Get A 6+ Band
When preparing for IELTS, all of us want at least a band more than 6. But then some get it and some don’t. But then what stops you to get a 6+ band!! Well, there could be many, but let’s talk about the five most common mistakes students make in their writing task that stops them at 5 or a 5.5.
- Missing clear overview- The overview is a short paragraph that tells the reader 2 or 3 of the most significant things about the chart, graph, table etc. It should contain no data and instead describe the main features in general terms. Students instead of writing an overview, straight away start writing the answer. If you notice the marking scheme of IELTS clearly, you will find out that to get a band 7 or more, a clear overview is very important.
- Mention Everything- In the questions of writing task, you are asked to summarize the information. Most students start writing about every thing that is mentioned in the graph, which lands them no where. This normally leads to a very disorganized essay and often means that you run out of time, or even worse, run over time and fail to complete Task 2. So, prioritize your answer and make sure it is organized.
- Complicate The Questions- When answering the question, students think that since it is an IELTS exam, it needs to be tough. However, the IELTS test makers know that you have seen the graph for the first time, and you have only 20 minutes to explain the graph. So, they only expect you to tell clearly about the major trends and answer properly.
- Unorganized Ideas – The most logical way to organize a Task 1 essay is:Paragraph 1- IntroductionParagraph 2- Overview of main features
Paragraph 3- Details of main features 1
Paragraph 4- Details of main features 2 .Often students, forget this and rather write quite haphazardly. If you write properly and according to a set pattern, you are more likely to get high marks.
- Incorrect Data Description – Often while explaining the data, students understand it wrongly. For instance if the prices increased from 12000 to 15000, they have increased by 3000, but students rather, write that the increase was of 5000 or something else. This causes you to lose marks.
So, go on, avoid mistakes and score high.