Writing an IELTS Essay: Do's and Dont's

What many students do not acknowledge is that IELTS essays are same as any other essay with the sole distinction of being shorter. The importance this task carries makes students frustrated and often overwhelmed, which may lead even the best writers to bad results on their exam. The Do's of Writing an IELTS Essay

1. Read

You probably think that this tip applies to reading books that will enrich your vocabulary, but it is actually something else. The reading tip means that you should read WHILE writing your essay's paragraphs. Surely, you have been told that when an idea comes to your head, you should write it down and edit later. However, when it comes to your IELTS essay, you do not really have this luxury. Therefore, it is best to think while writing too, not only afterwards. Reading the paragraphs you have written should help you link them together, find the most suitable words for the following idea and form the word flow.

2. Find a Simple Idea

Students often forget that the IELTS essay is actually an international exam. This means that every question asked is specifically designed to be answered by anyone in the world. This is why stressing about the idea of your essay is completely unnecessary and often the worst thing you can do.

3. Focus on Examples, not Explanations

This is not your regular exam and the IELTS committee is not your professor. Therefore, you do not need to prove that you have learned a subject, which means that explanations are not the focus of this essay. Think of examples of the things you mention instead of finding a way to explain them. Surely, some ideas may require some explaining, but you can easily cause confusion and even boredom if you keep your essay too 'educational'.

4. Know Your Mistakes

Everyone can miss a mistake, especially if they are proofreading their own writing. But, did you know that there is something you can do to make sure that your IELTS essay goes smoothly?The idea here is to know your mistakes. When checking your essay, make a general proofreading first to catch typos. Your second and final proofreading should focus on the most common mistakes you do when writing.

The Don’ts of Writing an IELTS Essay

5. Do Not Stray from the Question

The most common reason why essays go wrong is that people forget to focus on the question and stray for some reason. When writing your essay, avoid the mistake of not answering the asked question. If necessary, focus on it several times to get it right. How can you do this? Refer back to the essay question before writing each paragraph. This is an equally important step as reading the previous paragraph before starting a new one.

6. Do Not Write too Much

These essays do not really have a word limit, but do you really think that a lengthy essay will capture the attention of the examiner? After all, examiners are paid by the hour and they will surely appreciate if you keep your essay short and concise. IELTS examiners cannot spend hours reading your essay. Therefore, try to limit it to 300-400 words. This will also allow you to focus on the content and not make mistakes, as well as stay on the topic. Finally, writing a short essay will allow you to go back and fix any errors you have made.

7. Do Not Forget about the Structure

Every essay has the same structure and thinking that this essay should be different is very wrong. Even if you are trying to keep your essay short, you still have to implement the three key elements:

• Introduction

An IELTS essay introduction should be kept short because after all, you will need some time to plan your essay. Your time here is very limited. Every introduction must state the essay's topic and introduce what is about to be discussed later on. Make sure to start your essay in an inviting manner to make people interested.

• Body paragraphs

When it comes to the body paragraphs, an IELTS essay should have two or three. Each must contain one key idea and few sentences that support it.

• Conclusion

If you are experiencing such struggles, you have two choices – either hire the best essay writing service and pay for professional help or learn how to write an IELTS essay from our guide.Your conclusion needs to be short and concise and consist of two sentences. This is the part where you re-state the key idea of the essay and give some ideas and thoughts about the future.Are you ready to write your IELTS essay? Follow our simple tips and remember – the only thing that can make you produce bad writing is worrying too much!