Have you ever wished you could break through and score band 8 in the IELTS Writing test?

Many candidates spend most of their time practicing writing good essays during the preparation process for the IELTS exam. To achieve the desired score, you often tend to cram your essay with uncommon vocabulary, overuse complex grammar, or present your essay too long. But are the above factors really necessary for your assignment? The answer is No. This article will help you confidently achieve a high band in the upcoming IELTS Writing test.

1. Read the question carefully

Reading carefully and understanding the requirements of the question is an extremely important factor in achieving a high score. Always read your question carefully and present all the points you are asked to make.

For example:

The government should pay to the parents of very young children, so that one of them can stay at home and look after their children. What do you think are the pros and cons of this policy? Justify your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

For this question, you are asked to do two things:

    - Write pros & cons (Write pros & cons)

    - Justify your arguments (Justify your examples)

If you do not complete one of the above requirements, it will be difficult for you to score high in this test. Therefore, try your best to fulfill the 2 tasks.

2. Reread the assignment carefully

When you finish any paragraph, read it again before starting the next paragraph. Don't think this will be a waste of your time, it will actually help you easily link your paragraphs together.

3. Present ideas and arguments clearly

One secret you need to remember is to choose the argument you think is best to present in your assignment. Don't write down all the ideas that come to your mind, learn to select and present the best ideas. Don't worry too much about whether it's the best idea or not. Instead, present your arguments and examples clearly and concisely.

4. Write about what you know, your own experiences

Once you understand the scoring criteria for the IELTS Writing test, you will understand that this test evaluates your English writing and presentation skills, not the quality of your ideas. So you shouldn't worry about finding the “right answer.” You need a simple idea that you can clearly present and justify.

5. Present your work according to the standard structure

To achieve maximum scores, you should clearly understand the standard structure when presenting your work in the IELTS Writing section.

IELTS Writing Task 1 will have a structure including the following parts:

    Introduction: Briefly describe what your chart shows.

    Overview: State the main trends and main arguments presented in the article.

    Specific details: Describe specific changes, providing data, changes and trends for the information in the article.

The answer of IELTS Writing Task 2 will have the following structure:

    Introduction: Re-introduce the topic + give your opinion.

    Body paragraphs: Each paragraph should have a main idea, usually stated in the first sentence.

    Conclusion: Restate your opinion from the introduction.

6. Avoid writing too many words in your assignment

Writing more than 300 words in Task 2 and more than 200 words in Task 1 is not a good idea. If you present your work too long, it will be a challenge for the judges to read through too long essays, leading to not being careful when reading ideas. Second, you may make more mistakes and have less time to check your work at the end.

7. Choose an appropriate writing style

Avoid using informal language in academic writing or essays. Usually, you may be asked to write a letter in the IELTS Writing - Task 1 test.

8. Don't memorize model answers

Never memorize sample answers, such an essay will rarely receive a high score. In fact, the chance of "winning" an essay topic that you have learned is very rare. And if you unfortunately go off topic, you will get a low score.

Instead, take the time to learn how to use advanced vocabulary and grammar to present answers accurately and appropriately. This way, you will be able to use many different phrases in your writings and impress the examiner with your rich vocabulary.

9. Avoid presenting irrelevant information

Only write on topic, limit mentioning irrelevant information. If you stray from the topic, you will receive a lower score than a simple but to-the-point answer.

10. Write clearly and coherently

Do not repeat the ideas you have written in other presentations, this will limit redundant information in the article. Also, make sure that each paragraph in Writing Task 2 highlights the main idea.

For the IELTS Writing test, presenting each paragraph clearly and fully expressing the main idea will make your essay neat and coherent.