Can you correct your own IELTS writing?
Yes. Learning how to find and correct your own IELTS writing mistakes is one of the best ways to improve. A teacher or AI writing checker can give you feedback, but simply looking at corrections is not enough. You need to understand why something is wrong and learn to spot the same mistake yourself.
In this guide, I’ll show you how to check your IELTS writing, which tools you can use, and how to turn your corrections into a plan for improvement.
1. Keep all your IELTS writing in one document
The first step is simple: keep your IELTS essays and Task 1 answers in one place.
You can use Google Docs, Microsoft Word or another document editor. These tools can highlight some spelling and grammar problems, but don’t simply accept every suggested correction.
Instead, keep a record of your mistakes. When you write several essays, look back at your previous corrections. You may notice that you repeatedly make the same mistakes with articles, verb tenses, prepositions, word forms or sentence structure.
The goal is not just to correct one essay. It is to stop making the same mistake in your next essay.
2. Use a grammar or AI writing checker carefully
Grammar checkers and AI writing tools can be useful when you are correcting your IELTS writing. They can help you spot possible problems with grammar, spelling, punctuation, vocabulary and sentence structure.
However, don’t simply accept every correction they suggest.
A writing checker may suggest a change that is grammatically possible but doesn’t fit your meaning, or recommend vocabulary that sounds unnatural in the context. A general AI writing tool may also give you feedback that isn’t specifically related to the IELTS marking criteria.
Use the tool to learn, not just to correct
When the checker highlights a mistake, don’t immediately click “accept”. First ask yourself:
- What is wrong with my original sentence?
- Why is the suggested correction better?
- Is the correction actually correct in this context?
- Have I made this mistake before?
If you understand the correction, you are much more likely to avoid making the same mistake in your next essay.
For example, if a tool changes:
People should be responsible of their own health.
to:
People should be responsible for their own health.
Don’t just accept the correction. Make a note that responsible is followed by for, not of, and look for other examples of the same pattern.
This turns a writing checker from a tool that simply fixes your mistakes into a tool that helps you learn from your mistakes.
Remember: AI can suggest a correction, but you are responsible for deciding whether it is correct and appropriate for your IELTS answer.
Can AI correct IELTS writing?
Yes, AI can help you find and correct some IELTS writing mistakes, but it should not be treated as an IELTS examiner.
An AI writing checker can be useful for spotting grammar, vocabulary, spelling and punctuation problems. It can also suggest clearer ways to express an idea.
However, AI feedback is not always accurate, and a general writing tool may not understand the IELTS marking criteria. Use AI to help you investigate your writing, rather than simply copying every correction it suggests.
The most useful question is not “What’s wrong with my essay?” but “Why is this wrong, and how can I avoid making the same mistake again?”
Find my recommendations for the best AI IELTS Writing Checkers here:
- Which is the best online IELTS writing checker? (FREE)
- How to use AI to improve your IELTS Writing. (Resource Library)
3. Use a learner dictionary to check vocabulary
A learner dictionary is one of the best tools you can use when correcting your IELTS writing. It can help you check not only what a word means, but also how it is used.
If you’re not sure whether a word or phrase is correct, check:
- the meaning
- the part of speech
- the example sentences
- the prepositions used with it
- common collocations
- whether it is usually used in a formal or informal context
For example, suppose you write:
People should do more jobs to protect the environment.
You might know that job and work have similar meanings, but a learner dictionary can show you that we normally say:
People should do more work to protect the environment.
You can also use a dictionary to check whether a word you have learned is actually suitable for the context.
For example, if you want to use responsible in your essay, don’t just check that it means “having a duty”. Check the examples and grammar too:
Governments are responsible for protecting the environment.
not:
Governments are responsible of protecting the environment.
Don’t just look for “better” words
When correcting your IELTS writing, it’s tempting to replace simple words with more advanced vocabulary. However, a more difficult word is not necessarily a better word.
Your vocabulary needs to be accurate and appropriate, not simply impressive.
So instead of asking:
What’s a more advanced word I can use?
ask:
Is this the right word for what I want to say?
A good learner dictionary can help you answer that question.
Learner dictionaries like the Longman Online Dictionary are designed for learners, and they understand the kinds of mistakes that learners make.
Take the difference between ‘work’ and ‘job’, for example.
Unlike standard dictionaries, Learner Dictionaries know that students often confuse ‘work‘ and ‘job‘, so they explain the difference.
4. Keep an IELTS writing error log
If you want to improve your IELTS writing, don’t just correct each essay and then forget about it. Keep a record of the mistakes you make repeatedly.
You could use a notebook, a spreadsheet or a document on your computer. For each mistake, record:
- the mistake you made
- the correction
- why it was wrong
- a new example using the correct form
For example:
❌ My mistake: People should be responsible of their own health.
✅ Correction: People should be responsible for their own health.
Why?
The adjective responsible is followed by for, not of.
My new example:
Parents are responsible for teaching their children good habits.
Look for patterns in your mistakes
After you have corrected several pieces of writing, look through your error log. You may find that you keep making the same types of mistakes, such as:
- articles
- verb tenses
- subject-verb agreement
- prepositions
- singular and plural nouns
- word forms
- spelling
- punctuation
- collocations
These are the mistakes you should focus on when you write your next essay.
The aim of an error log isn’t to collect lots of mistakes. It’s to identify the mistakes you need to stop making.
What should you check in your IELTS writing?
Correcting your IELTS writing isn’t just about finding grammar mistakes. Before you submit an essay or Task 1 response, you should check your ideas, organisation, language and accuracy.
Use this checklist each time you review your writing:
- Task response / Task achievement: Have you answered every part of the question?
- Organisation: Are your ideas logically organised into clear paragraphs?
- Grammar: Have you checked your common grammar mistakes?
- Vocabulary: Are your words accurate, appropriate and natural?
- Sentence structure: Are your sentences varied, clear and complete?
- Spelling and punctuation: Have you checked for small but avoidable errors?
- Tone and register: If you’re writing a General Training letter, is your language appropriate for the person you’re writing to?
What can a teacher see that a writing checker can't?
Grammar and AI writing checkers can be useful for finding possible mistakes, but they cannot replace an experienced IELTS teacher.
A writing checker might tell you that a sentence is grammatically incorrect or suggest a different word. A teacher can look at your whole response and consider how your writing meets the IELTS marking criteria.
For example, a teacher can help you identify problems such as:
- You haven’t fully answered the question, even though your English is accurate.
- Your ideas need more explanation or support to reach a higher band.
- Your paragraphs aren’t organised effectively, making your argument difficult to follow.
- Your vocabulary is accurate but too repetitive.
- Your language doesn’t match the tone required for a General Training letter.
- You are making the same type of mistake repeatedly, even if each individual mistake seems minor.
- Your writing is grammatically correct but doesn’t sound natural or precise.
This is one of the biggest differences between correction and feedback. Correction tells you what is wrong. Good IELTS feedback helps you understand what is holding your score back and what you need to do differently next time.
Here are three examples of the kinds of problems a teacher might identify in IELTS writing.
Example 1: Academic Task 1
Look at this extract from one of my student’s Task 1 answers:
“It is clear that sales of VHS tapes fell, whereas sales of DVD discs saw a rise followed by a decrease. Blu-ray discs also experienced an increase in sales.”
This is strong Band 6 writing. The grammar is accurate, the vocabulary is appropriate and the meaning is clear. However, the language is quite general.
To move towards Band 7, the student needs to describe the data more precisely. Instead of simply saying that something fell, rose or increased, can we say how much, how quickly or in what way?
Rather than giving my student the answers, I put question marks in the sentences and asked him to add a word or phrase to make each description more precise:
“It is clear that sales of VHS tapes fell [?], whereas sales of DVD discs saw a [?] rise followed by a [?] decrease. Blu-ray discs also experienced a [?] increase in sales.”
This encourages the student to look carefully at the graph and choose vocabulary that accurately describes the size or speed of each change.
For example:
- fell slightly
- saw a dramatic rise
- a gradual decrease
- experienced a significant increase
The important point is that the original sentences are not wrong. The student already has the basic language needed to describe the graph. The next step is to make the descriptions more exact by choosing vocabulary that reflects the data.
This is something a writing checker may not identify as an IELTS problem. The sentences can be grammatically correct, but an experienced IELTS teacher can recognise when the language is accurate but not precise enough.
Example 2: General Training Task 1
Example: correcting an IELTS General Training letter
The second example is a General Training letter to a friend.
I gave this student Band 6. Can you see why?
“Hi, Jane, How’s it going? Good to know that you passed your uni exams. I am very excited to hear about your plans and glad that you are coming to visit me in summer. However, unfortunately, I am not available at that time and I apologize for any inconvenience caused.”
There aren’t many obvious grammar mistakes here. In fact, most of the language is accurate.
The problem is tone and register.
The letter starts in a friendly, informal style, which is appropriate when writing to a friend. However, the language suddenly becomes much more formal:
however
unfortunately
I apologize
inconvenience
An experienced IELTS teacher can spot this kind of problem because they are not just checking whether the sentences are grammatically correct. They are asking whether the language is appropriate for the situation and consistent throughout the letter.
So how could we make this sound more natural and friendly?
1. Use contractions
Instead of:
I am very excited…
try:
I’m very excited…
2. Use natural, informal expressions
For example:
What a pity I won’t be here in June!
What a pity! is a natural expression for showing disappointment, while I won’t gives the sentence a more informal tone.
3. Use direct questions and informal expressions
For example:
Can’t you make it a bit later?
Make it is a useful informal expression meaning to be able to attend or arrive at a particular time.
The important point is that these aren’t simply grammar corrections. The original sentences are mostly correct. The student needs to learn how to choose language that matches the relationship and situation.
This is where teacher feedback can be particularly valuable. A writing checker may identify individual words or suggest alternative sentences, but an experienced IELTS teacher can explain why the overall tone isn’t working and what kind of language would make the letter sound natural.
Example 3: Writing Task 2
My lovely student Faris kept getting Band 5.5, but he needed a 6. He had good ideas and made relevant points, but he wasn’t developing those ideas enough.
His essays were often under 250 words, and because his ideas weren’t fully developed, many of his sentences were quite simple. The problem wasn’t that he had nothing to say. He needed to learn how to extend his ideas and explain his opinions more clearly.
Instead of rewriting his sentences for him, I used questions to show him where his ideas needed more development.
After each main point, I added prompts such as:
Which means…?
So…?
In order to…?
And as a result…?
For example…?
Because…?
Such as…?
Each time, Faris had to complete the sentence himself.
For example, if he made a point, I might ask:
So…?
He then had to explain the consequence of that point.
If I wrote:
For example…?
he had to give a specific example to support his idea.
This simple technique helped him move beyond making a point to explaining, supporting and extending it.
As he added consequences, reasons and examples, his opinions became clearer and his arguments stronger. His writing also became longer because he was developing his existing ideas rather than trying to think of lots of new ones.
After working on this, he eventually reached Band 6.5.
This is another example of the difference between correction and feedback. There wasn’t a grammar mistake for a writing checker to fix. Faris needed someone to recognise that his ideas were good, but not developed enough, and then give him a way to develop them himself.
When should you get IELTS writing feedback?
Learning to correct your own IELTS writing is important, but sometimes you need another person to look at your writing.
If you keep getting the same score, aren’t sure why your writing isn’t improving, or can’t identify what is stopping you from reaching your target band, expert IELTS writing feedback can help.
A teacher can look at your writing as a whole and identify patterns that you may not notice yourself. They can also explain what you need to change and how to practise it, rather than simply correcting individual mistakes.
So don’t think of teacher feedback as a replacement for self-correction. The two work best together:
Correct your own writing → get expert feedback → work on your weaknesses → correct your next piece of writing yourself.
More IELTS Writing resources
Want to improve your IELTS Writing further? Explore my IELTS Writing resources for lessons, examples and practical advice on Task 1 and Task 2.
About Fiona
Fiona is an IELTS trainer, ex-examiner and course creator based in the UK. She has a Master’s in Teaching English as a Foreign Language (Distinction) and over 35 years of teaching experience. She has helped thousands of IELTS candidates develop the language and exam skills needed to achieve their target scores.
Hi Fiona,
This is so helpful.
I always spend a huge amount of time giving my students written and verbal feedback. Some of it seems to be taken on board but a large amount seems to disappear into cyberspace. What a shame I didn’t come across this method earlier in the term. I will definitely put it into practice next year!
I will be looking out for tips on improving reading scores as this has been a real challenge with my current classes…
Hi Stephanie!
Thank you so much for your comment – I admire you for reading the whole thing! I recently saw a new article about new research into teacher correction here:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/13621688221127643
and here:
https://oasis-database.org/concern/summaries/v118rf424?locale=en
(I haven’t read them yet though! Let me know what you think!)
Best wishes
Fiona
Dear Ms. Fiona, I have a question related to IELTS Writing Task 1
In Writing Task 1, some answers often have four paragraphs: first is the introductory sentence, second is overview paragraphs and the two rest paragraphs for bodies (giving clear evidence for overview). Using four paragraphs instead of writing in three paragraphs (one includes both introductory sentence and overview, and two rest for bodies) can affect my score?
Hi there Anh,
Paragraphs are almost irrelevant in Academic Writing Task 1. I would recommend one paragraph for the Introduction and Overall statement.
The rest depends on the question. Obviously it’s good to separate the different types of information into clear paragraphs if the graph allows for this, but paragraphing only comes into the Band Criteria at Band 8: uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately.
‘Sufficiently’ and ‘appropriately’ just mean that you have to decide according to the question.
By contrast, for Task 2, paragraphs are important from Band 4 upwards: ‘may not write in paragraphs or their use may be confusing’
I hope that helps,
Best wishes
Fiona
The bit about using linking devices to help your student extend his sentences was very interesting. I don’t know whether you’ve heard of Judith Hochman and Natalie Wexler’s book “Writing Revolution” (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Writing-Revolution-Advancing-Thinking-Subjects/dp/1119364914/), but that’s the essential method it uses for getting weaker writers to improve the complexity of their statements. It was written for native speakers, but I suspect that it could be enormously helpful for IELTS students as well (provided they have sufficient control over their syntax and don’t try to tack on five clauses when they only need one!).
Hi Erica. Thank you SO much for your comment and recommendation. I’ve never heard of that book but I’ve checked it out and it sounds perfect for what I’m trying to help my students with. I really appreciate it. Do you have any other recommended reads for IELTS Writing? Your book and website look fantastic too.
Best wishes
Fiona