IELTS essays Archives - Preparation for the IELTS Exam

Balancing your opinion in an IELTS essay.

October 9, 2023November 7, 2017 by Ray IELTS Focus

Showing the other side of the argument in an opinion essay.

Updated: March 2023

In an opinion essay you should give 2 reasons for your opinion in the thesis statement then back them up with with an explanation in the main body paragraphs. I usually advise my students to choose one side, either agree or disagree, and stick with that.

You do not actually get a higher band score for a balanced approach, so it is safer to choose one side and stick with that view throughout the essay. Remember that your opinion must be in the introduction, main body paragraphs and the conclusion.

However, something that will showcase your language ability is to show the other side of the argument or give a concession to help balance the essay. This gives the essay good coherence cohesion and a wider range of grammar. This should be done carefully though, because you still have to maintain your own opinion and not contradict yourself.

Before writing anything, analyse the question

October 9, 2023July 10, 2017 by Ray IELTS Focus

Spend a couple of minutes analysing the task.

Updated: March 20th 2022.

One of the most important things to do before planning and writing is to first analyse the essay question so that you know exactly what to write about. Even students who have a higher level of English often have trouble with this as they think they are wasting time and want to get straight into writing the essay. As a result, they often end up losing marks because they missed a key issue from the task.

Are you having trouble thinking of ideas?

October 9, 2023June 5, 2017 by Ray IELTS Focus

How to quickly think of ideas in IELTS writing.

Updated: August 2022

A common problem many IELTS students is that they find it hard to think of ideas for their essays, especially when they are under pressure in the exam.

This is because of stress and creativity. If you have trouble thinking for yourself and have gone through an education system where memorisation is the main way of learning, then you will have real trouble getting ideas and you will need to find an approach to developing your imagination.

IELTS paraphrasing practice

October 9, 2023May 25, 2017 by Ray IELTS Focus

IELTS Paraphrasing lesson and practice exercise.

Updated: April 29th 2021

One of the most important skills in IELTS writing is the ability to paraphrase. In IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2 you are marked on your ability to use vocabulary effectively. Therefore, if paraphrasing is done accurately it can demonstrate to the examiner that you have a good grasp of vocabulary. Paraphrasing means changing the words so they have the same meaning.

This can be done by using synonyms or changing the grammatical structure. However, this takes a lot of practice because inaccurate paraphrasing will lead to a lower score. For more information on how to paraphrase the introduction in essays check out the links below.

Forming complex sentences in IELTS

October 9, 2023April 4, 2017 by Ray IELTS Focus

Using ‘tend to’, ‘that’ clauses and modals in IELTS writing and speaking.

Updated: Jan 2nd 2022

A good skill to learn in academic writing is to soften your language or use what is often called ‘hedging’. This is useful in Discussion essays when you write about others opinions and it is also needed to soften your language so that you don’t generalise too much. This shows that you have a wider range of vocabulary and you can form complex sentences.

This is also very useful in the speaking section when you want to display a wider range of vocabulary and it shows that you can talk naturally.

IELTS discussion essays: expressing others opinions

October 9, 2023March 21, 2017 by Ray IELTS Focus

How to write about people’s opinions in IELTS discussion essays.

Updated: April 2023

When writing a discussion essay in IELTS writing task 2 you have to state other people’s opinions as well as give your own opinion. Discussion essays also ask for your opinion so it is important to state your view not only in the introduction but also in the main body paragraphs, and then refer to the differing views and re-paraphrase your opinion in the conclusion.

To show other people’s views you will need to use specific phrases which I have outlined in this lesson. You will need to mention others’ views or the whole essay could turn into a problem-solution essay or even an advantage-disadvantage essay. It is all about the way language is used here.

IELTS writing task 2: How to write a causes solution essay

January 24, 2024March 13, 2017 by Ray IELTS Focus

IELTS problem solution essay

Step by step guide to writing an IELTS causes solution essay.

Updated: January 2024

A common type of IELTS task 2 essay is a problem solution or causes solution essay. Here you will need to write about the causes of the problem in main body one and recommendations or possible solutions that could solve the issue in main body two. I could have a 3rd body paragraph but I prefer the 2 main body approach.

Identifying the 5 types of IELTS essays

October 9, 2023January 23, 2017 by Ray IELTS Focus

Get familiar with the different types of IELTS essays.

Updated: August 25th 2023

Among IELTS teachers there are often considered to be five patterns or five types of IELTS essays. In this post, we will look at how to spot them.

Before you begin writing your essay the first thing you must do is analyse the task by looking at the instruction words. I have underlined the instruction words in the tasks below, these indicate what type of question it is.

Analysing the task question is a crucial step because if you do not take the time to do this, or if you are unclear about anything, you could write a completely different essay. See more here.