The IELTS writing tasks may seem daunting at first, but with the right strategies and regular practice, they are not insurmountable. You have 40 minutes to produce a formal essay of at least 250 words for the IELTS writing task 2. You will be asked to respond to a debate, a social issue, a problem with potential solutions, or a discussion of various viewpoints. You can be asked to answer a two-part question, analyze the problem and offer solutions, explain benefits and drawbacks, or indicate if you agree or disagree with a statement. Since each form of essay has a slightly distinct structure and methodology, it is crucial to read and determine which kind you are requested to write. Consider setting aside five to seven minutes for planning before you start your essay. Many people just read and write, which leads to poor organization and coherence as well as a confused understanding and thought process. Rather, please carefully read the prompt and understand all parts of the question and plan accordingly.
Tips to crack the IELTS writing task 2
1. Understand the question completely
Fully comprehending the question is the most important task in writing. Spend some time reading and considering the question thoroughly before you start writing your essay. Determine the topic keywords and task words. Staying on topic is ensured by having a thorough comprehension of the question. Your score will suffer if you write an essay that does not satisfy the task requirements because you misunderstood the question or ignored any of its parts.
2. Plan your essays
As I mentioned earlier, planning is everything. Create a brief outline that contains your primary ideas for each paragraph, along with supporting examples to back them up. Choose your stand and how you will rationally explain it. Plan which standard lexical resources you can utilize in the essay without repetition. Planning will allow you to ensure a logical flow of ideas if you have a brief, well-thought-out strategy.
3. Use clear and formal language
Use formal, unambiguous language when writing. Avoid using slang language pr informal terms like: “kids, a lot of stuff/things, kinda, etc.”. Usage of contractions must also be avoided, such as “ won’t, can’t, don’t, etc.”. Use formal phrases and academic vocabulary like “ it can be argued that” or “this results in a significant benefit”. Usage of inappropriate and informal language can result in a lower lexical resources band score.
4. Support every idea with an example
It is crucial to provide examples to back up each point. Do not just assert a point; support it with a real or hypothetical example. For instance, if you mention the advantages of online education, you can support your argument with an example of how it helps students in rural areas. Examples help you in strengthening your argument and fulfill the IELTS task response requirement more successfully.
5. Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures
Use a variety of lexical resources and sentence structures to get a high band score. This implies that you should be able to express the same concept in a variety of ways and be familiar with a range of synonyms. In addition, to make your writing more interesting and grammatically sophisticated, change up your sentence constructions by using compound and complex sentences. Particularly for achieving band 7 and higher, the examiners look for lexical and grammatical variety.
6. Use linking words
Using linking words helps you to connect your ideas more naturally. Words like, in addition, moreover, in contrast, firstly, secondly, as a result, on the flip side, etc, can be used to give the essay a good flow. However, use them wisely. Overusing these connectors will make your essay look unnatural and mechanical. The correct usage of these words will help you for a smooth transition from one point to the other or from one paragraph to the next. Smooth logical transitions are essential for an essay to achieve a high band score.
7. Answer all parts of the question
Make sure you address every aspect of the question. Some essays ask you to discuss a problem and offer solutions, or they may ask you if you agree or disagree with the statement given and share your opinion. Even if your essay is excellent overall, not answering all parts of the question can cost you your band score. Comprehend all parts of the question and answer wisely. If they did not ask you to share your views or opinion, then you do not need to do so.
8. Check grammar and spelling errors
Set aside at least 5 minutes at the end of your writing to check the grammatical and spelling errors that you might have made. Keep an eye out for frequent errors while practicing writing. This will help you not repeating your mistakes and can spot them if you did so. Make sure you check the, improper verb tenses, articles, over use of vocabulary, punctuation marks, spellings subject-verb-agreement etc. even simple grammatical mistakes can impact your grammatical range and accuracy score.
9. Practice witing under timed conditions
Always practice writing under timed conditions. Give yourself precisely fourty minutes to complete the essay, without the use pf internet or any other softwares. Your confidence and speed is what matters. If you can write and check your essay under fourty minutes, then you are in for a win. The more you practice under realistic setting, the more prepared your are for the actual test.
10. Get feedback and keep improving
Finally, do not underestimate the importance of taking feedbacks. This will help you to improve your essays. Discuss your writing with your tutor who is knowledgeable about IELTS requirements. Examine your essays with model answers. Compare them and make improvements as needed. Progress requires recoganizing and fixing these errors or else you may keep repeating the same mistake unknowingly.
To succeed on IELTS writing task 2, you must comprehend the question, arrange the ideas clearly and express in a formal language. By following the tips mentioned above, you will be able t score high band score in your writing task 2. With consistent effort and constructive feedback IELTS is not that hard to crack. Practice well and be consistent. All the best for your IELTS test.