Is IELTS reading driving you crazy?Updated: May 2025
Did you know that the IELTS reading test is not really about reading? It’s a vocabulary test that tests your knowledge of paraphrasing, synonyms, collocations, and specific set phrases.
That’s why you should work on your vocabulary long before you take the IELTS exam. However, this takes time and there are no shortcuts so make sure you have realistic goals and expectations.
Referencing helps with coherence and cohesion in IELTS writing.Updated: September 2022
Having a cohesive and coherent essay is very important for your overall band score in both writing tasks in IELTS, especially writing task 2. You should always make your writing as easy as possible for the reader to follow and it should be easy to understand. In the IELTS exam the reader will be the examiner.
One way to improve your cohesion is to use pronouns or object pronouns to reduce repetition. This is mentioned in the marking criteria for writing under ‘Referencing’.
Model answer for the production of electricity.Updated: June 2024
In the last lesson about process diagrams, I looked at the grammar and vocabulary needed to write about them. Click here to see the grammar needed. This type of task often appears in IELTS academic writing task 1, so I advise practicing this before the exam.
The passive voice is used when describing a process and you will also need sequencers to show the step by step process. The structure needed is: an introduction, an overview and 2 body paragraphs. Word count is 150 words minimum, aim for around 160 to 180 words.
I often get asked questions like: Should I use a pen? Can I use cursive writing? Should I use the IELTS answer sheet? Do I lose marks for bad handwriting? How do I separate the paragraphs? Do I get a higher band score for a very long essay? ..and so on.
This post should clear up any confusion regarding these questions. Handwriting must be clear to the reader and I highly recommend using the answer sheet to practice. I also recommend using a pencil because it is easier to erase mistakes in the exam. The official IELTS answer sheet for writing task 1 and 2 can be downloaded here…click to download the answer sheet
Tips and points to consider when learning new IELTS vocabulary.Updated: June 2024
I often get asked about the best way to learn new words that can be used in IELTS essays or the speaking section. I have not given any word lists on my website because I believe that vocabulary building is your responsibility. It is something that you will have to work on over a period of time.
Some people want lists of words that they can memorise and then randomly put those words into their essays. This is not a good strategy when learning new words.
Model answer for General Writing Task 1 IELTSAs mentioned before in my previous posts about IELTS general writing task 1, there are 2 styles for letters. Formal and Informal. Click here to see the differences between IELTS academic task 1 and the General Test. In this lesson, I will look at a letter applying for a job. The style here will be formal because it is a letter to a company.
Be concise and keep your writing simple and clear.Updated: Sept 2024
I quite often get essays that contain ‘flowery’ or convoluted sentences and vocabulary which makes it hard to understand what point is being made. My advice here is to keep your wording simple, direct to the point and concise.
It seems that many students try too hard to use ‘complex sentences’ or ‘high level’ vocabulary and completely miss the point of communication, so in the end the reader (the examiner in this case) has trouble understanding.
Updated: Feb 18th 2022
There are some IELTS teachers out there who tell students to write an outline statement after the thesis statement. In my view, this is not a good way to structure the introduction.
Outline statements are only for true academic essays that are many pages long like you would write at university (IELTS essays are short discursive essays)
Another reason why I advise not writing them is that they look like they have been memorised. The examiner is looking out for memorised statements and sentences. You could lose points on this in task response and lexical resource. To put it simply, you have to use your own words. The IELTS examiners are looking at how you can use language naturally and coherently.
Useful paraphrasing technique in IELTS writing task 2.One of the most important skills in IELTS writing is being able to paraphrase. This means to change the wording or the sentence structure but retain the same meaning.
It’s a challenge for many students doing IELTS to get used to this skill as you need to have a wide vocabulary and know how to use synonyms correctly.
There are 2 main ways to paraphrase. This can be done either with synonyms or by changing the structure of the sentence while adjusting the word-formation. In the writing section, you need to use this skill when starting the introduction of your essay. Let’s take a look at an example below.
Some people doing IELTS have trouble getting above Band 6 in writing. In fact a large percentage of people taking IELTS around the world end up with a Band 5.5 in Writing.
There are a few reasons for this, most notably it is down to poor vocabulary and grammar. However, some students have a good level of English but do not take the time to analyse the question fully and find the issues in the question. Never write too generally about the topic. You must first identify the issues in the task question and base your essay around those. Be very specific and keep referring back to the task question.