IELTS Writing Task 2 Mistakes by Band: 5.5, 6.5 and 7+

IELTS Writing Task 2 mistakes at band 5.5: not answering the question

At this level the candidate can write English sentences but the essay fails on Task Response. Three patterns account for most of them.

• Off-topic drift. The question asks whether governments should fund the arts; the essay discusses why art is important. Related, but not the question. Fix: underline the instruction words ("should", "to what extent", "discuss both views") and answer those.
• No position. "Some people think X and others think Y. In this essay I will discuss both." Then four paragraphs that never say what the writer thinks. Fix: state your opinion in the introduction and repeat it in the conclusion, even for "discuss both views" questions, which also ask for your opinion.
• Memorised introductions. "In the contemporary era, it is an undeniable fact that…" Examiners recognise these and the descriptors penalise memorised language. Fix: one sentence paraphrasing the question, one sentence giving your position. Two sentences is enough.

Band 6.5 mistakes: right answer, uneven development

These essays answer the question and have a position. They stay at 6.5 because development is lopsided and the writing is slightly mechanical.

• One-sided development. Paragraph two has a topic sentence, an explanation and an example. Paragraph three has a topic sentence and a vague "for example, many countries have done this". Fix: give each body paragraph the same shape and the same weight.
• Overlong introductions. Sixty words of background before the position appears. Those words are not scored and they cost time. Fix: cap the introduction at 40 words.
• Vague examples. "For instance, in my country many people have this problem." Fix: a specific, plausible example, even an invented one: "In Seoul, for instance, the night bus network cut taxi use among shift workers."
• Connector chains. "Firstly… Secondly… Moreover… Furthermore… In conclusion." Fix: link ideas with reference words ("this approach", "such a policy") and let logic carry the connection.

Band 7+ mistakes that stop 8

Above band 7, the problems are habits that were rewarded earlier and now hold you back. Teachers praised your connectors at band 5 because they showed organisation; at band 8 the same connectors read as scaffolding that should have been removed. The same is true of long words and long essays. What follows is a list of things to stop doing, which is a strange kind of practice, but it is the practice that works at this level.

• Overusing linking devices. At band 8 cohesion should be almost invisible. If every sentence begins with a connector, the examiner reads it as mechanical.
• Inflated vocabulary. "A plethora of myriad benefits" signals memorised phrases rather than precision. Band 8 Lexical Resource is "fluent and flexible", which means the natural word, not the rare one.
• Over-hedging. "It could perhaps be argued that this might possibly be true." Take the position and defend it.
• Length for its own sake. Three hundred and fifty words of a 260-word argument. Extra words add errors, not marks.

One prompt, three answers

Prompt: Some people believe that children should start school as early as possible, while others think they should start later. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

A 40-minute plan

1. Minutes 0–5: plan. Underline the instruction words, decide your position, write one line per body paragraph with the example you will use.
2. Minutes 5–8: introduction. Two sentences. Paraphrase, then position.
3. Minutes 8–30: body. Two paragraphs of equal weight: topic sentence, explanation, specific example, link back to the question.
4. Minutes 30–34: conclusion. Restate the position in different words. No new ideas.
5. Minutes 34–40: check. Run your personal grammar passes from our guide to the IELTS grammar mistakes that lower your band, then read the conclusion against the introduction to confirm the position has not drifted.

The plan front-loads thinking. Candidates who skip the five-minute plan usually discover their position in paragraph three and spend the conclusion contradicting their introduction, which is the band 5.5 pattern appearing in an otherwise band 6.5 essay.

Practise with Langujet

Find your band group by submitting one essay to Langujet's IELTS writing correction and reading the Task Response and Coherence scores first; those two decide which list above applies to you. Take prompts from the IELTS Writing Task 2 topics list and structures by essay type from the IELTS Writing Task 2 guide, then write two timed essays a week and compare the reports.