The IELTS Writing Task 2 is one of the most difficult sections of the IELTS, as it is very subjective in nature from the point of view of the examiner. No correct answer or factual answer is supported for this task. Let’s just quickly review IELTS Writing Task 2.
The IELTS Writing Task 2 is an essay type of question in which your answer provides reasons and / or examples to support your claim on the basis of a short statement or passage. You usually have 40 minutes to complete this task. Your essay will be graded on four criteria:
- Task Response,
- Coherence and Cohesion,
- Lexical Resource,
- Grammatical range and accuracy.
These 7 expert tips will guide you to score band 7 whether you take the test for the first time or in repetition.
Tip 1: Cover all parts when you answer.
There are instances, that in a hurry you may skip important information or instruction asked in the question. We recommend highlighting the important words or information in the short passage as you begin.
Example 1:
“When you live in a country, where you have to speak a foreign language you may face both practical and social problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this?”
In such questions, you have freedom of choice. Either agree or disagree completely, or write about both sides of the argument.
Example 2
“Some people say it is important to keep your home and office clean, tidy and well organized. What is your opinion about this?”
In such questions, discuss two different views and give your own opinion. Whenever you start answering, keep in mind that you have to present one view and its counter view and lastly your opinion with supporting reasons.
Example 3:
“The number of crimes committed in many countries is growing. What do you think are the main causes of this growing number? How can we deal with this?”
In these type of questions, your answer should talk about the problem, its causes and then its possible solutions.
Remember: your stand on a point should be firm, while answering any type of question.
Tip 2: Originality in the content within word limits.
Copying or repeating the entire sentences / sections of the question asked or from previously mentioned segments of your writing is not a good idea. You would cover up the word limit of 150-250 words in this way, but you will ultimately lose the interest of the examiner. This can hamper your scores.
Instead, you can pick up some parts / words from the question or passage to make your writing relevant. Sometimes, if the topic interests you, you could end up crossing the 250 words limit. And this, lowers your scores for lacking the preciseness in writing. So you gain 25% points in maintaining originality and word count.
Tip 3: A well-structured write-up
“A good organized system shortens the road to the goal.” Invest time in structuring your essay, as it leaves clarity of your thoughts rather than confusing the examiner. Pick up your idea and develop a paragraph around it. Make sure that the flow of your ideas is thought out before you start inking them down.
- An introductory paragraph that will guide your examiner through your essay.
- Prioritise your ideas and then present them in paragraphs.
- Your opinion on the subject matters and should be the conclusion.
Tip 4: Coherence and linking:
Your 25% points are about how strategically you connect the dots. Linking is the way in which you stick your paragraphs together, and coherence is the flow of your content, this is marked by the examiner. Many find it difficult to string the paragraphs together, but it is easy to achieve with linking devices. We use transitional words / linking words, such as, firstly, on the other hand, additionally, even if, etc. This makes the content cohesive and coherent.
Tip 5: Use of vocabulary and grammatical structures:
Vocabulary adds taste to your writing skills. The best way is to use collocations and idiomatic phrases to make your essay vocabulary rich. This gives your examiner a sign of your excellent vocabulary skills that reflect on your score. Make sure it is easy to understand and spell, to avoid any errors.
If you’re looking for 7 band scores, you need to use simple and complex sentences correctly. With this, the appropriate use of articles, punctuations, tense, prepositions, etc. gives you a grammatical structured sentence. Remember, you have to be error-free in framing your sentences. All this is crucial for scoring in the lexical resource parameter.
Tip 6: Manage your time:
Time management is the key when attempting this test. In general, writing tasks 1 and 2 have an hour in total. It is recommended to allocate 40 minutes for writing task 2 and 20 minutes for writing task 1. The first 5 minutes is used to think about the topic and map it out. Approximately 30 minutes are in your hands to write your essay. Keep the rest for 5 minutes to check your write-up. Note that it’s about quality and not quantity. As a result, planning your write up is essential before your begin.
Tip 7: Proofread your essay:
We could make some unnoticed mistakes in writing. It is crucial to proofread your essay before submitting to avoid silly mistakes in grammatical structures, vocabulary, spell errors etc. Check whether you have used the appropriate linking words and phrases. If this is done, read as a third person to assess whether you can understand the essay. This will also help you find the errors in the arrangement of simple and complex sentences.
If you practice these 7 tips consistently, your path to score band 7 becomes easier. Step by step, practice and analyze your writings with these tips. At Proficient Training For English, we take care to give you consistent expert feedback, useful tips and upgraded study material to excel in the IELTS Writing Task 2.