The most common mistakes in IELTS Writing Using contractions (for example
‘I don’t think’ or ‘
We can’t say’ )
instead of the full form (‘
I do not think’ or ‘
we cannot say.’ ) Never use contractions in academic writing.
Writing too few words. If you write much less than the required word count, the examiner has to
reduce your score, even if your essay is good quality. You should count the number of words in
your essay after each paragraph and keep a continuous total; this way, you can be sure of
reaching at least 250 words in 40 minutes.
Writing too many words. The examiner is paid to mark on an ‘essay per hour basis,’ and so will
not read the end of an essay if it exceeds the minimum word count by more than about 100
words. This means he or she will not see the end of your argument, and your score will reduce
considerably. Remember: 250 words minimum, and about 350 words maximum in Academic
Task 2 writing.
Having handwriting that is difficult to read. IELTS is still a handwritten exam, and the
examiners will not spend time trying to understand your writing. You must make sure that your
handwriting can be read quickly. You should focus on writing clearly when you do your practice
essays. Ask friends or other students to give you an honest opinion about whether your writing is
easy to read.
Using informal words (for example ‘a
nice idea’ or ‘a
silly thing to do’)
instead of academic words (for example ‘a
positive idea’ or ‘a
regrettable thing to do.’) Remember that academic
vocabulary is different from the language you would use in English when talking to friends.
Giving personal opinion in an IDEAS type Task. Check if the Task is asking for your opinion
or not. The first question you should ask yourself is ‘
Is this an OPINION or an IDEAS Task? ’
