ielts writing task 2 how to improve your ielts band score how to improve your ielts test bandscores

How to Improve your IELTS Test bandscores IELTS Reading: How to improve your IELTS Reading bandscore IELTS Speaking - How to improve your bandscoreIELTS Writing Task 2: How to Improve Yo

How to Improve your IELTS Test bandscores

IELTS Reading: How to improve your IELTS Reading bandscore

IELTS Speaking - How to improve your bandscoreIELTS Writing Task 2: How to Improve Your IELTS Band Score

IELTS Listening: How to improve your IELTS band score

IELTS Task 1 Writing (Academic) Test: How to improve your IELTS band score

Standalone

Proposal Writing - Smart Bids, Tenders and Proposals

How to Improve your IELTS Test bandscores

IELTS Reading: How to improve your IELTS Reading bandscore

IELTS Speaking - How to improve your bandscoreIELTS Writing Task 2: How to Improve Your IELTS Band Score

IELTS Listening: How to improve your IELTS band score

IELTS Task 1 Writing (Academic) Test: How to improve your IELTS band score

CHAPTER SIX Technique 6: Time Management

CHAPTER SEVEN Technique 7: Linking devices and expressions

CHAPTER EIGHT Technique 8: The conclusion: restatement or summaryCHAPTER NINE Technique 9: Common mistakes: syntax and lexis

How to get the band scores you need

IELTS Preparation Checklist

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Authors' Note

About the Authors

Issue 2

An IELTS guide from www.passieltshigher.com

First published in 2012

This Issue, Issue 2, published in 2017

The copyright of this document is vested in STMP Associates Ltd., the parent company which owns: the Pass IELTS Higher brand, the

www.passieltshigher.com website, the www.ieltstestprepcast.com website (now amalgamated with www.passieltshigher.com) and related products, and the document is sold only for the purpose for which it is supplied.

All rights reserved This book or any portion thereof may not be disclosed, reproduced, or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher.

Publisher:

STMP Associates Ltd.

27, Old Gloucester Street London, England WC1N 3AX www.passieltshigher.com

The names of companies and website addresses are provided for

information of readers with no intention whatsoever to infringe on

copyright or trademarks.

All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing in this guide are the property of their respective owners.

The information contained in this book is for information purposes only.

Users of this book are advised to do their own due diligence when it comes

to making learning decisions, and all information, products, and services that have been provided or recommended should be independently verified

by your own qualified professionals By reading this book, you agree that the authors and/or the publisher are not responsible for the success or failure of your IELTS Test.

For more information on the IELTS Test, please visit the official website at www.IELTS.org.

This book gives you, the IELTS Test candidate, detailed guidance on how you can improve your IELTS Writing Task 2 Test band score.

The IELTS Writing Task 2 Test is no different from any other exam or test type There are techniques, which can be practised and which will place candidates in a better position to answer each given question type.

This book teaches you those techniques for the IELTS Writing Task 2 Test.

Achievement(Task 1) and Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

Scores range from 0 to 9, and a 0.5 rate may also be given.

To better understand each criterion, carefully study the descriptors below.

of preparation.

During your practice and preparation, don’t forget to keep referring back and forth to these descriptors This will thoroughly guide you as you

progress.

This knowledge is the icing on your IELTS preparation cake In a

favourable way, of course.

The next table shows a comprehensive description of the English language capabilities required in each band score for Task 2 Writing.

The techniques are listed below, and each relates to a chapter in this book which teaches IELTS Test candidates the required skills.

CHAPTER ONE Technique 1: Reading and analysing the question

What are the really effective ways of “reading” the question?

Firstly, you should make sure you understand every word in the question.

In so doing, it is important to familiarise yourself with the range of possible topics in IELTS and the vocabulary associated with each.

Secondly, you should study the question itself Does it ask one or two things? Does it ask you to discuss something, give your opinion about a topic, agree

or disagree with an argument, or suggest a solution or solutions to a certain problem?

Finally, it is a good strategy to keep asking yourself, “what am I being asked

in this question?” What are the exact things I need to do? To help maintain focus, you should keep referring to these questions every now and then

during the test to ensure you are still addressing them in your answer.

Why is "analysing" an important step in Writing Task 2?

Being able to analyse the question fully is a great way to start with Writing task 2 Do not attempt to start writing if you are not confident that you have totally understood the question So it is a good idea to give yourself some

before you proceed to the planning stage After reading and fully

time for this stage - 5 minutes of understanding the question very well -understanding the question, it will become straightforward to write your answer Focus on what is being asked for before you start brainstorming for ideas.

One criterion examiners consider when assessing your work is how you answer the questions Just as in the IELTS Speaking Test, it is possible to express an answer without really thinking deeply.This is the same with the IELTS Writing Task 2 It’s about answering what you are being asked to answer.

Don’t waste your time on ideas that don’t succinctly answer the question Focus is the key, and don’t forget you are constrained by the time in which to finish the task.There is only a minimum of 250 words There is no maximum number but it is possible that the more words you write, the more mistakes you make.

How do we read and analyse the question?

Let’s consider a set of sample questions below The questions reflect the various types of question you may be asked to answer, and you will see what each of them asks you to do.

Question 1: Some people say that holding the Olympics in Britain will

benefit the country enormously Do you agree or disagree?

The question above presents an issue with which you have to either agree or

disagree If you agree with the first statement above, then you just need to give your reasons in the body of your essay If you disagree, you will have to

do the same.(Remember that you can always partially or almost completely agree or disagree).

To support your opinion, you may include your personal experience or give related examples.

Question 2: It is much better for people with children to live in the

countryside To what extent do you think this is true?

The question above is simply asking your opinion One important thing to

be careful with here is the phrase “to what extent” Take note that with this, you have to show some degree of your opinion In short, adverbs of degree would be of great help You may start by saying "I absolutely

agree/disagree"; "I partly agree"; "I really agree/disagree", etc.

It’s also possible if you show one side of the argument with some

corresponding points, and then you just emphasise that despite such, you are still for the other argument In this event, you need to provide more points to qualify your overall claim further.

Question 3: Britain is often criticised for being too lenient with its serious criminals, and much of the population believes that "life" should mean life Some people believe that less serious infringements of the law should be

treated differently Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

This is another type of question that might be given in the actual exam You

are first given a situation with an argument Instead of merely agreeing or disagreeing, you now need to discuss both sides in an in-depth manner After which, you may proceed to giving your personal opinion.

This structure is very common in essay writing since it’s a good way to

present your opinion when you have discussed both sides of the issue first.

In effect, the readers would not only learn from your viewpoints but also familiarise the issue more deeply by looking at every possible angle of the argument In short, you are trying to influence them with your opinion while educating them about an important matter, and it sounds really fair enough, doesn’t it?

Question 4: In some developed countries, personal tutors or teachers are

becoming very popular Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the

disadvantages?

Here is a topic that presents a kind of social observation or event With this kind of question, you need to give both the pros and cons of the trend; then, you need to state clearly whether it’s more beneficial or detrimental at all You may also support your answer with personal experience and relevant examples.

Question 5: With the advent of technology, plagiarism is becoming a very serious problem in many industries today Discuss the major causes and effects of this problem, and cite some possible solutions.

With the last type of question above, you have to explore any contemporary problem by discussing why it came to be or what might happen next with its existence Most importantly, there should be two or more suggested

measures in overcoming such a challenge that society has to deal with It’s

Activity A

Using each of the sample questions that I have provided, try to outline the possible things to include in your essay In other words, you need to state an overview on what you are going to answer for each task.

Some people say that holding the Olympics in Britain will benefit the

country enormously Do you agree or disagree?

It is much better for people with children to live in the countryside To what extent do you think this is true?

Britain is often criticised for being too lenient with its serious criminals, and much of the population believes that "life" should mean life Some people believe that less serious infringements of the law should be treated

differently Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

In some developed countries, personal tutors or teachers are becoming very popular Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

With the advent of technology, plagiarism is becoming a very serious

problem in many industries today Discuss the major causes and effects of this problem, and cite some possible solutions.

Answer 1

Some people say that holding the Olympics will benefit a country enormously.

Do you agree or disagree?

Don’t forget to paraphrase the words from the question first and then offer your opinion Your opinion is the final sentence of your introduction.

Hosting the Olympics will be greatly advantageous for the country and this can be shown in several ways.

Don’t forget to paraphrase the question before you offer your opinion in the final sentence of the introduction.

Although there are benefits to living in the countryside if you have a family, there are also disadvantages to be considered, too I must say, I partly

believe this is true.

This is your plan and not to be included in the introduction:

A) The benefits of living in the countryside The health benefit of being in a less-polluted environment It is also good for children to have a deep

affection for Mother Nature.

B) The advantages of living in the city, where there is accessibility and

convenience Every child should enjoy time with peers There is so much to discover in the urban community.

C) Some alternatives for the things that are good about the countryside I believe a healthy lifestyle and love for Mother Nature could still be present

in the city.

Answer 3

Britain is often criticised for being too lenient with its serious criminals, and much of the population believes that "life" should mean life Some people believe that less serious infringements of the law should be treated differently Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

Don’t forget to paraphrase the question before you explain in the final

The plan:

A) Some reasons why some people think the government is too lenient with its serious criminals.

B) Why others believe that this matter concerning infringements of the law should be taken to a different level of discussion.

C) There are more reliable and honest authorities who need to deal with this matter Also, there are important things the government considers in

imposing varying degrees of punishment to those criminals.

D) In as much as I respect some people’s opinion on "life punishment", especially when I think of those families who have lost their loved ones, I would like to trust that the government is doing its best to enact on the laws

of the land to the maximum level of justice possible I will also mention that taking life as a punishment does not necessarily assure justice in the end Hence, it only makes two murderers: the criminal himself/herself and the one who longs for justice in the light of revenge.

Note: Although this topic seems to be very politically, religiously, and

culturally sensitive, you don’t have to worry Remember that IELTS is a test of English proficiency, and your personal opinion does not affect your score Just consider the four criteria with which you are given a band score.

In some developed countries, hiring personal teachers or tutors is becoming very popular Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

Don’t forget to paraphrase the question before you offer your approach in the final sentence of the introduction.

Your plan:

A) Briefly, I will state a couple of disadvantages of this trend For instance, I may talk about the cost On top of that, the students’ performance in the actual classroom setting might be affected From my experience, I mention South Korea as a very good example where many students lose focus during class discussions, as they lack sleep due to late night lessons at home or at private academies In fact, its government just released a bill limiting the hours of private tutorial and imposing a curfew at 10:00 p.m.

B) However, there are still more benefits of such a trend To name a few, they could be related to preparing students for global competitiveness,

instilling in their minds the value of hard work, impressing on them the importance of education in today’s life, and teaching them how to be

responsible I will qualify each of these advantages by sharing my personal

or vicarious experience and relevant examples.

Answer 5

in many industries today Discuss the major causes and effects of this problem, and cite some possible solutions.

B) I will then discuss how this trend could ruin such industries Apart from that, great writers or thinkers might eventually be discouraged from

creating more It is also possible that the younger generation’s creativity and imaginative abilities would decline.

C) In the last part of the body, I will suggest a couple of possible solutions First of all, the government should be proactive in addressing this pressing issue One thing to be done is regulating certain activities in the Web or the virtual world Serious punishments could also be effective if disseminated properly It is all about public awareness after all.

Could you add more ideas? I advise you to research more on the issues that

we have just discussed in this lesson.

A favourite source of great speeches on various themes by contemporary speakers is www.ted.com.

CHAPTER TWO Technique 2: Essay format: planning and outlining

Why is planning essential in IELTS Writing Task 2?

You only have an hour to accomplish this task, so you need to know exactly what you must do in the actual exam For this task, you need to decide on the steps to take.

If you don’t have a plan in mind, you will waste some of your time on

unnecessary things Worse is when you get stuck with the brainstorming stage and end up with an incomplete essay or something that is hastily made If, as early in your preparation as possible, you fix the method to follow, the only thing that you will have to worry about is coming up with ideas.

You should then learn how to budget your time During your practice, you need to know how best to make use of the fixed time frame It’s really up to you on how you divide your time Each of us has different styles and

techniques Some can brainstorm very quickly, while others find it really difficult There are also those who can’t decide on how to finish the essay conclusion easily Concerns likes these should be considered at this stage.

Why is outlining important before writing the essay?

It is worth taking time to understand why you should structure your essay,

In essence, outlining serves as your guide as you write down your ideas during your IELTS Test On top of that, you really save time if you know how to outline your essay before brainstorming for supporting details We are really talking about organising the major components of your essay:

the introduction

the body

the conclusion.

You have to determine how many lines you can usually write in 40 minutes Remember that you just have to give a short and simple introduction and a conclusion.

Finally, the body should be clearly divided into paragraphs based on what idea each of them presents For example, if you are asked to give a personal opinion with corresponding reasons, you have to immediately decide how many you should give If you have 3, then you need to write three

paragraphs for the body.

How is planning Undertaken?

Since the introduction needs to be simple and short, the standard is always

of four or five sentences The final one will introduce the thesis statement and your approach Sometimes, this could be reversed though—depending

on the writer’s aim or style—but there’s really no harm if we just stick to the basics You could have 10 minutes for this along with reading and

analysing the question and brainstorming for ideas.

Next, the body is obviously what you need to spend the longest time on Perhaps 20 minutes for this would do There could usually be two or three paragraphs, depending on how many things the question asks you to do.

Finally, in the conclusion, which includes reviewing and some minor editing, another 10 minutes could also be taken I want to emphasise the necessity of these aforementioned steps Reviewing and correcting some minor lapses— including the spelling, grammar, and even punctuation—could significantly affect your band score.

How do we outline the essay quickly and effectively?

The very first thing to write as you answer the question is the thesis

statement This is the core of your essay It’s where you develop the whole essay from Having a good thesis statement marks that you have clearly understood the question, so it would be easy to answer.

You need to come up with main points that directly refer to the thesis

statement itself For instance, if in the thesis statement you mention your approach to the question, then you can enumerate each of them—

paragraph by paragraph in the body If there are two, there should also be two paragraphs with which you can expound your ideas If you are asked to give the causes and effects of a certain issue and the possible solutions, you may discuss causes in one paragraph, the effects in another, and one more for the solutions (Or you could deal with the causes, effects and solution of one problem in one paragraph and the second, in the second paragraph).

paragraph You either paraphrase the thesis statement or summarise the main points presented in the body You may also include a kind of

recommendation, challenge, or call of action or suggestion if necessary We shall go deeper into this topic in a subsequent chapter.

Activity A

With a set of sample questions below, practise your planning and outlining skills Briefly state how you will plan and outline each of them.

Some people say that holding the Olympics will benefit a country

enormously Do you agree or disagree?

It is much better for people with children to live in the countryside To what extent do you think this is true?

Britain is often criticised for being too lenient with its serious criminals, and much of the population believes that “life” should mean life Some people believe that less serious infringements of the law should be treated

differently Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

In some developed countries, personal tutors or teachers are becoming very popular Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

With the advent of technology, plagiarism is becoming a very serious

problem in many industries today Discuss the major causes and effects of this problem, and cite some possible solutions.

Answer 1

sentence that mainly states the reason why I agree with the statement I will further support this sentence with examples or personal and vicarious

experiences.

Conclusion:

I will paraphrase my thesis statement I have to make sure this does not sound like a mere repetition by varying the sentence structure as well.

Answer 2

It is much better for people with children to live in the countryside To what extent do you think this is true?

As usual, I need to introduce my thesis statement with a sentence that talks about living in the countryside or specifically about children living in the countryside Then, my thesis statement should express how much I agree with the statement since there is the phrase “to what extent” Hence, I will mention that I partly agree with the statement.

Body:

Since I mentioned that I partly agree, I should then enumerate the reasons why I favour the idea in one paragraph, and then I go on and talk about my disagreement in another I will also cite some personal experiences to

support my opinion.

Conclusion:

Here, I would like to summarise my main points Next, I will also include some reminders about when it is good for families with children to live in the countryside and when it is not.

Answer 3

Britain is often criticised for being too lenient with its serious criminals, and much of the population believes that “life” should mean life Some people believe that less serious infringements of the law should be treated differently Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

Introduction:

despite the opposing views about the issue, there is always a compromise; so

I need to mention that although I understand and respect those who think that serious criminals should be given life sentences, I still would favour a verdict of lifetime imprisonment.

Body:

This will be about the issue of life punishment In the next, I will express my own opinion, and I will make it sound convincing enough through related examples.

Conclusion:

Lastly, I will repeat what I have mentioned in the thesis statement in a

different way I can even make a call for action to those who are concerned with this kind of issue, such as the government More importantly, I will remind everyone that life is very sacred and that there should be maximum protection for everyone.

Answer 4

In some developed countries, hiring personal teachers or tutors is becoming very popular Do the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

Introduction:

Firstly, I will say something about hiring private tutors Then, I will directly say that the advantages of this trend apparently outweigh the

disadvantages, and this will be my thesis statement.

I only have to present my arguments saying why the advantages outweigh the disadvantages Before presenting the arguments, I will mention a couple

of disadvantages in one paragraph first However, I have to make sure that I can weaken those points as I present the advantages That is how I make my arguments even stronger After all, there is the term “outweigh”, and our main goal is to show how one side outweighs another.

Conclusion:

I can then summarise the main points or the topic sentences in the body I have to specify that the disadvantages are considered, but they are

overshadowed by the benefits of having a private teacher.

Answer 5

With the advent of technology, plagiarism is becoming a very serious problem

in many industries today Discuss the major causes and effects of this problem, and cite some possible solutions.

Introduction:

As usual, I need to begin with a sentence that talks about the topic After which, I need to mention that there are certain reasons why plagiarism is damaging to many industries today in various ways, and it’s important to respond to this challenge by taking necessary measures of minimising or controlling it.

In the first paragraph of the body, I will cite some causes and demonstrate how they affect certain industries at present In the next two paragraphs, I will enumerate major solutions to the problem I need to use examples and other related data to make my points more persuasive.

Conclusion:

Apart from repeating my thesis statement’s idea, I can also make my

conclusion more appealing by making a challenge to end this negative element in our modern society.

CHAPTER THREE Technique 3: Brainstorming for good ideas and opinions

What is brainstorming?

Brainstorming is a pre-writing skill you need to master in order to write well In IELTS Writing Task 2, you should do this step before analysing the question and presenting your answer Thus, there should be an intended time for this In short, this is as important as the other steps you consider both in the planning and the outlining stages.

Why is it very important in IELTS Writing task 2?

Even renowned and prolific writers brainstorm before writing This is

simply because they need to come up with the most appropriate and

brilliant ideas fit for the goal In your case, you are always asked to either discuss or give your personal opinion about a certain topic So you should decide which sets of information would best express your thoughts Hence, brainstorming in the context of IELTS is basically a mental decision-making you have to do in a short span of time.

What ideas should I write down?

How should I express them in sentences and then in paragraphs?

These are the questions you often deal with in the actual exam.

In the actual exam, brainstorming is done right at the moment of outlining However, you should do a lot of this activity in the whole preparation

period.

While practising for Task 2, you should pay special attention to this step every time you write an essay This would be particularly helpful on topics

or questions that are unfamiliar to you as you will earn marks for your

essay structure.

Write down any thoughts that come into your mind the moment you read a topic question Next, identify the very relevant ones and group them based

on their common theme or main idea.

Based on your list, you may research further and confirm if they are really accurate; if not, you may look for additional information from related books and online sources You won’t have access to these resources in the actual test but it will help you to learn what a good essay comprises.

How do we brainstorm effectively?

The best way to brainstorm is when you are focused or free from

distractions With full attention, you need to learn how to think of ideas quickly but accurately.

Finally, it is essential that you are good at note taking Whatever ideas come into your brain should be written down systematically so that it is easier to refer to them during the actual writing.

Activity A

Below are three sample task 2 questions Brainstorm for ideas you might use to respond to each.

We are becoming increasingly dependent on technology It is used in

businesses, hospitals, crime detection, and even flying planes What will this

be used for in the future? Is this dependence on technology a good thing, or should we be more suspicious of its benefits? Give reasons and examples from your own experience in your answer.

It is better to be happy than rich Do you agree? Give reasons for your

answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Research indicates that the characteristics we are born with have much more influence on our personality and development than any experiences

we may have in our life Which do you consider to be the major influence? Give reasons for your answer, and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Answer 1

We are becoming increasingly dependent on technology It is used in

businesses, hospitals, crime detection, and even flying planes What will this be used for in the future? Is this dependence on technology a good thing, or