WRITING

No matter how good your English is you still need to learn some IELTS writing skills before you do Writing Task 2. Below are helpful guides that will take you through each of these skills step-by-step.

How to Plan an Essay

Making a good plan actually saves you time when you write your essay. If you don’t plan you are more likely to get lost half way through your essay and the result is normally a very confused piece of writing that is difficult to read. This guide will show you how to write clear essay every time.

How to Think of Relevant Ideas

Thinking of good ideas is one of the most challenging parts of the test for some people. This guide provides 5 different methods to help you quickly think of relevant ideas that are directly linked to the question.

How to Write a Complex Sentence

Complex sentences help you boost your score for grammar. Complex sentences are actually very simple to write and are not complex at all- in this article we show you how.

How to Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is one of the most essential IELTS skills, not just in Writing Task 2, but in all parts of the IELTS test. You should paraphrase the question in every essay and I recommend doing this in the very first sentence to help boost your vocabulary score.

How to Write a Supporting Paragraph

Supporting paragraphs are the main body paragraphs and are the meat in the sandwich. This is where you provide the detail the examiner is looking for in the form of explanations and examples.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement tell the examiner your opinion. Many IELTS Writing Task 2 questions specifically ask for your opinion and if you don’t write it clearly you have not answered the question properly. This article shows you how, where and when to give your opinion.

How many words should I write?

Around 250 words? Exactly 250 words or over 250 words? How many words over? How do I know how many words I have? This article answers all those questions.

How to Understand and Analyse Any Question

A critical part of answering any question. This article shows you how to break down any Task 2 question and identify the keywords, micro-keywords and instruction words to help you answer the question effectively.

How to Write a Great Introduction

The introduction is the first thing the examiner reads and it is therefore essential that we give them a good first impression. I have a very specific sentence by sentence structure that I share in this article to help you write introductions quickly and effectively.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Marking Criteria

Do you know how Task 2 is marked? What is the difference between a Band 5 and a Band 8 answer? This article breaks the marking criteria down for you and explains it in simple language so you can give the IELTS examiners exactly what they want.

How to Write a Conclusion

A good conclusion should be a summary of your main points. The conclusion is the last thing the examiner reads and if you can write a good one you will leave them with a very good impression.

Using Examples

Each of your supporting paragraphs should have a specific example that supports and illustrates your main point. This is an essential skill to learn if you want to get one of the higher band scores.

Cohesive Devices

Cohesive devices, sometimes called linking words, are one of the most misunderstood and misused elements of writing. Learn how to use them and when to use them here.

The Danger of Synonyms

Synonyms are very important, but they can also really reduce you mark if used incorrectly.

Student Case Study

Learn how Tina went from a Band 6 to and Band 8 in IELTS Writing in just 6 weeks.

How to Think Like an IELTS Expert

I recorded a video of me answering a Task 2 question live and thought out loud as I recorded my computer screen. This will give you an insight into how someone with lots of IELTS experience thinks about these questions.

Paragraphing and Editing

This article will show you how to make your writing as clear and as easy to read as possible. It will also give you advice on whether to use a pen or pencil.

IELTS Writing Tips

I have compiled these tips after years of teaching IELTS and all of them have been approved by IELTS examiners.