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IELTS Writing: Structure, Tips, Strategies (Academic & General)

IELTS Writing section

IELTS Writing: Structure, Tips, Strategies

Writing is one of the IELTS sections which assesses your writing skills.

A lot of candidates consider this part of the test the most challenging one.

We asked people on  Quora   about their IELTS results and came to the conclusion that it is actually true as in most cases the band for Writing was lower than for other parts.

In this article, IELTS Game will look at this part of the exam in more details and you will learn how to deal with it in the easiest way.

Table Of Contents

  • General Information
  • General Writing
  • Academic Writing
  • Writing assessment
  • How to deal with writing section?
  • How to Write an essay?
  • Types of Writing essay
  • How to Improve your score?

General Information about IELTS Writing exam

First of all, it’s necessary to know that Writing is different in two modules of the test.

  • In the General Training IELTS you will need to write a letter in Task 1 and an essay in Task 2.
  • Academic IELTS requires to write a report on some graph or chart in Task 1 and an essay in Task 2.
  • The topics for essays in General and Academic modules can be different, but the strategy to write essays is the same.
  • You will have 60 minutes for completing both tasks in the Writing part.

As a rule, the second task of writing, which is essay, requires you to write more and proves to be more challenging than the first one, and it is worth more points.

That is why it’s advisable to spend 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2.

General Training Writing

Writing in this module of the test includes two tasks: a letter and an essay. You will have 60 minutes to complete both tasks.

1. Task one General training

Task 1 is a letter concerning everyday situation that you are likely to encounter while living in an English-speaking environment.

For example , a letter to an accommodation officer, your employer or a friend. It is recommended to spend 20 minutes on it.

You may be asked to write an informal letter to your friend, a semi-formal letter, or an official letter. You will have to write at least 150 words.

Example of Task 1:

You have received a letter from your bank, asking you to acknowledge receipt of a new bank card. However, the card was missing from the envelope.

Write a letter to the bank’s head office. In your letter:

  • explain why you are writing;
  • express concern about the missing card;
  • ask them what they intend to do.

2. Task two General training

Task 2 is an essay on some common topic, such as family, society, TV, school, communication, etc.

You should write at least 250 words and spend about 40 minutes on this task. Look at the example of an essay question:

Some people believe that teaching children at home is best for a child’s development while others think that it is important for children to go to school.

Discuss the advantages of both methods and give your own opinion.

IELTS Academic Writing

1. task 1 academic.

In Task 1 of the Academic module you will be asked to describe any of the 6 types of charts: a bar chart, a line graph, pie chart, a table, a diagram or a map.

However, in some cases you may have a combination of charts: such a table and a pie chart.

You don’t need to write about everything you see in a picture, you should sum up the information, talk about general trends and changes, and make comparisons.

The most important thing here is that you are not supposed to express your personal opinion, so you should avoid using such phrases as I think, In my opinion, etc.

2. Task 2 Academic

Task 2 is an essay on a given topic. Here,  the examiners assess your ability to express your opinion on a topic and support your ideas with arguments and examples and make conclusions.

Essay tasks in the Academic module are more challenging than in the General module.

Look at the example of an essay question:

It is generally believed that the Internet is an excellent means of communication but some people suggest that it may not be the best place to find information.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

How is Writing assessed in IELTS test?

Writing is marked using a 9-band scale. The examiners use 4 assessment criteria to score your writing:

  • Task response / Task achievement;
  • Coherence and Cohesion;
  • Lexical Resource;
  • Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

The first criterion (task response or task achievement) looks at the content of your answer to assess whether it is accurate and relevant to the topic in the question.

The next criterion (coherence and cohesion) describes how well you organize your ideas and how logically  they are sequenced.

Lexical resource assesses your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary .

According to the last criterion (grammatical range and accuracy), you should use a variety of sentence structures and grammar forms correctly.

You can look through the assessment criteria in more details on the official IELTS Website:  Task 1  and  Task 2 .

How to deal with the Writing part?

On a test day you will receive a question paper and two answer sheets: the first for Task 1 and the second for Task 2.

You won’t have any draft paper but you will be able to write on the question paper.

It’s really important to track your writing  time. It’s recommended to spend 20 minutes on first task and 40 on the second, as the essay is worth more marks.

So make sure that you allocate reasonable time for both tasks.

You must answer the questions you are asked.  Here is what you are supposed to do in your writing part.

  • For Task 1 , select and report the main features, compare, summarize the data, identify trends illustrated in the charts, but don’t give your personal opinion.
  • For Task 2 , read the question carefully and then write your answer on the topic, making sure you support your answer.

You should save enough time to proofread and check what you have written.

Don’t forget, you have to write at least 150 words in Task 1 and 250 words in your essay.

If you write shorter, you will lose points. You can write more words than necessary, but don’t expect to gain extra points for it.

How to write an Essay?

The majority of IELTS candidates really struggle with the second task of the Writing paper.

They have a lot of questions concerning types of questions, essay structure and ideas they have to talk about in their essay.

So, let’s take a closer look at this part of the Writing test.

As I have already mentioned above, essay questions can be different in two modules of the test.

But types of essay questions and structure of the answer is the same in both Academic and General Training modules.

You should always start completing Task 2 with making a plan for your answer.

It’s really important to think of the ideas you will write about before writing.

Without a plan you may get confused with different ideas, and your point of view may not be clear to the examiner.

Another point to consider is the paragraph structure.

In your essay you must have 4 or 5 paragraphs: the first paragraph is an introduction , then two or three body paragraphs , and the last paragraph is a conclusion .

Always keep in mind this general structure when you practice writing.

That was the general structure for writing an essay.

But you need to remember that there are several types of essay questions in the IELTS, so the structure of your answer can be a little bit different depending on the question.

So before planning your essay, read the question properly to understand what type of essay you have.

Types of IELTS Writing Essay

In general, there are 5 common types of essays in the IELTS test:

  • Advantage/Disadvantage essay
  • Opinion essay
  • Problem and Solution essay (or Cause and Solution)
  • Discussion essay
  • Two-part Question (General Questions) essay

1. Advantage/disadvantage essay

In the advantage/disadvantage essay, you are going to have a task to discuss benefits and drawbacks of something or to compare whether advantages of some tendency outweigh disadvantages, or the other way round.

Some countries show their criminal trials on TV for people to watch.

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

2. Opinion essay

In the opinion essay you will be given some statement and you’ll have to give your opinion on it (What is your opinion?) or agree/disagree with this point of view (To what extent do you agree or disagree?).

Here it’s important to choose only one side of an argument and stick to it throughout your essay.

Or you may not agree with both sides and suggest your point of view, but it should be completely different from what you have in the task.

This approach is called balanced opinion.

Some businesses now say that no one can smoke cigarettes in any of their offices. Some governments have banned smoking in all public places. This is a good idea but it also takes away some of our freedom.

Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons.

3. Problem & Solution Essay

The next type of essay ( problem and solution ) will ask you to find problems and suggest the solution to the problems.

In some cases you may be asked to write about causes of some problem.

Nowadays, more and more older people who need employment compete with the younger people for the same jobs.

What problems does this cause? What are the possible solutions?

4. Discussion Essay

The discussion essay will give you two opposing ideas and you will have to discuss these two points of view.

Here you don’t have to stick to this or that idea if you’re not asked to.

Very often, there will be the following phrase in the task  “… and give your opinion “, in this case you must give your opinion supporting one point of view.

Or you may express your personal opinion on this question ( balanced opinion ).

Some people believe that living in big cities is becoming more difficult. Others believe that it is getting easier.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

5. Two-part question Essay

In  two-part question essay  you will have to answer two questions.

The questions are usually of the same topic, and you will need to present a detailed answer to each question in a separate paragraph.

Cycling is more environmentally friendly than other forms of transport.

Why is it not popular in many places? How to increase its popularity?

How to improve your score for Writing?

To improve your score for writing, you will have to practice a lot and regularly.

While practicing make sure you comply with the following rules:

  • Find out all the necessary information about types of questions in Task 1 and essay types in Task 2;
  • Be aware of the assessment criteria, it will help you know what the examiners will be looking for;
  • Practice describing different types of charts , graphs and diagrams (or writing different types of letters) in Task 1 and write as many essays of different types as possible;
  • Track the time every time you practice writing : spend 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2. However, you need to remember that it is highly recommended that you save some time for proofreading;
  • Every time you practice writing an essay or a diagram description / a letter, count your words and try to remember what space 150 and 250 words take on Writing Answer Sheet, you can download it from the Internet. You are not likely to have enough time to count words at the exam, so it would be good to be able to visually count the approximate number of words on the answer sheet.
  • Remember that at the exam you will have to write your answers with a pencil, so while practicing you’d better use a pencil all the time to get used to it.

Important Links

Writing preparation.

  • Basic Principles of IELTS Academic Writing task 1 & 2
  • How to Distribute Your Time in IELTS Writing Exam?
  • 4 Steps to write a band 9 IELTS essay introduction
  • How to Write a Perfect Closing Paragraph for IELTS Essay?
  • IELTS Writing Academic: Task 1 analysis with model answer

Grammar for Writing

  • Spelling in IELTS exam: Rules | mistakes | British vs American
  • Top 5 Grammar rules you should know for IELTS writing task 1 & 2
  • Master Punctuation marks in IELTS Writing exam
  • Complex Sentences in IELTS Writing Task 2

Vocabulary in IELTS writing

  • How to use linking words in IELTS Writing exam? [Examples]
  • What is Coherence and Cohesion in IELTS Writing exam?
  • Master Lexical resources in IELTS Writing exam
  • Download IELTS Advantage Writing Skills pdf book
  • Collins Writing For IELTS pdf direct download with answer keys
  • Download Get IELTS Band 9 pdf for speaking, Writing task 1 and 2
  • Cambridge IELTS test books

Recent Exams

  • Recent Academic IELTS Writing task 1 exercises – Bar Charts
  • Expected topics for IELTS writing task 2 in January 2020

It is important for people to take risks IELTS writing task 2

Writing tips to score higher grades in assignments, how is a grammar checker important in creative writing.

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13+ IELTS Writing Tips And Tricks for Cracking The Exam

IELTS Writing Tips And Tricks

IELTS Writing Tips And Tricks – IELTS is a widely recognized test that assesses the English Language Proficiency of individuals for different purposes such as work, study, and migration. IELTS writing is an important component of the exam which is designed to evaluate your ability to communicate effectively in written English. 

Achieving a high score in the IELTS Writing module requires more than just having a good command of the English language. It demands a strategic approach, proper planning, and knowledge of specific tips and tricks to maximize your performance. 

In this blog, I will provide you with the best IELTS Writing tips and tricks that will help you prepare for the IELTS writing task 2 easily. 

Whether you are a beginner or an advanced English learner, these tips and tricks will provide you with valuable insights into the IELTS writing section’s structure, requirements, and scoring criteria. 

By implementing these tips and tricks, you will be able to improve your writing style, organize your ideas effectively, and address the key elements that examiners look for in your responses.

So, let’s start to know IELTS writing tips and tricks!

Table of Contents

What Is IELTS Writing?

IELTS Writing is one of the four modules of the IELTS test, which is widely recognized as a measure of English Language Proficiency for educational and immigration purposes. 

The IELTS Writing module assesses your ability to express yourself in written English within an academic or general context, depending on the type of IELTS Test you are taking.

IELTS Writing Tips And Tricks

Here are 16 IELTS Writing tips and tricks with explanations and examples:

  • Analyze The Question: Carefully read and understand the question prompt. Identify the key points and requirements of the task.

Example: If the question asks whether you agree or disagree with a statement, make sure you clearly state your position in your essay.

  • Plan Your Essay: Spend a few minutes brainstorming and organizing your ideas before your start writing. Create a clear outline to guide your essay structure.

Example: For a problem-solution essay, outline the problems in one section and the solutions in another section.

  • Use A Variety Of Sentences Structures: Varying your sentence structures will make your writing more interesting and show your language proficiency. 

Example: Instead of always using simple sentences, incorporate compound or complex sentences in your essay.

  • Develop Cohesive Paragraphs: Start Each Paragraph with a clear topic sentence, support it with relevant examples or evidence, and conclude the paragraph by linking it to the main idea.

Example: Topic sentence: “One major advantage of renewable energy is its environmental sustainability.” Evidence: Provide data or statistics on reduced carbon emissions. Conclusion: Connect the paragraph back to the main idea of renewable energy’s benefits.

  • Use Appropriate Vocabulary: Aim to use a range of vocabulary, including academic and topic-specific words, to showcase your language skills. 

Example: Instead of using “good,” use words like “beneficial,” “advantageous,” or “positive”.

  • Avoid Repetitive Words: Make use of synonyms and paraphrasing to prevent word repetition in your writing.

Example: Instead of using “important” multiple times, use “crucial”, “significant,” or “vital” to convey the same meaning.

  • Pay Attention To Grammar And Punctuation: Use correct grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation to enhance the clarity and coherence of your writing. 

Example: Ensure subject-verb agreement, proper use of tenses, and correct punctuation marks.

  • Practice Time Management: Allocate time for planning, writing, and reviewing your essay within the given time limit.

Example: if you have 40 minutes for writing, consider spending around 5-10 minutes for planning, 25-30 minutes for writing, and the remaining time for revision.

  • Be Aware of Task Response: Address all aspects of the question and fulfill the requirements of the tasks.

Example: If the question asks for both advantages and disadvantages, make sure you include arguments for both sides in your essay.

  • S upport Your Ideas With Examples: Use specific examples, evidence, or personal experiences to illustrate your points and make your arguments more persuasive. 

Example: When discussing the benefits of studying abroad, provide examples of improved language skills, exposure to diverse cultures, and expanded career opportunities.

  • Develop a Clear Argument: State your position or main idea clearly and support it throughout your essay.

Example: If  you are writing an argumentative essay about the importance of exercise, clearly state your opinion in the thesis statement and provide supporting arguments in subsequent paragraphs.

  • Use Cohesive Devices: Employ linking words, transitional phrases, and cohesive devices to create logical connections between sentences and paragraphs. 

Example: Use words like “furthermore,” “however’” or “in the contract” to indicate transitions between ideas.

  • Practice Paraphrasing: Show your ability to rephrase sentences and ideas while retaining the original meaning.

Example: Original sentence: “The government should implement stricter laws to reduce pollution.” Paraphrased sentence: “To combat pollution effectively, it is essential for the government to enforce more stringent legislation.”

  • Read Sample Essay: Familiarize yourself with high-scoring IELTS essays to understand the structure, language usage, and effective writing techniques. 

Example: Find sample essays online or in IELTS preparation books and analyze how they address the question and present arguments.

  • Seek Feedback And Practice: Share your essays with others, such as teachers or native English speakers, and ask for feedback. Regular practice will help you identify areas for improvement.

Example: Join study groups, enroll in writing courses, or hire a tutor to provide constructive feedback on your writing. 

  • Use online resources: When it comes to preparing for IELTS writing use online resources as much as you can. You can use YouTube or IELTS related websites for your preparation. Here is the list of top YouTube channels and websites you can use for your IELTS preparation.

YouTube channels: 

Best Books For IELTS Writing Preparation

Preparing for the IELTS Writing module can be challenging for many students, but there are several excellent books available to help you improve your skills. Here are some of the best books for IELTS writing preparation:

  • “IELTS Advantage: Writing Skills” By Richard Brown And Lewis Richards: This book provides comprehensive guidance on developing your writing skills for the IELTS exam . It offers strategies, model answers, and practice exercises to help you improve your writing abilities. 
  • “Cambridge Grammer For IELTS With Answers” By Diana Hopkins And Pauline Cullen: While this book primarily focuses on grammar, it is crucial to have a solid grasp of English Grammar for the Writing section. This book is specifically designed for IELTS students and covers essential grammar topics with relevant examples and practice exercises.
  • “The Official Cambridge Guide To IELTS: Writing” By Pauline Cullen: Published by Cambridge English, this guide specifically targets the Writing section of the IELTS exam. It provides step-by-step instructions, practice questions, and sample answers to familiarize you with the test format and help you improve your writing skills. 
  • “IELTS Writing Task 1 + 2: The ultimate guide with Practice to get a target band score of 8.0 in 10 Minutes a day” By Rachel Mitchell: This book focuses on both Task 1 (Academic and General Training) and Task 2 (Essay Writing). It offers practical tips, vocabulary-building exercises, and practice questions with detailed explanations to help you achieve a high score.
  • Target Band 7: IELTS Academic Module – How to maximize your score” by simone braverman: This book provides a systematic approach to help you achieve a band 7 or higher in the IELTS Writing section. It includes useful strategies, sample answers, and step-by-step guidance to improve your writing skills. 

Conclusion (IELTS Writing Tips And Tricks)

In this blog, we have discussed IELTS Writing tips and tricks. I hope you have understood easily. Preparing for the IELTS writing module requires dedication, practice, and a solid understanding of the test format and requirements. By implementing these above tips and tricks, you can improve your writing skills and improve your chances of achieving a high score. 

If you like this blog, then share it with your friends and family. If you have any query related to this blog, then you can comment to me, I will reply you as soon as possible. 

FAQs (IELTS Writing Tips And Tricks)

What are some effective tips for ielts writing.

Some effective tips for IELTS Writing include familiarizing yourself with the test format and requirements, practicing time management, improving vocabulary and grammar, developing strong arguments with supporting examples, and seeking feedback on your writing.

How can I improve my time management in the IELTS Writing Section?

To improve time management, practice writing within the given time limits, allocate time for planning and proofreading and develop a clear and concise writing style that allows you to express your ideas efficiently.

How can I enhance my vocabulary for the IELTS Writing section?

To enhance vocabulary, read extensively, make use of vocabulary-building exercises and resources, learn new words with their contextual usage, and practice incorporating an variety of vocabulary into your writing.

Is it necessary to include complex sentences in my writing?

Yes, using complex sentences will help you showcase your language proficiency to the examiner, but you must ensure that you use those sentences correctly without any grammatical mistake.

Can I use personal pronouns in my IELTS essay?

You must avoid using the personal pronouns like I, me, and myself while writing IELTS essay. Instead you must write you essay generally and focus on showing your ideas more clearly as it is most important that the examiner can understand what you have written.

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IELTS Writing Tips

So you want to score a band 8 on IELTS Writing ?

Many IELTS test-takers spend a lot of time training to write top-notch essays. To achieve a desired score, they stuff their essays with uncommon vocabulary, overuse complicated grammar or write too many words. But are these means really necessary? The answer is NO.

There are a lot of much simpler writings that score 8.0 and higher! This is because you don’t need any special knowledge: the examiner will assess your writing, not your thoughts. Even simple but accurately expressed ideas score better than too complicated ones. To succeed in IELTS Writing , you need to

  • be accurate
  • write simple things well

Ridiculously, even well trained candidates often lose points on IELTS Writing because of making simple mistakes: from going off topic to writing too many words.

On this page we’ve gathered top 10 IELTS Writing tips that will help you score band 8+ on IELTS Writing:

Read the question

The government should pay to the parents of very young children, so that one of them can stay at home and look after their children.

What do you think are the pros and cons of this policy? Justify your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

  • Write pros & cons
  • Give examples

Read what you have written

Go back and read the paragraph you have just written before you start the next one. You may think that this is a waste of time. If so, you’d be wrong. It’s important to link your paragraphs together – what easier way to do that than just read what you have written?

The practical advice here is to select your best idea and write about that. That means not writing everything you know – leave some ideas out. Don’t worry if it is not your best explanation, worry about whether it is your clearest explanation.

ielts writing tips quora

Write about what you know

You are being tested on the quality of your English, not on the quality of your ideas. So you shouldn’t worry about finding the “right answer”. You need a simple idea that you can clearly describe and justify.

Follow the standard structure

  • Introduction : briefly describe what your graph shows.
  • Overview : state main trends.
  • Specific details : describe specific changes, providing data.

IELTS Writing task 2 answer should have such backbone:

  • Introduction : rephrase the topic + give your opinion.
  • Body paragraphs : each should have its central idea, which is generally stated in the first sentence.
  • Conclusion : just rephrase your opinion from the introduction.

Don’t write too many words

It’s a bad idea to write more than 300 words in task 2 and more than 200 words in task 1. Firstly, it’s difficult for the examiner to read long essays and he/she will check your writing less carefully. Secondly, you are likely to make more mistakes and have less time to check what you wrote.

Choose your writing style

Never use informal language in academic writing or in essay. Only in general module task 1 you may be asked to write an informal letter.

Don't learn model answers by heart

Do not memorize model answers - you will receive less points for such essay. The chance of getting exactly the same essay as you've learnt is very small. And going off topic will result in achieving a low score. So instead, spend some time learning to adopt advanced vocabulary to make it fit into your answer. This way you'll be able to use various words phrases in different writings and show your broad range of vocabulary.

Don't branch off!

Write only according to the theme. Do not include irrelevant information. If you wander from the subject, you'll get a much lower score even for a well-styled answer.

ielts writing tips quora

Write clearly and coherently

Do not repeat yourself with different words, avoid being redundant. Also, make sure that each paragraph in Writing task 2 has a central idea. It's very important for IELTS Writing that every paragraph in you essay is clearly separated and has its main thought. This simple thing makes your essay neat and coherent.

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10 steps to writing high-scoring IELTS essays

Date Published

01 February 2023

This article was first published on IELTS.IDP.com

Whether you take the General Training or Academic IELTS test, the second writing task is writing an essay in response to a problem or argument. Here are 10 easy steps, with lots of tips, to guide you on how to write high-scoring essays.

How is the IELTS essay component marked?

Fairness and accuracy are critically important when marking IELTS writing tasks . Your essay will be marked by at least two experienced IELTS examiners on the following criteria:

  • Task response - Whether you answered the question fully and supported your answer well.
  • Coherence and cohesion - How well you linked your ideas together.
  • Lexical resource - Whether you used a wide range of vocabulary correctly and appropriately.
  • Grammatical range and accuracy - How many grammatical structures you used accurately and appropriately.

Each of these criteria is worth 25 percent of your total score for the essay writing task. Both of your writing tasks are used to calculate your overall writing band score.

How to write high-scoring essays in 10 easy steps

Step one: plan your time.

The Writing test (consisting of Writing tasks 1 and 2) takes approximately 60 minutes. Plan to spend around 20 minutes on your first task, and 40 minutes on your essay task. A sample plan for your time might be:

  • 5 to 10 minutes reading the essay question and planning your answer
  • 15 to 20 minutes writing your first draft
  • 10 minutes proofreading and editing your essay

How to write a good introduction

Step two: Read the question

While you may be anxious to jump straight into writing, make sure you take the time to carefully read the essay question. If you misunderstand the question, you risk writing an essay that does not address the issues properly which will lower your score.

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Step three: Highlight the issues to address

There will be multiple issues that you will need to address in your essay. Addressing each issue individually is key to achieving a high essay score. Highlight each individual issue that you will need to address.

The A to Z of IELTS: E is for Essays

Step four: Outline your response

Create an outline of how you will respond to the issues in your essay. This will serve as your ‘blueprint’ when you write your first draft. As a general rule your essay should have:

  • An introduction stating what you will talk about
  • Two or three body paragraphs , each addressing one issue or idea
  • A conclusion summing up what was discussed in the essay

Make sure you note which idea or issue you will address in each paragraph. Check that the issues you highlighted are all accounted for in your outline.

Step five: Expand on your ideas

Write some notes about any key points or ideas you’d like to include in each paragraph. When you’re writing your first draft, these notes will help to make sure you don’t forget any ideas you want to include.

Mind maps to build your vocabulary resource for IELTS

Step six: Plan how you will connect your ideas

Connecting your ideas clearly and correctly is critical to achieving a high essay score. Try to use a range of linking words to make your essay easy to read. You can use connecting devices and phrases to:

List connected ideas

  • ‘Firstly, secondly, thirdly’
  • ‘Furthermore’

Provide more information

Compare ideas.

  • ‘On the other hand’
  • ‘Alternatively’

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to put a linking word in every sentence. Essays will score higher when the writer uses linking words only where necessary and appropriate.

Step seven: Write your first draft

Now that you’ve planned your essay, it’s time to write your first draft. Follow the outline you’ve created and expand on the notes and ideas you included there.

  • Avoid informal language unless it is appropriate.
  • Avoid spelling and grammatical errors where possible.
  • Use a mix of sentence structures such as simple sentences, complex sentences and compound sentences.

How to boost your IELTS Writing score

Step eight: Proofread your essay

When you have completed the first draft of your essay, it’s important to proofread it. Read your essay from start to finish.

You can read it silently, but it may help to read it out loud if you can do so without disturbing others. Make a mental note or mark your paper anywhere that you may need to fix an issue.

How to access FREE official IELTS mock tests

Step nine: Edit your essay

Carefully go through the issues you noted while proofreading. Edit or rewrite these until they look and sound correct. Examples of issues and how to edit them may include:

  • The sentence is too long. A sentence is probably too long if you need to take a breath in the middle of reading it. Try splitting this up into smaller sentences.
  • A sentence sounds strange when you read it out loud. Try using different words or punctuation until it sounds right. It may need to be connected to another sentence.
  • The same word appears many times. Think about any other words you could use instead.

There is more than one main idea in each paragraph. Move any unrelated sentences to the correct paragraph. Each paragraph should address one issue only.

IELTS Writing: How to organise your responses

Step 10: Proofread your essay again

After your edits and before submitting your essay , give it one final proofread. Make sure you have:

  • Included all the points you highlighted in step three
  • Followed your outline from step four
  • Used good connecting words from step six
  • Fixed any errors or issues in step nine

IELTS Writing: 8 steps towards a band 8

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IELTS Writing Tips and Tricks (In 2024)

ielts writing tips quora

Answer the Question, Not the Topic

One of the biggest complaints from IELTS teachers and examiners alike is most students’ inability to answer the question. Instead, many students write very generally about the topic and do not answer the question.

If we look at an example, you will see why:

Question- Global warming is one of the biggest threats humans face in the 21st century, and sea levels are continuing to rise at alarming rates. 

What problems are associated with this, and what are some possible solutions? 

Many students will see this question and write as much about global warming as they can think of. This is a mistake because the IELTS writing test is not a test of your knowledge; it is a test of your ability to answer the question with a high level of written English.

A good student would read the question carefully and realise that it is not asking you to talk about global warming; it is asking you to comment on sea level rises regarding humans. So the answer to the question will only talk about the problems humans face from sea level rises and nothing else.

I often tell my students that you should answer the question with a sniper rifle rather than a shotgun. Talking about the topic is the shotgun approach; you might hit a few things, but you are unlikely to hit the target in the way a sniper would.

Analyse the Question Properly

If you don’t answer the question fully, you can’t get over a band 5. It is that simple and probably the number one thing stopping people from getting a high score. It takes a long time to improve your grammar and vocabulary , but you can improve this very quickly.

Answering the question fully means reading it carefully and doing what it asks you to do.

Spend time reading the question carefully and thinking about exactly what the question is asking you to do.

A good way to think about this is to use keywords (general topic), micro-keywords (specific sub-topic) and instructions words (what we must do) when thinking about your answer. Let’s look at an example:

The continued rise in the world’s population is the greatest problem faced by humanity at the present time. What are the causes of this continued rise? Do you agree that it is the greatest problem faced by humanity?

The keywords here are ‘ rise in the world’s population’ . This is useful because we now know the general topic (population growth). However, we can’t write about this topic generally; we must think about it in more detail and figure out exactly what the question asks us to do.

The micro-keywords are ‘ greatest problem ‘ and ‘ continued rise ‘. Therefore, we have to think about this topic more specifically and consider if it really is the greatest problem we face, and we also have to comment on why it is continuing to rise .

Now we must look for the instruction words. There are two instruction words in this question – ‘ causes ‘ and ‘ Do you agree ‘. We must therefore talk about both of these things in our essay. If we don’t, or we write a sentence or two about one and focus on the other, we have not answered the question, and we can’t get over a band 5.

The students who get the highest marks always spend time making a plan before they start writing. I normally tell my students to spend at least 5 minutes planning and another couple of minutes analysing the question.

Many students don’t plan, which leads to them getting lost in the middle of their test and either having to start over again and losing lots of time or results of a very confusing essay that is difficult to follow. Think about it this way; if you were going to travel to a new place, would you take some time to look at a map, or would you start driving?

A plan can be very simple and just used to guide you.

For example, a plan for the question above might look like this:

ielts writing tips quora

This only took me a few minutes to write and will mean that I have a very clear essay and save me lots of time when I start to write.

Use an Appropriate Structure

IELTS task 2 questions generally follow a standard format. They will either ask your opinion about something, ask you to discuss different points of view, as you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of something or discuss the causes/problems and solutions of something.

The great thing about this is that you can learn standard structures for each of these essays. I am not talking about memorising essays, you should never do this, but you should familiarise yourself with the standard structures.

For example, in a problem and solution essay, your structure should look something like this:

Paragraph 1

Sentence 1- Paraphrase Sentence

Sentence 2- Outline Sentence

Paragraph 2

Sentence 3- State Problem

Sentence 4- Explain Problem

Sentence 5- Result of Problem

Sentence 7- Example

Paragraph 3

Sentence 8- State Solution

Sentence 9- Explain Solution

Sentence 10- Example

Paragraph 4

Sentence 11- Conclusion

Sentence 12- Recommendation/Prediction

We use structures because they provide us with a proven formula to practice with, and then when you get into the exam, you will be able to apply it to any question.

Have a look at my other exam structures for task 2 and use them to practice with. Some of my students have already achieved a band score of 8 using them.

Don’t Show Off

To show off is to try to tell everyone how good you are at something. IELTS candidates try to show off by using very complicated vocabulary and advanced grammar and believe this will show the examiner how good they are and that they deserve a high score. The only problem with this is that many people use vocabulary and grammar they are unsure of, leading to many mistakes.

If you try to use advanced vocabulary and grammar structures incorrectly, you will get a lower score. Using a simpler structure you are 100% sure is correct is much better. I always tell my students to follow the 100% rule- if you are not 100% sure, don’t use it.

This is one of the biggest revelations my students have after their first class with me, and it leads to clearer writing and, ultimately, higher band scores.

Let’s look at an example:

ielts writing tips quora

The first paragraph is very clear and comes from a band 9 essay. The second paragraph tries to show off too much, leading to many grammar mistakes and inappropriate use of vocabulary. The second paragraph comes from a band 5 essay.

Next time you practice, follow the 100% rule, and your writing will really improve.

Make Your Opinion Clear

Most of the Task 2 questions ask you to give your opinion. You should clarify this in the introduction, conclusion and main body paragraphs. Make sure you state your opinion in the introduction if asked to do so, by saying:

  • I believe that….
  • It is agreed that…
  • It is disagreed that…
  • This essays agrees that….
  • This essay does not agree that…..

The rest of your essay should then be used to demonstrate why you believe this to be true.

What Are Your Common Grammar Mistakes?

After marking thousands of IELTS papers, I can tell you that students tend to make the same mistakes repeatedly.

These small grammar mistakes might not seem very significant, but unless at least half of your sentences are 100% error-free, you cannot get over a band 7 for grammatical range and accuracy.

You should therefore get a native speaker or a professional IELTS teacher to mark some of your writing and tell you what your common grammar mistakes are, and then you can fix them. If you know the mistakes you are making, you can practice hard and eliminate them from your writing.

For more information about this, look at my article on the top 10 IELTS grammar mistakes .

Write Slightly Over the Word Limit

Did you know that IELTS examiners count every word of your writing test? It’s a very boring job, but they still do it.

For task 1, you have to write at least 150 words, and for task 2, at least 250 words. That means you will lose marks if you write 149 words for task 1. It is, therefore, essential that you write over the word limit.

You will not have time to count every word, so the best thing you can do is practice using the official answer sheets, and you will then know what 150 words and 250 words looks like on the page without having to count every word.

Many students also ask if writing over the word limit is better. The answer is no because you don’t have time and writing more than is required often leads to more grammar mistakes and your ideas becoming irrelevant. Try to write about 10-15% over what is required. This way, you will always exceed the word limit but not lose time or make mistakes.

Write Clear Topic Sentences

Topic sentences should be the first sentence you write in each main body paragraph and should tell the reader what the rest of the paragraph is about. These really pop out at the examiner and tell them exactly what the whole essay is about. They make your essay very clear and easy to read, making the examiner very happy and getting you higher marks.

Let’s look at an example paragraph:

The main cause of the rise in the world’s population is economic growth. As countries get richer they can afford better health care for their people and this leads to more babies and children surviving and then having children of their own. For example, since Brazil and India became ‘developed’ nations, their populations have increased dramatically by at least 6% a year.

The very first sentence of this paragraph tells the examiner exactly what the whole paragraph is about, and you should do this for your own Task 2 paragraphs.

Explain Your Points and Give Examples  

The official task 2 band descriptors state that your ideas should be ‘relevant, fully extended and have well-supported ideas’.

This means that your ideas should answer the question (see IELTS writing tip #1) and be explained and supported with examples.

When you make a point, you should assume that the writer has no previous knowledge of the subject, and you have to explain what you mean. I often tell my students to pretend they are writing to a 10-year-old who has never heard of the topic they are writing about, which will help them fully explain their ideas.

You must also include a specific example of what you are talking about. This could be a newspaper article, a personal anecdote or some research that was recently done that relates to the question. The key is to try and be specific.  Including specific countries or cities and dates will help you be more specific.

Lots of students complain that they cannot think of any specific examples. If you cannot think of a real example, make one up. The examiner will not check your examples for authenticity; it is not an honesty test but an English test. Just make sure your examples sound plausible.

Learn How to Paraphrase and Use Synonyms

Paraphrasing and using synonyms are two of the key skills required in the IELTS writing test. In fact, the examiner will be looking for your ability to do this.

Paraphrasing is simply restating a phrase or sentence with different words to have the same meaning.

Let’s have a look at an example:

ielts writing tips quora

Synonyms are different words that have the same or very similar meanings, such as man and male.

The first paragraph of all your IELTS task 2 essays should be a paraphrase of the question.

This tells the examiner that you have understood the question and you can paraphrase.

You will also have to use synonyms throughout your essay because the examiner will be looking to see how you can vary your vocabulary, thus demonstrating that you have a wide and varied vocabulary.

Don’t Memorise Answers

Every question is unique and will therefore require a unique answer. If you memorise answers and try to write them in the exam, your grammar and vocabulary will probably be very good, but it will be very obvious to the examiner that you have memorised an answer. This is considered copying, and the examiner can give you a band score of 0 for this.

The examiner will always know, so it is really not worth the risk.

It is worthwhile looking at good sample answers and using some of the functional language and structure from these, but please don’t copy it word for word.

Start Task 2 Before Task 1

Task 2 is worth two-thirds of the total marks of the IELTS writing exam, and task 1 is worth one-third. You should take both as seriously as each other, but because task 2 is worth more marks and takes longer, I advise my students to do task 2 first.

When you mark many IELT exams, you notice that many students fail to finish task 2. I think many people try to write the perfect task 1 answer or take too long trying to understand the data in task 1, and this leaves them with very little time to finish task 2.

Timing is key in all parts of the IELTS exam, so you should practice under exam conditions before you do the test.

It’s Not an Intelligence Test

One of the biggest complaints I hear from students about the IELTS writing test is that they don’t understand the questions and they can’t think of any ‘good’ ideas.

The IELTS writing test is not a test of your ‘intelligence’ but your ability to express relevant ideas in English. Your ideas do not have to be the most amazing in the world, just those relevant to the question. When you go to university, your ideas must be ‘intelligent’, but in the IELTS test, they must be relevant and answer the question.

For each question, there are probably 10-20 ideas that could get you a band 9; there is no one perfect idea that will get you a high score.

When you are thinking of ideas for your answer, you should pick the ones you can use. What I mean by ‘use’ is the answers you can explain and extend with examples. As stated above, you can’t just list lots of ideas; you have to pick 2 or three and then fully support them with explanations and examples. It does not matter how good the idea is; if you can’t fully support and extend it, don’t use it.

Only Use Cohesive Devices Appropriately

I post many band 9 IELTS task 2 sample answers on this site, and I am often surprised when students tell me they are ‘not band 9′. They mainly think this is because ‘You haven’t used enough cohesive devices’.

Below are lots of examples of cohesive devices:

ielts writing tips quora

The problem with these is they are overused by most students. Some people think that the key to a good score is using as many of these as possible, but it will only harm your score if you use them incorrectly.

Similar to my rule for grammar, only use them if you are 100% sure what they mean and how they are used.

Keep It Simple

The examiners know that you have only 40 minutes to write an essay and are doing it in a foreign language. They do not expect you to write to the same standard that you would if you were given lots of time to think about the questions, research your answer, write the first draft, have it checked and then correct all of your mistakes. The examiners are not expecting an essay of that standard, so don’t try to overthink it. Just show them that you have understood the question and can express yourself in English. That’s it.

I hope you have found these tips useful. If you have any questions, let me know below.

ielts writing tips quora

About Christopher Pell

My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

If you need my help with your IELTS preparation, you can send me an email using the contact us page.

IELTS Podcast

IELTS writing tips

Home  »  IELTS preparation  » IELTS writing tips

1. Understand the test format

This is entirely an exam specific skill set. Get familiar with the types of IELTS questions. Problem / solution, advantages / disadvantages, extent agree / disagree, discuss + opinion, two part question. Get used to answering them.

2. Optimise your exam time

Wear a watch and allocate 20 minutes for writing task 1 and 40 minutes for task 2. Start task 2 first because it represents most of your points.

3. Check your writing

Budget 5 minutes to review your writing. Look for mistakes you made in previous essays using a free IELTS writing evaluation software . In our  online course  we insist all students develop this powerful skill. Effective self correction can boost your score.

4. Understand the criteria used

Your writing band score is split up into 4 criteria, l exical resource , cohesion and coherence ,  grammatical range and accuracy , and task response / achievement.

5. Writing general task

Follow the bullet points and determine the tone (formal, semi-formal, or neutral). Use the standard frases expected in letter writing. You can find these in  sample letters .

6. Academic task 1

Describe a line chart, bar chart, flow chart or pie chart . Sometimes it can also be a map or a natural process. Each question type requires its own set of vocabulary, for example a line chart will often require the language of change. Pay attention to tenses, dates and units.

7. Writing task 2

Go for simple ideas that are easy to communicate. This is a language exam, not an intelligence test. Complex ideas are difficult to explain and can trip you up grammatically. Have a look at these  essay answers and topic ideas. 

8. Organise your ideas into coherent paragraphs

This is straightforward. All our successful students love the C2 template.

9. Practice generating ideas

Sit down with a list of sample questions and brainstorm ideas. If your mind goes blank then research online. Here are over  240 sample IELTS task 2 questions  seen in past exams.

10. Get feedback for fast improvement

Self correction is not reliable, you could be missing mistakes. A native English speaker friend will help but may struggle with the academic writing style needed to pass band 6.5. Invest in yourself and get a professional IELTS evaluation of your work. Another option would be to use our new free online IELTS essay checker to get your score, instantly and free.

11. Master the passive and active voice

Both are needed to improve your grammatical range and accuracy, and both will help you paraphrase. Paraphrasing is another vital skill to learn. Here is a  guide  to the principles of academic writing for IELTS.

12. Avoid repetition

Our essay correction tutors constantly see students using the same words throughout their essay. Avoid this by expanding your vocabulary .

13. Expand your vocabulary

Learn collocations, prefixes and suffixes. If you are aiming for a band 7 or higher then you definitely need  topic specific vocabulary .

14. In the exam

Our students say the  computer based test  is easier, especially if you are stuck at 6.5. Writing on the computer allows you to edit, reorganise, copy / paste and even move around complete paragraphs. This is insanely valuable if your handwriting resembles chicken scratch.

15. Learn to focus

The listening and reading test require an incredible amount of intense focus. Past students like Vinod practised meditation and yoga to improve his mental stamina.  Get the full story of how Vinod jumped from 6 to 7.5.

Audio tutorial

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  • Sample Topic Answers
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  • Introduction to Paraphrasing
  • Model Band 9 Essay
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  • Academic Collocations
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  • Discuss Both Views
  • Tutorial: To What Extent Essays
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  • Essay Structures
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5 Writing Tips for the IELTS Essay

IELTS Writing 2

The IELTS is scored overall from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest). The IELTS Writing Task 2 (AKA the IELTS Essay), is scored similarly, from 0-9. It’s a formal essay, the second part of the writing test, and the one most feared by test takers. You are presented with a POV, argument, or problem, then asked to write a response where you defend a position. Your essay should be at least 250 words in length and should be completed in 40 minutes or less. But there’s nothing to fear. Unlike the other parts of the IELTS exam, there is no right or wrong answer for the essay question. This is your chance to show that you have what it takes to communicate effectively in English. You can show your grasp of language, your experienced use of vocabulary, and your knowledge of the topic to demonstrate that you know and comprehend the task.

Tip 1: Understand the prompt clearly

The prompt, the task, or the question, for which the essay asks for a response, should be clear in your mind. One of the first things you must do is to identify the task. Once you understand what the task is asking, then identify your position as well as the topic or main idea your essay will take. Engage with the prompt throughout your essay–your answer should be relevant to the prompt. For example, if you’re asked about government regulation of the arts, your answer shouldn’t be about science. Your answer should be a thorough and thoughtful direct response to the prompt. Otherwise, you will be marked with a 5, for having an irrelevant answer.

Secondly, you will be asked to defend a position, either to agree or disagree. For example, if you are given a prompt about how technology and the arts are not able to coexist, then the prompt will ask you, “Do you agree or disagree?” You must be clear about your answer–whether you agree or disagree. Then you must back up your stance with your main idea and supporting detail. Doing so will get you at least a 6.

Tip 2: Outline your essay structure

Once you have your position clear, outlining will get you further in answering the prompt/question thoroughly. Once you have your position of agreeing or disagreeing, explain why. This explanation should form your outline, with the main idea or main reason why, and two or three supporting details. For example, your outline might look like this:

I. Introduction II. Main Body 1 III. Main Body 2 IV. Main Body 3 V. Conclusion

This outline would ideally be five paragraphs long, with your introduction, three body paragraphs (your details at length to support your main idea), and your conclusion. However, some writers may opt to make paragraph variations to this outline, such as having only 2 main body paragraphs. It’s just a sample, so feel free to use your own. Just a note here that a concluding paragraph is necessary, as you may be marked down without a concluding paragraph.

Tip 3: Employ good use of vocabulary

Vocabulary choice is particularly important in this essay since they will be noting how you use vocabulary throughout. Here are some ways to use good vocabulary for the IELTS:

  • Vary your sentences with vocabulary that you know how to use
  • Use synonyms and antonyms that will show your knowledge of English vocabulary
  • Use linking words for structural directions throughout your essay, such as despite, although, moreover, since, however

Tip 4: Support your opinion with details

Use relevant examples in your defense. For example, if you’re writing about how you agree with nationwide governmental regulations regarding climate change, you will be tasked with providing evidence to support your claim. One could be the effectiveness of climate change regulation in socialist countries. Another could be the ineffectiveness of countries without climate change regulation. Make sure to know the details surrounding these points, as well as their significance or how they help prove your answer.

Tip 5: Proofread

When you’re in a timed exam, you may think proofreading is not important and you don’t have time for it. This kind of thinking can get you into trouble and may cause a markdown. Remember, the exam is testing your English writing skills, and with that comes right spelling, grammar, verb agreement, as well as clear and polished writing. Take some time to go over what you’ve written, whether you’ve answered as comprehensively as possible, and what other changes you could make to improve it further.

The Takeaway

The key to scoring well on the IELTS writing tasks and the overall test is writing well and to do so you should practice, practice, practice. Take practice tests such as this frequently. Browse through encyclopedias and dictionaries for vocabulary practice. Make flashcards. Read anything and everything. And you’re sure to do well on the exam.

You may also like:

  • How to Develop as a TEFL Teacher
  • Canada is Twice the Size of the European Union
  • Pumpkin is a Term of Endearment

hi, i will get a beat number in ilets i need to help, specially in reading amd Writing, could you help me, i really need,

Within each body paragraph, you should have a general sentence structure of: 1st, a topic sentence that introduces this paragraph by summarizing what will be discussed, 2nd-4th, a detail or evidence that supports the main point, and 5th, a concluding sentence that discusses significance and transitions into the next paragraph.

There are differences between the academic & general modules, but they’re not super significant. One, the general training one is often easier, since the academic one is more specialized. Two, the academic has a wider range of topics. The essay types though remain the same.

Hope this helps!

Kindly tell more about body paragraphs. Is there any differece between academic & general module writing task 2? Regards

Thank you so much,

You have nailed it.

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IELTS Writing Practice Tests 2024: How to Improve Your Score?

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Updated On Feb 02, 2024

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IELTS Writing Practice Tests 2024: How to Improve Your Score?

IELTS Writing Prediction Questions for 2024

The IELTS Writing test is a challenging but important part of the exam. It assesses your ability to write in English at a specific level, and your score will have a significant impact on your overall result. There comes the part where the “IELTS Writing Practice Test” becomes an important resource for your structured preparation.

If you want to improve your IELTS Writing score, it’s important to practice regularly. One of the best ways to do this is to take IELTS Writing practice tests.

There are many different IELTS Writing practice tests available online and in books. When choosing a practice test, it’s important to make sure that it is authentic. This means that the questions and tasks should be similar to those that you will encounter on the actual exam.

IELTS Writing Task 1 is broadly divided into two types:

  • Writing Task 1 Academic
  • Writing Task 1 General

Both tasks cover different areas of writing components where an individual is evaluated for their skill in that particular area.

IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic

In Task 1 Academic, you will be given a visual stimulus, such as a graph, table, chart, or diagram. You will be asked to describe the information in the stimulus in detail. Your response should be objective and factual.

Here are the steps on how to write  IELTS Writing Task 1 :

  • Read the question carefully.  Make sure that you understand what you are being asked to do.
  • Examine the visual stimulus.  Take your time to understand the information that is presented.
  • Identify the main features of the stimulus.  What are the key points that you need to describe?
  • Write an introduction.  In your introduction, state the topic of your essay and briefly describe the main features of the stimulus.
  • Write body paragraphs.  In your body paragraphs, develop each of the main features in detail. Use specific examples and statistics to support your points.

IELTS Writing Task 1 General

In this task 1 General, you will be asked to write a letter for various purposes, such as making requests, providing information, or expressing opinions. To excel in this task, it’s essential to follow a structured approach. 

Below, we’ll outline five crucial steps to help you craft a well-organized, coherent, and appropriately styled letter to meet the demands of the IELTS examiners.

1. Understand the Task

  • Read the prompt carefully to understand the purpose and context of the letter. Determine who you are writing to, why you are writing, and what information or request is involved.
  • Identify the tone and style required for the letter. Is it formal, semi-formal, or informal? This will dictate your language and formatting choices.

2. Plan Your Letter

  • Take a few minutes to brainstorm and plan your response. Jot down key points, such as the main message, any supporting details or examples, and the structure of your letter.
  • Decide on the appropriate greeting (e.g., “Dear Sir/Madam,” “Dear Mr. Smith,” “Hi Sarah,” etc.) based on the formality of the task.

3. Structure Your Letter

  • Follow a standard letter format, including a salutation, introduction, body paragraphs, and a closing.
  • In the introduction, briefly state the purpose of your letter and establish a friendly or formal tone.
  • In the body paragraphs, provide relevant details, explanations, or examples to support your message. Use clear and concise language.
  • Organize your ideas logically, using paragraphs to separate different points or topics.
  • Maintain a balanced tone throughout the letter, avoiding overly emotional or informal language.

4. Use Appropriate Language and Vocabulary

  • Choose your words carefully to convey your message accurately and politely. Avoid overly complex vocabulary or jargon.
  • Pay attention to grammar, punctuation, and spelling. Errors can negatively impact your score, so proofread your letter before submitting it.
  • Use transitional phrases to connect ideas and make your letter flow smoothly.

IELTS Task 2

In Task 2, you will be given an essay question. You will be asked to write an essay that expresses your opinion on the topic. Your response should be well-organized and supported by evidence.

Here are the steps on how to write  IELTS Writing Task 2 :

  • Brainstorm ideas.  What are your thoughts on the topic? What evidence can you use to support your opinion?
  • Plan your essay.  Decide how you are going to organize your ideas.
  • Write an introduction.  In your introduction, state the topic of your essay and give your opinion on the topic.
  • Write body paragraphs.  In your body paragraphs, develop your opinion in detail. Use evidence to support your points.
  • Write a conclusion.  In your conclusion, summarize your main points and restate your opinion on the topic.

A Complete Checklist for IELTS Writing Tasks

  • Task Response:  Have you answered the question fully and accurately?
  • Coherence and Cohesion:  Is your writing well-organized and easy to follow?
  • Lexical Resource:  Have you used a variety of vocabulary and grammar?
  • Grammar Range and Accuracy:  Is your grammar correct?
  • Spelling and punctuation:  Are there any spelling or punctuation errors?
  • Style:  Have you used a formal style of writing?
  • Content:  Have you included all the relevant information?
  • Organization:  Is your writing well-organized?
  • Paragraphing:  Have you used paragraphs to separate your ideas?
  • Introduction:  Does your introduction clearly state the topic of your essay?
  • Body paragraphs:  Do your body paragraphs develop your ideas in detail?
  • Conclusion:  Does your conclusion summarize your main points?

Self–Study Activities for IELTS Writing Practice Tests

  • Write emails to website contacts.  This is a great way to practice writing informal English. Be sure to proofread your emails before sending them.
  • Write a blog.  This is a great way to practice writing in a variety of styles. You can write about your own experiences, thoughts, or interests.
  • Write a daily journal.  This is a great way to practice writing about your thoughts and feelings. It can also help you to improve your grammar and vocabulary.
  • Write a letter to an English speaker.  This is a great way to practice writing formal English. Be sure to proofread your letter carefully before sending it.
  • Summarize lectures, news, and sports events that you have read or heard online.  This is a great way to practice summarizing information. Be sure to use your own words and avoid plagiarism.

Here are some additional tips for improving your IELTS Writing score:

  • Get feedback from a qualified teacher or tutor.
  • Read and analyze sample essays.
  • Use a grammar checker to identify and correct errors.
  • Practice writing different types of essays.
  • Build your vocabulary.

By following these tips on IELTS writing practice tests, you can improve your IELTS Writing  score and increase your chances of success on the exam.

Practice IELTS Writing

Below are the IELTS writing practice test samples of Task 1 and Task 2 to help you out with your preparation.

Writing Task 1 Practice Tests

The IELTS writing practice tests below cover almost every visual representation with sample band 9 answers. You will also get first-hand knowledge of how to write a report with appropriate vocabulary.

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Access 8+ Practice Test Pages Instantly!

Writing Task 2 Practice Tests 

The IELTS writing practice tests below contain all types of essay questions with sample band 9 answers by our team of IELTS experts. You will get a plethora of essay ideas and topic-related vocabulary.

Access 20+ Practice Test Pages Instantly!

Practice Writing With a Purpose for IELTS: Conclusion

In this blog post, we have discussed how to write IELTS Writing Task 1 and Task 2. We have provided tips, strategies, and examples to help you write clear, concise, and well-organized essays.

If you are preparing for the IELTS Writing test, I encourage you to practice writing essays regularly. The more you practice, the better you will become at writing in English.

Looking for the latest IELTS practice test? Enroll in our  IELTS preparation online classes and find out everything you should be doing with these tests.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the distribution of marks for writing task 1 and writing task 2?

How does writing task 1 differ for Academic and General module of IELTS?

How should I practise for writing task 2?

What are the golden rules to be followed while writing an essay?

How long should the essay be?

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Proven tips to score Band 9 in IELTS Writing

Zuhana

Nafia Zuhana is an experienced content writer and IELTS Trainer. Currently, she is guiding students who are appearing for IELTS General and Academic exams through ieltsmaterial.com. With an 8.5 score herself, she trains and provides test takers with strategies, tips, and nuances on how to crack the IELTS Exam. She holds a degree in Master of Arts – Creative Writing, Oxford Brookes University, UK. She has worked with The Hindu for over a year as an English language trainer.

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Baruasupta201gmailcom

Posted on Dec 22, 2023

Statistics show that the world’s population is increasing rapidly. It is expected that most of us will be living in cities within the next few decades. The question of whether urbanisation is a positive or negative development remains controversial.

A rapid influx of people moving from rural to urban areas is bound to cause problems. Firstly, pressure on resources such as housing and transportation intensifies. It is becoming difficult for many people to afford adequate housing in cities. A by-product of this is the creation of slums causing low-income families to group together in neglected parts of the city. These people often become trapped in a cycle of poverty that is difficult to escape. As mentioned above, the growth of urban areas can also lead to severe traffic congestion because more and more vehicles travel into the city from the suburbs. This has many knock-on effects, such as problems with air quality. It also leads many city dwellers to experience mental health issues because travelling across large cities is tiring and stressful. All of this being said, I don’t believe that urbanisation is a wholly negative development. There are advantages to living in large cities that are well managed. For example, there are more schools which means more education opportunities. Access to higher-quality health care is often better in cities. Some cities have also introduced ride-sharing, e-bikes and part and ride services that reduce environmental problems.

My opinion is that many of the problems associated with urbanisation are avoidable but dealing with increasing populations in cities is a formidable challenge. How governments, businesses and society respond to this challenge will dramatically affect the future of our world.

IELTS Expert

IELTS Expert

Posted on Dec 23, 2023

Overall Band: 4 The writer expresses a position, but the development is not always clear. Some main ideas are put forward, but they are limited and are not sufficiently developed. Writer needs to provide some evidence for the arguments given.

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The given map illustrate the center of a small city which have been change because there are lot of development . Birshire will have undergone a drastic transformation from a rural town into an urbanized area in the future with new infrastructures like roads, a car park, and a supermarket. First and foremost, all the farms from Birshire will have been removed in the days to come. Griffiths Farm, which is in the top right corner of the map, will have been replaced by a supermarket, whereas Hoolahan Farm, which is currently on the right side of McGoldrick Road, will make way for a parking lot. Moreover, the Farmer’s Market, which is beside Corbie Road, will no longer be there in the future.

Furthermore, apart from the addition of a roundabout at the junction of McGoldrick Road and That Street, Corbie Road will be extended beyond That Street. The open field at the bottom right of the map will be the venue for the construction of a Sports Center. Together with the removal of the shops from the the bottom left, more houses will have been erected.

Overall Band: 4.5

Cohesive devices used are very mechanical, there should be a varied range of grammatical expressions and vocabulary. Answer lacks referencing too.

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Nbaruwal04gmailcom

Posted on Nov 21, 2023

Some people believe that professionals, such as doctors and engineers, should be required to work in the country where they did their training. Others believe they should be free to work in another country if they wish.

Discuss both these view and give your opinion.

There is a belief of some persons that professionals such as doctors and engineers shall work in the same country where they got their trainings. While, the other half of the people are comfortable with the thought that such professions shall be set free to choose their work place/nation. Those who are against this idea might think that every country have their own way of completing task and doctors and engineers might mess up if their training varies with the real work setting of another country. Whereas, those who support the concept of letting the professionals choose their country may think that doctors are meant to save lives and engineers to do construction work anywhere in the globe.

People who accede in doctors and engineers to do their jobs in the nation where they achieved their licenses have a feeling that the process of completing a task in each nation differs. Thus, such vibe make them think that the difference in working creates a huge complexities in performing even though the end results are same; also, the people have a habit of resisting the change in everything. The client of such skilled personnel may not trust them if they find the procedure of assignment even slightly different. I have witnessed similar incident by myself. There was this Chinese doctor in on of the hospitals of Kathmandu. No any patient was willing to get treated by him because they did not trust the way of treatment of the outsiders.

Despite some people who are against the experts working in another country, there are some of the people who has a feeling that any professional person can do their jobs efficiently anywhere they go. These people believes that all doctors saves the lives of their patients and all the engineers help in construction work besides where they get their licenses from. There might be the change in the way of getting work done yet, their goals are same at the end. For instance, a lot of Nepalese nurses and doctors are being granted working visa for the UK, the USA, and Australia. This shows that although they got training from Nepal, their work is valued in foreign land as well.

My point of view regarding these clause is that the experts should be given the freedom to choose their working environment. It is their decision either to go to foreign strand for employment or to work in the land where they achieve their coaching. No matter how different the learning steps are, if the end result is same. No professionals should be given the criterion of working in the country they took their training from. Doctors are to treat their patients and they will treat them and engineers are to construct houses, buildings, or road and they will continue to build them no matter where they are.

As a result, both the views have their own conception and perception. Some people find it better for doctors and engineers to work where they got their knowledge from, whereas, others think as the professionals should be allowed to choose their desired nation to perform their jobs. Either way the person to provide the facilities should be given right to select their area of working in my opinion.

Posted on Nov 22, 2023

Overall Band: 4.5 The main parts of the question are incompletely addressed. The user hasn’t given his opinion which was asked in the question. There is minimal use of sequencers or cohesive devices. Those used do not necessarily indicate a logical relationship between ideas. For a detailed evaluation, Unlock a FREE Expert-Led Session and get access to our Latest 7 IELTS E-Books too.

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Upinderjeet006gmailcom

Posted on Nov 4, 2023

The line graph illustrates information about non employment rate and number of people migrate from Ireland during 1998 and 2008. The data has been calibrated in percentage and numbers. When all the figures are taken into considerations, it can be vividly seen that the unemployment rate declined significantly. Meanwhile, there were changes in the percentage of people leaving Ireland during this time. As far as 1998 is concerned, the unemployed was approximately 18 percent along with the citizen fly over was about 30, 000. In contrast, in next two years the leave the country was increased whereas joblessness rates was decreased. Moving towards the rest of the information, in 2000 the both level was gone down. On the other hand, after 8 years the work less society and population move was nearly about 10 percent and 40, 000. To sum up, it can be said that in end of time both inactivity and take off persons was decline. please check it for me

Posted on Nov 7, 2023

Band 5 Key features which are selected are not adequately covered. The recounting of detail is mainly mechanically. Organization is evident but is not wholly logical and there may be a lack of overall progression. Nevertheless, there is a sense of underlying coherence to the response. Simple vocabulary is used accurately, but the range does not permit much variation in expression. Although complex sentences are attempted, they tend to be faulty, and the greatest accuracy is achieved on simple sentences.

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IELTS test tips

You can score better in your IELTS test by following these Expert tips. These tips help you prepare well and be confident on your test day.

You can be anxious about facing the IELTS test. Here are some tips from IELTS Experts to help you prepare well and be confident on your test day.

Don't memorise answers

In your Speaking and Writing tests, the examiner will expect your answers to be natural. The examiner can tell if your answers are memorised which can in turn influence your final band score. Use a range of grammatical structures

Fluency and coherence, Lexical resource, Grammatical range and accuracy play a major role when an examiner evaluates you in the IELTS Speaking and Writing tests. Make sure you use a wide range of Grammatical structures like to express what you say.

Practice well

You can make use of our free practice materials to familiarise with the test. The IELTS Masterclass sessions are conducted by IELTS Experts where you get your questions answered. You can also make use of the free practice tests and other support tools to prepare well for your IELTS test.

Asking for clarification  

If you didn’t hear the question properly in the IELTS Speaking test or you aren’t sure what the examiner means, it is okay to ask for clarification.  It can be a good idea to suggest what the examiner is trying to ask you by asking ‘Do you mean …?’.  You don’t lose marks if you need to check the question.  Asking for clarification can help to make sure you are not off topic with your answer. 

Listening practice 

 In Part 1 and Part 3 of the IELTS Listening test, there are multiple speakers, so it can be a good idea to practice your listening with various dialogues, such as a TV drama or discussion panel.  Section 2 and Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test only has one speaker, so some good practice can be listening to a short video lecture.  Part 2 and Part 4 last for approximately 5-7 minutes, so it is a good idea to listen to something of a similar length. 

  The order of answers in reading  

Remember that some task types in the IELTS Reading test have answers that appear in order, such as True / False / Not Given or Multiple Choice.  This means that you don’t have to begin with the first question and do them in order.  Look at which question has something that is easily identifiable (e.g. a name of a person or place) and start with that question.  Then, the answer for the other questions will most likely appear above and below this point. 

IELTS Expert - Rocco Nigro shares valuable advice on how to achieve a band 6 in your IELTS test.

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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topics

By anna hasper, 08 february 2024 - 12:52.

Test takers during the IELTS Writing section at a test centre

Lots of people who take IELTS Academic think that, of the two writing tasks in the test, Task 1 is the most challenging. Perhaps this is because it involves a visual image and often numbers, too. 

While it’s impossible to predict which topic you’ll be assigned, you can prepare for this task with some concrete steps that will help you develop a good strategy and get the score you need. So, let’s look at what you can expect in IELTS Writing Task 1, and provide you with a structure for completing this task successfully. 

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IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 topics and answers

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 is an information transfer task. The test paper shows you an image (a graph, table, chart or diagram) with certain information, and you will need to present this information in at least 150 words.

So, how can you get a good score in this task? Let’s take a step-by-step approach to Writing Task 1 preparation: 

1. Learn the requirements of Writing Task 1

Before taking the test, it is important to fully understand what the task expects you to do: 

“Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.”

Let’s break it down: 

  • Summarise. So, avoid writing about every detail. You are writing a summary report. 
  • Select the main features of the image. Choose three to five aspects of the image and write about these with some detail. 
  • Report, i.e. write about what is visible in the image. Do not give your opinion - stick to the facts! 
  • Make comparisons where relevant: look for similarities and differences in the image if appropriate. 

2. Read about common topics 

In this task, you might see images that present information about current topics such as education, the environment, technology use, health, tourism, infrastructure, economic developments - there are lots of potential topics.

So, it’s a good idea to keep up to date with current affairs and read quality newspapers in English to help expand your vocabulary around these topics. That way, you’ll be prepared for IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic topics. 

3. Research the language you’ll need in your answer

Common images you might see in the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 are:

  • Line graphs
  • Bar charts/ graphs
  • Or a combination of the above

 It's important to research the language you’ll need to talk about these types of images. Check if the images show information about the past, present or future.  

For pie charts, line graphs, bar charts or graphs, and tables, you’ll probably use language of comparisons and superlatives. For example: The amount of renewable energy accounted for quite similar proportions for both countries. However, in New Zealand most renewables consisted of wind energy.

For processes, it might be appropriate to use the passive, and the language of sequencing. For example: Once the coffee beans have been dried, they are roasted in industrial roasters. Finally, after they’ve been roasted, they are ground into a fine powder.  

For maps and plans, you’ll need to use language of location and directionality, for example:  A new school building, which will be double the size of the current one, will be built to the north of the student parking area.  

Learning the language you need will help to prepare you to write detailed answers about the IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic topics. 

How to answer IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 

Your examiner will be looking for three key elements in your report:

  • An introduction
  • An overview
  • One or two body paragraphs with details about the image 

Let’s look more closely at what you should include in each section of your answer to IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic topics. 

1. The Introduction

The introduction answers one or more of the following three questions: 

Keeping these questions in mind, write a brief introduction on the subject of the images. Now, there might not always be a where or a when, but there always is a what! 

2. The overview

Here it is useful to group the common images mentioned above into two main categories:

  • Images that are data-related , such as pie charts, line graphs, bar charts/ graphs and tables. In other words: images with numbers.
  • Images that show processes of change : such as processes, maps and plans.

You’ll need to adopt a different approach, depending which category your image belongs to. Let’s take a look: 

Data-related:   The overview presents the big picture; what are the most significant trends or developments? You do not need to present data, such as exact numbers or percentages here. It’s fine to keep it general. 

Processes of change:

  • Processes: highlight how many steps you can see in the image and try to categorise related steps into three or four main stages. Doing this shows that you can see the relationships between the different steps. 
  • Maps and plans: highlight the main changes or developments. Around three to five aspects should be enough.

If you are presented with more than one visual, for example two line graphs, your overview needs to highlight the main trends or changes for both, and make general comparisons.

You can write the overview at the end, as a separate paragraph or connect it to the introduction. Ideally, write the overview directly after the introduction to make sure it is included.

3. Paragraph(s) with details about the image 

Write one or two paragraphs in which you present the noticeable features in more detail. Here you need to use the data, e.g. the numbers,  to support your description and use comparisons where relevant. 

For data-related tasks write details such as the highest, the lowest, the biggest difference, similarities and significant exceptions. 

For processes of change provide details about the three to five stages (process) or main changes or developments (maps and plans) you mentioned in your overview. 

“Read” the visual(s) and use the changes in location, direction, size etc. as data. Don’t forget to compare and contrast where relevant!

How is Writing Task 1 marked? 

Writing task 1 in IELTS Academic is worth around 33% of your total writing score. To give you an appropriate score, the examiner will look at the following four areas according to the descriptors:

1. Task achievement

The examiner looks at your ability to answer the question properly. You need to write in prose, include an introduction and a general overview, as well as talk about the main features using the data from the task. 

2. Coherence 

The examiner assesses your ability to logically group and organise the information. You need to use a range of cohesive devices to make the connection between your sentences and paragraphs clear.

3. Lexical resource

The examiner assesses your ability to use a variety of vocabulary items with precision. You need to show you can use collocations and synonyms appropriately. Correct spelling is also important.

4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The examiner looks at your ability to use a variety of sentence structures and different grammar items accurately and appropriately. You need to use appropriate punctuation.

To read more about the updated IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 descriptors check here .

Preparation is key for success

When it comes to Writing Task 1 in IELTS, preparation is the key to success! Prepare yourself thoroughly for IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic topics, and you won’t be taken by surprise in the test. If you approach the task in a systematic way, you’ll get the best score you can. For more insights and IELTS test strategy, sign up for our free weekly IELTS preparation webinars . 

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How to Prepare for IELTS in 10 Days: Study Plan

ielts writing tips quora

How long does it take to prepare for IELTS? Trick question. The answer depends on your level of English and persistence, as well as your goals.

An essential feature of IELTS is its scoring system. It is not necessary to get the maximum band to meet the requirements of a particular university. Therefore, even if you have little time to prepare for the exam, you can still acquire the score you want.

To prepare for IELTS in 10 days, you should do the following:

  • set realistic expectations,
  • develop a study plan,
  • and follow it through.

Our guide aims to help with all of these points. In this article, prepared by our experts , you will find how to properly rest and tips for concentration while studying.

  • 📋 First Steps
  • 📅 10-Day Study Plan
  • 🔎 How to Focus
  • 🛋️ Tips on Resting

📋 IELTS Preparation: First Steps

Any preparation starts with choosing suitable teaching materials and setting your own goals. In this section, we will explain the first steps you need to take.

But first, let’s figure out:

How long does it take to prepare for IELTS ?

Preparing for IELTS in 10 days is possible but depends on initial proficiency in English, the desired band, and your learning abilities. If you’re fluent enough and know the basic grammar rules, passing IELTS is more than manageable for you. You’ll have to get proper study materials, learn some complex words, and understand the exam structure to achieve your goal.

As you should be aware, there are two types of IELTS: academic and general training.

  • IELTS Academic is needed if you want to pursue a graduate or postgraduate program. It requires you to read more complex texts in the Reading part and describe diagrams in the Writing part.
  • IELTS General Training is great for people who are not planning to get a graduate degree but to work or simply move to another country.

Accordingly, if you have only ten days to prepare, it makes sense to focus on IELTS General . It is sufficient for many purposes and easier to prepare for.

Pick IELTS exam type according to your goals.

You should clearly understand the difference between the score you want to get and the score you’ll most likely get. Some time for preparation will ensure the possibility of getting the highest band possible. However, you can’t bite off more than you can chew.

Naturally, in addition to the mental attitude, you need to acquire a couple of things before preparing for IELTS. In this list, we have indicated all the main items that you will need for the next ten days:

  • A computer, a CD drive, and a stable internet connection.
  • IELTS preparation books. There are many good ones, but you can take The Official Cambridge Guide to IELTS if you have no time to choose.
  • Some practice tests .
  • A timer (your cellphone will work great).
  • A friend to interview you and a voice recorder for your speaking section.

📅 Preparing for IELTS in 10 Days: Study Plan

If you want to understand how to prepare for IELTS in 10 days, you need to remember how you prepare for exams in general . It all starts with your habits and characteristics of memorizing information and ends with your diligence.

Below, we offer you a study plan. According to its guidance, you will have to devote a lot of time and energy every day to cram all the data others learn for months. It’s not easy and relies heavily on your self-organization. However, your efforts will be rewarded when you receive your exam results.

✔️ IELTS Preparation Day 1: Format

For the starters, get familiar with the format of the exam. Knowing what to expect from the test is a crucial step. In this section, we’ll explore the structure of the exam in more detail.

If it’s the first time you attempt to pass IELTS, you better learn the structure. Knowing how much time you have for each section and how each part should be handled is needed to pass the exam successfully.

For you not to search anywhere, here is the essential information about the IELTS format:

Once you know the general structure, you can start gathering your study materials. There are plenty of free IELTS preparation materials online. Books, mock tests, videos – you can find that on the Internet.

✔️ IELTS Preparation Day 2: Tutor or Not

Recognize whether you need a tutor. Everyone has a unique way of learning and retaining new information. Instead of spending these ten days struggling to do it yourself, you might want to consider getting some outside help.

Ask yourself two questions to see whether you need professional help or not:

  • Can I get the band I need?

If you never attempted to pass the IELTS exam but confident you’ll get a high band, you are likely a native speaker. Or, you just don’t recognize the complicated structure of the exam. You can get the band you need , but only if you invest the time, energy, and resources required. Consider whether it’s possible without a qualified tutor.

2. Can I afford a tutor?

Indeed, the answer will be different for every student. Most people believe that not hiring a person to help will save them some money. Yet, it might not. If you’re not prepared well enough to pass the exam for the necessary band, you’ll have to retake it. That means spending extra money and time. Sometimes, it’s worth spending a bit, in the beginning, not to spend more at the end.

The choice is up to you anyway!

If you are confident that you don’t need professional help, spend this day collecting IELTS books, if you haven’t already, and studying them. Review the exam format and take a closer look at yourself – what are your strengths and weaknesses?

✔️ IELTS Preparation Day 3: Writing

Start with the writing tasks. Sometimes even native speakers have trouble when it comes to writing. However, you can learn and practice.

Let’s take a closer look at how to get started:

  • Learn the IELTS format and the structure of every essay type you might encounter.
  • Take a look at several sample questions and answers.
  • Start learning new vocabulary to help with your writing.
  • Practice writing about anything in English.
  • Find sample IELTS questions online and try responding to them. Don’t forget to follow a particular essay structure.
  • Do self-assessment and peer review, if possible. That way, you’ll get more expanded feedback on the quality of your writing.
  • Check sample databases for papers and works that might be useful in the preparation for the test.

IELTS writing tip.

✔️ IELTS Preparation Day 4: Listening

Shift your focus to listening. Becoming a great listener does not come easily: it takes a lot of time, concentration, and practice. Let’s figure out how to become a listener in this section.

Try the following exercises on your day 4:

  • Start with gathering information about the format and timing of the section.
  • Watch TED talks and listen to podcasts and songs. Pay attention to the words, intonation, pauses, and repetitions used.
  • Find some free IELTS tests and practice them.
  • Before the audio begins, quickly skim through the questions.
  • Practice writing answers down while the audio continues to play.
  • Remember that no one repeats the audio during the listening section. If you miss the answer to the question, don’t bother coming back.
  • Get used to various accents. Listen to podcasts with natives from different English-speaking countries.

✔️ IELTS Preparation Day 5: Reading

Prepare for the reading section of the exam. You may consider that part more manageable than the previous ones. But the thing is that you have to read long passages and respond within the time limit. That might be a bit hard without preparation.

Now, let’s get down to the details:

  • Learn the structure of the section, types of tasks, and timing.
  • Find some materials in English and start reading them. Pay attention to new words and phrases, as well as the central ideas.
  • Search for IELTS practice reading sections.
  • Examine instructions well not to miss the details of the task.
  • Don’t forget about timing. Divide your time into parts to complete the task.
  • Compare your responses to correct answers and analyze them.

IELTS reading tip.

✔️ IELTS Preparation Day 6: Speaking

Now it’s time to tackle the speaking part. For numerous students, this section is the trickiest one. Due to anxiety and overall stress, talking to an examinator can become a nearly impossible challenge.

However, you can’t let stress get the best of you. Therefore, it is necessary to learn the format, which is what we suggest you do:

  • Find the speaking assessment criteria and take a look at some of the sample questions.
  • Create an audio journal. Record yourself speak every day since day six and evaluate the speech. Pay attention not only to what you say but pronunciation and sentence structure, as well.
  • Control your body movements. Look in the mirror and practice a confident style of speaking.
  • Work on your vocabulary to use during the speaking section.
  • Record yourself more and assess the speech. Seek someone’s help to evaluate your answers, pronunciation, and sentence structure.

✔️ IELTS Preparation Day 7: Analysis

To finish the week of studying on a high note, you should analyze your progress. Evaluate how far you have progressed in learning the material and format of the exam.

How can you do the analysis?

  • Take practice tests or skim through the ones you’ve already taken. Identify your stronger and weaker sections.
  • Analyze the mistakes you’ve made. Think about what you should do differently next time.
  • Check some credible resources. Revise information about the format that you might’ve forgotten.

After analyzing your mistakes, you can spend that day perfecting the specific part of the exam that you consider the trickiest. If the odds are roughly equal for every section, spread the time evenly for each task.

✔️ IELTS Preparation Day 8: Focus

Concentrate on developing the skills you lack. After assessing your capabilities, you know what you are missing to pass the IELTS exam. You need to devote the day solely to working on these general skills.

Tips for IELTS preparation day 8.

There are three significant aspects that you should work on for the IELTS test:

  • Grammar. It is assessed in two sections of the IELTS: writing & speaking. The examiner will evaluate your ability to use correct and appropriate grammar. Thus, to get a higher band, you’ll need to show the ability to use complex sentences. To practice and improve your skills, here’s an online grammar test for you to check out.
  • Pronunciation . For a high band, you need to perfect the way to talk. First of all, you must master the individual sounds to be easily understood by the examiner. Also, you must pay attention to word and sentence stress. Some syllables and words are emphasized more than others. Indicate your emotions by using intonation. Lastly, don’t forget about using linking words.
  • Vocabulary . You have to learn new words for IELTS but do it wisely. Vocabulary will differ for IELTS Academic and General Training. If you know which one you’ll be taking, focus more on the literature related to that. Plus, you can get a notebook and write down every unknown word you come across while reading or listening.

✔️ IELTS Preparation Day 9: Practice

Practice makes perfect, so don’t shy away from the most apparent tip you’ll ever get. If you want to pass IELTS, you need to practice each task multiple times, which we will discuss in this section.

During this day, try to focus on taking as many full tests as possible. Identify the sections you’ve improved. It will help you to build confidence before taking the actual exam. Some skills only practice can improve.

Keep in mind:

  • Timing during IELTS is quite strict. Practicing full tests will help you learn how to manage your time effectively.
  • Multitasking is key to passing the listening section well. You have to listen and mark correct answers at the same time.
  • Regular practice will help you create your strategy.

✔️ IELTS Preparation Day 10: Reflect

Revise and recollect. You should devote the last day of preparation to reviewing and evaluating your knowledge.

Now that ten days have passed look back and evaluate your knowledge. Make sure you are aware of what you know and that you have a strategy. That way, you’ll be more confident to walk into the exam hall.

Besides, you have to get ready for the day of the exam. Here are a few things you should prepare:

  • Documents . Bring the ID that you provided for the application form.
  • Water and snacks. There’s no need to bring something heavy. A light snack will do great to keep you focused on the test.
  • Itinerary . Check the way to the examination center. Make sure you know how you are getting to your destination.
  • Clothes . Choose to wear something comfortable. Keep in mind that your photo will be taken before the test, so don’t show up in pajamas.

🔎 How to Focus on IELTS for 10 Days Straight

Speaking of careful preparation, you should replace the question “How long does it take to prepare for IELTS?” with “How long can I focus on studying for the exam?”

Concentrating, in general, can be tricky, but the stakes are exceptionally high when you only have ten days to prepare. That is why here we will analyze how to maintain attention for the period.

Tips on staying focused for IELTS preparation.

🛋️ Tips on Beneficial Resting

Since you need to fit a considerable amount of information in just ten days, we recommend you immerse yourself in the English-speaking environment as much as possible. This means that even in your free time from school, you should spend it with benefit.

Here is how you can do so:

  • Listen to some English songs. Turn on BBC radio and try to get used to the accent.
  • Hang out and talk with English-speaking people.
  • Watch movies and TV shows, read books, listen to podcasts, and play games in English .
  • To enhance your vocabulary, download some English practice apps and games.
  • Read news in English.

That’s all! Thanks for reading the article. Now you know how to prepare for IELTS in 10 days. Share the article with your friends if you think they will find it helpful.

🔗 References

  • Which IELTS Test Is the Right One for You? – Admission Test Portal, StudyPortals
  • IELTS: How to prepare, Preparation Materials and Tools – IDP, IELTS
  • IELTS Test Format Explained – Take IELTS, British Council
  • IELTS Study Planner – IELTS Asia, British Council
  • 7 Ways to Stay Focused When Studying from Home During Coronavirus – Counseling and Psychological Services, Duke Kunshan University
  • The Brain Break: How to Study Smarter! – Healthy UNH, University of New Hampshire
  • How to Pass the IELTS Exam – Converse, International School of Languages
  • IELTS Preparation – Cambridge University Press
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This is the best strategy for acing IELTS .. i cannot believe that this information is available for free . keep these blogs cominggg…

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Thank you for making this 10-days plan, it is really helpful, and I feel pretty confident about giving the test now. Thank you very much!!!

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20 Best IELTS Writing Tips You Must Follow To Score 8 Bands

IELTS writing tips

  • Post author By admin
  • September 23, 2022

IELTS (International English Language Testing System) is an exam that measures the test takers’ speaking, reading, listening, and writing skills in the English language. 

A good band score in the IELTS exam shows that a test taker can easily survive in an English-speaking nation. 

Besides getting a good overall score, candidates must get a good band score in each exam module. 

In this blog, I will provide the best IELTS writing tips you must follow to get a high band score in the IELTS exam.

IELTS writing is considered the most challenging module of the IELTS exam, and students sometimes fail to get a good score in IELTS writing. 

Before you learn some of the best IELTS writing tips, you must understand what IELTS writing is.

Table of Contents

What Is IELTS Writing?

IELTS writing is a module in the IELTS exam that measures how well you can write the English language. There are two tasks in the IELTS exam.

IELTS writing task 1

IELTS writing task 2

You have to write a minimum of 150 words in this writing task. The IELTS writing task 1 is different for both types of IELTS exams (IELTS Academics and IELTS General Training). 

For IELTS Academics, the test takers have to describe the information they can see in the image (graph/ table/ chart/ diagram) given to them. 

For IELTS General training, the test takers are asked to write a letter (formal/semi-formal/ informal).

Candidates should not spend more than 15 to 20 minutes on IELTS writing task 1.

The candidates must write a minimum of 250 words for this task. For both types of IELTS exams, this question is the same. In this, you will be asked a general question, and you have to answer that question according to your knowledge.

You will have 60 minutes for both questions in IELTS writing, and don’t spend more than 35 to 40 minutes for IELTS writing task 2. 

Now let’s shift to IELTS writing tips when you understand everything about IELTS writing.

Also, read – Best 17 Tips For IELTS Speaking To Get 8+ Band Score

20 Best IELTS Writing Tips

Here are the top 20 IELTS writing tips that students must follow to get a good band score.

  • Read the question
  • Read what you have written
  • Write about what you know
  • Follow the standard structure
  • Don’t write too many words
  • Choose your writing style
  • Don’t Cram model answers
  • Don’t branch off!
  • Write clearly and coherently
  • Correct spellings
  • Do not get confused between singular and plural nouns
  • Keep the last paragraph for a valid conclusion
  • Before you start writing, always take 5 minutes 

Construct Grammatically Correct Sentences

  • Keep an eye on the Time
  • 5 W’s and 1 H 
  • Avoid repetition and embrace punctuation 
  • Answer all the questions asked

Best IELTS Writing Tips

Read The Question

To get a good score, you must first understand what the question wants you to perform. That is why you always read your question carefully and answer all the topics you’ve been asked to cover. For example,

Government should pay parents of very young children to allow one parent to stay at home and care for the child.

Why do you think this policy is good, and why do you think it is bad? Provide examples from your own experience or knowledge to support your answer.

In this above question, you are asked to do 2 things:

  • Write the pros & cons
  • Give examples

Read What You Have Written

It is the main IELTS writing tip. Before you begin the next paragraph, go back and read the one you just finished. You could believe it’s a waste of time. If that’s the case, you’d be wrong. It’s critical to connect your paragraphs, and what better method to do it than to read what you’ve written?

The best helpful tip is to pick your best concept and write about it. That means you shouldn’t write everything you know; leave some thoughts out. Don’t worry if it’s not your best explanation; instead, focus on whether it’s the clearest. It is the second IELTS writing tip.

Write About What You Know

The quality of your English is being assessed, not the quality of your ideas. As a result, you shouldn’t be worried about obtaining the “correct answer.” You’ll need a simple concept that you can explain and justify. It is the third IELTS writing tip.

Follow The Standard Structure

You should follow the conventional format to gain the most points. Task 1 of the IELTS writing exam should be written as follows:

  • Introduction: describe what your graph shows.
  • Overview: main state trends.
  • Specific details: Provide data, and describe specific changes.

The following is an example of a great backbone for an IELTS Writing Task 2 answer:

  • Introduction: re-examine the topic and express your view
  • Body paragraphs: Each one should have a main idea, which should be mentioned in the first sentence.
  • Conclusion: Simply restate your opinion from the beginning.

Don’t Write Too Many Words

Writing more than 300 words in Task 2 and more than 200 words in Task 1 is a bad idea. To begin with, it is difficult for the examiner to read large essays, therefore, your work will be examined less carefully. Second, you’re more likely to make mistakes and have less time to double-check what you’ve written. It is the fifth IELTS writing tip.

Choose Your Writing Style

In academic writing or an essay, never use informal language. You may be asked to write an informal letter just in general module task 1.

Don’t Cram Model Answers

Don’t memorize model answers; you’ll get fewer points for this type of essay. There’s a slim chance you’ll get an essay exactly like the one you learned. And straying from the topic will result in a bad grade. Instead, focus on mastering the advanced language to include it in your answer. This way, you’ll be able to use various words and phrases in different writings and show your extensive vocabulary. It is the seventh IELTS writing tip.

Don’t Branch Off!

Only write in accordance with the theme. Don’t include any information that isn’t relevant. Even if you write a well-styled answer, if you wander from the subject, you’ll get a considerably lower mark.

Write Clearly And Coherently

Avoid being redundant by not repeating yourself with various words. Also, in Writing Task 2, ensure each paragraph includes a central idea. It is critical for IELTS Writing that each paragraph of your essay be well defined and includes its own major idea. This basic step ensures that your article is neat and well-organized. It is the ninth IELTS writing tip.

Best IELTS Writing Tips

Correct Spellings

It’s important to remember that spelling is everything. In the IELTS exam, standard American, British, and Australian spellings are all allowed.

Do Not Get Confused Between Singular And Plural Nouns

It’s essential to identify between singular and plural nouns. Always double-check your answers to avoid making this common mistake.

Keep The Last Paragraph For A Valid Conclusion

Keep the last paragraph of your essay for a valid conclusion to all of the points you’ve made in the answer.

Before You Start Writing, Always Take 5 Minutes 

Task 2 gives you 40 minutes to complete your essay. Always set aside five minutes to plan your answer before you begin writing and another five minutes to check for mistakes at the end. It is the fourteen IELTS writing tips.

One of the most important aspects that most exam takers failed to do was generate grammatically correct sentences.

It is critical to write grammatically correct sentences in IELTS writing since it makes a significant impact in both writing and speaking.

Furthermore, they will assist you in appropriately constructing sentences, showing to the examiner that you are more knowledgeable. It is the fifteen IELTS writing tips.

Keep An Eye On The Time

One of the most important aspects of the IELTS ( International English Language Testing System ) writing test is time management. It is critical to maintain track of time during the writing test. Furthermore, an hour is hardly a long time to complete two things.

Even if you don’t know the answer, don’t spend too much time on any question. Leave that one behind and move on. Finally, as you check the answers, try to answer the questions you left unanswered.

If you notice that the subject text is unfamiliar to you, remain cool; the text contains all-important answers. It is the sixteen IELTS writing tips.

IELTS tests determine whether a learner is using English correctly. In writing essays, bad words or slang must be avoided. It will lower the quality of your writing and your grades.

5 W’s And 1 H 

When you first read the question and look for the ideas, ask yourself what, when, why, where, who, and how. 

This will clarify what the examiner has asked you in the question. These will help you get a proper understanding of what you can write. It is not necessary that in all questions you can answer all these (5 W’s and 1 H).

It will give a clear idea to you about questions, and you will be able to write more clearly and freely.

This is one of the must-follow IELTS writing tips that students can not miss.

Avoid Repetition And Embrace Punctuation 

It would be best if you did not repeat a word again and again; instead, you can use its synonym that will work as vocabulary. If you use a simple or dull word again and again in your writing, then the examiner may think that you have a poor knowledge of the language.

Lexical resources (vocabulary, right use of punctuation, spelling accuracy) is one of the four criteria based on which your writing is scored. 

The other 3 criteria are

  • Task achievement
  • Grammatical range & accuracy

So use punctuation wisely in your content to get a high score. You must follow this, one of the best IELTS writing tips, for a high band score.

Answer All The Questions Asked

I have saved this tip for last because this is one of the most important IELTS writing tips. You must answer all the questions asked. 

If you do not answer all the questions, then you will be failed to satisfy the task achievement criteria. 

You won’t get a band score greater than 5.5 if you do not answer all the questions asked. So to get a good score, answer each question.

Common Mistakes Students Make In IELTS Writing

Here are the 6 most common mistakes students commonly make in the IELTS writing module,

  • Yes, it is important to use advanced-level vocabulary, but sometimes students use complex words or language whose meanings they are not clear about. This puts a bad impression on the examiner, as the examiner is looking at how well you understand English, not how many complex words you know. So be clear about what you are writing about and use vocabulary whose meaning you are sure about.
  • Many students do not proofread what have written, which is wrong. Always proofread your work to find or edit your mistakes. 
  • Ignoring the word limit is also a common mistake made by a majority of students. An overlength essay can cause you to band deduction, so always keep in mind the word limit. Write no more than 180 words in task 1 and 280 in task 2.
  • Some students do not keep in mind track of time, and because of that, they can not complete their work within the time limit, which causes them to band deduction. So do not spend more than 20 minutes on task 1, and always save 5 to 10 minutes at the end to proofread your work.

Best Books For IELTS Writing Preparation

After learning the best IELTS writing tips, here are some of the best books for IELTS writing preparation:

  • Get IELTS Band 9 in Academic Writing
  • Academic Writing Practice for IELTS
  • Achieve IELTS Academic Writing Success
  • IELTS Academic Writing: Important Tips & High Scoring Sample Answers
  • Get IELTS Band 9 in Writing Task 1 Data Charts and Graphs

I hope that this blog has cleared all your questions and queries about IELTS writing tips. 

By following these tips, I hope that you have got succeeded in getting your desired band score in the IELTS writing module.

If you follow the above-mentioned tips properly while practicing the IELTS writing module, you will definitely see an improvement in yourself within 10 to 15 days.

There are also some common mistakes that students make with some books for IELTS preparation at the end of the blog.

After reading this blog, if you have any questions contact our experts or let us know through comments.

For more informative and interesting content like this, keep visiting CourseMentor™.

Which section of IELTS is toughest?

The writing module of the IELTS exam is considered the toughest module of the IELTS exam. Most of the test takers failed to get the required band score in this section.

Is IELTS very difficult?

Yes, you do not prepare for the IELTS exam properly you may find the exam difficult. But you can easily get your desired band score in the IELTS exam just by preparing for the exam with full concentration and following some tips and tricks.

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IELTS Listening Essential 25 Tips

The essential IELTS listening tips and information for success in your test.  Learn the right listening techniques with over 25 top tips to help you achieve a high score. Learn about the listening exam content, writing the answers correctly, types of questions, scoring, making notes and much more. This is A MUST WATCH video lesson for all IELTS students.

Capital letters in IELTS listening . You can write in capital letters or lower case – your choice.  My recommendation is to use all capital letters as it is easier to read and avoids mistakes.

Watch the video first and then read through the summary of listening tips below.

IELTS Video: Listening Tips

IELTS Listening Test Summary

  • All students take the same test. Both academic and GT students take the same listening test. It is marked in the same way.
  • There are 40 questions
  • Section 1 = two speakers. This is often a telephone conversation between two people, for example organising a place on a course, booking a table at a restaurant or renting an apartment. You must listen for specific information, such as names (tips on listening for names ), dates, times (tips on listening for time ), places and numbers.
  • Section 2 = one speaker. This is often a talk from a guide. You might hear information about a building, a resort, a company, a charity etc.
  • Section 3 = three or four speakers. This is an academic discussion. It could either be two students talking with a professor or a student presenting their resource to their colleagues.
  • Section 4  = one speaker. This is an academic lecture.
  • The sections get more difficult as the test progresses. This means section 1 is the easiest and section 4 is the most difficult.
  • 30 minutes to listen to the recording and write down your answer on the question paper.
  • 10 minutes to transfer your answers from the question paper to the answer sheet.
  • IELTS is an international test. There will be a range of accents but the main accents will probably be British and Australian.
  • IELTS accept either British English or American English spelling.

IELTS Listening Tips

Below is a list of IELTS listening tips that have been given in the video above. Read these tips carefully.

  • You must practice completing a full listening test by listening only once before your test. You should do this a number of times.
  • When you are developing skills and vocabulary, you might want to practice listening more than once. This is fine when you are in training.
  • You will need to multitask. This means you must be able to read the questions, listen for the answer and write down words all at the same time. You should practice doing this.
  • Practice transferring your answers to the answer sheet at home before your test. Here is a link to download the IELTS listening answer sheet .
  • You should write your answers on the answer sheet using  pencil not a pen. This is the same as the IELTS reading test.
  • Scores are calculated by the number of points you got correct. Here is a link to learn all about the IELTS band scores: IELTS Band Scores Explained . You don’t lose a mark if your answer is wrong. Your score will not change due to incorrect answers.
  • If you don’t know an answer, guess. Always write something in the box on your answer sheet. Who knows, maybe you guess right !!
  • You can write your answer using capital or lower case letters.  However, I recommend using all capital letters.
  • Check the number of words you can have for your answer. Each time the question type changes, the number of words for the answer might change too. Here is an example of instructions: “No more than two words and/or a number”. To learn exactly what these instructions mean, please watch the video lesson above.
  • Check the instructions to see if you can have a number (which means only one) or number s (plural which means more than one number).
  • A date “1950” is considered one number.
  • A large number “1,000,500” is considered one word.
  • A hyphenated word “part-time” is considered one word.
  • A compound noun which is not hyphenated “tennis shoe” is considered two words.
  • The best place to meet is ………. = the answer must be grammatically correct so you need “at the hospital”.
  • If the question is a note or form completion, such each 1) PLACE: …… = the answer can be just one word (with or without the article) “hospital” or “the hospital” (if two words are possible.
  • Don’t worry about spelling while you are listening because you don’t have time to concentrate on spelling. You need to concentrate on listening to the recording and following the questions.
  • Check your spelling when you transfer your answers to the answer sheet. That is the time to check and make sure everything is correct.
  • If the answer is b, you must write “b” on your answer sheet not “summer”. The word “summer” would be marked wrong because the instructions ask you to write a letter not a word.
  • form completion
  • note completion
  • summary completion
  • sentence completion
  • multiple choice
  • diagram labelling
  • map labelling
  • table completion
  • If you want practice with these types of question, go to my IELTS listening  page.
  • Don’t try to understand everything. IELTS will add lots of extra information but you only need to listen for answers. Keep yourself focused on listening for answers to questions.
  • Answers may come quickly. You might get three answers in a very short time. Get ready to write your answers down quickly. Answers may come slowly. There may be a gap between answers. Don’t panic. This is common in section 4.
  • Look out for answers which are plural. IELTS know that students have difficulty hearing the plural “s”. So, these answers will certainly be given to test your listening ability.
  • Giving the answer and then changing it. Here is an example: “Is it ok to meet at 7pm?” / “Yes, 7pm works fine for me” / “Oh I’ve just remembered I have a late meeting, could we make it half past instead?” The answer was 7pm but then the speaker changed it to 7.30pm. Always keep listening and be ready for the speaker to change the answer.
  • Similar words might not be the right answer. Watch this video about IELTS listening multiple choice to understand this tip.
  • If you miss an answer, just move on to the next question. Don’t waste time. Don’t lose your place in the recording.
  • CONCENTRATE!!! 30 minutes is a long time to actively listen for answers. If you lose focus, you will miss answers. Don’t let that happen to you. Practice full tests at home to build up your ability to concentrate.

For more tips and explanations – please watch the video above.

Do you have a question about IELTS listening or about the IELTS test? This page has over 100 answers to your questions: IELTS Test FAQ

Improve your IELTS listening for free with this practice lessons: IELTS Listening Lessons

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How Quora Died

The site used to be a thriving community that worked to answer our most specific questions. but users are fleeing..

“ Why Do So Many Music Venues Use Ticketmaster? ” “ What’s It Like to Train to Be a Sushi Chef? ” “ How Do Martial Artists Break Concrete Blocks? ” If you were looking for answers to such questions 10 years ago, your best resource for finding a thorough, expert-informed response likely would have been one of the most interesting and longest-lasting corners of the internet: Quora.

Most people have encountered Quora in some form, whether they know it or not: in Google search results , in writing samples from famous authors , or perhaps in reprints of certain Q&As in digital publications, like Slate . One of those Slate-via-Quora contributors , author and researcher Erica Friedman , joined the site back in 2011, when it was “starting to get a little bit of new traffic” thanks in part to Yahoo Answers’ decline in reliability and activity. This, she said, allowed Quora to stand out as an accuracy-focused, knowledge-centric text platform. That was a unique offering in an age when Facebook and Twitter were coming to dominate the social internet, and YouTube was doing its own thing.

Friedman was so enamored of the quirky Q&A monolith that she—and many, many others—contributed answers for free. “There was a period of time, for a number of years in the mid-2010s, that a lot of us were really dedicated to a particular mission,” she said. “That was: ‘Let’s make Quora the place on the internet that says you can’t be a jerk here. Let’s put those policies into action, and let’s make it impossible for people to come here in bad faith and act in bad faith.’ ” A smart and passionate community dedicated to maintaining a positive and affirmative space where the most curious netizens could gather—what sounded more ideal than that? No wonder Quora had such a growth spurt in the 2010s .

Today’s Quora, however, hardly meshes with those utopian aims. The once-beloved forum is now home to a never-ending avalanche of meaningless, repetitive sludge, filled with bizarre , nonsensical , straight-up hateful , and A.I.–generated entries along with a slurry of all-caps non-questions like “OMG! KING CHARLES SHOCK the WORLD with ROYAL BAN ON PRINCE HARRY AND MEGHAN MARKLE. SAD?” (The answer to this “question,” which garnered about 7 million views , links to a bizarre, barely functional royals-watching website called red-carpett.com.) Whereas once you could Google a question about current events and find links to thoughtful Quora answers near the top of the results, you’re now more likely to come upon, say, a bunch of folks asking in the year of our Lord 2024 whether the consistently racist Donald Trump is, in fact, racist. Or, maybe, the featured Google snippet will tell you that eggs can melt , thanks to a nonsense Quora answer caught in the search crawler.

Quora’s still-strong SEO has only brought more attention to the issue. Commenters across a variety of forums have bemoaned Quora’s downgrade in quality, and the Atlantic recently asked, “ If There Are No Stupid Questions, Then How Do You Explain Quora? ” Just scroll through the “ Insane People Quora ” subreddit if you’d like more examples of this pronounced decline in quality.

Quora’s shrinking utility isn’t due entirely to A.I.: Longtime writers cite issues with moderation and functionality that started well before the ChatGPT era. But its decline has been accelerating—much to the chagrin of the uniquely attached and now-fraying community—with the rise of this new knowledge broker. Earlier this month, the A.I.–accelerationist venture capital hub Andreessen Horowitz blessed Quora with a much-needed $75 million investment —but only for the sake of developing its on-site generative-text chatbot, Poe.

The early advantage Quora had over the (many) other Q&A sites in the late 2000s was that it was designed with social networking in mind. Co-founders Adam D’Angelo and Charlie Cheever were both early Facebook employees who quit in 2009 in order to build a website where, as they told TechCrunch at the time, “we’re trying to get information out of people’s heads, so it’s not on sources that are hard to access on the internet, and get it into a really useful format to make a valuable database.” Their plan was to persuade experts in specialized fields to share their insights with knowledge-seekers and, from there, build a vibrant community around this free exchange of authentic information. “There were a lot of high-quality answers from people who wanted to just share their experiences,” said Friedman—a feature that stood in stark contrast with Yahoo Answers, which “never built up that community.”

Ariel Williams, one of Quora’s first 500,000 members , agreed. “You had Yahoo Answers, and the quality was horrible: People would write a question and somebody would just say something disgusting,” she told me. “Quora had a focus on quality, and they were looking for quality answers, they were looking for quality questions, there was active moderation, and the whole site was set up around the people, around the users.”

It didn’t take long for experts like Stan Hanks , best known as a pioneering network engineer who built the first IP virtual private networks, to show up. In late 2012, he told me, he would log on to Quora, and “there would be something where I had personal experience where I knew the people involved, where I had backstories, and it would just light me up, and I would just write.”

To keep the volunteer experts happy, Quora built out its perks. The company established a Top Writer program for Quora’s best and most fervent answer-writers, built a system that incentivized thoughtful discussion, and even invited these happy Quorans the opportunity to hang out at summits held at company headquarters. “The Top Writer program spanned from 2012 to 2018,” said Williams, herself a Top Writer in an elite crew of just a few hundred Quorans. “There was a physicist that had worked with Freeman Dyson. There were people that worked at NASA. There were people with doctorates.”

There was also robust human backup for all these writers. “There was a moderation team, a review team, and a support team,” said Hanks. “Full-time paid moderators were employees of Quora, and part-time moderators had other jobs like writer engagement.” There were paid community managers who enforced a basic standard of BNBR (“Be Nice, Be Respectful”), customer service support staff, and a department for cross-publishing particular Q&As to websites like Forbes and HuffPost.

The social network racked up hundreds of millions of page views, raised millions of dollars from cash-happy investors, and carved out a corner of the internet distinct from Wikipedia, Reddit, or Facebook. It may not have had the ubiquity and fame of those sites, but that was fine—everyone touching Quora knew what it stood for.

But even then, there were issues plaguing Quora that would continue to fester. First, an anonymous former Quoran told me, the site started “shortening the length of questions.” The professed reason was to increase Quora’s visibility on Google , but that brevity came with a cost: It also made it difficult for users to ask the types of complex questions that could be addressed by specialists, including extremely specific business-related queries of the type Hanks would answer. (For example: “How much equity should I get as a co-founder to build a startup from scratch? I’ve been offered 10%, subject to dilution, with a typical CTO salary. The company hasn’t started yet, they don’t have a prototype. 10% for a CTO is very low. What is fair?”)

Then there was what former Top Writer J. Starr (who has since deleted her account ) characterized to me as “optimizing the feed.” At first, when a user signed in to Quora, they saw what they had come there to see: questions to be answered. But soon, the site started “putting ‘content’ articles into everyone’s feed,” flooding the site with articles that were, according to Starr, “just dreck, gossipy-rag articles about Hollywood figures.” A grim precursor, it seems, to the current-day all-caps PSAs around King Charles.

There were early problems with ads and bots too. When Quora started putting ads on the site in 2016, Williams and other Top Writers suggested that there be some sort of creator revenue-sharing program, she told me. As a result, higher-ups created “the Quora partner program , which I joined myself,” Williams said. But that “was all about trying to come up with questions that would draw in more views and more people,” she said—not about incentivizing high-quality answers. It was all about adding webpages of individual questions, for SEO purposes.

And Quora “partners” weren’t the only ones being recruited to this task—the site also attracted bots that would pull questions from Reddit threads onto Quora pages. They weren’t the type of questions the Quora community was looking for. “You would have people creating bots with templates of ‘What are the best places to eat at,’ and then it would put in city names, state, country names,” Williams said. ( Redditors on r/Quora began to notice and complain about this practice.)

“The quality of the writing had taken a back seat to a pure volume of traffic,” said Bethann Siviter , another former Top Writer. “With the partner program, it became clear that quantity meant more than quality. You could report people over and over, and nothing happened.” Even though the partner program didn’t earn participants all that much money (maybe a few thousand dollars at most), the people who made bots soon learned that this was the easiest way to cash in quickly.

This was all downstream of the fact that Quora was also slow to monetize, and it didn’t help that the site, popular as it was, was aiming for pieces of the same digital-advertising pie that was rapidly overtaken by Facebook and Amazon (as well as its No. 1 traffic referrer, Google). Investors hesitated to continue pouring cash into Quora in light of its steep expenses. So, the company slashed budgets, shrinking the moderation teams, the customer support apparatus, and the Top Writer initiative. Other originating features—the requirement that Quorans use their real names, “ Suggested Edits ” that readers could propose for answers that had mistakes or typos—were also cut. All these choices led to more unchecked spam and a deluge of trolls , which volunteer users could not hold off on their own.

Nelson McKeeby , an author who joined Quora in 2013, said that things got worse in a post-Gamergate internet, with alt-right, Trump-loving trolls invading online forums, aided by anonymity and weakened moderation. “When real users tried to take down demonstrably false answers, troll farms with multiple servers were able to overpower users,” he wrote to me in an email. Further, as Quora launched “Spaces”—basically, private user–run community blogs—problems with moderation continued to spiral, with ugly ideologies running rampant . Loyal Quora users attempted to report bigoted , transphobic , and obscene content without adequate support from the company.

And then came A.I. As the spamming bots got even worse, Quora changed the terms of service and did away with BNBR, then automated the moderation process. Needless to say, it did not improve the situation on the site. Nor did the integrated A.I. chatbots offer good questions or answers. Instead, they “made up some really generic, and oftentimes first-grade-level questions,” wrote user Steven P. Robinson in an email. “It is a good example of A.I. not being ready for prime time.” Now Quora is even offering A.I.–generated images to accompany users’ answers, even though the spanwed illustrations make little sense.

To top it all off, after Quora began using A.I. to “ generate machine answers on a number of selected question pages,” the site made clear the possibility that human-crafted answers could be used for training A.I. This meant that the detailed writing Quorans provided mostly for free would be ingested into a custom large language model. Updated terms of service and privacy policies went into effect at the site last summer. As angel investor and Quoran David S. Rose paraphrased them: “You grant all other Quora users the unlimited right to reuse and adapt your answers,” “You grant Quora the right to use your answers to train an LLM unless you specifically opt out,” and “You completely give up your right to be any part of any class action suit brought against Quora,” among others. (Quora’s Help Center claims that “as of now, we do not use answers, posts, or comments added to Quora to train LLMs used for generating content on Quora. However, this may change in the future.” The site offers an opt-out setting, although it admits that “opting out does not cover everything.”)

This raised the issue of consent and ownership, as Quorans had to decide whether to consent to the new terms or take their work and flee. High-profile users, like fantasy author Mercedes R. Lackey, are removing their work from their profiles and writing notes explaining why . “The A.I. thing, the terms of service issue, has been a massive drain of top talent on Quora, just based on how many people have said, Downloaded my stuff and I’m out of there ,” Lackey told me. It’s not that all Quorans want to leave, but it’s hard for them to choose to remain on a website where they now have to constantly fight off errors, spam, trolls, and even account impersonators .

Quora is far from the only digital community to face an existential battle for its identity in the age of A.I.— Reddit and Google are facing related, if slightly distinct, concerns. The tragedy of Quora is not just that it crushed the flourishing communities it once built up. It’s that it took all of that goodwill, community, expertise, and curiosity and assumed that it could automate a system that equated it, apparently without much thought to how pale the comparison is.

McKeeby has a grim prediction for the future: “Eventually Quora will be robot questions, robot answers, and nothing else.” I wonder how the site will answer the question of why Quora died, if anyone even bothers to ask.

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  1. Quora

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  2. IELTS Writing: Structure, Tips, Strategies (Academic & General)

    1. Task one General training Task 1 is a letter concerning everyday situation that you are likely to encounter while living in an English-speaking environment. For example, a letter to an accommodation officer, your employer or a friend. It is recommended to spend 20 minutes on it.

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    Analyze The Question: Carefully read and understand the question prompt. Identify the key points and requirements of the task. Example: If the question asks whether you agree or disagree with a statement, make sure you clearly state your position in your essay.

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    The answer is NO. There are a lot of much simpler writings that score 8.0 and higher! This is because you don't need any special knowledge: the examiner will assess your writing, not your thoughts. Even simple but accurately expressed ideas score better than too complicated ones. To succeed in IELTS Writing, you need to be accurate

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    Step one: Plan your time. The Writing test (consisting of Writing tasks 1 and 2) takes approximately 60 minutes. Plan to spend around 20 minutes on your first task, and 40 minutes on your essay task. A sample plan for your time might be: 5 to 10 minutes reading the essay question and planning your answer. 15 to 20 minutes writing your first draft.

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    IELTS Liz E-books. I do have two e-books which can help you. My Grammar for Writing Task 2 is a great e-book which helps you develop your grammar and take your English to a higher level. It is packed with useful tips for IELTS as well. I also have an Ideas for Topics e-book which focuses on ideas for topics and vocabulary.

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    There are two instruction words in this question - ' causes ' and ' Do you agree '. We must therefore talk about both of these things in our essay. If we don't, or we write a sentence or two about one and focus on the other, we have not answered the question, and we can't get over a band 5. Plan

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    Example of Writing Task 2 Scoring Calculated. You will get a band score for each of the above criteria and then a total score for task 2. Here's an example: Task Response: Band 6. Coherence & Cohesion = Band 7. Grammar: Band 6. Vocabulary: 6. Total Score for IELTS Writing Task 2: 6 + 7 + 6 + 6 = 25/4 = 6.25. This score will be increased to 6.5.

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    A multitude of IELTS learners ask me how to boost your IELTS Writing scores to Band 7.0 or higher. It's not an easy question to answer, but fortunately there are many tips they can make use of. ... 6 Useful Tips to Improve IELTS Writing Skills; 6 Useful Tips to Improve IELTS Writing Skills. Janice Thompson. 7 min read. Updated On Feb 19, 2022 ...

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    Helpful tips to succeed in the IELTS writing exam: understanding the prompt, outlining, good vocabulary, supporting details, and proofreading The IELTS is scored overall from 1 (lowest) to 9 (highest). The IELTS Writing Task 2 (AKA the IELTS Essay), is scored similarly, from 0-9.

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    Listening practice. In Part 1 and Part 3 of the IELTS Listening test, there are multiple speakers, so it can be a good idea to practice your listening with various dialogues, such as a TV drama or discussion panel. Section 2 and Section 4 of the IELTS Listening test only has one speaker, so some good practice can be listening to a short video ...

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    To read more about the updated IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 descriptors check here. Preparation is key for success. When it comes to Writing Task 1 in IELTS, preparation is the key to success! Prepare yourself thoroughly for IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic topics, and you won't be taken by surprise in the test.

  18. Writing band 8 tips, what helped. : r/IELTS

    Writing band 8 tips, what helped. I had been aiming for a 7.5 in writing as per some absurd requirement, and I took the test 3 times. Academic once and General twice. I am a native speaker so I don't know how much this helps. But being in a medical field, what I learned in school was deffo forgotten. I did the academic and my overall score ...

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