2020-10-28 20:25:04
#Writing
IELTS Writing Tip #1
Understanding writing task 2
The aim of writing task 2
As writing task 2 is worth double the marks of task 1, it deserves special attention, and I have found that the greatest debates centre around this task. A high-level IELTS certificate tells the world that you are able to write about any topic in a serious way; writing task 2 aims to find out whether this can be said about your writing. Looking in more detail at the instructions for the task, as well as the criteria for Task response, and Coherence and cohesion, we can elaborate on this broad idea and state the following:
• You will be given a topic and a question (these two elements make up ‘the task’).
• Your response must be at least 250 words long, and must be a formal essay.
• In your essay, you must discuss the topic and present an argument that clearly explains your position on the issues raised in the question/s.
• Your ideas must be organised into logical paragraphs, and each paragraph should contain one central idea.
• Your ideas must be explained and supported, and you can use your own knowledge and experience to do that.
These details are readily available, yet many people tell me this is not enough information. They would actually like these broad ideas to be much narrower, making preparation for the test easier. However, any description of task 2 must be broad in order to force you to study a wide range of language and develop the skills your certificate will say that you have. In other words, the way that we describe this task has to be broad to ensure that you do the right preparation for the test. Therefore, while more detailed descriptions might seem convenient, they will not accurately describe the real test. As we shall see, it is the attempts to describe the task in a much more limited way that cause a great deal of confusion and, I believe, also keep people stuck below band 7.
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