SEVERAL EFFECTIVE GUIDELINES IN THE IELTS WRITING SKILLS

Obviously, in order for you to write effectively and score well on the IELTS writing module, it is very imperative that you should have in-depth knowledge of effective preparation and study plan, appropriate writing style and coherent tone, as well as the proper structure and format for each type of writing task. Well, this is mainly because when it comes to the flow of writing process, these tips will come in handy and therefore, you should study what could be the essential skills needed to earn a better result in the IELTS writing modules so that you can prepare your own essays effectively. Hence, the following procedures below are several guidelines which you can take into consideration in order to help you performing well in your writing test.

1^st STAGE – SELF PREPARATION

a. Read the instructions carefully. In this case, make sure that you have fully understood what you are required to write about, as you need to determine the appropriate style and tone of your essay to sound more coherently presented for the examiners to give a better mark.

b. Brainstorm and note down your ideas. Well, this should be done on your question paper (but not on your answer sheet) because no one will be interested to look at your notes after the test. So, try not to write the complete sentences while you are making your notes since you only need to extract your ideas (brainstorming) in order to help you identifying what you are going to write as instructed.

c. Plan your essay thoroughly. Select, prioritize, and group your ideas to the genre as well as the suggested layout for your essay format. In any case, you should not take more than 5 minutes to plan your essay for both tasks – Task 1 and Task 2.

2^nd STAGE – DRAFTING YOUR ESSAY

Once you have an overall picture of what you are going to write about, it is well-advised that you should use a pencil when drafting your essay because it will seem much easier for you to make changes and self-corrections afterwards. So, make sure that everything you write on your answer sheet is legible. In this stage, you should not take more than 10 minutes in writing Task 1 and 20 minutes in writing Task 2.

3^rd STAGE – REVIEWING WHAT YOU HAVE WRITTEN

Look back and try to read your essay again. Check it if there are grammar and spelling mistakes found. Perhaps, this is because of you probably will not be able to correct all the mistakes that you have made. So, focus on locating and correcting those typical mistakes of yours. To do this, you need to keep a list of such mistakes in mind and use it when you finish writing to check your essay. Again, you should not take more than 5 minutes for this part.

Here are some of the suggested checklists to help you reviewing your essay but before that, kindly ask yourself whether if you have...

a. Answered all aspects of the task required?

b. Chosen the appropriate style and language tone?

c. Included an introduction as well as a conclusion?

d. Made your paragraphing clear and logical?

e. Ensured all your supporting points are relevant?

f. Cross-checked any of your grammatical and spelling errors?

g. Accomplished the task achievement where you need to write at least 150 words for Task 1 and 250 words for Task 2?

Overall, bear in mind that for both parts of the IELTS writing modules, the language you use must be consistently appropriate, cohesive, and coherent in terms of style and tone.