Writing
Sounding academic without sounding forced, and the phrases to leave out. With a practice exercise.
Formal writing style for IELTS is assessed under Lexical Resource, and it is where a lot of otherwise competent essays lose half a band. Task 2 is an academic essay, and language that would be natural in speech reads as a mistake on the page.
The trap on the other side is overcorrection. Essays stuffed with long words used slightly wrongly score lower than plain writing used accurately, because Lexical Resource assesses precision as well as range.
What to change
Six shifts, none of which require unusual vocabulary.
Contractions are short forms such as it's, don't and cannot be. Write them in full: it is, do not, cannot. This is the quickest single change to make, and it also adds to your word count.
Phrasal verbs are two-word verbs such as put off and find out. In formal writing, replace the informal ones with single words: postpone, discover, deteriorate. You do not have to remove all of them.
Stuff, things, a lot of, kids. Replace with specific nouns: factors, considerations, a significant number of, children.
You may use it, particularly when asked for your opinion. What to avoid is repeated I think, which weakens every sentence it opens.
Use words such as many, often, tend to and may. A statement that says all or always is hard to defend and easy to disprove. Being careful in this way is normal in academic English.
Why is this a problem? has no place in an IELTS essay. State the point rather than asking the reader.
Method
Six that appear constantly and add nothing.
Examiners read this thousands of times. It uses five words to say nothing, and the essay is about now by default.
Along with throughout history and for many centuries. Sweeping historical openings replace an argument with atmosphere.
Too absolute and too informal. Prefer there is a strong case for this view, which also leaves room for nuance.
Signals another item in a list, not a conclusion. Use finally in the body, and in conclusion at the end.
A filler opening built entirely from vague quantity. Say who, and how much.
If everyone knows it, you do not need to write it. It also asserts agreement you have not earned.
Practice
Choose the version suited to an IELTS Task 2 essay.
For each pair, look for contractions, vague words, informal phrasal verbs and absolute claims.
Remember that the formal version is not the longer or more complicated one. It is the more precise one.
1Which is better for Task 2?
B. Specific quantity, precise verb. The others use vague quantifiers, informal phrasal verbs, or claim universal agreement.
2Which opening is best?
C. It says something specific and checkable. The other three are openings examiners read constantly, and none of them contains an idea.
3Which is the better verb choice?
B. Postpone is the formal single-word equivalent. The other three are phrasal verbs suited to speech.
4Which claim is better expressed?
C. Hedged and specific. Absolute claims are easy to challenge and are treated as imprecise rather than confident.
5Which use of I is acceptable?
B. One clear statement of position. Repeated I think weakens the writing, and D announces rather than argues.
Register is the hardest thing to judge in your own work, because whatever you wrote sounded right to you at the time.
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Choosing between two versions is easier than producing the better one under time, in your own words.
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Yes, particularly when the question asks for your opinion. What lowers the score is repeated I think opening every sentence.
Only if you use them accurately. Lexical Resource assesses precision as well as range, and a long word used slightly wrongly costs more than a plain word used correctly.
No, but informal ones should be replaced. Postpone rather than put off, discover rather than find out.
In an informal General Training letter, yes. In Task 2 and in formal letters, write the words in full.
Because it says nothing, uses five words, and examiners see it constantly. Openings that contain an actual idea score better.
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