A) Forcing Vocabulary

Many students try to prepare for IELTS Writing by learning long lists of ‘academic’ words and then try to include these words in their essays. The problem with this is that it leads to candidates using words that are either inappropriate (the meaning is wrong) or inaccurate (the grammar is wrong).

It is important to have a wide-ranging vocabulary to achieve one of the higher band scores, but this doesn’t mean you should try to force as many complicated words into your essay as possible. That approach will only lead to mistakes and reduce your score.

Use the “Use of Language” section in this document to understand how to use language effectively in your writing.

Learn some words that actually increase your score in our IELTS Writing Task 2 Course.

B) Using a Template

Many candidates nowadays use a template to help them in their IELTS Writing. This can be disastrous for your marks.

This is an example of a common paragraph template:

“Supporting my agreement or disagreement to the given statement, I firmly believe that_________________. To cite an example, _______________. Moreover/In addition/Furthermore__________________. For instance,__________.”

Most of these templates online are not written by native speakers and are generally grammatically incorrect. Furthermore, because candidates often don’t know what they are writing, this produces extremely disjointed writing where none of the ideas link together. Lastly, examiners often read the same templates multiple times, and the phrases are often very confusing. The best thing to do to prepare for your exam is to practice writing and send your essays to a qualified teacher for feedback.

C) Use of Complex Sentences for No Reason

Each sentence must be a fully formed idea, and it is not always better to use longer sentences.

Consider the examples below:

A) Do your homework now!

B) Do your homework now but actually at school today the teacher said that it wasn’t necessary and really is homework that necessary?

C) While you do your homework.

Analysis:

A) Fully formed sentence with object, subject, and verb.

B) This is a longer but confusing sentence with multiple unconnected ideas.

C) Incomplete idea.

Tip: Read the “Sentence Structure” part of this document for the 9 characteristics of excellent sentences.

D) Not Developing Ideas

I call this the ‘shotgun approach’—listing as many ideas as possible in 40 minutes. For example, the task might ask you to ‘discuss the advantages and disadvantages,’ and you write 6 advantages and 6 disadvantages. The problem with this is that it is just a list of undeveloped ideas and not really an academic essay. It would be better if you had just two ideas and developed them fully with explanations and examples.

You do not gain more marks for writing more points but for fully supporting those points.

Here is an example:

The question might ask you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of working from home online.

A ‘shotgun approach’ paragraph might say:

“There are many advantages to working at home. Firstly, it cuts down commuting time because you don’t have to travel to work. Secondly, it is more flexible because you can choose the time you work. Thirdly, it is very convenient because you don’t have to leave home. Fourthly, it saves costs. Lastly, it means you can spend more time with your family.”

All of these ideas are relevant, but none of them are really developed. You can develop them by explaining what they mean and how they answer the question. You can also illustrate them by giving an example.

The paragraph below takes just two ideas and develops them fully:

“The main advantage is the fact that it means that we do not have to commute to and from work. This saves us lots of time because we are not stuck in a car or train every morning and evening. For example, a recent report in The Times stated that the average person working from home saved around 20 hours per month. A related benefit is that it enables us to be more flexible with our time. By removing the need to be in the office from 9-5, people can start earlier or work in the evenings. Personally, I prefer to work at night, and the internet has given me the freedom to spend time with my family in the morning and work after they have gone to bed.”

Tip: A good way to think about writing is that the person reading can’t ask you any questions like they would if you were speaking to them, so you need to explain each of your ideas fully to make sure they are clear and easy to understand.

E) Learn More About Things That Don’t Improve Your Score in Our IELTS Writing Task 2 Course

Do a course designed by a former IELTS Examiner with hundreds of 5* reviews. Find out what really improves your score in the exam.

Click here to learn more.