Top 15 steps for IELTS Writing Task 2 Band 9 Essay

IELTS Writing Task 2 assesses candidates' ability to write a well-structured essay within a 250-word limit in 40 minutes. It evaluates addressing the given point of view or problem with coherence, utilizing a range of vocabulary accurately, and demonstrating grammatical proficiency. The assessment criteria of the IELTS academic writing task 2 involves task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. Candidates must showcase their writing skills and readiness for study or work in English-speaking environments. The IELTS writing task 2 questions will be similar for IELTS academic and IELTS general. To aim for a Band 9 score, aspirants should follow the IELTS writing task 2 Tips listed in the article.

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Check out the below infographic for the top 15 tips to attempt the IELTS writing task 2:

Step 1: Analyze the question

Before attempting to answer the question, it is crucial to understand the requirements. This involves identifying the question type, keywords, and instruction words. By doing so, you can gain clarity on what the examiner expects from your response. Many students often fail to address the question adequately, resulting in a limited score. Therefore, taking the time to analyze the question is essential for successful essay writing.

Step 2. Effective planning

Giving around 10 minutes to plan your essay can significantly enhance its coherence and cohesiveness. Planning allows you to arrange your thoughts and establish a clear structure for your essay. This not only saves time but also helps you logically present your ideas. By outlining the main points and supporting examples in advance, you can ensure a well-structured and focused essay.

Step 3: Write relevant answers to the questions

Use relevant words to write the essay. You only have to answer based on the questions asked. Read the instructions carefully before you start the essay. If asked for your opinion, you have to support your opinion with relevant examples.

Step 4: Answer all parts in a question

In IELTS Writing Task 2, you're required to write an essay in response to a given statement. It's crucial to carefully analyze the question to ensure you cover all the parts. The number of parts in the question will depend on the question type. For example, an agree/disagree question has only 1 part, whereas an advantages and disadvantages essay has 2 parts, and a discuss both views question, two-part essay, and solution essay has 3 parts. Mastering this approach showcases the examiner your ability to address the task comprehensively and increases your chances of achieving a higher band score.

Step 5: Structure the essay

Essay writing can be easily and effectively approached using a structured format. Begin your essay with an introduction paragraph that guides the reader into the topic. Present significant ideas in paragraphs, and elaborate on each point clearly and comprehensively. Conclude your essay by expressing your opinion on the question. Develop a clear idea within each paragraph. 

Arrange your ideas into paragraphs and follow the IELTS writing task 2 essay structure. Each paragraph should have a clear purpose and must consist of at least two lines. Paragraphs help you to easily organize and deliver your ideas logically. The number of paragraphs will depend on the question type and how many parts the question has. Make sure you leave space between paragraphs for readability.

Step 6: Write a clear and concise introduction

The introduction sets the tone for your essay and should directly respond to the question. By paraphrasing the task and clearly stating your viewpoint or approach, it will show the examiner that you understand the task. A strong introduction provides a roadmap for the reader and lays the foundation for the main body paragraphs. Keep the introduction short and crisp.

Step 7. Developing coherent main body paragraphs

The main body paragraphs form the core of your essay, where you dive into the topic and provide detailed explanations and examples. Each paragraph should focus on a specific point that supports your thesis statement. By presenting relevant evidence, examples, and logical reasoning, you strengthen your arguments and showcase your ability to express ideas clearly and coherently.

Step 8. Crafting a strong conclusion

In the conclusion, you should summarize the main arguments presented in the essay. This section allows you to reiterate your viewpoint and reinforce the key points made throughout the essay. By providing a concise summary and leaving the reader with a lasting impression, you can effectively conclude your essay.

Step 9: Use linking words

Linking devices or transition words are connecting words or phrases that combine your sentences and ideas, and make your answer cohesive. Linkers such as whereas, on the other hand, because, firstly, similarly, however, in addition, as a result, etc can be used in the essays.

Step 10: Use a range of vocabulary

While writing an essay, use vocabulary that is easy to understand and spell. Incorporating collocation, idiomatic language, and phrasal verbs showcases to the examiner that you can use a range of vocabulary. To get a higher band score you must use a mix of common and uncommon terms. Avoid outdated usages that are not used in our daily lives. You should know exactly the meaning of the words that you use. Use the lexical resources appropriately.

Step 11: Use a range of grammatical structures

To achieve a Band 7 score, you must excel in both simple and complex sentences and also know how to use grammatical structures such as articles, subject/verb agreement, prepositions, plural, and punctuations. Grammatical errors and typos are some of the commonly neglected elements that you need to consider while writing an essay. Ensure you proofread for error-free sentences. To improve your essay writing skills, practice different sentence structures regularly.

Step 12: Proofread the essay

Even if you've crafted an excellent essay, it's common to overlook careless spelling and grammatical errors. However, these can be easily avoided by thorough review. After completing your writing task, ensure you address all parts of the questions, structure the essay with paragraphs, and include linking words, punctuation, spelling, and vocabulary.

Step 13: Avoid common phrases, and memorized languages

Evaluators can understand if you have used memorized words from other essays in your essay. Never overuse phrases or idioms. Go through the lexical resources to find the words that you can use to get a better score in this section.

Step 14: Incorporate complex sentence structures

For a higher band score, you should be better at making complex sentence structures. Try out different sentence structures without making mistakes and maintaining the correct meaning for sentences. Use both simple and complex sentence structures. Make sure your complex sentences don't become too complex and long. While using complex sentences use the punctuation clearly. 

Step 15: Validate for marking criteria

For getting a band 9 score, look out for the marking criteria. Familiarise yourself with these criteria so you can focus on scoring better.

Marking Criteria	Points To Remember
Task response	Answer all parts of the question. Write examples that are relevant to the question. Don't generalize the topic. Present your opinions clearly. Use supporting examples for each opinion. Write at least 250 words.
Coherence and cohesion	Make sure your essay is easy to understand. Write your essay in sufficient paragraphs. Use linking words and phrases. Avoid repetition of words. Use referencing and substitution properly. Use one paragraph for each idea. Use Introduction and Conclusion paragraphs.
Lexical resource	Use good vocabulary. Use words appropriately. Avoid memorized languages. Use collocation appropriately. Use uncommon words. Avoid spelling mistakes. Use the correct form of words.
Grammatical range and accuracy	Use both simple and complex sentence structures. Avoid long, complex structures. Write error free-sentences. Use punctuation properly. Use capital letters to start sentences and for proper nouns. Using commas is complex. Don't forget to end sentences with full stops.

FAQ

1. How to improve IELTS writing task 2?

Answer all parts of the question, deliver your points clearly, structure your essay properly, write the essay using good vocabulary, write without grammatical mistakes, and check your essay after writing. This way you can improve your score in the IELTS writing task 2 essay.

2. Is IELTS writing task 2 easy?

Writing the essay is easy if you understand the tips and strategies to write it. After practicing a few writing essays you can easily attempt the IELTS writing task 2 essay.

3. What is the IELTS Writing Task 2 word limit?

The essay should be written using a minimum of 250 words. It is suggested that your essay doesn't exceed 300 words.

4. Can I spend more than 40 minutes on the IELTS writing task 2 essay?

If you take more than 40 minutes to write the task 2 essay, you will only get less time for the task 1 essay.

5. Should I give my opinion in The IELTS writing task 2 essay?

Only give your opinion if it is mentioned in the question. If it's not asked, don't give your opinion in the essay. Read the instructions carefully and learn when to give your opinion.