Updated: April 7th 2022
In IELTS writing task 2 various topics come up, such as the environment, family, society, work, technology, education, food and diet, health, sports and sometimes crime. The topic of crime is difficult for many students as there is so much vocabulary surrounding this.
What is the difference between a Causes Solution and a Problem Solution essay?Problem solutions and causes solutions essay are very similar but there is a subtle difference. One type asks about the problems and the other type asks about the causes.
It is very important to spend a couple of minutes analysing the task question so that you know what to write about in the essay. I have seen many good essays lose marks in Task Response because the writer did not find the issues in the task question or did not fully understand what to write about.
I have heard this question so many times.I get so many people who email me asking me why they can’t hit Band 7 or Band 8 or whatever score they need and are stuck at Band 5 or 6. They all seem puzzled as to why they cannot raise their score. Usually, it is to do with their writing as this tends to be the hardest part of the test.
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
Here are some short quizzes to test your knowledge and clear up IELTS myths.There is a lot of misinformation out there about IELTS and the best approaches to getting a good band score. Many of my students get different information and when they go online they are even more confused about what to do, so I hope this post can finally clear up the myths! There are 14 questions here.
Writing Complex Sentences in IELTS.It is important to use some ‘complex sentences’ in IELTS writing task 2 otherwise you are unlikely to get a band 6.5 or above. However, not all of your sentences have to be ‘complex’ you need to use simple sentences too.
Remember that grammar accounts for 25% of your marks in the writing tasks but there is some confusion in IELTS about what a ‘complex sentence’ actually is.
IELTS writing task 1 bar graph.Updated: Jan 7th 2022
The key thing to remember about line graphs and bar charts is that you must write about the key features and general trends over a period of time (if it is dynamic data) Some tasks are static where you would not use the language of trends though so spend a minute analysing the task and take two or three minutes to plan the task. Do not go directly into writing without a plan.
It is not necessary to go into too much detail but at the same time, you must cover every part of the task. In this lesson we will look at:
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.
Vocabulary and grammar for IELTS graphs with a trend.Updated: September 2023
In IELTS writing task 1 academic you need to write a report about one of the following: a bar chart, a line graph, maps / floor plan, a table, a pie chart or a process diagram.
Line graphs with dynamic data are quite common so in this post, I will look at describing a line graph and the type of grammar and vocabulary that is needed for this task. Try the practice exercise at the end.
Updated: June 2022
Not only are there 5 types of essay questions in academic IELTS but there are 3 types of Advantage Disadvantage essays, here are some examples below and ideas on how to approach them.
Before we go further let me make something clear. IELTS tasks will ask in an advantage disadvantage essay something like:
Notice the plural form here, advantages and disadvantages. Many students (and IELTS teachers) think they have to write more than one advantage and disadvantage. Yes, you can certainly do this but you can also make it much simpler by writing about one advantage and one disadvantage. I have heard from examiners that this is ok as long as you are able to support and fully exaplin your ideas. With this approach you can still write over 250 words.