Category Archives for IELTS Writing Tips
The 6-Step process to IELTS Writing Band 7/8
I’ve been thinking about the IELTS Writing section and the journey that takes students from Band 5.5 or 6 to Band 7 or 8. I was looking back at all the students I have worked with over the past few years who achieved their goal of 7 or above for writing and thought about the […]
Continue readingHow to write at Band 7 and 8
I am always surprised when I speak to students who tell me that they are very confident about their IELTS writing and yet it has the lowest score in their test – and this happens quite a lot. I used to think that it meant they weren’t ready to tackle the writing as they needed […]
Continue readingThe 3 things you need in a great IELTS Writing Task 2 paragraph
Almost every student I work with on IELTS Writing arrives at the first lesson unsure about how to manage this part of the exam. Generally they have researched a lot online about writing, practised a lot by themselves, sometimes submitted writing for correction but are still stuck in the same place. Mostly, they fear the […]
Continue readingHow to make sure you keep to the topic in IELTS Writing Task 2
I have heard on the grapevine recently, that examiners are reporting issues with Task Fulfilment. This is the first of the band descriptors and it basically looks at whether you are answering the question adequately. Where this breaks down in the writing task is generally related to not reading the question carefully enough, mis-reading or mis-interpreting […]
Continue readingHow to plan Task 1 General Training in IELTS Writing
The first thing to consider when writing the letter for Task 1 General Training is what type of letter is required. There are three types formal, informal and semi-formal. Once you have decided this then you can start to think about the subject. A good place to begin is by asking what kind of response […]
Continue readingHow to plan Task 1 Academic in IELTS Writing
The first band descriptor for IELTS writing task 1 and 2 is Task Fulfilment, this basically means ‘have you answered the question?’ It might sound obvious that you would answer the question that was set in the exam but sometimes it isn’t that straightforward. Often both Tasks 1 and 2 have quite a bit of […]
Continue reading6 Easy ways to write complex sentences in IELTS Task 2
Complex sentences are a must for Band 7 and 8. They appear in the Band descriptors and you require more for Band 8 than Band 7. If you do not include these in your writing then you cannot achieve these high bands. What is a complex sentence? A complex sentence consists of 2 or 3 clauses joined […]
Continue reading3 Secrets to writing a great General Training Task 1
As promised I also want to look at the letter which forms task 1 for General Training students. There are things regarding the letter that also need to be taken into account, very important amongst these is the ability to use different tenses and organise a series of events logically and clearly. However, if you […]
Continue reading3 Secrets to writing a great Academic Task 1
A lot of students focus more on task 2 than task 1 because it carries more marks. This may be true but when you are seeking a high band like 7 or 8 it is the combination of your two tasks that will most likely get you the score. Remember also that the examiner is […]
Continue readingFive Timing strategies for IELTS Writing
Making sure you complete both tasks in IELTS Writing within an hour can be another challenge for many students. The issue that I find is most cited by students is the ability to ‘think’ of ideas quickly and I see many IELTS students spending too long on this therefore cutting down the writing time. This […]
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