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IELTS advice from Band 9 achiever – Part 5, Writing tips.

Today I am sharing with you some good tips that Debashis used in his IELTS Writing exam. There is one clarification though, before we move on – not many IELTS test centers allow using pencils for the Writing tasks. The one Debashis took his test in, in the UK, obviously did allow pencils, however in my experience the majority of test centers make people use pens in the Writing section.

IELTS Writing – General tips.

Key points – Write in pencil if possible (easier to erase for corrections), and carry a good stock of words to avoid constant sharpening. Use a good stock of words, and minimise spelling mistakes.

1. I carried a red pen with me for annotation, but decided to WRITE THE LETTER AND ESSAY IN PENCIL, as it is easier to erase a line. Carry a good supply of pencils and erasers to avoid having to sharpen them. I took the ones with ‘press-down tips’, basically a long piece of graphite inside a plastic coating, which is clicked to enable a nib to emerge each time it erodes.

2. Needless to say, have a good stock of words and minimise spelling mistakes (click here to read how).

3. What are the factors that make a person look beautiful? These will be the same elements that will make your letter and essay appear beautiful. The four components are :

(a) skeleton (structure)

(b) muscles / fat (content)

(c) skin (wrapping)

(d) balance (harmony)

If any one factor weakens, the overall appeal falls. Someone with lustrous skin may lose attraction if they are too thin or large. A muscular person will have less charm with sagging skin.

Finally, individually beautiful parts that fail to integrate will make your construction appear piece-meal, like a Picasso painting, or someone with flawless Nordic skin on one half of her face and beautiful Mediterranean skin on the other!!

3 thoughts on “IELTS advice from Band 9 achiever – Part 5, Writing tips.”

  1. Pingback: IELTS in Australia - November 2009 (General Training) | IELTS-Blog

  2. Hi Debashis,

    Is it allowed to annotate or underline words in your essays if with in pencil, with red pen maybe?

    Regards
    Debjani

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Simone Braverman is the founder of IELTS-Blog.com and author of several popular IELTS preparation books, including Ace the IELTS, Target Band 7, the High Scorer's Choice practice test series, and IELTS Success Formula. Since 2005 her work has helped 100,000's of students worldwide achieve their target IELTS scores and live their dream lives. When Simone isn't working on her next IELTS book, video lesson, or coaching, she enjoys playing the guitar or rollerblading.