IELTS is a standardized English Language test that is used for university admissions and also for immigration purpose. It has four modules- reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The writing module includes an essay task. The IELTS writing module is not as difficult as it seems. Authentic preparation materials have always guided the learner to follow steps to write easily, accurately and logically to succeed in bringing out the desired result.
With right preparation and practice, one can easily achieve a high band score to the extent of 9 in the exam. In this article, the focus is majorly on writing task module 2 and it will show how to get a band score of 9 which generally students find hard to handle. Lets explore in detail why it is easy to tackle the issue.
What are the reasons behind this?
There are several reasons why IELTS writing module is seen as the most difficult part to prepare for. However, the truth is completely the opposite.
One of the reasons being, there are many examples and samples in the past papers to help you write an essay with better quality and structure. Moving further, there are no strict rules on how to answer questions and what to write about, which means you have more freedom to express your thoughts in your own way. With no fixed formula to adhere to, the learner is free to play with his/her creativity.
IELTS writing module is all about following the four parameters as prescribed by the IELTS. Task Response/Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource (Vocabulary) and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The guidelines have been clearly laid down by IELTS. One needs to study them carefully and prepare on these guidelines to achieve the desired band score.
Why learners fear about the writing module?
Many publication houses, bring out the material and wish to train the students for the writing module. However, most of the time, they do not stick to the expectations of the test takers.
It has been observed that more than the students, it is the trainers who are confused about the writing task. They tend to divide the task into certain parts and train the students accordingly.
Generally, it is advocated by them that an essay question can be categorized into four to five types. This is not only confusing but baseless too. This confusion ultimately creates a fixed pattern in the minds of the learners and gives a perception of the writing module being tough.
Another reason is that trainers lack motivation to refer to various material before training the learners about the subject. Authentic publications being costly, trainers are not in a position to purchase them or lay hands on them through libraries. In this case, they try to deliver the sessions as per the limited reference.
Moving further, one more reason that has come into light is learners being ignorant about the band descriptors. The detail explanation is hardly read, analyzed or understood by the trainers and learners. This in turn, does not lead to the preparation in a proper direction. Learners prefer to memorize certain sentence structures and put it in the exam paper which ensures bad impression and a bad output, leading to a low band score.
What should be done before taking the exam?
In order to be well prepared and achieve a high band score between 7 and 9 bands, one needs to practice with proper understanding. There are certain things a learner preparing for IELTS writing module should pay attention to before taking the exam.
Understand the Descriptors:
First of all, one needs to get rid of the assumption that IELTS writing module is a tough nut to crack. Any task when learned and prepared in a proper way, definitely leads to success.
Secondly, one needs to study the band descriptor guidelines thoroughly and be completely familiar with the tasks expected:
- Task Achievement/ Task Response
- Coherence and Cohesion
- Lexical Resource(Vocabulary)
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Thoroughly understand them, be clear why certain type of output receives the particular band.
Develop a disciplined reading habit:
Strange but true, the more one reads, the more one writes.
A learner should have the habit of intensive reading. Not only will this help attempting the reading module but will also be beneficial for the writing module.
One would be able to bring in lots of examples from the real world with the intense reading. It would improve the usage of vocabulary and accuracy too. One starts understanding the style of writing and how the paragraphs can be linked while dealing with a certain topic.
Beware of the success tips on the Internet:
There are several self-proclaimed trainers on the internet who come up with sure shot solutions and tips to clear IELTS easily. This trap needs to be highly avoided, since it does more harm than good and leads the learners in a wrong direction.
Trust authentic sources like Cambridge and www.ielts.org to understand the examination pattern and attempt some practice tests.
Authors like Pauline Cullen, Louis Hashmi, David Wills, Jay (Australia), Simone Braverman have published valuable authentic material in print and on their websites and on youtube. This can certainly be a good source for learning.
Avoid the QUESTION TYPE trap:
Another major thing to be considered is not falling into the trap of QUESTION TYPE.
The learner has to understand that all essay questions asked in the IELTS writing module are discursive essay questions in one way or the other. One needs to provide one’s opinion clearly in the essay. The learners are required to provide reasons and examples from their own learning experiences and should not produce memorized phrases or sentence structures.
The IELTS writing task 2 module has ample number of questions and one is not aware from what topic the question might appear in the examination. So, a wide range of topics need to be tackled before the date of examination.
Be familiar with the essay structure:
Several learners are confused about the structure of the essay in writing task 2. Usually an essay consists of the following parts:
- Introduction
- Body Paragraph 1
- Body Paragraph 2
- Body Paragraph 3 (Optional)
- Conclusion
While the introduction should be kept short(approximately 3 to 4 sentences) in order to write more in the body paragraphs, the conclusion should always be more than one sentence. Learners often make the mistake of concluding the essay in one sentence, which does not do proper justice to the essay.
Vary your sentence structures:
Imagine you are given a paragraph or an essay to read with simple sentence structures. What would be your reaction? Not much interesting? Exactly.
In the IELTS writing task examination, you are expected to vary your sentences. It is advisable you use a mixture of simple sentences, compound sentences, complex sentences, relative clauses, conditional sentences and concession(mostly in the conclusion).
However, there are certain pitfalls to avoid. The sentences should be grammatically correct, and also relevant.
Irrelevant sentences make no sense and should not be used to fulfil the criteria of 250 words.
Grammar, Vocabulary and Passive voice:
IELTS academic module essays are usually written in passive voice since academic essays mostly follow the passive structure. It does not mean you are forbidden to write sentences in active voice. But limit them to the minimum as much as possible.
Grammar is one difficult part with most of the IELTS learners appearing for the IELTS writing module. A higher level of grammar knowledge is expected for a good band score of 7 and above.
Don’t let the tenses, tense you. Get a grip over them along with the other grammatical structures and use them accurately and with flexibility in the exam.
A major issue with the leaners is the usage of punctuation. Incorrect usage has been one of the major issue for this particular examination.
Moving on to the vocabulary part, you are not expected to use a high level of vocabulary; but you need to avoid repeating words by displaying a wide range and accurate usage. Too many misfits may not lead to a desired outcome.
Make your STAND(Position) clear:
A vital necessity is the STAND (position) which a learner takes while writing an essay.
The stand should be absolutely clear and not confusing. It may appear in the beginning, in the body paragraphs or in the conclusion or throughout the essay but it needs to be clear or it may not lead to the desired success.
The leaner needs practice solving the past exam paper questions, brining in their personal creativity with examples and reasons and it is equally important to get the IELTS writing module practice work get assessed by a qualified trainer. The Internet is full of self-proclaimed experts who put down their views and publish articles alluring the learners. They provide TIPS to a sure shot success in IELTS. Do not ever succumb to such gullible offers.
Understand what writing task 2 is all about, follow a normally expected structure of the essay, research various topics, create your own points and examples, practice a lot and get the practice work assessed by the qualified trainers.
You can download the IELTS writing task 2 band descriptors from the following link: https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/ielts_task_2_writing_band_descriptors.pdf
Following the above steps, achieving a band score of 9 in IELTS writing module would definitely be a YES.