Academic IELTS Writing - Task 2, Pt. 1

In our continuing series on IELTS Writing, we now turn to Task 2 – the essay.

Recall, Task 2 counts twice as much toward your overall writing score than Task 1. Thus, you want to pay particular attention to the knowledge-share, tips, and insights in this and the follow-on articles.

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Now, prepare yourself for Part 1 of our  briefing on getting started with your answer to IELTS Writing Task 2!

Consult Target Band 7: IELTS Academic Module – How to Maximize Your Score (second edition) (affiliate) for your intense exam preparation!

IELTS Writing – Understand the Question

Above all, you must interpret the question correctly. If you do not show a solid understanding of the question in your response, you will be penalized.

This is a point covered in my IELTS Writing Cheat Sheet. [Download]

There are seven (7) IELTS questions on the essay.

You should become familiar with these essay types and practice each of them before the exam.

The ability to spot the type of question and already have a basic organized response in mind will not only boost your score, but save you time.

A big part of knowing what the question is about is focusing on the keywords in the essay prompt.

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IELTS Writing – Outline

An organized essay builds coherence and cohesion in your essay which makes your paper easier to read by the grader. And you do want to make your paper easy to read!

Recall the basic organization of writing is the paragraph.

Each paragraph needs a topic sentence which conveys ONE controlling idea to the reader.

Consider 240 Writing Topics: with Sample Essays (120 Writing Topics) (affiliate) to boost your IELTS Essay 2 score!

For your introductory paragraph, you will need to include instead your thesis statement.

The best way – before you begin! – to prepare a response for your essay is to write an outline.

Once you create this “roadmap,” you will have your thesis statement, supporting paragraphs, and conclusion all read for you to write away in the time remaining.

Your thesis statement tells your reader (IELTS grader) the basis for your entire paper and what exactly your paper will cover.

In the video below, the instructor places the thesis statement at the end of the introduction.

I prefer IELTS essays begin with the thesis. Students are more focused once it is written and you only have to fill in the other key parts of your answer thereafter.

Above all, you want good organization and structure to build coherence and cohesion in your response which will impress the IELTS graders.

IELTS Writing – Instructional Video

Watch the following video for a step-by-step process to organize and prepare your best response to Task 2.

English Writing – Resources

While you are concerned about your IELTS grade, English writing probably is going to serve your well in your career either in school or at the office.

Thus, you should have the proper tools now for a lifelong learning of English writing.

Three gems come to mind that should be part of your IELTS preparation.

There really is no substitute for these helpful and accessible texts to guide your writing to a higher level (affiliate links):

Conclusion

Well, now you should have a better ides of how to begin your IELTS Task 2 essay.

Recall, good structure, organization, solid grammar, crisp vocabulary, and precise punctuation form the foundation of your writing in general and IELTS Writing in particular.

Stay tuned for our next installment on IELTS Task 2 next week.

Do you need more help to prepare for the IELTS Writing exam? Don’t panic! Check out my eCourse – Maximize Your IELTS Writing Score now.

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