IELTS

How to add half a band to your IELTS writing

When candidates come to us stuck at Band 6 in writing, they almost always assume they need bigger vocabulary. Occasionally that is true. Far more often, the marks are being lost to technique — things that are quick to fix once you know where to look. Here are the four we tackle first.

1. Answer the exact question

Task 2 prompts are precise, and the examiner rewards a precise response. “To what extent do you agree?” is not the same as “Discuss both views.” Before writing a word, underline the task words and decide your position. A clear, consistent answer to the actual question lifts your Task Response score more than any fancy phrase.

2. Make your structure obvious

Examiners read quickly. Help them: one clear idea per paragraph, a topic sentence that states it, then support and an example. Signpost with cohesive language, but do not overload — three or four well-placed linkers beat a dozen forced ones. Coherence and cohesion is a full quarter of your score.

3. Vary sentences with purpose

Band 7 grammar means a natural mix of simple, compound and complex sentences — used accurately. You do not need rare structures; you need range plus control. A good habit: after each paragraph, check that not every sentence starts the same way and that at least one uses a subordinate clause.

4. Leave time to proofread

Two minutes of checking at the end can rescue half a band. Hunt for your personal repeat offenders — articles, subject-verb agreement, plural endings, prepositions. These small slips add up under “grammatical range and accuracy,” and they are entirely within your control.

Turning fixes into habits

The reason these work is that they target the descriptors examiners actually mark against, rather than a vague idea of “good English.” The fastest way to embed them is to write under timed conditions and get marked feedback — which is exactly what our IELTS course provides every week.