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IELTS essay top tip 1/10: Don't fall into traps! | Langu blog

IELTS essay top tip 1/10: Don't fall into traps!

IELTS Essay Top Tip 1/10: Don't Fall into Traps!

IELTS Essay Top Tip 1/10: Don't Fall into Traps!

Do you think the Writing section is tough?

You're not alone.

According to official IELTS data, people across the world score the lowest on the Writing section. This also seems true to me, looking at my own students' experiences. 

Based on our work to improve their scores, I have put together a list of my top 10 tips for the IELTS Writing task 2 (essay) based on the most common mistakes students make.

This is the first of a series of 10 posts all aimed at helping you improve your IELTS Writing score.

IELTS essay top tips 1/10: Don't fall into traps!

Falling into traps will cost you many points for reasons unrelated to your English proficiency. It is therefore easy to avoid if you're careful! Here is a short guide.

The very first thing you should do when you start working on your writing task is to read the essay question carefully and establish what the essay question is actually asking you to do. 

It might seem obvious, but that's where many bright students tend to fall into traps and get low scores regardless of their advanced writing skills. By misunderstanding the essay question, you build a weak foundation for the entire essay and you will certainly struggle to get a high score, even with perfect grammar and a sophisticated vocabulary. And that would be such a shame.

Luckily, it's easy to avoid this mistake. Start by identifying the essay question type, and keep it in mind while planning and writing the essay. Is the essay asking you to suggest a solution to a problem? Or is it asking you to list the advantages and disadvantages of something? Or to express an opinion? If it's asking you for your opinion, what exactly is it asking you to express your opinion on?

Here is an example essay question:

Education is not a luxury, but a basic human right and as such should be free for everyone irrespective of personal wealth.
Do you agree or disagree?

This question is clearly asking you express an opinion on whether education is a basic human right and should be free to everyone. You might actually have strong feelings about this topic — don't let that get in the way of writing clearly. In a situation like this, many students will write an essay (or a paragraph) expressing suggested solutions to the problem, rather than stating clearly whether they agree or disagree. 

Here's an example of this sort of swaying in the wrong direction:

"University education can often cost a lot of money. It should be subsidised to people who cannot afford it, which should include free accommodation on campus."

This is great information, but it's not really discussing the core question: do you agree that education is a basic human right, and should it be free? A better way to approach it is to say something along those lines:

"I agree that education is a basic human right and should be free. Young people deprived of education have unequal chances in the world, compared to people who finished school."

A helpful technique helping to fully understand the meaning of the essay question is to identify it as one of the four common IELTS essay question types. These are the four most common question types:

  1. Opinion (agree or disagree)
  2. Advantages and Disadvantages
  3. Problem and Solution
  4. Discussion (discuss both points of view)

Bear in mind that a fifth category also pops up: a mixed question, which asks you to answer to separate questionsHere, you may be asked, for example, to express both your opinion and suggest solutions to a problem.

Here is another very good article explaining how to recognise all the types, and how to deal with them. It's worth reviewing it now and keep it in mind the next time you practice writing your task 2.

So remember, the first thing you do when you read the question is to establish what kind of answer it requires. 

May the force be with you! :)


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Read more:
IELTS Essay Top Tip 1/10: Don't Fall into Traps!
IELTS Essay Top Tip 2/10: Make a Solid Plan
IELTS Essay Top Tip 3/10: Write a Strong Introduction
IELTS Essay Top Tip 4/10: Most Common Mistakes in the Introduction

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The author is an experienced English and IELTS teacher, and an Oxford University graduate. She got a 9.0 on her IELTS exam herself.

Categories: IELTS, Learning English, Posts in English