IELTS Writing tips

If you’re looking for help with IELTS Writing, this is a great place to start.

Some people consider it the most difficult part of the test, as it requires a number of different Writing Skills – basic skills such as good grammar, spelling and vocabulary, but more sophisticated advanced skills such as the ability to think critically, to argue well and to organise your thoughts so that they are clear and well-balanced for the reader.

This all takes time, no matter what your starting point is.

Different countries have different writing cultures, so you may be an advanced English writer but you then have to adapt to the expected IELTS writing style and format, keeping within the word count limit and doing all of this within the very strict time limit.

It is a lot to improve, so you have to adjust your expectations about IELTS Writing – getting a higher score will take longer than you think.

With consistent action and by following reliable advice, you can expect to increase your Band score by 0.5 – 1 point in about 6 months.

Make sure that you leave plenty of time to focus on improving your Writing score.

How does reading improve Taks 2 writing?

When you become more familiar with academic-style writing, it will have a noticeable effect on your Task 2 Writing (and Academic Task 1).

Start reading IELTS-style texts now and do deliberate practice – not just skimming and scanning.

Read closely and carefully, taking notes, examining grammar, checking vocabulary and asking yourself difficult questions about the text:

• What is the purpose of the text?
• What is the writer’s opinion?
• How is the text structured to help the reader understand the writer’s purpose?
• What is the aim of each paragraph?
• How does the writer achieve their goal?

Once you start doing this, it will be easier to apply the features of good writing to your own writing.