IELTS ACADEMIC WRITING PART 2

IELTS
ACADEMIC
WRITING PART
2
DR. MICHAEL R. DAVIS

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Dr. Michael R. Davis, IELTS Academic Writing Part 2 Version 2.2 12/17/16


Table of Contents
Introduction and Rubric
Phrases to Avoid in your IELTS essay
Task Types
How to paraphrase in the IELTS test
How to write a complex sentence
Improving Sentences for Academic Writing
Top 10 IELTS Grammar Mistakes and How To Avoid Them
Essay Planning Tips
How to Write a Thesis Statement
Writing 2 Band descriptors
What’s The Difference Between Band 5 and 8 in IELTS Writing Task 2?
IELTS Writing Task 2: Information (FAQ)
How To Write an Effective Introduction For IELTS Writing Task 2
IELTS Writing Task 2 Agree or Disagree
Deciding Opinion
Discussion Essay
Problems and Solution Essay
Tips and Exercises
20 Common Essay Topics
100 Part Two writing Questions

Section 3 Resources

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Introduction
Understanding the Rubric

General Outline of an essay (tweaks will apply depending on the
type of question)
General comments
250 minimum – 300 maximum. Remember under and over the limit can incur a penalty.
Don’t waste words with flowery and passive writing.
Use power words and adjectives consistently.

Introduction: 4 sentences
A.
B.
C.
D.

Hook (get the reader’s attention) 1 Sentence
Answer the question by paraphrasing 1 Sentence
Give the 2 points you will discuss in favour of your opinion 1 Sentence
Concession point [but] (the other side of the argument) 1 Sentence

In an essay which does not require a concession, then in most cases you would add a third point or
have two extended paragraphs.
Do not use phrases like “and I will explain my reasons below’. Give your points!

Body: PEE your Paragraphs 4-5 sentences (generally 3 paragraphs)
P. Point: Paraphrase your point from your introduction. Very clear and concise.
1 Sentence. Do not use phrases like ‘on one hand’, ‘first [of all]’, Personally, In my
opinion. This is weak writing.
E. Explain: In two sentences clearly explain the point. 2 Sentences
E. Example: Provide at least on clear example to illustrate your point. 2
Sentences. Examples can be from the news, common knowledge, personal
experiences…but make sure they clearly fit the point you are making.

You do the same for each body paragraph.

Body: Concession Paragraph (when needed).
You still PEE this paragraph. You start this paragraph with ‘However’. Do not use
any other way of starting it! This is clear signposting for the concession.
The only difference in the concession is that instead of an example, you explain
why you reject this argument.

Conclusion. 1-2 Sentences
Start with ‘to conclude’ or ‘in conclusion’, as it two words and doesn’t waste
words.
Re-answer the question (paraphrased yet again) with your points.
Do not add any examples or new information into the conclusion. If you didn’t
mention it in the body, do not add to the conclusion.

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Dr. Michael R. Davis, IELTS Academic Writing Part 2 Version 2.2 12/17/16


WRITING TASK 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people believe that television programmes are of no real value for children.
How far do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

The Task
Task 2 involves writing an essay on the given topic. You have to
• answer the question(s) clearly and completely;

• give reasons for your answer;
• include relevant example
▪ from your knowledge
▪ from your experience
• spend about 40 minutes on the task
• write at least 250 words 300 words
Note: Do part 2 first as it counts 2/3 of your writing mark

The Answer Sheet
The last two pages of the IELTS writing answer sheet are dedicated to task two and together have
over 40 lines. Although you may ask for extra sheets to write your answer in, this is not likely to
become necessary since the space you are already provided with is way more than sufficient. You
must not write in the blank space at the bottom of the first page or in the scoring section at the
bottom of page two.

Focus on Academic Register
• Use longer sentences (about 20-30 words)
• Use subordinate clauses
• Use formal linkers (subordinators and transitions)
• Use academic words (see “The Academic Words List” at www.tahasoni.com/resources)
• Avoid contractions
• Avoid “get” phrases where possible
• Avoid personal tone except when giving personal opinions or talking of personal experiences
• Avoid phrasal verbs where possible
• Avoid over-generalisation:
▪ o Non-absolute statements
▪ o Introducing probability/possibility

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Phrases to Avoid in your IELTS Essay
1. This essay will discuss both sides and give an opinion at the end.
This sentence is poor because it is used for the thesis statement but contains no main points. It
is a memorised sentence of 15 words. It only repeats the instructions but adds no information to
the essay. Try to avoid using such sentences and just present your answer clearly. Another
similar sentence is “I shall put forth my arguments to support my views in the following
paragraphs” which should also be avoided. Don’t forget that while these sentences might be
fine for a usual academic essay, they are not appropriate for an English language test.
2. With the development of science and modern technology…
Many students use this expression to start their essay. It is only suitable to use if the essay is
about science and technology. It is overused and confusing for the reader if the topic is not
science or technology. You don’t need any expression to start your introduction, just paragraph
the essay question directly.

3. In the modern era, … / Since the dawn of time ….
This is overused in introductions. Most essay questions are about current issues so you don’t
need to put in a time frame unless it is about an issue in the past compared to the present.
“Since the dawn of time…” is not a relevant statement for most IELTS issues and should be
avoided. Some students also use “Nowadays” to start their essay. Again this is overused. Try to
avoid these phrases and just paraphrase the information given by IELTS.

4. This is a highly controversial issue.
Most essay questions in IELTS are not controvesial. Controversial means that it is deeply
debated and causes strong feeling, for example “the death penalty” which results in a person’s
death is controversial but “watching sport on TV or playing it” is not controversial. 99% of all
essay questions in IELTS will not be controversial so don’t use this phrase. Also be careful writing
“highly debatable” as this is also overused.

5. The crux of the discussion is …
This is a sentence which is used too often. It would be better to write “The most important
aspect…” or “One of the key issues is…” as they are more natural to use in writing.
6. For example, a recent study from the IMF showed that… / Research indicates

that…
The examples you give in IELTS writing task 2 do not need to come from published sources or
known research. They can just be an example of a situation: “For instance, the majority of
working people do not …” Avoid learning opening phrases to common sentences.

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7. It can broaden a person’s horizons.
I have seen this written in so many essays and so have examiners. It would be better to write
about “learning more”, “opening their mind to something” or “developing deeper
understanding of something”. Don’t learn sentences, just write naturally.
8. There are good grounds to argue in favour of… / it is undeniable/ It cannot be denied
that…
This is another example of a learned phrase to avoid. It would be better to write more naturally
“One reason that X is important / crucial …”. Using more natural language avoids the examiner
thinking you are memorising phrases. Also the phrase “it cannot be denied” is very much
overused and mostly used incorrectly. “It cannot be denied” means it is 100% fact but most
essay contain opinions which are not fact. Therefore, avoid this phrase.

9. In a nutshell, …
Many students use this idiom to start their conclusion. It is informal and not appriopriate to use
in IELTS essay writing.
10. … the aforementioned arguments offer insights into vindications for the impression

that…
This is a typical sentence that should be avoided in a conclusion. You only need to restate the
main points clearly without using learned phrases.
11. I think that…
This is the epitome of a 4-5 essay. Most of the time you can write your essay without using ‘’I”
(to what extent questions are a notable exception). Try using, I believe, I feel, or something a
little more original, if you have to use ‘I’.
12. First, Second, Third, etc.
In a part 2 essay these are a waste of words, you don’t need them if you have given your points
in the essay.

13. On one hand, on the other hand (or any variation of these)
Informal spoken English rather than formal. Also not needed if points were given in the
introduction.

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Task Types
Opinion-led
Some people believe that television programmes are of no real value for children.
How far do you agree or disagree?

Argument Discussion
a. Some people think that a sense of competition in children should be encouraged.
Others believe that children who are taught to co-operate rather than compete become more useful
adults. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
b. In some countries, it is usual for young people who graduate from high school to spend a year
working or travelling before going to university.

What are the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this?
c. While some people prefer to live in apartments, others do not think an apartment is a suitable
form of accommodation. Do you think the advantages of living in an apartment outweigh the
disadvantages?

Issue Discussion
a. Housing and accommodation has become a major problem in many countries around the world.
What are some of the main factors that have contributed to this problem?
What can be done to help reduce the number of homeless people?
b. While mobile phones have many advantages, a number of problems have also resulted from them
or the ways in which they are used. What are some of these problems? What solutions can you
suggest for solving these problems?
c. In many countries today insufficient respect is shown to older people
What do you think may be the reasons for this? hat problems might this cause in society?

Mixed Type
Universities should provide students with the skills they will require in order to succeed at their
future jobs. How far do you agree or disagree with the above opinion?
What are some of the job skills that employers look for in new employees?

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How to Paraphrase in the IELTS Test
Paraphrasing is simply re-writing a phrase or sentence so that it has the same meaning, but
with different words. Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills to learn before doing
your IELTS test. It is most important for writing and speaking, but will also help you in the
reading and listening tests. In other words, if you know how to paraphrase you are more
likely to get the score you need.

The mental processes required to paraphrase will also help you to fully understand the
question and this is one of the reasons I tell my students to begin all of their answers in the
writing test by paraphrasing the question.
Let’s look at an example.
Example: Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills to learn before doing your IELTS
test.
Paraphrased: Prior to taking the IELTS test, mastering paraphrasing is one of the most
crucial things to do.
As you can see, the second sentence (paraphrased sentence) uses synonyms to change
some vocabulary (e.g., ‘important’ for ‘crucial’ and ‘’prior’’ to ‘before’ and changes the
grammar (e.g., Paraphrasing is one of the most important skills” for “mastering
paraphrasing”). You can also change the word order.
These are the three main methods you should use in the IELTS test to paraphrase sentences.
Ideally, you should try to use all three but sometimes two will only be possible.
We will now look at each method in detail and also have a look at the passive.

Method Number 1: Using Synonyms
Synonyms are different words that have the same meaning. For example, ‘humans’ is a
synonym of ‘people’ and ‘attractive’ is a synonym of ‘beautiful’. This method simply replaces
words with the same meaning in order to produce a new sentence.
For example:
My car needs petrol.
My vehicle requires fuel.
As you can see, I have replaced 3 out of four words with synonyms to produce a new
sentence, with the same meaning as the first one. You will notice that I didn’t replace all of
the words, but you should try to replace most of them.
This is the most common method that students use and it can be used effectively, but you
should be careful. The biggest mistake students make is trying to paraphrase and the word
having a similar meaning, but not the same meaning. Similar meanings are not good enough
and will lose you marks. Let’s look at some examples of poor paraphrasing because of using

similar instead of the same meanings.
Violent crime is on the rise among teenagers.
Violent offences are rising among young people.

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This student has changed the word ‘teenagers’ for ‘young people’. They are similar words
and teenagers are of course young people; however children and young adults, aged
between 18-30, could also be described as young people. A more term would be
‘adolescents’ or ‘young people between the ages of 13-19.’ A better way to paraphrase this
sentence would therefore be:
Violent offences are rising among adolescents.
You should therefore only use words you are 100% sure about. Don’t change a word unless
you are 100% sure that it is a direct synonym, otherwise you are likely to make mistakes and
this will bring down your score.
Let’s look at another good example:
Global warming is mostly caused by emissions from internal combustion engines.
Climate change is mainly caused by the release of fumes from motor vehicles.
Method Number 2: Change the Word Order
Changing the word order also allows us to effectively paraphrase a sentence, but again, we
have to be careful. Don’t change the word order without thinking about how this affects the
grammar of the sentence. By changing the word order you may have to add a word,
subtract a word or change the form of the word.
The 100% rule applies again; don’t change it if you are not 100% sure it is grammatically
correct. Remember that you are being judged on your ability to produce error free
sentences in the IELTS test as well as use a range of grammar structures.
Fortunately, there are two straightforward ways we can change the word order in most
IELTS questions.

1. You can easily change the order of the clauses, if the original sentence has more than
one clause.
2.
Question: As languages such as Spanish, Chinese and English become more widely used,
there is a fear that that many minority languages may die out.
Paraphrased by changing word order: There is a fear that many minority languages may die
out, as languages such as Spanish, Chinese and English become more widely used.
We could also add some synonyms to paraphrase it even more:
Paraphrased with changing word order AND synonyms: There is dismay that many lesser
used languages may pass away, as languages such as Chinese, English and Spanish become
more broadly spoken.
3. You can also change the word order if there is an adjective or noun in the question.
You do this by simply changing the adjective into a relative clause.
Question: Learning to manage money is one of the key aspects to adult life.
Paraphrased using a relative clause: Learning to manage money is one of the aspects to
adult life that is key.
Method Number 3: Change the Form of the Word
There are many different forms of words including nouns, verbs, adjectives and
adverbs. Changing the form of a word allows us to paraphrase effectively. Again, don’t just
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change the form of the word; you also need to check that your changes make grammatical
sense. You might need to change the words around it to make the sentence error free.
Question: Longer life spans and improvements in the health of older people suggest that
people over the age of sixty-five can continue to live full and active lives.
Paraphrased by changing word form: Longer life spans and improvements in the health of
older people are suggesting that people over the age of sixty-five can continue living full
and active lives.

Method Number 4: Change from Active to Passive
The passive voice is often used in academic writing and can therefore be used in the IELTS
academic writing test. Only verbs with an object can be turned into the passive.
Example active sentence: The property developers invested $20 million in the
development of the shopping centre.
Example passive sentence: $20 million was invested in the developments of shopping
centre.
We often use the passive voice in academic writing when we don’t want to say it is our
opinion.
Example active: People say that global warming is caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
Example passive: Global warming is said to be caused by the burning of fossil fuels.
How many of these methods should I use?
The four methods can be used independently or together. I advise my students to try and
change the grammar (word order and/or word form) and use synonyms. Remember only
use the methods you feel 100% comfortable using and that you are sure your work is error
free.

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IELTS Writing Task 2: Paraphrasing Practice
IELTS writing task 2 paraphrasing practice exercise. To get a good mark in IELTS
writing task 2 for the criterion of vocabulary, you need to be able to paraphrase. The
exercise below is a chance for you to practice your paraphrasing skills.
The answers for this exercise have now been posted below.
Paragraph
Paraphrase the words in this paragraph using the words below. Only paraphrase a word
if you are sure it is appropriate to do so.
Many people, when driving their cars, go over the speed limit in city centres. As a way of

solving this, the government should put more speed cameras on major streets to put
people off speeding. If this is done, more people who speed will be caught and this
problem will eventually be solved.
Paraphrasing Options
You do not need to use all the words. You must decide which words to use and which
words not to use.
Town
Law
Exceed
By doing
Citizens
Increasing

an
motorway
deter from
this
large
urban

answer
the
stop
humans
stop
put
away
authorities
directly
riding ought to

key
arrested
vehicles
resolved
caught red handed speed prevention

Answer:
Many people, when driving their cars, exceed the speed limit in urban centers. As a way
of solving this, the authorities ought to install more speed cameras on major streets to
deter people from speeding. By doing this, more people who speed will be caught and
this problem will eventually be resolved.
Common Mistakes and Explanations
Collocation: drive a car, not ride a car. We use the verb “ride” with bicycles.
A town is not a city. You can write “city center” or “urban center”. A town is much
smaller and this essay is not about small towns and villages.
The government can usually be paraphrased with the word “authorities”.
The word “should” can be paraphrased as “ought to”. This is a common paraphrase.
If you are writing about setting up or putting up equipment, you can use the word
“install”.
“to deter” is used to put people off committing a crime or an offence. It is actually a better
word to use than “put off” for formal essay writing.
“By doing this” and “As a way of solving this” both have the same meaning in this
context. You can’t write “As an answer for solving this” – it isn’t correct English even
though the meaning is the same.

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“people” are people. We rare use the word “citizen” in an essay about transport.

However, it would be acceptable to use it in the second sentence which refers to the
government.
“people” cannot be paraphrased as “humans” except in one context – please watch the
video below to learn. Any student making this mistake is not studying effectively. The
video below explains this very clearly so you should not be making this mistake.
“caught red handed” must be written as it is shown. You can never write “caught red”.
There are three words in this idiom. However, this expression is mainly for theft or other
crimes in which a person is caught face to face by the police. It can’t be used for speed
offences caught by camera.
“vehicles” is used when we don’t know what type of transport is being written about or
when we refer to different types. This essay is about cars only which means you can’t
use the word “vehicle”.
This paragraph is about “streets”. This is not the same as a “motorway”. A motorway is a
very large road outside a city which contains two or three lines in both directions for
heavy traffic.

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IELTS Writing- How to Write a Complex Sentence
One of the biggest mistakes students make in IELTS writing is to try and show off and be
overly ambitious with their grammar. This is because many students think that all of their
sentences need to be ‘complex’ (they don’t!) and them not understanding what a ‘complex’
sentence is. Trying to write overly complicated sentences leads to grammar mistakes and
this will lead to lost marks in many different areas.
What does the examiner expect?
If we look at the examiners’ marking scheme it states that in order to get a band 6 for
grammar we need to:
• use a mix of simple and complex sentences.

For band 7 it states:
• Use a variety of complex structures.
This obviously means that we should use complex sentences in our writing, but it does not
mean that we should try to make all of our sentences complex. All band 9 answers that I
have seen use a mixture of both simple and complex sentences. The key is to know when to
use them and we will look at this below. But first, we need to understand what a complex
sentence actually is.
What is a complex sentence?
The main problem here seems to be the word ‘complex’. Complex, in this situation, does not
mean complicated, long or impressive. This is a common misconception and leads to
students writing very long and grammatically incorrect sentences that are very difficult to
understand.
For example:
‘In the modern world, global warming is one of the most popular topics causing many
environmental difficulties and tough challenges arising from its serious consequences.’
This is a very typical sentence from an essay that is trying to be overly complex. This student
has tried to put four simple ideas in to one paragraph and the result is an awkward and
incoherent sentence. They have lost control of the grammar and this affects the meaning.
When meaning is affected it stops the reading understanding what is being said and that is
really bad for you IELTS writing band scores.
‘Complex’ sentences are not actually very complex; they are just simple two or more simple
sentences put together. Putting them together makes the essay more coherent and
cohesive.
Let’s look at the first example again. In the sentence above there are four simple ideas that
we can put in to simple sentences:
1. Global warming is a common topic these days.
2. Global warming causes environmental problems.
3. There are tough challenges associated with global warming.
4. Global warming has very serious consequences.
If we write all of our sentences in the IELTS exam like this we lose marks because they are

too simple. What we need to do is put them together to make complex sentences.
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For example:
One of the most common environmental issues is global warming which causes many
serious environmental problems. There are tough challenges associated with this issue and
its effects have very serious consequences.
I don’t think there is anything ‘complex’ about these sentences, just simple ideas, simply put
together.
‘Complex’ is just a label, not a description.
What I have done is take each of the four simple sentences and put them together in two
complex sentences. This result is a grammatically correct, easy to understand paragraph.
When should I use complex sentences?
In general, we should use simple sentences when making main points; normally at the
beginning of a paragraph. We should then use complex sentences when expanding on the
main point, for instance when giving a supporting example or explaining your main point.
Example:
This is a question about whether ‘fast food’ or ‘junk food’ should be taxed at a higher rate
than normal food.
‘Increasing taxes would raise prices and lower consumption. Fast food companies would
pass on these taxes to consumers in the form of higher prices and this would lead to people
not being able to afford junk food. For instance, the cost of organic food has proven
prohibitively expensive for most people. Despite this, people in many developed countries,
where the problem is most acute, can afford price hikes and will continue to eat high fat
meals.’
The first sentence is the ‘topic sentence’ and makes the main point. It is therefore
acceptable for this to be a simple sentence.
The second sentence explains the main point and uses the word ‘and’ to link two simple

sentences together, to make one complex sentence.
The third sentence gives an example and uses the linking phrase ‘for instance’. The final
sentence makes a concession (shows the limitation of the argument) and is also a complex
sentence, linking more than one idea together.
This paragraph has a mix of simple and complex sentences and therefore satisfies the
marking criteria.
How do I make a complex sentence?
Remember that a complex sentence is just more than one simple sentence put together to
make one sentence. We therefore need to learn and become confident using the various
grammatical structures that allow us to do that. Below are a few ways we can link ideas
together in a sentence.
To make a complex sentence we normally should have two things- a dependent clause and
an independent clause. A clause is a group of words with both a subject and a verb.

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An example of a dependent clauses is ‘….because the weather was cold.’ This is a dependent
clause because it has a subject and a verb but it doesn’t make any sense on its own. To
make sense we need to add an independent clause.
As the name suggests, an independent clause can make sense on its own. For example, ‘I
wore a warm coat.’ If we combine these two clauses we get a complex sentence- ‘I wore a
warm coat because the weather was cold.’
As you can see, ‘complex’ sentences don’t have to be complicated. Let’s now look at other
ways we can make complex sentences.
1. Relative Clauses
You can use relative clauses to give essential or extra information about a person, place, or
thing. This makes our writing more fluent and more coherent. We do this by using relative
pronouns like who, which and that. For example, ‘He’s the kind of person who is always

friendly.’
For example:
Air pollution can cause health problems. Air pollution is largely caused by motor vehicles.
We can convert these two simple sentences in to one complex sentences by using the word
‘which’.
Air pollution, which is mostly caused by motor vehicles, can cause health problems.
For example:
There is evidence that some people are more likely to smoke. These people have parents
and friends who smoke.
We can link both of these sentences together by using the word ‘that’.
There is evidence that people who have parents and friends that smoke are more likely to
smoke.
2. Subordinate Clauses
A subordinate clause can describe nouns and pronouns; describe verbs, adverbs, and
adjectives; or act as the subject or object of another clause. They are made by connecting an
independent clause with a dependent clause with words like as, because, while, until, even
though, although, when and if.
3. Conditional Clauses
Also known as ‘If clauses’, they are used to express that the action in the main clause can
only take place if a certain condition is met.
For example:
If I had a million dollars, I would quit my job.
I will be really happy, if I pass the IELTS test.
These clauses are good for giving examples in IELTS writing part 2.
For example:
‘Increasing taxes would raise prices and lower consumption. Fast food companies would
pass on these taxes to consumers in the form of higher prices and this would lead to people
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not being able to afford junk food. If the cost of organic food proves prohibitively
expensive for most people, they will simply not buy it. Despite this, people in many
developed countries, where the problem is most acute, can afford price hikes and will
continue to eat high fat meals.’
They are also useful for talking about unreal situations or to speculate about results in the
past or present.
There are four different kinds of conditionals which I will outline below:
Zero Conditionals are used to talk about information that is true or facts. We can
use if or when to introduce the conditional.
Example: Nowadays when we travel long distances, we usually use air travel.
First conditionals are used to talk about things in the present or future.
Example: If the city’s population continues to grow, we will need to build more
infrastructure.
Second Conditionals are used to talk about things that are impossible.
Example: If the sun didn’t come up tomorrow, we wouldn’t have any life on earth.
Third Conditionals are used to speculate about past events. It is often used when we regret
something or to imagine a past unreal situation.
Example: The Second World War would have never happened, if Germany had been given a
fairer peace settlement in World War One.
4. Compound Sentences
Compound sentences consist of two independent clauses linked together with a conjunction
such as ‘and’, ‘for’ or ‘but’.
Examples:
I really want to study, but I’m too tired.
She got to the test centre early, and she did really well on her IELTS test.
Some students think these sentences are too simple to count as complex but they are
wrong.
Warning
The crucial thing is to understand and be able to use these grammar structures before your

IELTS test. Some students memorise lots of structures and try to insert them in to their
essays without giving much thought to how they work or if they are accurate. This will only
lead to unnatural and incoherent sentences. Remember that your sentences need to be also
error free so only use structures you are confident using.
They key is to only use them appropriately. Concentrate on answering the question and if
you know how to use these structures they will flow naturally.

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Improving Sentences for Academic Writing
This practice exercise is about improving sentences for a higher score in IELTS writing
task 2. See the essay question below.
There is a significant gap between rich and poor countries. Some people think
that richer countries should be responsible for supporting poorer countries while
others think it is the responsibility of the poorer countries. What is your opinion?
Below are some sentences from a student’s essay on the above topic. Read through the
sentences and try to improve them yourself before you check the model answers. In
other words, write the sentences again to make them accurate and also a better score.
1. Firstly, it is obvious that this is their job. Poorer countries should not wait for any
organisation abroad or other governments to deal with this.
2. Secondly, depending too much on rich countries may make them weaker. For
example, they will lose a part of their power if they agree to allow developed
nations to help them with critical issues.
3. Regarding to responsibility of wealthy countries. They should support poorer
countries because there are millions of people in poorer nations need their help.
Many people in Africa, especially women and children die everyday because of
lack of food, medical treatments.
4. However, rich countries should not be forces to help poorer ones. It should be a

choice not a responsibility.

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Top 10 IELTS Grammar Mistakes and How To Avoid Them

25% of your marks in the writing and speaking tests come from using appropriate grammar
structures that are error free. Unfortunately, when learning a new language people often
make frequent grammar mistakes. In fact, if more than 50% of your sentences have any
errors in them, you will not get more than band 6 for grammatical range and accuracy. In
other words, to score 7 or higher, you should try to make more than half of your sentences
completely error free.
After marking thousands of IELTS tests I have noticed that the same errors are made again
and again. Below are the top 10 mistakes and some advice on how to avoid them.
Most people make all or some of these mistakes in their writing and speaking tests. A good
thing to do is show some of your practice tests to a teacher or native speaker and establish
your common errors. When you are aware of your common grammar errors you can easily
fix them with practice and raise your score.
1. Use of the word ‘the’
We use the:
 when there is only one of something in a particular area: the government, the police, the
bridge, the river, the hospital
 when there is only one in the entire world: the internet, the environment, the ozone layer,
the atmosphere
 with cardinal numbers: the first, the second, the third
 with superlatives: the worst, the shortest, the lowest, the most beautiful, the least
impressive
 with places where the name refers to a group of islands or states: the USA, the UK, the

Maldives, the Middle East, the United Arab Emirates
 before nouns which describe general things: exercise is good for the body, the motorbike is
the most common form of transport in Asia, the role of the teacher has changed in recent
years
 before abstract nouns used to describe a situation, process, quality or a change: over the
years the development of the town accelerated, the frequency of violent crime decreased
over the period, the improvement in living standards
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


We don’t use the:
to talk generally we drop the word ‘the’ and use the plural: dogs don’t like cats, people with
dyslexia have reading problems, Japanese cars are very reliable, German products are very
high quality.
with a single place or country: Ireland, China, Vietnam, Europe, South America

2. Countable and Uncountable Nouns
Some nouns in English are uncountable and will therefore always be in the singular form
and never plural. Some common nouns that students often get wrong in the IELTS test are:
 Advice
 Advertising
 Food
 Information
 Knowledge
 Education
 Money

 Traffic
 Shopping
 Travel
 Entertainment
 Happiness
 Literature
 Work
 Research
If a noun is uncountable you cannot use:
 a plural verb: There were many traffic in the city.
 a number: three advice, four food
 a few, a couple, many, a number of: a number of literature, a few research
 a/an: a happiness, an entertainment
3. Noun Verb Agreement
The verb must agree with the noun. If you use a plural noun, you must use a plural verb and
vice versa.
Example:
There is some dogs outside.
There is some food in the kitchen.
Here are some homework for you.
There are some eggs in the kitchen.
4. –ing or to + infinitive
We use to + infinitive verb after the following verbs: learn how, would like, want, seem,
refuse, promise, prepare, offer, learn, hope, help, deserve, decide, afford, and ask.
Example:
It is important to learn how to speak English
Most people cannot afford to go on holiday every year.
I would like to study overseas.
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Note: ‘like’ can be followed by –ing or to + infinitive.
We use verb–ing after the following verbs: suggest, recommend, practice, mind, keep,
involve, imagine, give up, finish, enjoy, deny, consider, carry on, and avoid.
Example:
I would recommend checking your writing for mistakes.
You should avoid drinking coffee after 6pm.
I’ve finished writing my essay.
5. Use Of Articles Before Noun Phrases
You should include a/an before adjective singular noun combinations: a massive
improvement, a steady increase, an overall majority, a very small percentage, a really strong
argument.
Some exceptions include the word ‘of’ after the noun phrase: a wide range of, an equal
number of, a large/small number of, a small/large/equal proportion of.
Exceptions: quite a few people, to a certain extent/degree
6. Use of Commas
In the IELTS writing test we often use phrases called ‘discourse markers’ or ‘liking phrases’
to link our ideas together, such as on the one hand, on the other hand, however, for
example, nevertheless, firstly, secondly, to conclusion, in summary.
We normally use a comma after a discourse marker that introduces a sentence:
 Firstly, the main cause of pollution is motor vehicles.
 On the one hand, motor vehicles are said to be the main cause.
 However, pollution from industry may also be to blame.
 To sum up, the causes of pollution are mostly man-made.
 We also use commas on either side of discourse markers in the middle of sentences:
 Fossil fuels are mostly to blame for global warming, however, some people believe this is a
natural process.
 Fossil fuels are mostly to blame for global warming, for example, from cars and factories.
7. Verb Tenses

Always consider which of the following tense you should use:
 Present simple:
o things that are always true (the sky is blue)
o general statements of fact (I was born in 1982)
o habits (I go to sleep every night at 11pm)
 Present continuous:
o an action at the moment of speaking
o something in progress this week, month or year
o to talk about a future planned event
 Present Perfect:
o an action that took place at an indefinite time in the past
o an action that was repeated before now
o an action that began in the past and continues until now
 Present Perfect Continuous:
o to show the duration of something that happened in the past and continues until
now
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








o a general activity in progress recently

Past Simple
o action that began in the past and finished in the past
Past Continuous
o talk about an action that was happening in the past when another occurred
o an action that was in progress at a specific time in the past
Past Perfect
o talk about something that was completed before another activity or another time in
the past
Past Perfect Continuous
o talk about duration of activity that was in progress before another event in the past
o an activity in progress that is recent to another time or activity in the past
Future Simple
o to predict or plan for the future
o to express a willingness to do something
Future Continuous
o an action that will be in progress at a time in the future
Future Perfect
o an action that will be completed before another time or event in the future
Future Perfect Continuous
o the duration of an action that will be in progress before another time or event in the
future

8. Prepositions After Adjectives and Nouns
Students often get confused about which prepositions to use after adjectives and nouns.
Here are some common expressions:
At:
 Bad at (something)
 Good at (something)
 Surprised at (something)
About or with:

 Pleased about (something)
 Pleased with (someone)
 Angry about (something)
 Angry with (someone)
 Disappointed about (something)
 Disappointed with (someone)
 Worried about (something or someone)
In:
 rise in
 decrease in
 increase in
 fall in
 drop in
Between:
 difference between
Of:
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





advantage/disadvantage of
example of
number of
percentage of

use of

9. Apostrophes
We use apostrophes to shorten words or make contractions:
 Cannot-Can’t
 Do not- Don’t
 I will- I’ll
Contractions are normally used in spoken English and should therefore not be used in the
academic writing tasks.
We can also use apostrophes to show possession:
 John’s book
 Mary’s brother
We don’t use apostrophes with possessive pronouns such as:
 The dog has broken its
 The book is not theirs it’s ours.
10. Common Spelling Mistakes
Some common spelling mistakes:
 to or too
 there or their
 though or through
 programme
 accommodation
 advertisement
 beginning
 business
 commercial
 country
 environment
 Wednesday
 February

 government
 occurred
 practice

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Improving Sentences for IELTS Writing Task 2
Below are some sentences written by a student. There might be one or more mistakes in
the sentence or the sentences might be fine but you need to improve them.
In my opinion, I believe that studying history is extremely important in term of learning
about culture, and science, medicine development.
On the one hand, history is a subject that is rarely used in people’s lives. Thus, it would
be better to focus on science and technology, which is more relevant to the future.
In other word, they should use the school time effectively, because students are loosing
the motivation to study subjects like history that has no important role in day to day life.
For instance, most people memorize dates,names and facts when they study history.
This information is not useful for the future.
Furthermore, Valuable information can often be found in history, how science and
medicine had developed over the years.
In conclusion, although history has many information that not used today, studying
history is important for our present as will as for our future.

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Answers
In my opinion, I believe that studying history is extremely important in terms of learning

about culture and the development of science and medicine. (The linking word “and” can
be used to link items in a list as well as clauses.)
On the one hand, as history is a subject that is rarely used in people’s lives, it would be
better to focus on science and technology, which is more relevant to the future.
(Combine the sentences to make one complex structure. 33 words is a good length but
don’t try for much more than that.)
In other words, school time should be used effectively because students are loosing the
motivation to study subjects such as history that has no important role in day to day life.
(Linking words.)
For instance, most people memorize dates, names and facts when they study history
which is not considered useful information for the future. (Combine the sentences.)
Furthermore, valuable information can often be found in history which relates to how
science and medicine has developed over the years. (Grammar: capital letters and
tenses.)
In conclusion, although history has a lot of information that is not used in today’s life,
studying history is still important for our present as well as for our future. (The main
issues are grammar and writing the sentence so that it contains a more precise
meaning.)
Linking Words: You can also see that a number of linking words have also been
corrected. Linking words are easy to learn but students still make mistakes with
forgetting the “s” or using non-academic linking words such as “like”. Make sure you all
work on perfecting your linking.

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Punctuation Practice for Writing
Below is an example of a complex sentence which does not have any punctuation. Not
only does it lack commas but it also lacks full stops – it’s too long. This is a mistake that

many students make. They think that the longer the sentence, the higher the band score
– unfortunately this is not true. Check the three questions to help you decide how to
punctuate it.
How many sentences do you think it should be?
Where would you put the full stops?
Where would you put the commas?
Write this sentence again using correct punctuation.
Firstly while it is thought that over population can be solved by limiting the number of
children people can have it would be better to limit the number of people moving from
rural to urban areas which is where the biggest problem lies because many people are
moving to cities in search of employment so if the government tried to create more jobs
in the countryside the problem would be solved almost instantly.

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