(Ryan’s advice) 5 common mistakes IELTS students make on the writing portion of their exam

In this brief article, I would like to share the 5 most common mistakes I see in the IELTS essays I correct for students online:

Common mistake 1 – Misunderstanding the instruction portion of the essay question

All IELTS essay questions include a sentence that tells the student precisely what they are expected to do in their written response.  Typically, this sentence will include words like discuss, analyze, argue, support or refute and the student is expected to respond accordingly.

Let’s look at an example IELTS essay question to illustrate.  I will highlight the instruction sentence in blue:

The Internet is replacing many traditional forms of communication.  This brings with it more negative than positive ramifications for humanity.  Discuss this and state your opinion.

Here, you can see the instruction sentence is directly telling the student how they are expected to formulate a response.  The problem many students run into is that they misinterpret what this instruction sentence is really asking them, and this in turn causes the overall relevance of their essay response to suffer.

If you have found this is a problem for you, let’s go over a few sample instruction sentences and state clearly what they are asking:

Discuss both sides of this argument.  (Phrases like this ask students to analyze the opinions of others.  Thus, students would be best to follow a discussion essay format and analyze the merits, or lack thereof, of the topic or position presented in their essay question.)

What is your opinion on the subject?  (Here, the essay question is asking you to respond directly with your opinion.  The most effective way to do this is by responding in an argument essay format.)

What is your opinion on the subject?  Analyze both sides in your essay.  (Now we are being faced with 2 instruction sentences.  Here, we would respond in a discussion essay format, sharing our personal opinion at the end.)

Do you agree or disagree?  Share personal examples to support your response.  (This question instructs the student to include examples from their life while arguing one side of a particular position.  Thus, responding in an argument styled essay would be best.)

(If you are unfamiliar with how to properly write an argument or discussion essay, please refer to the videos available here.)

Common mistake 2 – Writing a thesis that does not respond directly to the essay question

In the event you are given an IELTS question that requires a response written in an argument essay style, it is imperative you compose a clear and relevant thesis.  Nothing ruins an argument essay faster than a problematic thesis.

Don’t be afraid to repeat words that appear in your essay question in your thesis.  All too often, students try to paraphrase important keywords and phrases from their question in their thesis and this typically alters the original meaning to a certain degree.  Repeating words from your question will help ensure your examiner sees a direct link between it and your essay.

Thus, an essay question that reads:

Do you agree or disagree that students should be required to study a language in high school?

…could be responded to with the thesis:

It is agreed that students should be required to study a language in high school.

Common mistake 3 – The use of personal pronouns in essays

Using personal pronouns in your essay (for example: I, you, we, us, our) will not cause a student to lose marks on their exam.  However, overusing them causes an essay to sound informal in nature and not very academic.

The solution to this is to write passively.  So, instead of writing something like:

I believe worldwide poverty will one day be eradicated.

…try:

It is believed poverty will one day be eradicated.

Common mistake 4 – Using ambiguous examples in your IELTS essay

It is important to remember that when including an example in your IELTS essay, you want to use something that can show your argument in action.  This is best done by referring to a real-life event, person, company or place.  Thus, a student who writes:

For example, GDP growth in China has led to the improving of living standards throughout the country.

…is setting the stage for a much stronger argument than a student who writes:

For example, income growth among developing countries has the led to the improving of living standards in many areas.

As you can see, the second example’s broadness makes the example seem less tangible and thus lowers its overall quality.

Common mistake 5 – Writing with grammatical accuracy

The last mistake in our list is basic grammatical accuracy.  The most common errors I see in the essays I correct are sentence fragments, run-on sentences, improper preposition usage, verb tense issues and mistakes in a student’s lexical selection.  The best tip I can offer those students struggling with nagging grammar issues is to compose your essay entirely of short, concise sentences and to link these sentences with cohesive phrases.  Having a writing coach can also be immensely helpful.

(Video) Have you noticed recent IELTS essay questions are on the topic of ‘technology’?

In this video, we look at how to respond to IELTS questions involving ‘technology’ as a central theme.

(Video) Helpful little video from Dominic Cole on responding to Academic Task 1 questions

I came across this little video today in my Internet travels.  An excellent little bit on interpreting IELTS Academic Task 1 questions and mentally preparing a response:

(Model essay) Academic exam question seen in Western Australia in September 2011

(This question taken with permission from IELTS-blog.com.)

A country’s future depends on its young people. Therefore, a country should invest heavily in its youth. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

The youth of a nation play a critical role in a country’s future.  Thus, the manner in which young people are raised is intrinsically tied to the capabilities of new generations of workers.  It is agreed that a country should invest considerably in its youth.  This will be shown by analyzing how such a practice can lead a nation to international competitiveness and how it can lead people to more charitable lives.

Firstly, a state’s ability to compete in the modern world is only as strong as its citizens’ minds.  Take the Japanese education system as an example.  Despite the crippling effects of the Second World War, Japan’s focus on education and the nurturing of academia played a part in leading the country to become the second largest economy in the world.  This would never have been possible had the country not invested in and embraced the education of its young people.  Thus, it is clear that a country’s commitment to its young people has direct ramifications on its future.

Secondly, people who grow up with the gift of a proper education can do more to help the needy in their country.  For instance, Germany is a state that produces large numbers of highly capable medical practitioners, and this allows all German citizens to receive quality medical attention.  Were Germany as a nation to cease investment in young people seeking a medical education, this service to the public could not be provided as effectively.  Because of this, its clear that positive results come to nations that invest in their youth.

After analyzing how a country’s focus on its young people can lead to economical strength and domestic social benefits, the link between investment in youth and a nation’s future can clearly be seen.  It is hoped the committing of national resources to youths is a practice employed around the world.