Many candidates feel stuck at the band 6 or 6.5 level in their writing. This post looks at a sample essay with common band 6.5 problems.   Here is the writing task 2 question: This is the sample answer from one of my Facebook followers and my feedback.  The different colours used relate to the…

We have already talked about Task response at bands 6 and 7 and in this post I’ll look at Coherence and cohesion. Coherence refers to how easy it is for the reader (the examiner) to understand and follow your ideas.  Cohesion refers to how you connect those ideas together, and this also affects how easy it…

If you want to improve your IELTS writing test score, then it is very important to understand how your answer is assessed.  If you already know your IELTS writing test score, and you are hoping to increase that score, then the assessment criteria for your current band will help to show you where you are…

Can I use personal pronouns in #IELTS writing task 2? Many people are taught that you must not use personal pronouns, such as I, you, we etc., in IELTS writing.  This advice comes from the belief that academic writing must be impersonal, which is generally true (although there is a recent move away from this idea and towards more…