In this tutorial you will learn the importance in IELTS Writing tasks of:

• knowing what help with writing you need and* where and how to receive expert feedback

• This will help you to learn: exam skills and language skills

and to therefore

• know exactly how to handle IELTS writing tasks* improve your band score in IELTS writing

The writing skill

The part of the IELTS exam that worries you most is probably the Writing Test. Writing proficiency in a second language for most people is more difficult to achieve than speaking, listening and reading. Maybe it’s because when we write something it’s “permanent” or that very often, writing requires a more formal style. Also, we can’t backtrack as we can in speaking. That means we have to be extremely careful with grammatical structures, how we organise our writing and even the words we chose. Some of us find that a struggle in our native language, so when it comes to a second language, we need to work extra hard. Now, before we look at the IELTS writing tasks, take a look at these tips:

• Be honest with yourself. How would you rate your writing skills in your first language and in English? Know your strengths and weaknesses. For example, what mistakes do you commonly make in writing? Plan to write and write to plan. How well do you plan your writing and follow the plan?

Expert feedback

Even if you felt comfortable with those tips and questions, I’m sure you’ll agree you will benefit from help. IELTS task 1 and task 2 in both IELTS versions, need careful preparation and there are experts ready to help you (link: www.ieltspodcast.com) These experts will:-

• Assess your current level in writing Give you practice in and guidance on IELTS tasks 1 and 2 Provide effective feedback on your progress* Help you push your writing band score up

How can I learn IELTS writing?

From experts, you will receive help in:

• EXAM SKILLS* LANGUAGE SKILLS

With exam skills, the 3 key words are know, plan, revise

• Knowing refers to what to do in each task. It also means knowing what the examiner is looking for. Planning means using the 60 minutes of the test to the maximum. Writing task 1 is worth a third of the total score, so spend 20 minutes on it and 40 on Task 2. Revising involves finding at least 2 or 3 minutes before you finish each task reading through what you have written, looking for any avoidable grammar mistakes, checking your use of vocabulary.

Help in knowing covers:-

• Being very familiar with all the possible task types and topics in IELTS task 1 and task 2. That means graphic descriptions of several types, letter writing with different purposes and essay topics asking you to agree or disagree, compare advantages to disadvantages, put forward explanations and so on. It’s not straightforward and step by step guidance with relevant examples, model answers, practice and feedback makes all the difference between an overall 6.0 and a much higher band score.