Verbalist

Common Mistakes to Avoid in IELTS Writing Task 2

In our previous blogs, we have looked at how to structure your answers for IELTS, how to manage time, and how to recognise different kinds of questions in Writing Task 2. In this blog, we will look at some common mistakes that test-takers do, and how you can avoid them.

1. Misunderstanding the question: If you don’t read your question well or haven’t understood the question well, then you would not be able to write your paragraphs correctly. Your ideas may look like they are irrelevant, and your scores might get affected. Make sure you read your question really well, and note down the important keywords in them.
2. Being unsure about ideas: If you do not know what to write as an answer for the question, make sure that you do not fill your paragraphs with things that deter from the question. Read the question twice or thrice, try to remember how or what information you gathered prior to test-taking. You should make sure that your ideas are well thought out, and not just a reflection of your unfiltered consciousness.
3. Using too many Connectors: Connectors may seem like a great way to make your answers flow, but ideas need to break and move around sometimes, especially in an agree-disagree essay or to differentiate between your opinions and actual logical solutions. Do not use ‘furthermore’ unless you are adding more information to an idea, or do not use ‘on the other hand’ unless you are using contrasting points to your original idea. Make sure that your connectors make sense on paper.
4. Incorrect Vocabulary: In the quest for using words that are uncommon, make sure that you know the contextual meanings of the words you are using for gaining marks in the high vocabulary criteria. Your vocabulary should be chosen carefully to avoid using incorrect words at the incorrect time. This will lead you to a downgrading.
5. Grammatical Mistakes: Grammatical mistakes will lead you to scoring very less in IELTS. Before you even schedule the dates for the exam, you have to be comfortable with grammatical concepts, and make sure that your grammar is perfect as even the simplest mistake with nouns, tenses, or verbs will result in less marks. Make sure you solve plenty of grammar exercises while preparing for the exam.

Stay tuned for more updates on IELTS Writing, Speaking and Reading!

Watch this video to understand common mistakes in vocabulary.