Writing tips

These 5 mistakes stop people from reaching a Band 7. Can you see any of these in your writing?

1. Not paraphrasing the task statement

Rephrase the task question in your own words to demonstrate that you’ve understood it. Using synonyms and changing the sentence structure helps. For example, if the task says, “Some people believe that too much money is spent on protecting animals and their habitats. To what extent do you agree?” you could paraphrase it as “Many argue that wildlife protection is too costly”.

2. Not answering all parts of the question

The task often has multiple parts—make sure you address each one clearly. If you miss a part, you’ll lose marks for Task Response. For example, if the question asks about both the advantages and disadvantages of a topic, make sure you discuss both. Ignoring one part could cost you points.

3. Not starting every paragraph with a topic sentence

A topic sentence sets the tone for the paragraph and keeps it focused. Without it, your writing may lack direction. For example, if your paragraph is about the benefits of exercise, your topic sentence could be: “One major advantage of regular exercise is its positive impact on physical health.” This makes it clear what the paragraph will focus on.

4. Listing too many ideas, but not developing them

Instead of throwing out a bunch of ideas without much detail, practice in writing about two key points per paragraph, and back them up with explanations and examples. This adds depth to your argument.

5. Writing paragraphs that are too long or too short

Some students write huge paragraphs because they try to cram in too much information without breaking it up. Others just randomly divide their essay into very short ones because they don’t understand the purpose of paragraphing. Find a balance – each paragraph should focus on one main point with enough detail to explain it clearly.

Check your next essay for these 5 mistakes and rewrite it, if necessary – this is the fastest way to raise your score. It will put you on the right track to score a Band 7 or above!

Which of these mistakes can you find in your own essay? Let me know in the comments!

If you are getting stuck trying to write your IELTS essay, 90% of the time it is because of the writer’s block.

This problem is incredibly common and is a major source of pain in IELTS preparation. You’ve read the essay topic but can’t think of any ideas to write about.

Do this exercise to overcome the writer’s block and easily generate ideas for any essay topic you may get in IELTS:

Preparation: Put together a list of 5 IELTS essay topics (you can use the ones we post on IELTS-Blog.com or any other reliable source).

1. Analyse the first topic on your list to understand what you need to write about.

2. Set a timer for 5 minutes.

3. Spend these 5 minutes thinking of 2-3 main ideas for your essay. Write them down, but don’t proceed to writing the actual essay.

4. Move on to the next topic on your list & repeat the process.

This exercise will do 2 things for you:

A) It will train your brain to generate ideas quickly, and
B) By the end of it you will have notes that will help you write 5 essays.

Note: If you can’t come up with any ideas on a particular topic, it means you need to do some research! Find some model essays written for that topic and see what other people are writing about. It will give you ideas of what you can cover in your essay. That way, if you’ve done this exercise enough, you won’t have knowledge gaps. After all, the list of IELTS topics isn’t endless 😉

Keep practicing and soon you will get rid of the writer’s block for good!

What other problems are you struggling with in IELTS writing? Let me know in the comments!