IELTS is an exam that must be passed to study in a number of countries (Great Britain, Canada, Australia, etc.), as well as for emigration and work.
To pass the Ielts exam, among other things, you must write an Essay. This is required to complete the "Writing" module. To complete it, you have to do two tasks. The first is to describe a graphic drawing, graph, or letter. The second is to write an essay. Exactly this task will be discussed in this article.
IELTS essay writing requirements
Typically, IELTS essay can be any of the following types:
- expression of your opinion
- consideration of two points of view
- description of the problem and ways to solve it
- consideration of two questions
- description of advantages and disadvantages
The main requirements to an essay:
- The minimum length of 250 words
- Writing time - 40 minutes
Depending on whether the person is taking Academic Writing or General Training Writing, he will be asked to write an essay on an academic or general social topic.
Many people believe that the assessment of an essay is a purely subjective thing, and everything depends on the particular examiner. While there is some subjectivity, there are strict assessment criteria that every examiner must adhere to. The assessment is made taking into account the following criteria:
- Work structure. Here the essay is scored on the following criteria:
1. Completeness of the task;
2. Designation of theses in the introduction in the order in which you will discuss them in the text;
3. Design of the beginning of each paragraph with a thematic sentence;
4. Correct distribution of paragraphs in the text;
5. Consistency, comprehensibility of ideas contained in secondary sentences.
6. Correct writing of the conclusion, in which it is necessary to summarize the essay and accumulate all points.
- Content. The topic of work should be disclosed logically, and paragraphs should be correctly distributed throughout the text. Thoughts must be presented consistently.
- Grammar and vocabulary. Correct use of constructions is evaluated, errors are identified.
There are four criteria for evaluating of this type of work which are officially distinguished:
1. The answer to the question. The main mistake that examinees make according to this criterion is the use of general phrases. In an essay, you must write everything strictly to the point. Thoughts should be presented consistently.
2. Consistency of the structure. In the text of the essay, it is necessary to use paragraphs with a clearly traceable idea. Linking words should be used as intended. The use of repetitive words will not brighten up your work. Ideally, the text should be easy to read, effortlessly.
3. Vocabulary. The use of natural phrases is encouraged.
4. Literacy. Ideally, the examinee should use the entire set of advanced grammar and avoid mistakes.
IELTS essay preparation tips
To write an essay for the maximum score, follow these tips:
1. Take as much time as possible to prepare. Study the example essays that were scored with a maximum score of 8-9. For this you can see Cambridge IELTS Practice Tests (7-14).
2. Broaden your horizons. It's not enough just to write literate text. Ideally, it should be interesting and the language used should be rich in turnover.
3. Practice English regularly and expand your vocabulary. Review your written essays using special thematic sites, for example,
https://virtualwritingtutor.com..
4. Practice using structure, phrases, taking into account the IELTS criteria.
So, writing an IELTS essay for the maximum score is not an easy task. However, if you know the assessment criteria and practice regularly, then the result will not be long in coming.
