Shereen Backer A Jan 25, 2024
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Entrance Tips

IELTS Writing Tips: 7 Study Tips to Increase Your Score Quickly

The IELTS, International English Language Testing, has four sections to validate your proficiency in the English language, namely, listening, reading, writing, and speaking. However, the test-takers often cite the writing section as the most challenging of them all.

The writing section of IELTS comprises two tasks that you complete within 60 minutes. To do so, first, you need to know what the IELTS writing section is like. For example, the writing module and evaluating criteria are different between the IELTS Academic and the IELTS General.

To improve your IELTS writing skills and obtain a good score, you must be well prepared and accustomed to the various questions asked in the two tasks. In addition, you must understand the difference between the two forms of IELTS and focus on the exam you have chosen. This blog will explore 7 study tips that will help you improve your IELTS writing score.

Read More: IELTS Test Pattern 2023

What is the IELTS Writing Section Criteria?

The examiner will evaluate your IELTS Writing section in four categories. Each criterion is weighted equally and converted to a band scale of 0 to 9.

The Academic IELTS writing section is designed to assess your ability to reason, analyse and evaluate a topic. It is crafted for individuals entering undergraduate or postgraduate studies and professional registration. The answer style must be formal. The first task is about describing and analysing the data found from a graph or chart in 150 words, and the second task is an extended essay of 250 words.

The General IELTS writing Section measures everyday tasks such as reading the information, understanding it and using it appropriately. It is often taken by those migrating to an English speaking country like the US, UK, Canada, New Zealand, Australia, etc. The first task is to write a letter in any form, and the second task is to write a formal essay.

Read Also:IELTS Band Scores: How are they calculated?

Understand and analyse the difficulties faced in the writing section and focus on overcoming them. The four criteria in which your writing section is evaluated are:

  • Task Achievement (for Task 1) and Task Response (for Task 2): How well you have paid attention, addressed and illustrated the main points of the task.
  • Cohesion and Coherence: How well you have organised and linked your ideas in structured paragraphs.
  • Lexical Resource: How accurate and the range of vocabulary you possess
  • Grammatical Range and Accuracy: The content and accuracy of grammatical structuring.

Read Also: IELTS Exam 2022: Dates, Results

IELTS Writing Tips

The IELTS overall score is consolidated from four sections. First, the Introduction to IELTS will explain to you all about it. Now since you are familiar with the different areas in which the examiners will evaluate your writing skills, Here are the top IELTS Writing Tips to improve your IELTS writing skills.

  • Avoid informal writing
  • Organize your ideas logically
  • Watch your word count
  • Understand the question before attempting it
  • Understand the marking criteria
  • Work on your grammatical range and vocabulary
  • Complete writing task 2 first

1.Avoid informal writing

Ensure to practise writing formally, especially for Academic IELTS. By being formal, it hints seriousness, making an impression on the examiners. Avoid abbreviations, contractions and slang words that you might use in everyday speech. Stick with formal written English for the exam as it is crucial for the clarity of meaning and credibility of your response.

Use complete sentences and do not leave out any information or ideas. There should never be just one word at the end of a sentence that stands by itself without connecting it back to an idea started earlier in the sentence. It shows a lack of thought on behalf of the writer, ensuring that each phrase connects well with those around them.

Read Also: PTE vs IELTS

2.Organise your ideas logically

The IELTS writing section tests your ability to organise ideas logically. If you can present your information in a clear and logical format, you'll do well on the exam. You must use sentences with equal weighting, so be sure not to write everything in one paragraph or sentence as this may be confusing for the examiner reading it through quickly. Instead, separate your ideas and organise them into different sections.

Read Also: IELTS Reading Tips

3.Watch your word count

Students who write essays on IELTS often think they will get a good score if they are long and have many paragraphs. The truth is that your writing skills will determine what type of score you'll receive, not how much content you have written. So it's essential for students preparing to take IELTS and current takers to keep an eye on their word count.

You should cover the first task in 150 words, and the second task has a word limit of 250. Computer test takers can have an idea about their word count, but it is difficult for paper-based exams. Hence, practice writing within this word limit and know your writing style. Be careful with sentence length and vocabulary.

Read Also: IELTS vs TOEFL vs PTE

4.Understand the question before attempting it

Read the question carefully and understand what it is asking you to do before answering it in detail. Read the instruction carefully and underline or highlight keywords to instil the idea. Doing this will give a better idea to frame the answer, keeping in mind the writing module and your writing style.

Read Also: How to Score a 7+ Band in IELTS

5.Understand the marking criteria

Understanding the marking criteria is a crucial part of preparing for the writing section. Therefore, when preparing for your IELTS exam, analyse your solid areas and put in the effort to better your weaker spots.

Understanding what examiners will be looking out for can help you prepare your essays better and reduce any confusion about why they received specific scores. Therefore, all four criteria of the writing section are weighted equally, 25% each.

Read Also: IELTS Test Pattern 2023

6.Work on your grammatical range and vocabulary

One of the most critical spots of the writing section is that many candidates fail to achieve the grammatical and vocabulary range. It is essential to make grammatically correct sentences and to avoid the redundancy of words.

Build up your vocabulary by making a list of words that you come across in books, movies, newspapers, magazines, etc., and using them in your writing. Develop an extensive grammatical range by reading different types of English text, for example, newspapers, short stories or novels. Practise creating sentences with complex structures and new words to showcase your English language.

Read Also: How Important Is English Grammar for Your OET and IELTS Scores?

7.Complete writing task 2 first

As you prepare for the IELTS Writing test, it is vital to complete Task two first. It is because task 2 is weighted heavier and takes longer to complete. In addition, IELTS writing task 2 is the same for Academic and General tests, and writing task 1 is relatively more straightforward.

It is recommended to spend 40 minutes on task 2 and the remaining 20 minutes on task 1. Hence, it is good to complete writing task2 first not to get hung up on time constraints.

Read Also: IELTS Speaking Tips

How to Improve Your Writing Skill Quickly?

One of the essential sections on IELTS is writing. It comprises two tasks that will be evaluated on four criteria and scored on a band scale of 0 to 9. A crucial point of the writing section is to keep track of time and write without making any grammatical or spelling mistakes. Many students take extensive grammar classes and endless exercises to improve their writing skills. How you can develop your skills is based on your ability and dedication to want to improve. Constant daily practice is essential to improve your writing.

If you want to improve your writing skills quickly and obtain a good score for IELTS, then apply the following writing tips:

  • Keep a routine habit of reading articles, books, newspapers and pay attention to the vocabulary used.
  • Try thinking in English to avoid constant mishaps and mistakes.
  • Learn from your mistakes and strengthen your weak points.
  • Constructively organise your thoughts and ideas while practising writing.
  • Utilise linking words and discourse markers
  • Avoid the repetition of words, phrases and ideas
  • Ease into using complex sentence structures and vocabulary
  • Ensure that your writing is readable and connecting to the overall concept of the task
  • Practise writing every day, be it a blog, journal, article or an essay
  • Extend your range of grammatical structuring
  • Assess your progress by taking practice tests and mock exams
  • Enroll for ielts training 
  • Make your answers visually appealing by dividing them into introduction, the body of context and then conclusion.

Read Also: IELTS Academic VS General Tests

To Sum Up

To achieve a good score for the IELTS writing test, make sure to use these tips and strategies. To ace your writing test, make sure to use a formal tone and have a clear thesis statement in mind before you start brainstorming ideas on approaching your essay question. The introduction should contain the purpose or intention behind your essay, and it is advisable to include one sentence about each main point to keep the writing concise. It is also crucial that you have a solid concluding statement which sums up your argument followed by some call to action. 

Finally, make sure all sentences are relevant, and there aren't any unnecessary words and keep an eye on the grammar. These study tips will build your writing skills quickly that will help you to obtain a good IELTS band score.

Read Also: IELTS Preparation Tips

English Language and Soft Skills Trainer

Ms. Shereen Backer is a broad minded English language and Soft Skills trainer with Edoxi Training Institute, Dubai. She is fascinated about training young minds and professionals to reach new heights in their career. Her vast experience as an English language and soft skills trainer enables her to handle training sessions for students from diverse cultures.

Ms. Shereen challenges her students to be the best version of themselves. She holds strong records of accomplishment with TESOL/TEFL Certification and IDP Teacher’s Training Program Accreditation.

For the last seven years, she has been working with companies and universities as an ESL/EFL verbal trainer cum academic and career counsellor. She helped more than 500 individuals to clear exams like IELTS, PTE, TOEFL, OET, DET, PSAT, NMSQT and SAT. She also specialises in voice and accent training for English language students.

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