Here are 10 of my top tips for IELTS writing. They focus on the writing process in the exam. Much the most important tip is number 1.
1. Read the question – answer the question
Rule number 1 is to answer the question: read the question carefully and underline all the information you need to include. This works differently in the essay and the report.
In the essay, often you will find background information and the question itself. Make sure you answer the question
(eg “Do you agree?”) and do not write generally about the topic. If you copy another essay you have written on the same topic, you will lose a lot of marks.
In task 1, all the information you need to include is in the chart/graph: make sure you identify the key points before you start writing.
2. Don’t start writing too soon – think and plan!
It is important to finish both pieces of writing, but the way to do this is not necessarily starting to write immediately. If you do that, you may get half way through the writing and realise you cannot finish it. Only start writing when you know how you are going to finish.
In the essay this can mean up to 10 minutes and in the task 1 report it can mean up to 5 minutes. The more you think, the better and more quickly you will write. 2/3 minutes is almost certainly not enough. For more detail on this, try looking at Planning an IELTS essay – the 10 minute solution.
3. Write enough words
250 means AT LEAST 250 and 150 means AT LEAST 150. See my post on how many words for more detail on this.
4. Don’t write too many words
The more words you write, you more mistakes you are likely to make. The more words you write, the less efficient you become and the quality will fall. The ideal is to aim for between 260 – 280 words in the essay and 160-180 words in the report.
5. Don’t copy whole sections of the question
If you copy whole sections of the question, the examiner will not include those words in your word count: 260 words can become 230 words if you are not careful.
6. Time is your enemy – have a plan and a watch
Timing can be a problem. It is important to keep moving and stick to your timing. Don’t be tempted to spend more than 40 minutes on your essay – you need 20 minutes to answer task 1 properly.
7. Task 1 and task 2 – which do you answer first?
The essay is worth twice the marks of the report. One idea is to do task 2 (the essay) before task 1(the report), just to ensure you finish the essay. You do need to spend at least 20 minutes on part 1 though. Do not try to answer it in 15 minutes.
8. Check your writing
It is important to check your writing for grammatical errors. You need to have a checklist before you enter the exam of what mistakes you typically make. For a little more detail on this, try checking this post about how to check your writing
9. Think about range of vocabulary
You should also check your writing for unnecessary word repetition – you are graded on the variety of your language. You should note that this does not mean you need to use long, complex words, rather it means you should use precise words.
10. Think about the examiner – use paragraphs well
The examiner will not spend very long grading your paper. You need to create an immediate good impression and the best way to do this in my experience is to present a well-structured piece of writing with clearly laid out paragraphs. This way the examiner is going to be on your side. If, however, it looks disorganised, the examiner is not going to be impressed.
Hi Dominic,
What do you think of using templates?
I have read some tutors give templates to the student.
Do you have any templates?Or do you encourage using of templates for essay writing.
Many thanks.
Phoebe
I’m in two minds.
Templates can help in understanding essay structure and the planning process in general. The danger is though that they encourage you to write the same essay every time, rather than answering the question if front of you. That’s a really big danger as mistake number 1 is not to answer the question. I’d suggest that if you are going to use them, you need a variety of templates – to deal with the different range of essay questions and the different types of answer.
Do I have any? Well in a way this is what my sample essays are all about. They show you different approaches to answering essays.
can we use idiomatic phrases in graph for instance sank to the bottom of trough or reaches a plateau and even for fluctuating …full of ebbs and flows
It’s generally better to keep your writing as neutral as possible for this task. You don’t need a great deal of varied vocab here (it’s only 150 words or so), I’d rahter concentrate on using vocab that was as clear and precise as possible. It’s all about clarity not variety.
hi, i am having difficulties achieving 7 in writing and stuck at 6.5.i dont have any idea whats missing to get 7.
i think my introduction needs to be improved.
is there any idea to produce good introduction?
Oh yes. The intro is the first thing the examiner reads and it is where s/he gets the first impression of your writing. A good intro is key.
Two things to think about. Do you clearly identify the task and your approach to it in the intro? Do you put the question into your own words?
Also take a look at my post on the planning process: it’s a good place to start. Problems often start with not thinking clearly about the essay before you start writing.
http://www.dcielts.com/ielts-essays/10-minute-planning-solution/
Another thing to think about is the checking process. This is not an optional extra. If you are not improving, then the chances are that you are making the same mistakes. The place to start here is:
http://www.dcielts.com/ielts-writing/editing-a-checklist/
Let me know how it works out. Also if you want a particular resource/lesson added to the site, put a request in on the facebook site
Thanks so much it’s helpful.
Hi,
First of all, I would like to commend you for posting this topic on your blog. This seems really good and interesting as well. Of all the tips you’ve enumerated, I agree most on the tip number 2, because we all know that writing a piece for a certain topic is not that an easy task, you have to think eagerly and plan deeply otherwise your output would become such a mess. TheIELTSSolution.com
Thank you.
Hi
I would like to ask you how one can improve his score in writing from 6.5 to 7.
I have given both Academic and General test recently and my scores were as follows:
Academic L8.5 R7.5 W6.5 S7
General L8 R7 W6.5 S7
I have no clue, what I need to do, in order to reach 7 in writing.
Any tips?
You are obviously close. There is no great difference between 6.5 and 7.0. The likelihood is that you already are getting 7.0 in some criteria of the writing. You need a teacher to advise you whether you should work on your grammar, vocab, cohesion or task reponse.