IELTS Writing Tips
1. You have to do lot of practice of writing to pass this module.
2. Task 2 have more marks so spend more time on it. Twenty minutes on task 1 and 40 minutes on task 2 would be a good equilibrium.
3. For both writing tasks, it is a good idea to put down your thoughts on the question sheet. It will provide you an outline for your writing. It may take 2 or 3 minutes but the time spent is worth it.
4. Don’t go beyond your relevant points and avoid writing any irrelevant data. Describe the relevant and most important data.
5. Write concluding sentence which sums up all the information.
6. In task 2 candidates have to present an argument so they should have something on the topic to write. Regularly read newspapers, editorials and magazine articles on current issues. It will help you to widen your ideas.
Introduce the topic and shape your stance whether you agree or disagree.
7. Give opinions of scholars in support of your viewpoint and write relevant examples.
8. State the opposing viewpoint and give explanation why you differ with it.
9. Wind up with a short concluding paragraph.
10. If there is time left at the end, improve your answers by checking spelling or grammatical mistakes.
Top 10 writing tips for IELTS with example:
1. Plan a structure for your composition
The composition should be divided into paragraphs, and each paragraph should contain one main idea. A good structure for a paragraph is to make a point, then give one or two examples to support that point. For Task 2, the first paragraph should clearly be an introduction, and the final paragraph should clearly be a conclusion.
2. Write in a formal style
You should always use a formal style which is suitable for academic writing. It should be neutral and impersonal. Avoid using contractions: write did not instead of didn't, cannot instead of can't, I will instead of I'll etc. Where there is an informal word and a formal word which mean the same thing, it is a good idea to use the formal word. For example, use inexpensive instead of cheap. Cheap is not wrong, but inexpensive sounds more academic.
3. Don't be too personal
For Task 1, you should not include any personal information or opinions. For Task 2, you can include some personal experiences and opinions, but only if they are directly relevant ot the topic. They should not take up more than about a quarter of the composition. The bulk of the composition should be about the topic in the general sense.
4. Be careful giving strong opinions
You can give a strong opinion if you do it in a calm academic way. You must support your argument with examples and your writing must not seem angry. Your composition must not be racist, sexist or contain any very extreme opinions. This is not because the examiner will disagree with you (the examiner will not be interested in your opinions). It is because expressing opinions of that type is not acceptable in academic writing.
5. Stay on the topic
Every part of your composition must be directly relevant to the question. Anything which is not relevant will lose you marks.
6. Don't address the reader
Occasionally it may be acceptable to use the impersonal form of you (for example, you get what you pay for) but you should never address the reader personally (for example I'm sure you know what I mean).
7. Don't try to be funny
Write in a serious way. You could perhaps end a Task 2 composition with a mildly humorous sentence if it neatly sums up the composition, but other than that there should be no jokes.
8. Use a variety of grammar to contrast ideas
Here are some ways to contrast two seemingly opposite ideas. These examples are all different ways of expressing the fact that that snakes do not have legs, but many can move quite fast.
Although snakes have no legs, many can move quite fast.
Even though snakes have no legs, many can move quite fast.
Many snakes can move quite fast, even though they have no legs.
Despite having no legs, many snakes can move quite fast.
In spite of having no legs, many snakes can move quite fast.
Many snakes can move quite fast despite having no legs.
Many nakes can move quite fast in spite of having no legs.
Snakes of course have no legs. However, many can move quite fast.
Snakes of course have no legs. Many can, however, move quite fast.
Snakes of course have no legs. Many can move quite fast, however.
While snakes of course have no legs, many can move quite fast.
Snakes of course have no legs. Nevertheless, many can move quite fast.
9. Use fixed expressions in Task 1
Task 1 often gives information about changes over time. There are lots of academic-sounding phrases you can use.
For example:
The figures clearly indicate that...
The general trend is one of...
Overall, the figures show that...
Over the ten year period...
The most significant development is that...
To rise enormously
To increase a great deal
To go up rapidly
To fall considerably
To decrease significantly
To decline a little
To go down slightly
To fluctuate barely at all
10. Use fixed expressions in Task 2
There are hundreds of phrases and expressions associated with formal writing. Here are just a few of the particularly useful ones for starting sentences.
Few people would deny that...
It is generally accepted that...
In my personal experience...
My personal view is that...
Tha main (dis)advantage of...
Regardless of the fact that...
On the other hand...
It seems (un)likely that...
Equally important is the fact that...
In general, it could be argued that...
In theory, at least,...
In conclusion....
How to improve Writing Skills - Guidelines
Writing about a topic, an event, or a situation is an art which is developed by training and practice. It needs a huge discourse to learn how to improve writing skills but I will explain some of the major factors which will help you flourish your general writing skills.
Writing skills depends on your creativity or inventiveness, grammatical accuracy, style of expression, personal observation, collection and selection ideas, shaping ideas in proper order.
Creativity means generating and organizing new ideas on the base of ideas already know to you about the topic or situation. It is a sort of elaborating facts in a good way. You are given a topic or a situation which is known to you upto some extent. It depends on your creativity power to utilize the known facts and ideas to generate new ideas and shape them in proper style in written form. Creativity is linked with your observation power. Observing and collecting ideas about a situation provide source for creativity.
Style of expression and shaping ideas in proper order are the important factors for good writing skills. Style of expression is the way of presenting ideas to a reader. Ideas should be presented adequately in sentences so that reader can easily understand them. There should be a proper relationship and continuity in sentences. Proper order of sentences, what should be written first and what should be written second needs to be developed. Good style of expressing expression and shaping order in adequate order are very important for impressive and influential writing.
Grammatical accuracy is essential for good writing skills. Each word, phrase, and sentence should be grammatically correct. Usage of correct punctuation should not be neglected. Parts of speech should be used correctly. Use short sentences instead of long sentence which can increase the chance of mistake in the structure of sentence.
A paragraph has a particular structure. The first line of paragraph holds central them of whole paragraph or topic and the rest lines explain this central them further. The first line start with some space from left side of page unlike the other lines of paragraph start from very beginning from left side of page. A paragraph holds a combination of similar ideas or explanation of same idea. Always remember these points to write a paragraph.
Making outlines is a nice tool for comprehensive writing. When you are given a topic, try to write outlines or brief notes about it first, then elaborate these outlines adding more explanation to a comprehensive essay.
Good writing is not an inborn quality but anyone can develop this quality by training and practice. Try to write about various topics. Try to write outlines and then start writing about the topic. Initially you will find it difficult to write a simple essay but practice will enable you to gain command on writing about things.
“Learning to write well takes time and much effort, but it can be done”
The best way is to select a topic and write down about it on a sheet whatever you have in your mind about the topic. Read it after you complete writing. Think on it that what to add to it more so that you improve it. Rewrite about the topic including the previous ideas you have written about it. Revise this procedure upto four or five times for same topic. Each time you gain new perspective and new ideas about the topic. It will refine and flourish your writing skills.
“Writing is rewriting”
1. You have to do lot of practice of writing to pass this module.
2. Task 2 have more marks so spend more time on it. Twenty minutes on task 1 and 40 minutes on task 2 would be a good equilibrium.
3. For both writing tasks, it is a good idea to put down your thoughts on the question sheet. It will provide you an outline for your writing. It may take 2 or 3 minutes but the time spent is worth it.
4. Don’t go beyond your relevant points and avoid writing any irrelevant data. Describe the relevant and most important data.
5. Write concluding sentence which sums up all the information.
6. In task 2 candidates have to present an argument so they should have something on the topic to write. Regularly read newspapers, editorials and magazine articles on current issues. It will help you to widen your ideas.
Introduce the topic and shape your stance whether you agree or disagree.
7. Give opinions of scholars in support of your viewpoint and write relevant examples.
8. State the opposing viewpoint and give explanation why you differ with it.
9. Wind up with a short concluding paragraph.
10. If there is time left at the end, improve your answers by checking spelling or grammatical mistakes.
Top 10 writing tips for IELTS with example:
1. Plan a structure for your composition
The composition should be divided into paragraphs, and each paragraph should contain one main idea. A good structure for a paragraph is to make a point, then give one or two examples to support that point. For Task 2, the first paragraph should clearly be an introduction, and the final paragraph should clearly be a conclusion.
2. Write in a formal style
You should always use a formal style which is suitable for academic writing. It should be neutral and impersonal. Avoid using contractions: write did not instead of didn't, cannot instead of can't, I will instead of I'll etc. Where there is an informal word and a formal word which mean the same thing, it is a good idea to use the formal word. For example, use inexpensive instead of cheap. Cheap is not wrong, but inexpensive sounds more academic.
3. Don't be too personal
For Task 1, you should not include any personal information or opinions. For Task 2, you can include some personal experiences and opinions, but only if they are directly relevant ot the topic. They should not take up more than about a quarter of the composition. The bulk of the composition should be about the topic in the general sense.
4. Be careful giving strong opinions
You can give a strong opinion if you do it in a calm academic way. You must support your argument with examples and your writing must not seem angry. Your composition must not be racist, sexist or contain any very extreme opinions. This is not because the examiner will disagree with you (the examiner will not be interested in your opinions). It is because expressing opinions of that type is not acceptable in academic writing.
5. Stay on the topic
Every part of your composition must be directly relevant to the question. Anything which is not relevant will lose you marks.
6. Don't address the reader
Occasionally it may be acceptable to use the impersonal form of you (for example, you get what you pay for) but you should never address the reader personally (for example I'm sure you know what I mean).
7. Don't try to be funny
Write in a serious way. You could perhaps end a Task 2 composition with a mildly humorous sentence if it neatly sums up the composition, but other than that there should be no jokes.
8. Use a variety of grammar to contrast ideas
Here are some ways to contrast two seemingly opposite ideas. These examples are all different ways of expressing the fact that that snakes do not have legs, but many can move quite fast.
Although snakes have no legs, many can move quite fast.
Even though snakes have no legs, many can move quite fast.
Many snakes can move quite fast, even though they have no legs.
Despite having no legs, many snakes can move quite fast.
In spite of having no legs, many snakes can move quite fast.
Many snakes can move quite fast despite having no legs.
Many nakes can move quite fast in spite of having no legs.
Snakes of course have no legs. However, many can move quite fast.
Snakes of course have no legs. Many can, however, move quite fast.
Snakes of course have no legs. Many can move quite fast, however.
While snakes of course have no legs, many can move quite fast.
Snakes of course have no legs. Nevertheless, many can move quite fast.
9. Use fixed expressions in Task 1
Task 1 often gives information about changes over time. There are lots of academic-sounding phrases you can use.
For example:
The figures clearly indicate that...
The general trend is one of...
Overall, the figures show that...
Over the ten year period...
The most significant development is that...
To rise enormously
To increase a great deal
To go up rapidly
To fall considerably
To decrease significantly
To decline a little
To go down slightly
To fluctuate barely at all
10. Use fixed expressions in Task 2
There are hundreds of phrases and expressions associated with formal writing. Here are just a few of the particularly useful ones for starting sentences.
Few people would deny that...
It is generally accepted that...
In my personal experience...
My personal view is that...
Tha main (dis)advantage of...
Regardless of the fact that...
On the other hand...
It seems (un)likely that...
Equally important is the fact that...
In general, it could be argued that...
In theory, at least,...
In conclusion....
How to improve Writing Skills - Guidelines
Writing about a topic, an event, or a situation is an art which is developed by training and practice. It needs a huge discourse to learn how to improve writing skills but I will explain some of the major factors which will help you flourish your general writing skills.
Writing skills depends on your creativity or inventiveness, grammatical accuracy, style of expression, personal observation, collection and selection ideas, shaping ideas in proper order.
Creativity means generating and organizing new ideas on the base of ideas already know to you about the topic or situation. It is a sort of elaborating facts in a good way. You are given a topic or a situation which is known to you upto some extent. It depends on your creativity power to utilize the known facts and ideas to generate new ideas and shape them in proper style in written form. Creativity is linked with your observation power. Observing and collecting ideas about a situation provide source for creativity.
Style of expression and shaping ideas in proper order are the important factors for good writing skills. Style of expression is the way of presenting ideas to a reader. Ideas should be presented adequately in sentences so that reader can easily understand them. There should be a proper relationship and continuity in sentences. Proper order of sentences, what should be written first and what should be written second needs to be developed. Good style of expressing expression and shaping order in adequate order are very important for impressive and influential writing.
Grammatical accuracy is essential for good writing skills. Each word, phrase, and sentence should be grammatically correct. Usage of correct punctuation should not be neglected. Parts of speech should be used correctly. Use short sentences instead of long sentence which can increase the chance of mistake in the structure of sentence.
A paragraph has a particular structure. The first line of paragraph holds central them of whole paragraph or topic and the rest lines explain this central them further. The first line start with some space from left side of page unlike the other lines of paragraph start from very beginning from left side of page. A paragraph holds a combination of similar ideas or explanation of same idea. Always remember these points to write a paragraph.
Making outlines is a nice tool for comprehensive writing. When you are given a topic, try to write outlines or brief notes about it first, then elaborate these outlines adding more explanation to a comprehensive essay.
Good writing is not an inborn quality but anyone can develop this quality by training and practice. Try to write about various topics. Try to write outlines and then start writing about the topic. Initially you will find it difficult to write a simple essay but practice will enable you to gain command on writing about things.
“Learning to write well takes time and much effort, but it can be done”
The best way is to select a topic and write down about it on a sheet whatever you have in your mind about the topic. Read it after you complete writing. Think on it that what to add to it more so that you improve it. Rewrite about the topic including the previous ideas you have written about it. Revise this procedure upto four or five times for same topic. Each time you gain new perspective and new ideas about the topic. It will refine and flourish your writing skills.
“Writing is rewriting”