ielts academic writing

ielts academic writing

The Importance of IELTS Academic Writing

1. Introduction

The IELTS Task 2 essay is an academic essay but also for general candidates. It is, therefore, essential that you know what is meant by academic writing. The general purpose of academic writing is to present information to be used in some way. It is particularly important that in Task 2, you present clear and relevant ideas. The task is similar for both GT and academic students. However, academic students will be expected to show a deeper understanding through their use of more complex grammar, lexis, and more critical thinking skills. This is reflected in the way the four criteria are assessed. Task response, which is content, is the same for both types of candidates. Coherence and Cohesion are more emphasized for academic students on the basis that they will have to write reports and essays in the future. Finally, complex structures and higher-level vocabulary are part of what is assessed in Grammar and then LR. So, it is clear that understanding academic writing is an important aspect of achieving a good band in IELTS.

2. Understanding the IELTS Academic Writing Test

This simple guide to the essay will make it clearer as to the type of writing that is required in the IELTS academic writing test. In general, Task 1 and Task 2 focus on different types of writing where the former requires a description of information in a report and the latter requires an explanation or argument. Any candidate wanting a good band score should become familiar with these tasks and what is expected of them.

Writing the Essay: it is extremely important to write clearly and succinctly. Ambiguous writing or digressing from the topic will lower the marks. Every sentence in the essay should directly support the argument. Finally, after finishing with some time left, candidates should reread their essay and make any necessary changes. This is the final chance to gain more marks.

Planning: it is probably best to spend about 5 minutes planning and then roughly 30 minutes writing. Coming up with an essay plan that divides the essay into an introduction, 2-3 argument paragraphs, and a conclusion is often adequate. This will give an essay with 4-5 sentences in each paragraph and is the main structure of a high-scoring essay. The final task for this is to organize the arguments into a logical order which directly links to writing the essay.

Brainstorming: candidates should briefly note down some ideas, arguments, and supporting points for the essay.

Understanding the topic: make sure you are clear on what is being asked and what type of essay it is. Are you being asked to discuss two different views, argue in support of one view, or compare and contrast two different options?

Task 2 is an essay question. It is stated that candidates should spend around 40 minutes on this task. The essay must be at least 250 words and will be judged on the candidate’s ability to develop and support a point of view, not their opinion itself. In other words, candidates are rewarded for showing that they have considered a range of different views and have discussed the implications of these. For an argument and opinion type essay, this is the thesis statement, and so candidates may find that linking their essay to this will result in higher marks. Recommended steps in approaching this task are:

Developing an understanding of the IELTS academic writing test requirements is the first step towards a high score. The test consists of two tasks and Task 2 is worth double the marks of Task 1. So, around 60 minutes should be spent on Task 2 and 20 minutes on Task 1. The tasks are different in nature and so are the criteria for marks. Task 1 is a report on visual data which is a skill that people are increasingly needing to utilize in their everyday life. Often in the workforce, there is a requirement to report on data from a fixed source such as a table or graph, and so this is the type of task that may be encountered in the workplace.

3. Strategies for Effective IELTS Academic Writing

The second strategy is to plan your essay meticulously. This must involve a read of the question and a decision on the number of ideas the main paragraphs will consist of. The author uses the rule of 3, which seems to fit well with the 40-minute time allocation for Task 2. Usually tutorials have been conducted on deciding the number of paragraphs, but 4 or 5 often results in a rushed last paragraph and an incomplete task. Using a think sheet is another way to ensure the essay title is understood and that enough vocab and relevant examples are used. Write the essay title in the middle of the page and make branches with ideas. Think of the relevant vocabulary and put it in a sentence. If you struggle to do this, it is a clear indication that the idea itself has not been understood. A bullet point plan is also sufficient, but the importance is not to go straight on to writing. A full connection between brain and title should avoid having to scribble out a first idea and write a new one mid-essay. With Chinese New Year now passed, the author has this week tried out a think sheet with Korean students. The task is still to be marked, but first indications have that it has proved a success.

In order to fully understand and appreciate the importance of IELTS Academic writing, the author looks at a few strategies that she claims have been behind the success of her students. The most common question asked, she reports, is “how can I get a band score of 7 in writing?” As this is an overall translate to 7.0 on the IELTS scale, the approximate requirement for entry into an English speaking university, it indicates to her that students do not fully understand the assessment criteria for IELTS writing. The first and most vital strategy is then to make sure the students know what is expected of them. Task 2 is quite different to Task 1 and differs in the assessment criteria. Task achievement on Task 1, for example, is to describe what you see. However, on tasks 2 the band scores go from 0 to 9 for factors such as coherence and cohesion. So it is imperative that students practice both types of task and understand the marking criteria for each. This will avoid losing unnecessary marks on a task attempted well, but not fully understood. An additional point here may be for the student to compare the marking criteria themselves. Available online, this will give a clearer indication to what your strengths and weaknesses are. Task achievement? Range of vocabulary? Complex sentence structures? This may prove a painful experience for some, as briefly looking at one of my students’ reaction when comparing his criteria to mine will illustrate! (I got the 7.0).

4. Common Mistakes to Avoid in IELTS Academic Writing

Candidates need to learn to identify the target audience and write the letter in a style appropriate to the audience. Task 1 will have a definite target audience, and candidates should be aware of this when they write. Task 2 is an argument essay, so the candidate needs to consider different points of view and decide on an appropriate position.

Fail to write on Task (20) – IELTS writing is based on real-life situations of the candidate. In Writing Task 1, candidates are given a situation and asked to write a letter requesting information or explaining the situation. The letter may be personal, semi-formal, or formal in style. In Task 2, candidates write an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem. The essay can be slightly more personal in style than the Academic Writing Task 2 essay.

5. Conclusion and Final Tips

Last but not least, keep on practicing. Practice makes perfect, and you might learn a few things by reading this essay. But the only way to master this test is to keep practicing and try out various methods during the test. This is the test I used from Cambridge IELTS book 8. It’s an extremely important tool for anyone serious about improving their IELTS writing.

Time allocation is key in IELTS Writing Task 2. Make sure you leave yourself at least 40 minutes to write the main essay and 5 minutes to check for any mistakes in the end. One of the most effective ways of checking your own writing is to read it out loud. The ear can pick up most of the mistakes your eyes might have missed.

There are a lot of things you need for this test, but the most important thing of all is to stay calm. Remember, this is a test for your English abilities, not to see if you are a good person. Some of you might make mistakes because you are afraid of making an error. This is natural. What you need to do is anticipate this and try not to repeat the same mistake again.