Understand the IELTS writing task 2 marking criteria
Identify the main topic of the essay
Identify all parts of the task
Present a position/opinion
Conclusion
The 4 C’s of Essay Writing
Cohesion – refers to words and phrases that help link ideas together.For example:
- Because of this ….
- It is clear that …
- It can be seen … etc.
Coherence – How easy is your essay to understand? In order to improve your coherence, proper grammar is
a must. You are not there while the essay is being marked, so your ideas need to be clear and easy to
understand. Using the cohesive phrases mentioned earlier can improve the coherence of your essay.
Conciseness – Long sentences do not mean more marks. Run-on sentences will often cause you to lose marks in this area. There are three sentence structures you should be using: - Simple sentence – Contains a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. For Example – The
teacher returned the homework. - Complex sentences – Has an independent clause (simple sentence) joined by one or more dependent
clauses (cannot stand alone as a sentence) For Example – The teacher returned the homework after
she noticed the error. - Compound sentences – Two simple sentences joined by a coordinator (ex. for, and, or, yet, so). For
Example – The teacher returned the homework so everyone got to go home early.
Composition – The structure of your essay (introduction paragraph, 2-3 body paragraphs, and a conclusion
paragraph). A good introduction includes a little background on the topic, a thesis statement, and a preview of
the 2-3 main points of your essay. Each body paragraph should include a topic sentence illustrating your
point, an example of your point, and how it ties into your topic sentence, as well as a concluding sentence that
ties this point into your thesis.
Conclusions should reiterate your two or three main ideas from your body paragraphs an restate your thesis
again using different words than before. To end your conclusion, you should give a prediction or
recommendation on the essay topic.
TASK ACHIEVEMENT: 250- 280 WORDS
GRAMMATICAL RANGE / AVIOD GRAMMAR ERRORS
LEXICAL RESOURCES/ VOCABULARY WORDS