IELTS Writing Advice: getting an extra half band

Many students need to improve by only half a band to get the score they need. For example, they have a 6.5 and they need a band 7.

Here's some advice if you're in that situation: try to improve in one small area.

Instead of worrying about everything (grammar, vocabulary, organisation etc.), just choose one area to focus on. For example, a small improvement in the quality of your ideas (vocabulary) could lift your score from 6.5 to 7.

Comments

[Usman]

Hi simon, i am really worrying about my score in writing....i am half a band to 7 and i dont know why my speaking fluctuates between 6 and 7...i am really feeling useless...

[Usman]

.

[jay]

Hi guys and Simon

After wasting 2 year and trying 16 times IELTS......

I cant go beyond 6.5 in writing or 7 each in one result...

I finally give up tryig and decided to settle in my country.. with sad heard..

[Makhabbat]

Hello Usman, try to learn and use naturally some idioms and good vocabulary. For example, when the examiner asked me to describe my flat I said that "well my flat quite cozy, but unfortunately I've got 2 small rooms, there is no place to swing a cat. Also when she asked something about relaxation, like why people should spend their spare time alone? I said something like "people usually think about their mistakes which their made or future plans and sometimes they want to relax "let their hair down" .
So Usman I think you can learn by heart some useful and kind of general vocabulary, be confident and relax.

[lucy]

I am in the same situation, struggling to get 7 in writing. I had three 6.5 recently in writing . It is so hard and hopefully i will get it with the help of this site.

[Uğur]

Hi Simon,

Can you look at the writing task 1 of the Cambridge IELTS practice test book 6 Test 3?

It is really challenging. You wrote example essays on the process type of writing task 1 but this one is very hard !

[Simon]

Keep practising guys. Here's some related advice:

http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2012/03/ielts-advice-small-gradual-improvements.html

...

Hi Ugur,

I did some of that question here:

http://ielts-simon.com/ielts-help-and-english-pr/2010/12/ielts-writing-task-1-process-diagrams.html

[Anthony]

This is very common here in Philippines it is so hard for us to get a band 7 in writing though other subjects are much higher than 7 this seems not clear, maybe the teachers were too hard on us.

[Tesla]

Hi Simon,
while doing the writing task 1, should i use the percent or percentage to describe the column charts? what's the different of these two words?
Thank you

[Tony Nguyen]

I have done 10 attempts and two appeals to get 4 7. I was really depressed because my visa was expiring in two months time. Finally, I got 8 in speaking, 9 in reading 7 in speaking and 6.5 in writing. I appealed on the result and I got it changed. The story is actually more drama than saying now but I just want to let you know that you are there already when you get 6.5. Try to relax and focus on what you think that you should improve. In my case, I was struggling with pronunciation and vocabulary for level 7 in writing and speaking. Good luck for you all.