The topmost common mistakes in IELTS academic writing
- Avoid using contraction.
- Using contractions (‘I don’t think’ or ‘We can’t say’ ) instead of the full form (‘I do not think’ or ‘we cannot say’) is a big mistake; never use contractions in academic writing.
- Avoid writing too few words.
- If you write much less than the required word count, the examiner has to reduce your score, even if your essay is good quality. You should count the number of words in your essay after each paragraph and keep a continuous total; this way, you can be sure of reaching at least 250 words in 40 minutes.
- Avoid writing too many words.
- The examiner is paid to mark on an ‘essay per hour basis,’ and so will not read the end of an essay if it exceeds the minimum word count by more than about 50 words. This means he or she will not see the end of your argument; remember: 250 words minimum, and about 300 words maximum in Academic task 2 writing.
- Avoid writing it in a way which is difficult to read.
- IELTS is still a handwritten exam, and the examiners will not spend time trying to understand your writing. You must make sure that your handwriting can be read quickly. You should focus on writing clearly when you do your practice essays. Ask friends or others to give you an honest opinion about whether your writing is legible.
- Avoid using an informal word choice.
- Using informal words ( ‘a nice idea’ or ‘a silly thing to do’) instead of academic words ( ‘a positive idea’ or ‘a regrettable thing to do’) is another big mistake; remember that academic vocabulary is different from the language you would use in English when talking to friends.
- Avoid giving a personal opinion in questions which it is not asked for.
- Using informal words ( ‘a nice idea’ or ‘a silly thing to do’) instead of academic words ( ‘a positive idea’ or ‘a regrettable thing to do’) is another big mistake; remember that academic vocabulary is different from the language you would use in English when talking to friends.
- Avoid giving evidence which is too detailed or specific to a subject.
- You may be an expert in a particular social or scientific field, but the examiner probably has a different specialty. You need to make your ideas and examples accessible to a general reader. For example, if the Task topic is about money and you are an accountant, do not use specialized accounting terms.
- Avoid being emotional or too dramatic when giving your opinion in an opinion.
- You may feel strongly about issues such as animals or crime, but academic writing must be unemotional. So avoid phrases such as ‘a disgusting idea’ or ‘I detest this concept.’ It is far better to say ‘an unacceptable idea’ or ‘I disapprove of this concept,’ which is more impersonal and academic; similar to the type of writing that people use in business reports or university essays.
