IELTS writing consists of 2 compulsory tasks.

Each of these tasks are scored with respect to 4

different criteria. The examiner assesses your IELTS Academic Writing, as well as General Training
Writing, test on the below listed criteria. Each criteria contributes 25% of your total marks for
Task 1 and Task 2.

1. Task Achievement (Task 1) - This criterion examines the overview and information that you
provide, details of your content and the accuracy with which you have mentioned the key
features and illustrations. There is a minimum number of words, 150 at least.

Task Response (Task 2) - In this criterion, the type of response that you write for the essay type
question is determined. It assesses the main idea of your essay and the way you develop it with
relative examples. You are required to write minimum of 250 words for Task 2. Otherwise, you
will be penalized for under word count.

The achievement includes fully addressing all parts of the task and presenting an amply
developed position in an answer to the question with relevant, fully extended and well
supported ideas. Excelling in this part of the assessment is related to careful reading of the
instructions, since addressing means fulfilling the task. “An amply developed position”, simply
saying, means that you need to give elaboration and even examples to support your arguments.

2. Coherence and Cohesion - Your information organization, paragraphing skills and use of
proper lexical devices (for example, connectors, conjunctions) is determined.

a) Coherence refers to the flow of your writing. It relates to how well your essay is
organized and logically your ideas are sequenced. When you write an essay, your
motive is to express your ideas precisely whereas the objective of the examiner is how
easily he can understand your ideas while reading it. Main complication for many
candidates is the illusive necessity of redundant complexity.

b) Cohesion, speaking plainly, means linking words that help you connect ideas. It also
relates to how sentences are linked together from a paragraph and how paragraphs are
linked together to form an essay. To be cohesive, it is imperative, that you do not mix
up more than one idea in a single paragraph. Instead, you should analyze one particular
point, elaborate it, and provide suitable example to prove that point.

3. Lexical Resource - The use of sufficient range of vocabulary, proper spellings, correct
implementation of collocations, and word formation are taken care of while scoring this criterion.
You must avoid using wrong words and informal language.

A key factor is using a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control of
lexical features; meaning preciseness is required while choosing one word over another.

4. Grammar Range and Accuracy - To score this criterion, things taken into consideration include
sentence structures, proper use of tenses, putting right punctuations, use of simple as well as
complex statements with clear idea and control over Grammar.
As far as IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 concerned, there are four main types of essays, although
resources may state differently. Mainly, Task 2 requires a candidate to have mastered Abstract
and Critical thinking.

a) Abstract thinking is a thinking characterized by the ability to use concepts and to make and
understand generalizations, such as of the properties or patterns shared by a variety of specific
items or events. In comparison with concrete reasoning, where the users are comfortable with
what exists right now, abstract thinkers can think about objects, principles, and ideas that are not
physically present. Ergo, it is related to symbolic thinking, which uses the substitution of a symbol
for an object, Writing task 2 does not, hence, cause any apparent difference.

b) Critical thinking is objective analysis and evaluation of an issue in order to form a judgement.
Critical thinking is a domain-general thinking skill; the ability systematically improves the way we
express our ideas. Management of thoughts and logical connections between ideas are the best
example of one with critical thinking. Furthermore, it enables identifying, constructing and
evaluating arguments. Abstract thinking can be enhanced by using metaphors and analogies.
Reading is yet another boost to critical thinking improvement.

MUST-AVOID COMMON MISTAKES

Hastiness, or an attempt to impress an examiner, or lack of attentiveness sometimes bring about

to mistakes of sort:

1. Vague/Slang language - words and phrases that are not exact and precise. Slang is, plainly
speaking, very informal language. Slang usually refers to particular words and meanings that can
include rather longer expressions or idiomatic meaning.

2. Very short sentence - generally speaking, a short sentence works well at the start of a
paragraph, to introduce the topic to grab a readers attention, or at the end to summarize and
signal completion. Preliminary and Conclusive sentences are known to grip reader’s focus, hence
smaller than average sentences, but not short.

3. Incorrect Sentence Structure - any attempt of inaccurate word order or lack of main sentence
components lead to incorrect sentence structures. Should a subject or predicate be deficient in
the sentence, it will be referred as a fragment, thus bearing distortion in meaning. Usually, direct
translations from a candidate’s native language (e.g. Russian or Uzbek) are the reason for this
issue to emerge.

4. Too Long and Complex Sentences - it is common that a student stuffs too many things into a
sentence, or has an urge to make it overly complex. The knowledge of complex or combined
sentences usage in English is a key to successful writing. Proust’s 958-word sentence is surely an
anomaly on its way, yet sophisticated sentence, though be it average, is much more appreciated
and understood. The number 30 is the very limit for an average sentence.

5. Repetitive Words - Effective writing utilizes repetition to reinforce important ideas, however
not going overboard with it. Pi may also go on forever, but your writing should not. Eschew
sesquipedalian diction, in other words do not use long words when small ones will do. Next is
wordy expressions; brevity is the soul of wit.

6. Inappropriate Word Choice - Every now and then, one may use a word that is completely
wrong, either in English or in the native language. Words should be cautiously chosen before it is
written, despite the preference of the writer, so a reader could completely understand what you
mean.

7. Overuse of Cohesive Devices - Cohesive devices are the connectors, conjunctions, linking
words or phrases, and transitional words. The devices are used in various of occasions:

a) Adding Ideas: furthermore, in addition (to), moreover;

b) Contrasting Ideas: however, on the other hand, nevertheless;

c) Stating Examples: for instance, for example, to give an example/instance, by way of

illustration;

d) Explaining Results: consequently, as a result, therefore, hence, ergo;

e) Maintaining Sequence: firstly, next, to begin with, meanwhile, before;

f) Providing Explanations: because (of), due to, the reason why, since;

g) Concluding Ideas: in conclusion, to sum up, to recap/recapitulate, to reiterate;

h) Introducing Points: another point that I would like to add, in my opinion/perspective,

what’s more is that;

Due to abundant possibilities of usage, it is crucial to not overdo with cohesive devices.

Once you comprehend the basics of the language and the requirements of the discursive essays,
you are all set to start the essay.

So let’s start now.

Step 1: Read the topic of the essay and the question; decide whether you understood the topic.
Better understanding of the topic ensures better essay.

Step 2: Read the question of the task: question iterates the task itself; earlier we have seen
assessment criteria of the task 2, wherein task achievement/response is labeled as a criterion.
Your essay needs to fit the requirement of the question.

Step 3: Take your time to plan your essay: planning is vital to a good essay. Think of the
ideas/arguments that you are about right, organization of the essays, examples and so on.
 The components of the essay

A good essay contains several components depending on the type of the essay and the topic:
Introduction, for instances, must have topic question in a paraphrased form and explanation if
necessary, and at the a thesis statement. Body Part includes support and the evidence of the
given topic. Lastly, Conclusion which wraps all the arguments and evidences, restating the main
points of the essay.

Introduction: Only 3 parts are crucial to have in this part of the essay, yet the hardships occur
while putting them all together. Below, I would like to explain them thoroughly:

1. Paraphrasing involves taking a passage or sentence and rewording regardless them being
either written or spoken. Paraphrased sentence of the topic - it is the sentence that introduces
the topic of the essay.

2. Having introduced the topic, next step will be to explain the topic; in most of the cases the
topic is either an esoteric statement or simplified to an absurdly exoteric degree. In any of the
cases, you need to make the statement of the task clear and show that you have understood it
well.

3. Now, this is the step where everything gets tricky. For writing further, one must comprehend
what the thesis is, how it is used.

A thesis statement:

 tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.

 is a road map for the essay; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the
essay.
 directly answers the question asked of you. A thesis is an interpretation of a question or subject,
not the subject itself.
 makes a claim that others might dispute.

If your assignment asks you to take a position or develop a claim about a subject, you may need to
convey that position or claim in a thesis statement near the beginning of your draft. The assignment
may not explicitly state that you need a thesis statement because your instructor may assume you
will include one. When an assignment asks you to analyze, to interpret, to compare and contrast, to
demonstrate cause and effect, or to take a stand on an issue, it is likely that you are being asked to
develop a thesis and to support it persuasively.

Body Part: Now we will continue with a body part, where there is no universal structure but basic
ones. Paragraph development begins with formulation of your the controlling idea or a topic idea.
Hence is the the first step: Create a topic sentence. In some cases, you may need more than one
sentence to express a paragraph’s main idea, which usually depends on the complexity of the idea.
Step two is to explain what’s been said. The writer needs to explain, focus or rationalize the topic
sentence of the paragraph. The next step is to give an example (or multiple examples). Paragraph
development progresses with the expression of some type of support or evidence for the idea that
came before. The example serves as a sign of the relationship established in the idea and explanation
portions of the paragraph. The next movement, step four, is an explanation of the examples and its
relevance to the topic sentence and rationale that were stated at the beginning of the paragraph. This
explanation shows readers why you chose to use this particular example as evidence to explain your
major claim in your paragraph. None of the examples should be left unexplained. The final step
involves tying up the loose ends of the paragraph and reminding the reader of the relevance of the
information in this paragraph to the main idea of the essay. Which is usually called conclusion of a
paragraph. At this point, before you start you have two cases; first to make conclusion of the
paragraph, or the second is to make a transition to the next paragraph.

Notice that the example and explanation steps of this 5-step process (steps 3 and 4) can be
repeated as needed. The idea is that you continue to use this pattern until you have completely
developed the main idea of the paragraph.

Conclusion: Your conclusion is your chance to have the last word on the subject. The conclusion
allows you to have the final say on the issues you have raised in your essay, to synthesize your
thoughts, to demonstrate the importance of your ideas, and to propel your reader to a new view of
the subject. It is also your opportunity to make a good final impression and to end on a positive note.

One or more of the following strategies may help you write an effective conclusion:

A) Play the “So What” Game. If you’re stuck and feel like your conclusion isn’t saying anything
new or interesting, ask a friend to read it with you. Whenever you make a statement from your
conclusion, ask the friend to say, “So what?” or “Why should anybody care?” Then ponder that
question and answer it.
B) Return to the theme or themes in the introduction. This strategy brings the reader full circle.
For example, if you begin by describing a scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that
your essay is helpful in creating a new understanding. You may also refer to the introductory
paragraph by using key words or parallel concepts and images that you also used in the introduction.
C) Synthesize, don’t summarize. Include a brief summary of the essay’s main points, but don’t
simply repeat things that were in your essay. Instead, show your reader how the points you made and
the support and examples you used fit together. Pull it all together.

Finally do not use cliches in your essay, especially in your conclusion. For that, there are
several must-avoid mistakes for you:
1. Beginning with an unnecessary, overused phrase such as “in conclusion,” “in summary,” or “in
closing.” Although these phrases can work in speeches, they come across as wooden and trite
in writing.
2. Stating the thesis for the very first time in the conclusion.
3. Introducing a new idea or subtopic in your conclusion.
4. Ending with a rephrased thesis statement without any substantive changes.
5. Making sentimental, emotional appeals that are out of character with the rest of an analytical
essay.
6. Including evidence (examples, statistics, etc.) that should be in the body of the essay.