IELTS Writing: The four keys to get success in IELTS exam

Whether you are taking IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training, you will need to write a 250-word essay in the IELTS Writing Task 2. You will perform much better if you understand what the examiner is looking for — and find success if you can deliver it.

The easiest way to fail is by not knowing the basics. First, let’s look at the IELTS Writing assessment criteria:

1. Task achievement– This means you should answer all parts of the question, your answer must be relevant, and you should provide supporting ideas for the points you are making.
2. Coherence and cohesion– Your writing should be structured, so it is easy to read and understand. This means you need to organise your ideas into paragraphs. It would help if you also linked your thoughts with words like, however, therefore and despite.
3. Lexical resource– To get a good score, you need to use a wide range of vocabulary. Not everything has to be 100% correct, but any errors you do make should be few and should not affect understanding.
4. Grammatical range and accuracy– As with vocabulary, you should use a variety of grammatical structures, and any grammatical errors should be few and should not affect understanding.

Now, let’s see how we can apply them to a candidate’s essay.

Exercise 1: Read a candidate’s IELTS Writing Task 2 essay

Read the essay below written by an IELTS candidate for IELTS Writing Task 2. As you read it, think about the four criteria and decide how well the writer performs on each of them. Make notes.

The world would be a better place if we all spoke the same language. Do you agree?

As the world becomes more interconnected with the growth of the Internet and cheaper travel, it is essential to examine the concept of a universal language. There are benefits in terms of travel and business, but a shared language threatens a loss of culture and identity.

Firstly, a common language would mean there are no language barriers. Travelling to different countries would be more comfortable and more accessible. In business, there would be less danger of misunderstandings. Furthermore, in situations of conflict where there are multiple troops from different countries, it would be easier for them to work together if they all spoke one language.

However, this would mean the loss of all other languages as they become unnecessary. The tongue is tied to culture. Through speaking a language, one is projecting cultural history and identity. Moreover, the way language changes reflect both the history of society and the current culture. Loss of a language means the loss of an essential part of the culture.

Additionally, there is evidence to show that language is linked to the way people think. People who speak multiple languages alter their thought process when they switch languages. The entire world speaking one language eliminates diversity of thought, threatening future development and invention.

In conclusion, although a universal language might make the world more comfortable in terms of cooperation, it would not be a better place. It would mean the loss of culture, identity and diversity of thought. In a long time, these losses outweigh the benefits.

When you have made your notes, read on to compare your notes with a teacher’s notes.

Teacher’s comments

1. Task achievement: She answers the question and all her points are relevant. (I’m not sure I see the point about ‘multiple troops’, though.) She gives examples and ideas to support her points, for example, three ideas to keep the issue about language barriers.
2. Cohesion and coherence: The structure is good with a clear introduction, three body paragraphs each dealing with one end, and a clearly stated conclusion. She makes fair use of signpost words like firstly, however, moreover and in conclusion.
3. Lexical resource: There is a good range of vocabulary, and the terms are used correctly. Examples: language barriers, diversity of thought, cultural history and identity, universal language.
4. Grammatical range and accuracy: Fair use of conditional structures in paragraph 2: a common language would mean…, there would be less danger…, Tenses are used correctly throughout. Proper use of complex sentences and relative clauses: there is evidence that shows that language is linked to…

Conclusion

This candidate has produced a perfect essay and could be awarded an IELTS Writing band score 8.

Exercise 2: Assess your IELTS essays

For this exercise, you will work with IELTS Writing Task 2 essays you have already completed. If you have not yet written any, go to IELTSpractice.com and find the Free Version of Road to IELTS (British Council’s official online IELTS preparation program). Navigate to writing –> Test Practice → Set 1. There you can download ‘Test Practice 1’ and complete Writing Task 2. Completing practice tests is essential, so you get comfortable with the different topics you will find in the final examination.

Try the task in exam conditions — or as close to it as you can get. This means timing yourself and limiting your time to 40 minutes. (There is a timer in Road to IELTS). It is also better to write the essay using pen and paper — even if you are planning to take computer-delivered IELTS. This is to avoid being helped by spell-checkers and grammar-checkers. The objective is to produce the best essay you can in the time available, without help.

Now look back at the examiner’s comments above. This tells you what they are looking for in Task 2, and you can use it as a framework to assess your performance. Go through your essay four times. Each time you are focusing on one of the four Task 2 marking criteria: task achievement, cohesion and coherence, lexical resource, grammatical range and accuracy.

The notes you make will have two benefits. Firstly, they will tell you about your strengths and weaknesses. This will help you plan your IELTS preparation. Secondly, you will be more aware of what the examiner looks for as you write your Writing Task 2 essay on your IELTS test day.

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