Recognise that this is a test of English, not a test of intelligence. If you are taking IELTS, you are may well be an academic: if you are an academic, you are probably pretty intelligent: if you are pretty intelligent, you probably want to show that intelligence off. Sorry, there are no prizes for intelligence in IELTS; as I say, it is test of English.
In practical terms, this means that you shouldn’t really treat the essay as a piece of academic writing. It isn’t really. The people marking it are English language professionals, not academics. Also, can you think of any piece of academic writing you produce in 40 minutes and do not redraft? I can’t.
This is the really practical advice. So read carefully. Most books and websites tell you to spend planning time thinking of ideas. Ignore them. For 90% of IELTS essays you need the same two ideas: “I agree” and “I disagree”. Rather, you need to spend your planning time thinking of reasons and examples. If you do this, with a little practice you will produce clear straightforward essays with a range of good language. Examples tend to be easier to think of under pressure and also tend to lead to good precise language. If, however, you ignore me and concentrate on ideas, you could well end up with essays that tend to complexity; and in a pressured exam environment, complexity can only too easily lead to incoherence. A big no-no.
Another problem here is that if you get too involved in ideas, there is every chance that you will end up writing about a similar topic and not the task itself. That is a major problem as you will almost certainly get a penalty deduction for task response.
Hi Dominic, Firstly, thanks a ton for maintaining such an excellent site. I got through in IELTS with a band 8.0… Listening – 9.0 Reading – 8.0 , Speaking and Writing – 7.5 each.
Great work buddy.
hi dominic, i just took the AC one and it frustrates me to have 6.5 on writing even though i got a band score of 7, still i cant register in NMC coz they want a 7 equivalent in all 4. I tried to study hard in writing but i always end up losing ideas when the topic in essay is bit tricky. Can you please give me tips or advise just to help me get through this ;(
Hi I’ve sent you an answer by email. Send me a sample essay and I’ll have a look at it for you.
hi dominic..i am longing for 7 at all category but everytime i took an exam,i only got 6 or 6.5 in writing.help me please
Hi
Two questions. How many times have you taken the test? How did you do in the other modules? If you are scoring 7.0 in the other modules, then there is a chance you are making a “writing” mistake. But if you have taken the test a few times and you keep getting 6.0, then the chances are that the problem is with the quality of your English. There’s quite a step from 6 to 7.
Hi dominic! Iam so upset n worried about ielts i gave it twice bt couldnt make the score i need 7 in each module n i got 6.5 in each module n in nov iam giving it again i donnt knw hw to increase my band
plz help me out
Hi Dominic,
I have taken the IELTS test for three times with the following results:
Academic : L-9.0 R-8.0 W-7.5 S-7.5
General : L-7.0 R-8.5 W-7.5 S-8.0
General : L-8.5 R-9.0 W-6.5 S-8.0 ( I had lost motivation by this time)
However, I need to score 8.0 in each band for the IELTS test.
I am going for the fourth time this Saturday, but I am still not confident whether I can achieve 8.0 in writing. I was told that there are only slight differences between 7.5 and 8.0 piece of essay. So, I am just wondering if there are any advice or tips that could be useful to me? Thank you.
Sorry for not getting back to you earlier/in time. Those are some very impressive results there – 9.0 in any skill is special. Yes, there is no very greta difference between a 7.5 and an 8.0. Your own results prove that. On any given day, you will perform slightly differently. You have it in you, just a case of perseverance is my guess.
Hi Dominic!
Can you comment on the band score that one would get to commit such mistake?
p/s: I just did. The question wanted me to explain why is A better over B, but i just did the otherwise. I was nervous and careless!
Thank you in advance.
Sad news I’m afraid. Without seeing the question and your essay, you could get a fairly serious deduction for that type of mistake. Most questions though are written to allow you to answer an essay according to your own opinions, so it is still possible you will be okay depending on the wording of the question.
thank you somuch for your tips