about IELTS, it is about English grammar. So, review your use of the perfect tenses before taking IELTS to ensure you use them correctly in writing task 1 and writing task 2. For writing task 1, they are not used as often.

THANKS for the guidance throughout my ielts journey. JUST I received my desired IELTS score of overall 7.5

That’s wonderful! Well done to you 🙂

Congratulations to you. How I wish I can cross that mark.

Dear Liz, Regarding the tense for Task 1 Academic, it is stated that we can use simple present if there is no time specified. But if there is a verb in the question which shows a past incident, then can we use past tense in the overview and body paragraphs? For example the question is “The chart below shows what Anthropology graduates from one university did after finishing their undergraduate degree course”

When you see the past tense used in rubric given by IELTS, it means the information in the chart/graph is in the past and this means you will use a past tense.

Hello Liz, since the introduction in task 1 is almost always too small to make a paragraph and one might need to add the overview to it, how then does a writer achieve 4 paragraphs?

Why do you need four paragraphs? There are no set rules about the number of paragraphs for writing task 1.

This would be my third time over the years doing IELTS test and yet still referring to your website so I can study well. Thanks and hats off to all this hard work you’ve done here!! Lots of love all the way from the Middle East 🙂

Great to know you can still benefit from my lessons. Lots of luck in your next test 🙂

Hello Ma’am,

You justify the value of knowledge!! Thanks a lot. I am constantly following your blog as am preparing for IELTS. The content and way of explanation is amazing. Hats off to your incredible work and effort.

I’m very pleased you find my website useful 🙂

Hey Liz, You are brilliant

Hey Liz, I follow your website regularly and found it very useful comparative to any other sites available these days, and even heard from one of a British Council Examiner as he suggested to follow your website for factual information, that amused me.

By the way, please post some more information for GT – Writing task 1 in a video form as I see most of the information is covered for Academic Students only.

Hope you consider my request.

Kindly do the needful. Nishanth

** Also please highlight any mistakes found in this comment **

Nice to know BC examiners are recommending my site 🙂 You can find some GT tips and useful links to model letters on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-letter-writing-essential-tips/ . I stopped making videos due to health problems, but if I’m a bit stronger next year I might make a few short clips. I’ll put GT letters on my list 🙂

Get well soon Liz and thank you for this amazing site…

Yes it’s true. Once we attended a workshop by British council. They recommended your site there.

Hello Liz, Are we supposed to use indented paragraphs in our writing section? And for internet base IELT general training; will i write my texts/answers on anwers sheet or i type my answers on the computer. Thank you

It makes no difference if you indent or leave an empty line instead. As long as paragraphs are very easy to see, it is fine.

Dear Liz, Is writing task 1 is only for academic test, cannot able to find fins much question & answers for the general test. kindly elaborate for the general test which one I have to write, little confused.

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-gt-academic-writing-differences/

20/05/2019 cue card topic Describe a practical skill What is it How you learned How difficult it is Explain how you felt

Thanks for sharing 🙂 However, you might want to consider posting this on a page for speaking 🙂

Hi liz Thanks! I find ur lessons realy helpful. Can u please explain which questions in writing task 1 do not need an overview? Will wait for ur reply.

If you are taking the academic IELTS test, all writing task 1 require an overview. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/

Hi Liz, I took the test just this saturday. I’m worried i might have made a major mistake in task 1. The task description said ‘The plans show a coal mine before and after redevelopment into a visitor attraction’ and showed 2 pictures pre and post renovation of the coal mine. I only focused on the changes made (on the after picture) and used the future tense all throughout the overview and body paragraphs (i used the present tense for the intro) as i was misled by the word ‘plans’ and i assumed that the redevelopment wasn’t done yet (e.g ‘will undergo’ instead of ‘undertook’, ‘will be demolished’ instead of ‘was demolished’, ‘will be converted instead of ‘was converted’, etc.). I finished both tasks with 10 mins to spare and used that time to check for errors in grammar, spelling, vocab & sentence structures (i’m sure i at least have error-free sentences and good grammar). Can i still get at least a 7 for task 1 despite the wrong tense used?

Your score is based on Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Vocabulary and Grammar. Grammar counts for 25% of your marks and tenses are only one part of that.

DEAR LIZ .;,, Can we write piechart and bargraph in past tense if the date isnot mentiond in the question, One of my ielts teacher told me that would be fine,,but i want to hear from u Please help me

When no date is given, you should use present tense. However, if you choose past tense and stick to that tense throughout your whole report, it will be fine. The problem is when you mix them up and get confused which tense you are using.

Hi mam We can’t write all task 1 in passive voice? And Any disadvantage of use passive voice in task 1?

You must use the correct tense for the dates given and also for the information presented. If you have problems about using the passive voice and don’t understand when to use it or when not to use it, I suggest you find an English language teacher to help you or buy a grammar book.

Hi, Liz! Should I write in future if there is the word estimated in the writing task one, like estimated sales, and no dates given? Thaks in advance.

“Estimated sales” indicates future.

Hey Liz, I wanna ask something. How about the word ‘before and after’ I mean in cambridge ielts 11 theres a question in test 4 about total number of visitors to a museum BEFORE and AFTER its refurbished. There is no dates, just those before and after. I’m kinda confused whether to use present or past tense? Thanks in advance.

Before – use past. After – use present.

Hi I can’t. Write. Task 1

https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/

I have never ever tried to write any first task essays which would be with mixed time of past and future tenses, but as I recently took my exam, I was faced with the mixed tenses and could not deal with that and thus got a low score. So that, could you please explain me or give me a link to a page where I could learn the main structure of the type of task one question? I would be really thankful for your help me if you do not mind please, give me some more example essays with band 9

The first time you need to get clear is that task 1 is NOT an essay. Writing task 1 is a report based on data or any visual representation of information given. If the datas are from past to present, there is no specific structure. The report is structure as usual depending on key features. The grammar will reflect both time period: “The number of sales rose from 5,000 in 2000 and is estimated to reach a peak of 30,000 in 2050.” (both past and future forms)

I would like to ask you whether it is bad to start an introduction for task 1 with something like this or not:

‘The given visual matirial provides us with the information about …”

I just wondered if this word ‘us’ is too informal for this kind of report?

This is not appropriate to use for writing task 1. If it is a table, then you introduce a table, not “given visual material”.

Hi Liz, First and foremost, Thank you very much for the great work that you are doing, You are simply awesome! I am going to appear for IELTS – GT this month end, and I have few queries to you:

1. While answering to Listening or Reading section, for sentence completion kind of questions, do we need to use Initial caps even if it is not a noun? I have this confusion. Do we lose mark for this?

2. What does it mean, if the part of the answer is mentioned in the brackets? Eg. (a) Pilot study, though there instructed as ‘No more than 3 words’

3. In some of the practice test answer keys, they have mentioned the answer both in singular and plural as ‘Instructor/Instructors’ – Is it correct or safe to mention like this? I am losing marks mostly in plural during my practice sessions

4.In a scenario, the instruction clearly states as ‘One word only’ but the answer for a question is 2 years. Without specifying the word ‘years’ the sentence would not deliver a correct meaning in the listening test. What do I need to do on this scenario? Will bracketing work on this occasion?

5.I am appearing through BC and my friend appeared through IDP in the early on this month. I happened to get his practice work book and it seems very tough when compared to BC workbook. I had a confidence while worked out with my BC practice tests whereas the same is lacking with IDP. Why there is a difference? B’coz I heard that the exam will be same irrespective of the centers, but this leaves a doubt in me.

It would be of an immense help if you could kindly advise on the above questions. Thanks Liz.

And one more request Liz, I would like my writing on task 1 to get evaluated by you, if your time permits, so that I could do some fine tuning on the same. If you are ok, kindly let me know your email to send the pic of my writings, since i have written in a paper.

Thanks again LIZ 🙂

Hi, sounds like there is still a lot you are unsure about in IELTS. Always check my information page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-help-faq/ . Here are some answers to your questions: 1. Capital letters are not considered in listening or reading. That means you can use them, not use them, use them incorrectly, mix them up – nothing matters. Just ignore them. If you want to write all answers in capitals, do so. 2. In answer keys there are can sometimes be more than one possible answer. For example, “a pilot” or “pilot”. When this is the case, the answer key is written as “(a) pilot” which shows the “a” is optional. You can’t write like this in your test. You must choose one answer and write it. 3. You must write only one answer – singular or plural. This is a test, and it’s testing your understanding of plurals. 4. IELTS never write “one word only”. Are you using real IELTS tests which are published by IELTS. If you are downloading for free from other websites, you are not using real tests. Be aware of fakes. Use the IELTS Cambridge test books from 1 to 11. 5. BC do not write their tests. IDP do not write their test. The IELTS tests are written by a third party. Any difference between tests is random and not based on centers. Sorry I don’t offer marking at present. See my main writing task 1 page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-1-lessons-and-tips/ Good luck!

There is this book for writing task 1 that i’ve purchased and it has a sentence “The sewer line close to my home overflew resulting into streaming of sewer water on the road” I wanted to know if i can use “overflowed” instead of “overflew” Because the word “overflew” sounds wrong to me somehow.

Please help

This sentence is grammatically incorrect with more than one mistake. I recommend you stop using that book.

Is it still true that the writing Task-1 for GT would have letter writing and not any graphs which we need to explain?

Thanks, Balu

The Oficial IELTS Websites still make it clear that GT writing task 1 is a letter.

Thanks for the clarification, Liz.

I have one more question on GT Reading. I am appearing for IELTS GT and have been going through Cambridge practice tests for IELTS. I find that the GT reading samples given in these books are easier and have moderate vocabulary in the reading passages when compared to the IDP sample tests, that I received on booking my test. The IDP reading samples are tough to interpret in the given time and have complex sentence structures. Would it be same in the actual test as well?

Thanks, Balaji

The tests are not written by IDP or BC. So, the test doesn’t vary – of course individual tests may slightly but that’s all.

thank you very much. 7/10 it is useful .

Hello Liz I’m an English teacher in Greece and I would like some information on how to help students with the IELTS exams. Any books to study, apart from your great tips?

On the whole, I learned my tips by doing test after test myself. I also spent a lot of time helping students and understanding how best to help them.

Hello , I have a question could you please tell me how important it is to paraphrase the writing task 2 in our introduction ( the first 2 lines of the essay) as i have seen on many blogs people just start will the topic such as , It is seen, It is true , or just the answer of what is asked and not paraphrase the question given .

You can’t copy the question, you need to paraphrase it which means write it again in your own words.

just a quick question, in listening section if the answer is “internet users” will the Users of internet” be considered correct or not.

It would be wrong. You must write down what you hear.

Hi Liz, i used your website for preparing for my test today. Please I have an issue. My task one had no dates but they gave a general statement in past tense (a study was done on global warming and the tables shows the suggestion of respondents). Since there was no date, I used present tense to answer, but someone told me that I should have used past tense because of the statement.

If the information given to you shows it is past tense, you should use past tense. You can’t ignore that you have been told it is all in the past.

Hi there Liz, I would just like to verify if it is possible to use past tense in writing task 1 even if there is no specific time indicated in the question? Thank you vry much

It is recommended to use the present tense when there are no dates given. However, if you decide to use the past in this case and you use it all the way through your task 1 report, then it wouldn’t be considered a big mistake and you could still do quite well.

This is good tips I read. This is my first time to join to IELTS course as I am preparing for exams but it needs a time to prepare all vocabulary.

Yes, take time to prepare ideas for topics in speaking and writing as well as vocabulary.

Dear great teacher liz Thank you for your valuable information “I had hoped that you would come in time” such a new sentence for me

may you long live

Better to write: I had hoped you would have arrived in time.

Thanks for all your free tips and lessons pertaining to IELTS. I really found them valuable when I took the test on the fourth of March 2017.

I hope your test went well 🙂

hello mam…if there is verb given in past tense in question ……then in which tense i shoud write?

If the dates are in the past, you use past tense, usually past simple.

Thnks Liz All the information is very useful for me.

You’re welcome 🙂

I cannot find your lessons for Letter writing task on YouTube.

I don’t have any videos for that yet. Just my pages of tips and model letters: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-letter-writing-essential-tips/

Thank for your reply. I will study it.

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Frequently asked questions

What tense should i write my college essay in.

In a college essay , you can be creative with your language . When writing about the past, you can use the present tense to make the reader feel as if they were there in the moment with you. But make sure to maintain consistency and when in doubt, default to the correct verb tense according to the time you’re writing about.

Frequently asked questions: College admissions essays

When writing your Common App essay , choose a prompt that sparks your interest and that you can connect to a unique personal story.

No matter which prompt you choose, admissions officers are more interested in your ability to demonstrate personal development , insight, or motivation for a certain area of study.

The Common App essay is your primary writing sample within the Common Application, a college application portal accepted by more than 900 schools. All your prospective schools that accept the Common App will read this essay to understand your character, background, and value as a potential student.

Since this essay is read by many colleges, avoid mentioning any college names or programs; instead, save tailored answers for the supplementary school-specific essays within the Common App.

Most importantly, your essay should be about you , not another person or thing. An insightful college admissions essay requires deep self-reflection, authenticity, and a balance between confidence and vulnerability.

Your essay shouldn’t be a résumé of your experiences but instead should tell a story that demonstrates your most important values and qualities.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding your message and content. Then, check for flow, tone, style , and clarity. Finally, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors .

If your college essay goes over the word count limit , cut any sentences with tangents or irrelevant details. Delete unnecessary words that clutter your essay.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

If you’ve got to write your college essay fast , don’t panic. First, set yourself deadlines: you should spend about 10% of your remaining time on brainstorming, 10% on outlining, 40% writing, 30% revising, and 10% taking breaks in between stages.

Second, brainstorm stories and values based on your essay prompt.

Third, outline your essay based on the montage or narrative essay structure .

Fourth, write specific, personal, and unique stories that would be hard for other students to replicate.

Fifth, revise your essay and make sure it’s clearly written.

Last, if possible, get feedback from an essay coach . Scribbr essay editors can help you revise your essay in 12 hours or less.

Avoid swearing in a college essay , since admissions officers’ opinions of profanity will vary. In some cases, it might be okay to use a vulgar word, such as in dialogue or quotes that make an important point in your essay. However, it’s safest to try to make the same point without swearing.

If you have bad grades on your transcript, you may want to use your college admissions essay to explain the challenging circumstances that led to them. Make sure to avoid dwelling on the negative aspects and highlight how you overcame the situation or learned an important lesson.

However, some college applications offer an additional information section where you can explain your bad grades, allowing you to choose another meaningful topic for your college essay.

Here’s a brief list of college essay topics that may be considered cliché:

Extracurriculars, especially sports
Role models
Dealing with a personal tragedy or death in the family
Struggling with new life situations (immigrant stories, moving homes, parents’ divorce)
Becoming a better person after community service, traveling, or summer camp
Overcoming a difficult class
Using a common object as an extended metaphor

It’s easier to write a standout essay with a unique topic. However, it’s possible to make a common topic compelling with interesting story arcs, uncommon connections, and an advanced writing style.

Yes. The college application essay is less formal than other academic writing —though of course it’s not mandatory to use contractions in your essay.

The college admissions essay gives admissions officers a different perspective on you beyond your academic achievements, test scores, and extracurriculars. It’s your chance to stand out from other applicants with similar academic profiles by telling a unique, personal, and specific story.

Use a standard font such as Times New Roman or Arial to avoid distracting the reader from your college essay’s content.

A college application essay is less formal than most academic writing . Instead of citing sources formally with in-text citations and a reference list, you can cite them informally in your text.

For example, “In her research paper on genetics, Quinn Roberts explores …”

There is no set number of paragraphs in a college admissions essay . College admissions essays can diverge from the traditional five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in English class. Just make sure to stay under the specified word count .

Most topics are acceptable for college essays if you can use them to demonstrate personal growth or a lesson learned. However, there are a few difficult topics for college essays that should be avoided. Avoid topics that are:

Overly personal (e.g. graphic details of illness or injury, romantic or sexual relationships)
Not personal enough (e.g. broad solutions to world problems, inspiring people or things)
Too negative (e.g. an in-depth look at your flaws, put-downs of others, criticizing the need for a college essay)
Too boring (e.g. a resume of your academic achievements and extracurriculars)
Inappropriate for a college essay (e.g. illegal activities, offensive humor, false accounts of yourself, bragging about privilege)

To write an effective diversity essay , include vulnerable, authentic stories about your unique identity, background, or perspective. Provide insight into how your lived experience has influenced your outlook, activities, and goals. If relevant, you should also mention how your background has led you to apply for this university and why you’re a good fit.

Many universities believe a student body composed of different perspectives, beliefs, identities, and backgrounds will enhance the campus learning and community experience.

Admissions officers are interested in hearing about how your unique background, identity, beliefs, culture, or characteristics will enrich the campus community, which is why they assign a diversity essay .

In addition to your main college essay , some schools and scholarships may ask for a supplementary essay focused on an aspect of your identity or background. This is sometimes called a diversity essay .

You can use humor in a college essay , but carefully consider its purpose and use it wisely. An effective use of humor involves unexpected, keen observations of the everyday, or speaks to a deeper theme. Humor shouldn’t be the main focus of the essay, but rather a tool to improve your storytelling.

Get a second opinion from a teacher, counselor, or essay coach on whether your essay’s humor is appropriate.

Though admissions officers are interested in hearing your story, they’re also interested in how you tell it. An exceptionally written essay will differentiate you from other applicants, meaning that admissions officers will spend more time reading it.

You can use literary devices to catch your reader’s attention and enrich your storytelling; however, focus on using just a few devices well, rather than trying to use as many as possible.

To decide on a good college essay topic , spend time thoughtfully answering brainstorming questions. If you still have trouble identifying topics, try the following two strategies:

Identify your qualities → Brainstorm stories that demonstrate these qualities
Identify memorable stories → Connect your qualities to these stories

You can also ask family, friends, or mentors to help you brainstorm topics, give feedback on your potential essay topics, or recall key stories that showcase your qualities.

Yes—admissions officers don’t expect everyone to have a totally unique college essay topic . But you must differentiate your essay from others by having a surprising story arc, an interesting insight, and/or an advanced writing style .

There are no foolproof college essay topics —whatever your topic, the key is to write about it effectively. However, a good topic

Is meaningful, specific, and personal to you
Focuses on you and your experiences
Reveals something beyond your test scores, grades, and extracurriculars
Is creative and original

Unlike a five-paragraph essay, your admissions essay should not end by summarizing the points you’ve already made. It’s better to be creative and aim for a strong final impression.

You should also avoid stating the obvious (for example, saying that you hope to be accepted).

There are a few strategies you can use for a memorable ending to your college essay :

Return to the beginning with a “full circle” structure
Reveal the main point or insight in your story
Look to the future
End on an action

The best technique will depend on your topic choice, essay outline, and writing style. You can write several endings using different techniques to see which works best.

College deadlines vary depending on the schools you’re applying to and your application plan:

For early action applications and the first round of early decision applications, the deadline is on November 1 or 15. Decisions are released by mid-December.
For the second round of early decision applications, the deadline is January 1 or 15. Decisions are released in January or February.
Regular decision deadlines usually fall between late November and mid-March, and decisions are released in March or April.
Rolling admission deadlines run from July to April, and decisions are released around four to eight weeks after submission.

Depending on your prospective schools’ requirements, you may need to submit scores for the SAT or ACT as part of your college application .

Some schools now no longer require students to submit test scores; however, you should still take the SAT or ACT and aim to get a high score to strengthen your application package.

Aim to take the SAT or ACT in the spring of your junior year to give yourself enough time to retake it in the fall of your senior year if necessary.

Apply early for federal student aid and application fee waivers. You can also look for scholarships from schools, corporations, and charitable foundations.

To maximize your options, you should aim to apply to about eight schools:

Two reach schools that might be difficult to get into
Four match schools that you have a good chance of getting into
Two safety schools that you feel confident you’ll get into

The college admissions essay accounts for roughly 25% of the weight of your application .

At highly selective schools, there are four qualified candidates for every spot. While your academic achievements are important, your college admissions essay can help you stand out from other applicants with similar profiles.

In general, for your college application you will need to submit all of the following:

Your personal information
List of extracurriculars and awards
College application essays
Transcripts
Standardized test scores
Recommendation letters.

Different colleges may have specific requirements, so make sure you check exactly what’s expected in the application guidance.

You should start thinking about your college applications the summer before your junior year to give you sufficient time for college visits, taking standardized tests, applying for financial aid , writing essays, and collecting application material.

Yes, but make sure your essay directly addresses the prompt, respects the word count , and demonstrates the organization’s values.

If you plan ahead, you can save time by writing one scholarship essay for multiple prompts with similar questions. In a scholarship tracker spreadsheet, you can group or color-code overlapping essay prompts; then, write a single essay for multiple scholarships. Sometimes, you can even reuse or adapt your main college essay .

You can start applying for scholarships as early as your junior year. Continue applying throughout your senior year.

Invest time in applying for various scholarships , especially local ones with small dollar amounts, which are likely easier to win and more reflective of your background and interests. It will be easier for you to write an authentic and compelling essay if the scholarship topic is meaningful to you.

You can find scholarships through your school counselor, community network, or an internet search.

A scholarship essay requires you to demonstrate your values and qualities while answering the prompt’s specific question.

After researching the scholarship organization, identify a personal experience that embodies its values and exemplifies how you will be a successful student.

A standout college essay has several key ingredients:

A unique, personally meaningful topic
A memorable introduction with vivid imagery or an intriguing hook
Specific stories and language that show instead of telling
Vulnerability that’s authentic but not aimed at soliciting sympathy
Clear writing in an appropriate style and tone
A conclusion that offers deep insight or a creative ending

While timelines will differ depending on the student, plan on spending at least 1–3 weeks brainstorming and writing the first draft of your college admissions essay , and at least 2–4 weeks revising across multiple drafts. Don’t forget to save enough time for breaks between each writing and editing stage.

You should already begin thinking about your essay the summer before your senior year so that you have plenty of time to try out different topics and get feedback on what works.

Your college essay accounts for about 25% of your application’s weight. It may be the deciding factor in whether you’re accepted, especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurricular track records.

In most cases, quoting other people isn’t a good way to start your college essay . Admissions officers want to hear your thoughts about yourself, and quotes often don’t achieve that. Unless a quote truly adds something important to your essay that it otherwise wouldn’t have, you probably shouldn’t include it.

Cliché openers in a college essay introduction are usually general and applicable to many students and situations. Most successful introductions are specific: they only work for the unique essay that follows.

The key to a strong college essay introduction is not to give too much away. Try to start with a surprising statement or image that raises questions and compels the reader to find out more.

The introduction of your college essay is the first thing admissions officers will read and therefore your most important opportunity to stand out. An excellent introduction will keep admissions officers reading, allowing you to tell them what you want them to know.

You can speed up this process by shortening and smoothing your writing with a paraphrasing tool . After that, you can use the summarizer to shorten it even more.

If you’re struggling to reach the word count for your college essay, add vivid personal stories or share your feelings and insight to give your essay more depth and authenticity.

Most college application portals specify a word count range for your essay, and you should stay within 10% of the upper limit to write a developed and thoughtful essay.

You should aim to stay under the specified word count limit to show you can follow directions and write concisely. However, don’t write too little, as it may seem like you are unwilling or unable to write a detailed and insightful narrative about yourself.

If no word count is specified, we advise keeping your essay between 400 and 600 words.

In your application essay , admissions officers are looking for particular features : they want to see context on your background, positive traits that you could bring to campus, and examples of you demonstrating those qualities.

Colleges want to be able to differentiate students who seem similar on paper. In the college application essay , they’re looking for a way to understand each applicant’s unique personality and experiences.

You don’t need a title for your college admissions essay , but you can include one if you think it adds something important.

Your college essay’s format should be as simple as possible:

Use a standard, readable font
Use 1.5 or double spacing
If attaching a file, save it as a PDF
Stick to the word count
Avoid unusual formatting and unnecessary decorative touches

There are no set rules for how to structure a college application essay , but these are two common structures that work:

A montage structure, a series of vignettes with a common theme.
A narrative structure, a single story that shows your personal growth or how you overcame a challenge.

Avoid the five-paragraph essay structure that you learned in high school.

Campus visits are always helpful, but if you can’t make it in person, the college website will have plenty of information for you to explore. You should look through the course catalog and even reach out to current faculty with any questions about the school.

Colleges set a “Why this college?” essay because they want to see that you’ve done your research. You must prove that you know what makes the school unique and can connect that to your own personal goals and academic interests.

Depending on your writing, you may go through several rounds of revision . Make sure to put aside your essay for a little while after each editing stage to return with a fresh perspective.

Teachers and guidance counselors can help you check your language, tone, and content . Ask for their help at least one to two months before the submission deadline, as many other students will also want their help.

Friends and family are a good resource to check for authenticity. It’s best to seek help from family members with a strong writing or English educational background, or from older siblings and cousins who have been through the college admissions process.

If possible, get help from an essay coach or editor ; they’ll have specialized knowledge of college admissions essays and be able to give objective expert feedback.

When revising your college essay , first check for big-picture issues regarding message, flow, tone, style , and clarity. Then, focus on eliminating grammar and punctuation errors.

Include specific, personal details and use your authentic voice to shed a new perspective on a common human experience.

Through specific stories, you can weave your achievements and qualities into your essay so that it doesn’t seem like you’re bragging from a resume.

When writing about yourself , including difficult experiences or failures can be a great way to show vulnerability and authenticity, but be careful not to overshare, and focus on showing how you matured from the experience.

First, spend time reflecting on your core values and character . You can start with these questions:

What are three words your friends or family would use to describe you, and why would they choose them?
Whom do you admire most and why?
What are you most proud of? Ashamed of?

However, you should do a comprehensive brainstorming session to fully understand your values. Also consider how your values and goals match your prospective university’s program and culture. Then, brainstorm stories that illustrate the fit between the two.

In a college application essay , you can occasionally bend grammatical rules if doing so adds value to the storytelling process and the essay maintains clarity.

However, use standard language rules if your stylistic choices would otherwise distract the reader from your overall narrative or could be easily interpreted as unintentional errors.

Write concisely and use the active voice to maintain a quick pace throughout your essay and make sure it’s the right length . Avoid adding definitions unless they provide necessary explanation.

Use first-person “I” statements to speak from your perspective . Use appropriate word choices that show off your vocabulary but don’t sound like you used a thesaurus. Avoid using idioms or cliché expressions by rewriting them in a creative, original way.

If you’re an international student applying to a US college and you’re comfortable using American idioms or cultural references , you can. But instead of potentially using them incorrectly, don’t be afraid to write in detail about yourself within your own culture.

Provide context for any words, customs, or places that an American admissions officer might be unfamiliar with.

College application essays are less formal than other kinds of academic writing . Use a conversational yet respectful tone , as if speaking with a teacher or mentor. Be vulnerable about your feelings, thoughts, and experiences to connect with the reader.

Aim to write in your authentic voice , with a style that sounds natural and genuine. You can be creative with your word choice, but don’t use elaborate vocabulary to impress admissions officers.

Admissions officers use college admissions essays to evaluate your character, writing skills , and ability to self-reflect . The essay is your chance to show what you will add to the academic community.

The college essay may be the deciding factor in your application , especially for competitive schools where most applicants have exceptional grades, test scores, and extracurriculars.

Some colleges also require supplemental essays about specific topics, such as why you chose that specific college . Scholarship essays are often required to obtain financial aid .

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English ESL Worksheets
Writing Practice
Creative writing prompt
Present perfect or past simple tense

Creative Writing: The Most Exciting Thing I've Ever Done #6 A2 Level

IMAGES

Examples of Past Tenses
9 Sentences of Past Perfect Tense, Definition and Examples
Soal Essay Past Tense
Essay Simple Past Tense
Past Perfect Tense Examples 1
Past Perfect Tense Rules, Examples and Structure (Formula)

VIDEO

CONVERSATION USING PAST TENSE (Keysia Indana, Fitri)
FUTURE CONTINUOUS TENSE
My Childhood Essay In English
Talk about your Past Habits using "Used To" and "Would"
Write a paragraph using Past tense in Hindi. Paragraph Writing ( अनुच्छेद लेखन ) Spoken Hindi
Past activities

COMMENTS

34 Easy to Understand Past Tense Writing Prompts
Past tense writing prompts are a great tool to use to help kids become better writers. These writing prompts can be a great way to help them practice forming past tense sentences.
Writing Tenses: Tense-Specific ESL Writing Prompts and Topics for
Many students learning English as a foreign language struggle to use the different tenses effectively, appropriately and consistently. Here you will find exercises and writing prompts for each tense.
80 Past simple tense, Creative writing prompt, Writing Pract…
A selection of English ESL past simple tense printables with creative writing prompt, writing practice
33 Interesting Writing Prompts for Language Learners (of All Levels)
Start with past tense and then transition to future, conditional and/or subjunctive tenses. Using this writing prompt can help you practice transitioning smoothly between tenses.
ESL Past Tense Writing Prompts
Personalized Topics When teaching the past tense to English as a second language (ESL) students, consider the use of personalized prompts.
Simple Past Tense
The simple past tense (also called the past simple or preterite) is used to describe an action or series of actions that occurred in the past. The past simple of regular verbs is typically formed by adding "-ed" to the end of the infinitive (e.g., "talk" becomes "talked"). Irregular verbs don't follow a specific pattern: some take ...
The Past Tense l Explanation, Examples & Worksheet
The past tense is a verb tense used to talk about past actions, states of being, or events. There are four past tense forms: the past simple (e.g., "you
Tense Use in Academic Writing: Past, Present and Future
The past, present and future tense all have roles to play in academic writing. The key thing is knowing when each grammatical tense is appropriate.
Verb Tenses in Academic Writing
The different tenses are identified by their associated verb forms. There are three main verb tenses: past, present, and future. In English, each of these tenses can take four main aspects: simple, perfect, continuous (also known as progressive), and perfect continuous. The perfect aspect is formed using the verb to have, while the continuous ...
Lesson 3
Lesson 3 - Past Tenses In the third lesson of this free IELTS course, we will learn all about the past tenses. These are incredibly important for IELTS, and not just for writing. Could you imagine answering questions for the speaking test without knowing the past tenses?! You would struggle badly.
Writing for Beginners, write stories about the past simple tense
Past simple or simple past is one of the essentials in English language. You can tell a story or write a story using the past simple tense. Examples: I drove my dad's car yesterday. I washed my face last night. So basically the simple past uses the past tense of the verb plus one of these: Yesterday. Last year.
25 Past Tense Question Examples
Past Tense Questions. Here are 25 past questions that you can ask your students. These are great to help your students practice speaking in the past tense, or can be used as past tense writing prompts. Where did you go for your last vacation? What did you learn at school yesterday? What was your first memory?
13 Past simple vs continuous tense, Creative writing prompt,…
Here you have the second part of the set about inspector clueless and paws in another investigation. Now students write a story using the prompt given and the ch... 142 uses. A selection of English ESL past simple vs continuous tense printables with creative writing prompt, writing practice.
A Complete Guide to the Past Tenses
How do you use the past tenses in English? This complete guide shows you how to write in the past tenses for IELTS.
The Past Tense
The past tense is a verb tense used to discuss past actions, occurrences, or states of being.
Past Tense: Explanation and Examples
The past tense is used for a past activity or a past state of being. The past tense is categorized further depending on whether the action was in progress or has been completed. The four past tenses are the simple past tense, the past progressive tense, the past perfect tense, and the past perfect progressive tense.
The Three Common Tenses Used in Academic Writing
This handout provides the overview of three tenses that are usually found in academic writing. Background. There are three tenses that make up 98% of the tensed verbs used in academic writing. The most common tense is present simple, followed by past simple and present perfect. These tenses can be used both in passive and active voice.
Grammar Tips: Using the Past Tense
We all use the past tense in our speech and writing, but do you know how different forms of the past tense work? In this post, we take a look at the past simple, past perfect, past continuous and past perfect continuous tenses.
The Simple Past Tense, Made Simple
What is the simple past tense? Learn when to use the simple past tense + how to correctly conjugate verbs to improve and clarify your writing.
IELTS Writing Task 1: Tenses & Grammar
What tenses to use and grammar tips for IELTS Writing Task 1. Grammar counts for 25% of your marks in IELTS writing task 1 and that includes the correct use of tenses based on the information given in the task. You can get tasks based in the past, present or future so tenses are essential to get right.
What tense should I write my college essay in?
What tense should I write my college essay in? In a college essay, you can be creative with your language. When writing about the past, you can use the present tense to make the reader feel as if they were there in the moment with you. But make sure to maintain consistency and when in doubt, default to the correct verb tense according to the time you're writing about.
Creative Writing: The Most Exciting…: English ESL worksheets pdf & doc
Let's do English ESL creative writing prompt. Another activity for the A2 My Writings booklet. This time practice with the present perfect and the past simple.…