We have tips for Task 1 and Task 2 of the academic and general IELTS writing tests. I hope some of these IELTS writing tips will help improve your score.
Task 1 and 2, General and Academic IELTS Writing Tips
1. Analyze each task to know exactly what they are asking you for. You can underline or circle parts of the question to help you focus.
2. Answer the question, the whole question. Talk about everything the question tells you to talk about.
3. Make notes to plan out your writing. If you plan out your answer first you will be able to write much faster and be more organized. Outlines or mind maps help.
4. Make sure you have enough time for both tasks and also time to proofread and edit. Timing is crucial
5. Only include one idea per paragraph. A new idea needs a new paragraph. Organization is key to helping the examiner understand what your writing points are.
6. Don’t copy whole sentences from the question card. You will receive no marks for sentences directly copied from the card. You can paraphrase it though, using different words.
7. Don’t write the same idea twice in the same paragraph using different words. For task 2 you’ll paraphrase your ideas in the first and last paragraphs, but don’t do it twice in the same paragraph.
8. Keep on topic, don’t talk about unrelated things.
9. Learn what 150 and 250 words look like in your handwriting. You won’t have time to count all the words during the test. So count when you practice at home so you know.
10. Try to aim for between 160 -180 words for task one and 260 – 280 words for task two. Go over the word count but stay close to it.
Don’t write a lot more than the required word count. You get no benefit to your score and you might make more mistakes.
11. Notes or bullet points don’t count, your answers must be written out in full.
12. Punctuation counts. You will lose points for incorrect punctuation. Make sure you know punctuation rules. Spelling and grammar also count, so be careful.
13. Edit and proofread your answers if you have time. Have a routine for proofreading your answer. (i.e. first check punctuation, then articles [a, the], then subject verb agreement, etc.) Focus your proofreading routine on your most common mistakes and/or the easiest mistakes to catch.
14. Do not memorize model answers. If the examiner suspects that you are using memorized answers, your answer will receive no points.
15. Avoid repetition in your vocabulary. If you notice you are using the same word or phrase again and again, throw in a synonym or say it in a different way. You are graded on lexical resource.
16. Get someone else to proof read your writing. When you are preparing to take the test, find someone at a native speaking level (preferably a teacher) to proofread your writing.
You won’t be able to spot many of your own mistakes because you won’t recognize them as mistakes.
17. When you do practice tests, time yourself. Quality writing is important, but speed is just as important.
18. Be careful when using idioms. They often aren’t appropriate for formal or semi-formal writing, and are very difficult to use in a natural way.
19. Practice using a variety of linking words and phrases. This will help your cohesion score.
20. Here is a good method for improving your writing on your own:
Try taking a perfect sample answer for task 1 or task 2. Copy it by hand exactly.
Then hide your copy and hide the original.
Now answer the question again using what you remember from the sample you copied.
Fill in anything you don’t remember with your own words.
Then compare the copied sample and the answer you just wrote.
This will help you see some of the common mistakes you make as well as help you remember vocabulary that will be useful when you take the test.