B1IELTS-style · Band 4.5–5.0Writing50 min

IELTS Writing: Windmills and Watermills

Windmills and watermills

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How to Use This Lesson

For Teachers

1. Guide students through Modules 1 to 3 in a 50-minute session to build vocabulary, grammar accuracy, and essay structure step by step.
2. Use the automatic exercise checks in Module 1 for rapid feedback before reviewing the B1 model essay in Module 3.

For Learners

1. Start with Module 1 to master key mill vocabulary, essay linking phrases, and exact adverb placement.
2. Next, complete the writing prompt in Module 2 using the required plan before examining the model answer in Module 3.

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Module 1: Build-Up Practice

Warm up with essential unit words, essay linking phrases, sentence rewrites, and adverb placement rules.

📌 Adverbs of Certainty & Placement Rules

Choose the right adverb depending on how sure you are, and put it in the correct place in your sentence.

Sure

definitely / certainly

The miller will definitely start work early tomorrow.

Quite sure

probably

The mill was probably built long ago.

Not sure

possibly / maybe / perhaps

Maybe the owner will sell it.

✅ Correct Positions:
  • Before main verbs: It will definitely need repairs.
  • After 'be' or auxiliary verbs: The structure is probably old.
  • Before negative 'won't': It probably won't turn again.
  • At sentence start: Maybe local councils will help.
⚠️ Avoid Wrong Positions:
  • Do NOT put after 'won't': It won't probably turn (Wrong).
  • Do NOT put between verb and object.
  • Do NOT place 'maybe' at the very end of a sentence.

(a) Word Forms of Unit Words (5 items)

Complete each sentence with the correct form of the unit word in brackets.

1. In the past, farmers brought grain to the mill, where the miller ______ [grind] it into fine flour.

____

2. One complete ______ [rotate] of the heavy wooden sails took about a minute.

____

3. The ______ [crumble] stone walls of the old mill are dangerous to visit.

____

4. The owners ______ [neglect] the watermill for years, and in the end its roof collapsed.

____

5. The ______ [modernise] of the building meant that visitors could explore it safely.

____

(b) Collocations with Unit Words (5 items)

Choose the option that forms the most natural collocation.

6. Two workers carefully turned the heavy __________ to crush the grain.

____ a. millstone ____ b. barley ____ c. miller ____ d. watermill

7. The local __________ knew how to control the water flow to protect the wheel.

____ a. rotation ____ b. miller ____ c. barley ____ d. millstone

8. The watermill was mainly used to grind __________ and wheat for the village.

____ a. crumble ____ b. neglect ____ c. barley ____ d. rotation

9. Engineers used new parts to modernise the old __________ inside the mill.

____ a. barley ____ b. miller ____ c. rotation ____ d. machinery

10. If historic watermills are ignored, they will slowly crumble into __________.

____ a. ruins ____ b. rotation ____ c. miller ____ d. barley

(c) Common Essay Phrases Gap-Fill (5 items)

Word Bank: As a result For instance In my view On the other hand In addition

11. Young people have moved to big cities. __________, there is no one left to operate many old windmills.

____

12. Old watermills show us how people lived. __________, they are often open to visitors.

____

13. __________, local communities should work together to rebuild historic mills.

____

14. Some old mills can have a new job. __________, an old windmill can become a museum.

____

15. Restoring an old mill can be very expensive. __________, keeping these structures alive brings tourist money to local villages.

____

(d) Paraphrase Practice (3 items)

Select the sentence that has the closest meaning to the original statement.

16. Original sentence:

"Old windmills are no longer used for grinding grain."

____ a. Old windmills have stopped being used to process grain into flour. ____ b. People still use old windmills to grind grain today. ____ c. Grain is no longer grown near old windmills.

17. Original sentence:

"Many watermills crumble because owners neglect them."

____ a. Watermills crumble even when owners take good care of them. ____ b. Owners modernise watermills to stop them from crumbling. ____ c. Watermills fall into ruin when their owners fail to look after them.

18. Original sentence:

"Governments should provide money to restore historic mills."

____ a. Historic mills will definitely make money for the government. ____ b. Financial support from governments is needed to repair old mills. ____ c. Governments should sell historic mills to private owners.

(e) Grammar Practice: Adverb Placement & Strength (3 items)

Choose the option with the correct adverb strength and exact position according to the speaker's degree of certainty.

19. Speaker certainty: [SURE]

Sentence: "The old watermill __________ need new wooden parts during the restoration."

____ a. will definitely ____ b. definitely will ____ c. will probably ____ d. maybe will
20. Speaker certainty: [QUITE SURE]

Sentence: "The historic windmill __________ turn again without a very strong wind."

____ a. won't probably ____ b. probably won't ____ c. possibly won't ____ d. definitely won't
21. Speaker certainty: [NOT SURE]

Sentence: "__________ the city council will turn the mill into a museum next year."

____ a. Definitely ____ b. Probably ____ c. Maybe
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Module 2: Writing Task & Workshop

Apply your knowledge to write a full IELTS Task 2 cause-and-solution essay.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Prompt
"In many countries, old windmills and watermills no longer work. What are the reasons for this, and what can be done to look after them?"
Length: at least 200 words Grammar requirement: at least 3 sentences with target adverbs Vocabulary requirement: at least 5 unit words

Structured 4-Paragraph Plan

You must begin each paragraph in your essay with these exact starter phrases:

Paragraph 1: Introduction

"In this essay I will discuss ..."

Paragraph 2: Reasons / Causes

"One cause is ..."

Paragraph 3: Solutions / Actions

"To reduce the problem, ..."

Paragraph 4: Conclusion

"In conclusion, ..."

✅ Learner Self-Check List (Tick before submitting)

____ I wrote at least 200 words. ____ I used all 4 required paragraph starters. ____ I included at least 3 sentences with target adverbs. ____ I used at least 5 unit words (e.g. miller, grind, crumble).

Write Your Essay Below

AI Evaluated

Evaluation Criteria:

Task Response
Coherence and Cohesion
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
____ (In this essay I will discuss...)
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Module 3: B1 Model Essay

Read this sample student essay (201 words). Sentences using the target grammar are shown in bold with explanatory notes below.

In many countries, traditional windmills and watermills no longer work today. In this essay I will discuss why these historic buildings are inactive and how people can protect them.

One cause is that modern technology has replaced old machines. In the past, a local miller used a heavy millstone to grind wheat and barley. However, modern factories now process food much faster. As a result, many owners neglect their old mills, so the wooden sails no longer rotate and the stone walls begin to crumble. The mill was probably built long ago, but without daily use, it quickly falls into ruin.

Why this works: "probably" comes right after "was" to show the writer is quite sure about a past fact.

To reduce the problem, governments and local groups should take action to modernise these sites for tourism. For instance, an old windmill or watermill can become a museum or a cafe. It will definitely need repairs before visitors can enter safely. In addition, schools can organize trips so children learn how people produced energy in the past. Maybe local charities will raise money to support the restoration work.

Why this works: "definitely" is placed between "will" and "need" to show you are sure about future work.
Why this works: "Maybe" is placed right at the beginning of the sentence to present a possible future solution.

In conclusion, old mills stop working because of modern machines and lack of care. By repairing them and opening them to the public, we can preserve this valuable history for the future.

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