IELTS Academic Writing made easy with practice materials
You might even wonder why an aspiring international student should take the International English Language Testing System (IELTS) when planning to study abroad. Well, it comes with the reality that English is still the official language of around 67 countries and more than 27 countries considered it as a secondary official language. A high IELTS band score will also secure admission to top universities and colleges in the USA, UK, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia. That’s why if you plan to study, work or migrate to an English-speaking country you need to enhance and assess your English proficiency through IELTS.
When I took my IELTS Academic exam, I found the writing section the trickiest part. I have reviewed and practiced some mock writing tasks in which I have to explain a graph or share my own opinion on a certain topic. As a writer myself, I found Writing Task 2 as my strength, because the method of writing is similar to my job. But the secret to acing my IELTS writing is attending Academic Writing webinars hosted by the British Council and keeping myself updated with the digital setting during the pandemic. Who knows the question in writing Task 2 might be related to the current events?
The first thing to know in academic writing is how to start and finish Writing Task 1 and 2 within 60 minutes. IELTS Writing will require you to submit a minimum of 400 words essay in both tasks. Here are the tips which will guide you during your exam:
Read and analyze the questions carefully
Reading and understanding the questions asks in both writing tasks is crucial for achieving your target band score. You need to analyze carefully the type of graph given in Writing task 1 and make sure that you will write the details correctly. For Writing task 2 make sure to understand the question thoroughly and cover all points that you want to discuss. Aside from stating your opinion, the question might require you to write your pros and cons, or give an example.
Be specific with coherence and cohesion
We simply say that coherence and cohesion are two essential parts of IELTS Academic writing. Coherence means the connection of ideas which includes developing and supporting your argument and organizing and clarifying your ideas. While cohesion focuses on the grammatical aspects of writing. It deals with using the correct words to connect your thoughts in a sentence.
Follow the standard writing structure
IELTS Writing is not that complex once you follow the standard structure of the IELTS exam. For IELTS Writing task 1, you just need to summarize your thoughts into the “introduction, overview, and specific details.” The introduction part usually contains a short description of the graph. The overview is where you write your main point of observation about the data provided and the specific details should describe the changes observed in the graph.
In Writing task 2, you should be able to present your opinion using this simple structure; introduction, body, and conclusion. In the introduction, you have to state your opinion directly about the given topic. Then supplement your answers with information and supporting ideas in the body paragraphs. And make your final point by reiterating your main point in the conclusion.
Review and finalize your answers
Like any other exam, it’s good to recheck your answers before submitting them. Sometimes test takers lose marks due to misspelled words or minor grammatical errors. These mistakes can be easily corrected by reviewing your answers. Test takers must also ensure that they have the correct word counts in each Writing task. Task 1 requires a minimum of 150 words while Task 2 requires a minimum of 250 words. Fewer words mean losing marks on your writing score. So, make sure to count your words and produce well-written essays for both tasks.
Time management is also crucial in reviewing and finalizing your answers. You should allot some time to recheck your grammar and spelling, especially on Task 2 in which the marks are twice higher than Task 1. The recommended time allocation for Task 1 is 20 minutes while Task 2 is 40 minutes, this is easy to achieve once you practice sample materials available from your testing provider such as the British Council official website.
Last but not the least, keep on practicing and focus on achieving your target band score!
***
To keep myself updated, I followed the following online platforms:
Website: https://www.britishcouncil.ph/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ielts.britishcouncil.philippines
Twitter: https://twitter.com/takeielts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/takeieltsofficial/
