IELTS ESSAY TIPS

Opinion Essays Tips:

 spend at least 5 minutes analyzing the words and ideas in the statement
 make sure your answer is a complete answer which addresses all parts of the task
 give a clear opinion
 stay true to your opinion throughout your essay

Discussion Essay Tips:

 identify both sides

 find supporting points for both side
 only give your opinion if the task asks for it

Solution Essay Tips:

 read the instructions carefully – do you need to give only solutions or both causes and solutions?
 spend time planning your main points and supporting points
 put the causes in one body paragraph and the solutions in another
 use flexible language of cause and consequences

Direct Questions Essay Tips:

 spend time planning the answers to the questions

 each question must have one main point as an answer
 put the answer to each question in a separate body paragraph

Advantage / Disadvantage Essay Tips

 spend time planning the benefits and drawbacks of the statement given
 make sure you have relevant supporting points
 put your advantages together in one body paragraph and the same with the disadvantages
 it is a good idea to add your opinion in the final paragraph

IELTS Writing Task 2: Should I give my opinion?

To know whether you should put your opinion in your essay or not, you should read the instructions given by
IELTS very carefully for each task. Below are some tips to help you understand:

 read the instructions, follow them and answer the question

 don’t put your opinion unless you are asked to give it
 if the question asks what you think, you MUST give your opinion to get a good score

Here are examples of instructions that require you to give your opinion:

 “….do you agree?” – it means you should give your opinion

 “…do you think…?” – it means you should give your opinion
 “… your opinion…? – it means you should give your opinion
 “…what is your view?” – it means you should give your opinion
 “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” – this is asking for your opinion (your answer)
not the opinions of other people
 “Is this positive or negative?” – this is asking for you to choose and explain your opinion
 IELTS WRITING TASK 2 BAND SCORES 5 TO 8 WITH TIPS
Learn how your IELTS writing task 2 is marked and the difference between band scores 5, 6, 7 and 8 with tips
to improve your score. You need to understand the 4 marking criteria used by the examiner to fulfill the
requirements of the score you want. There is a penalty for being under the word count.

4 Marking Criteria for IELTS Writing Task 2

The examiner will assess your IELTS essay using the 4 criteria below. Each criterion is worth 25% of your total
marks for task 2. You will be given a band score for each criteria and then a total score for task 2.

 Task Response  Lexical Resource (Vocabulary)

 Coherence and Cohesion  Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Task Response

This task 2 marking criterion is about your answer to the IELTS essay question, your main ideas and
how you develop them.

Your score will increase if you:

 pay attention to ALL issues in the essay question

 write about the issues rather than just the general topic
 answer the essay question with relevant main points
 plan your supporting points so they don’t go off the topic
 write over 250 words

Coherence and Cohesion

The IELTS examiner will check the organization of your essay, the paragraphs and your use of linking
devices.
Your score will increase if you:

 have either four or five paragraphs but not more and not less
o this means you should have two or three body paragraphs only
 have just one central topic in each body paragraph
 organize your ideas logically
 use a range of linking words
 avoid errors in linking words

Lexical Resource

Your use of vocabulary, your paraphrasing, your spelling and the number of mistakes you make will
be assessed in this criterion.

Your score will increase if you:

 pay attention to collocations (which verb matches which noun)

 paraphrase carefully to avoid errors
 use a range of words appropriate for the topic
 spell words correctly
 avoid making errors (errors will lower your score – see table above)
 avoid using informal language

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The IELTS examiner will give you a band score for your sentence structures, the tenses you use, your
control of grammar and also the number of mistakes you make.

Your score will increase if you:

 use different grammar tenses (conditionals, perfect tenses, passive voice, past, future etc.)
  pay attention to word order in your sentences
 use a range of sentence structures
 use the correct punctuation (full stops and commas)
 avoid errors in grammar (errors will lower your score – see the table above)
o common grammar errors: articles, plural nouns, uncountable nouns, word order)

Example of Writing Task 2 Scoring Calculated

You will get a band score for each of the above criteria and then a total score for task 2. Here’s an
example:

 Task Response: Band 6

 Coherence & Cohesion = Band 7
 Grammar: Band 6
 Vocabulary: 6

Total Score for IELTS Writing Task 2: 6 + 7 + 6 + 6 = 25/4 = 6.25. This score will be increased to 6.5. To
calculate your score, add all scores together and divide by 4.