Some IELTS candidates rely far too much on linking words. If you start every sentence of your essay with a typical linking word (firstly, furthermore, moreover etc.), your writing will seem 'mechanical' and you probably won't get higher than a band 6 for coherence and cohesion (25% of your score).
The opposite extreme is to use none of the typical linking words. In last week's lesson I showed you an example of this. I called it "the art of linking without linking". The only problem with this way of writing is that you need to be an advanced user of English to do it well. It's the kind of thing that a native speaker or band 9 candidate might do.
Most candidates should aim to be somewhere between these two extremes. Try to use linking words in a natural way. It makes sense to use 'Furthermore' when you're adding to an idea, and it makes sense to use 'For example' when you're giving an example.
In short, linking words are useful, but you shouldn't rely on them; they are not going to impress the examiner or magically give you a high score.
Dear Sir, your task 2 ideas booklet need to keep abreast of latest questions such as those relating to social media.Thanks a lot.
Posted by: nonus | September 12, 2019 at 08:01
Dear Simon,
my question is a bit off topic, I hope you won't mind. I followed your instructions on writing, and used the technique that suggests to spend 10 min on planning, 5 min on introduction, 10 on each paragraph, 5 on conclusion. It is actually a great advise as 10 min spent on planning are very useful and I would never think of it myself. However, I lack the time to go through my essay one more time, to "check" for obvious mistakes. Don't you think it is necessary?
Posted by: Valentina | September 12, 2019 at 20:07
FROM SIMON:
nonus,
The topics in the ebook are still the most common (family, education, work, environment etc.).
I use the blog lessons here to address new and less common topics.
...
Valentina,
Try to get your conclusion done in less than 5 minutes (it's only one sentence). This should give you the checking time that you need.
I hope this helps!
Posted by: Simon | September 16, 2019 at 16:40