When IELTS candidates were asked which part of the exam they found the most challenging, a collective answer was IELTS task 2 essay writing. In IELTS essay writing, you are given a random topic, and you must present a meaningful and a scoring essay in 40 minutes. Here all you have is an unknown topic, and you must use your writing skills to present an essay that justifies the topic. What the examiner looks for is your mistake so our writing task must be free from mistakes. In this task, 2 of the IELTS writing you must write a minimum of 250 words. In this article, we have listed out a few tips that will help you ace task 2 essay writing.
1. Common Topics
Even before you appear for your IELTS exam, you must conduct some background research of your own. You can go on the internet and search for the common topics asked in task 2 of the IELTS exam. This trains your brain for any type of topic that can be asked of you. You can learn new vocabulary and structure for different topics. We suggest you inculcate a habit of reading the newspaper for knowledge of worldly affairs and interesting things happening around you.
2. Topic Assessment
Once you get the topic in your writing exam, the first thing you must do is analyze your topic. There are different types of essay questions, like an argumentative essay, problem-solving essay, pros and cons essay, etc. Understand which topic you got, and this will help you structure your essay. You should also focus on important keywords in the topic, so you can structure your essay around it.
3. Mapping Ideas
Once you understand your topic and what it demands, you must map out all the ideas you get. Picture how you will write your essay and jot down important points that pop up in your mind using a pencil. This map will help you navigate through all your ideas easily, and you can structure your essay perfectly.
4. Personal Opinion
To get a 7 band in the writing section, your essay must be clear and must reflect your thought process. For this, you must add your personal opinion to your essay. The best way to do this is by adding what you believe in and a few relevant examples. When you do this, the essay turns out to be one of the finest pieces the examiner has ever read, increasing your chances of a higher score.
5. Ask Relevant Questions
Another way using which you can make your essay perfect is by asking yourself questions. Once you read and understand the topic, ask yourself questions regarding the topic. When you ask yourself questions, your mind thinks in different ways, resulting in new ideas that you can use in your essay.
6. Avoid Spelling, Grammatical, Punctuation Mistakes
One thing that is disliked by the examiner is mistakes. With more words to write in IELTS task 2, the chances of making spelling, grammatical, and punctuation mistakes increase. You must be cautious and mindful while writing your essay to avoid any type of error. Proofread the whole essay so that it is free from minor mistakes.
7. Structuring
Many students fail to understand the importance of structuring in both the tasks of the IELTS writing part and end up losing marks. The essay you write must be structured in proper paragraphs. It must have an introduction, a body, and a conclusion paragraph. This will make your essay understandable and clear.
8. Time Management
While writing your IELTS task 2, time is a crucial thing that you must take care of. You will have 40 minutes on your hand, though it may look like a lot. If time is not properly managed, it can have a negative effect on your essay. In the time allotted, you must plan and write your essay. Sometimes it happens that planning takes up your time, and you will not have enough time to write the essay.
9. Formal language
It is common for us to use informal language and slang while texting. But it mustn’t reflect on your essay, as an informal type of writing is not preferred in the IELTS exam. You must avoid using any kind of indecent language and slang while writing your essay. If you use it, you will face major marks deduction.
10. Complete your essay
Many students leave their essays incomplete without providing proper answers to the questions asked. In the last paragraph of the essay, you must write your take on the topic and your opinion in 2-3 sentences. If you leave your essay without answering the question asked your score will drastically decrease.
These are the 10 simple tips to ace IELTS essay writing. Some of the finest IELTS examiners recommend all the tips above. If you follow these tips there is nothing stopping you from getting 7 bands in your IELTS writing. You can always turn to the internet if you need any kind of help, as it is filled with material and sample papers that you can practice.