This is an IELTS Energy Podcast Episode 1517.
Can't get the 7 you need on IELTS Writing Task 2?
3 Tips.
Welcome to the ielts energy podcast from all ears english, downloaded more than 35 million times, with examiner trained ielts wiz, aubrey carter and lindsay mcmahon, the english adventurer.
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Does writing task two hold you back time and time again when you take IELTS?
Today.
Find out what you are doing that is preventing the examiner from granting you that seven.
On task two.
Listen in today.
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Hey there, Aubrey.
How's everything going today?
I'm great.
How are you, Lindsay?
I'm feeling good.
Lots of energy for the microphone, but I do have a question for you.
You ready?
All right.
Yes.
So have you ever had to take an exam a second time to improve your score?
Yeah well, so not officially one that I had registered for, but I did have to take practice exams again and again when I was studying to take the LSAT.
And I would take a practice exam and not get the score I needed.
So then take it again and not get the score I needed.
It was extremely frustrating.
Oh, the LSAT sounds so difficult though.
It is.
And similar to IELTS, you have such a limited amount of time.
If you had more time, if you, you know, no problem.
But when you're really limited on time, you need strategies, because you're so limited on the amount of time you have to find these answers.
Of course, there's a whole set of skills we need to build.
In addition to the knowledge is also the test taking skills, the strategies, like you said, Aubrey.
So is today a part two of a two part series?
Yes, absolutely.
Right.
A series on something many of you struggle with getting a seven or higher on IELTS writing.
So part one was about writing task one.
Stay to the end for details if you missed it, because these can be listened to out of order.
So we're going to share task two, what might be keeping you from scoring that seven.
And then you can go back and check out that other one for details about writing task one.
Yes.
And we have this question.
Should we read it again to remind our listeners?
Okay.
So Mikhail from Spotify.
Again, we read this in the first one, but we're reminding you guys what was asked.
I'm stuck with a low score in writing.
I got 6.5, two times straight.
Other parts are higher, like seven.
But writing is my Achilles heel.
So what should I do?
And of course, we know there are two parts to the writing test, two tasks.
So today we're into that part two, that task two.
Yeah, we're going to share three tips that will help you move from a six or 65 to seven.
On task two, because there are a lot of things that students are doing the same mistakes that are keeping them from getting that seven they need.
Yes, I love that.
So let's dive right into it.
I think our listeners want to know, because I feel that so many of our students are, And our listeners, they're struggling here.
I mean, this is why they get into our course, which is where we go a lot deeper.
But today we're going to offer some surface level hints, ticks, ticks, tips, no ticks, I hope.
No ticks, please.
Tricks and tips, right?
No ticks.
Nice.
Yes, exactly.
So this first tip is about the task response score.
So there are a few things that students are doing that are that are making it impossible for the examiner to give you seven or higher for this task.
Response score.
So we're going to share those so that you're aware of these, so that you know a lot of.
It's just knowing what the examiner is looking for to give you that seven or higher on this score.
Nice.
I love that.
So, for example, each idea must be fully supported with details and examples.
That's the first one.
Yeah, so many students have multiple ideas in a body paragraph, none of which are supported.
Well, because if you have a lot of ideas for your opinion, for example, you don't have time to support all of them with details and examples.
So instead, what should we do, Lindsay?
Well, what should we do?
We should make sure that we give the examiner exactly what they want.
We want to have, Aubrey, what should we do?
So instead, you need to brainstorm one idea, right?
Yes.
With supporting details and an example.
So the only trick here is that some we've covered this on the podcast but, as a reminder, some topics will require you to provide two ideas.
If there's a plural, if it's asking for problems and solutions, advantages and disadvantages, then you need two separate ones.
One idea will suffice if it's just what is your opinion, right?
Why do you think this?
One solid idea that is well supported with details and examples is going to score higher.
Is more likely to get you that seven.
I love this.
The idea here is proving to the examiner that your idea makes sense.
So you're kind of making like a judicial argument.
We've talked about that before, like you're talking to a judge kind of.
Exactly.
It's not enough just to say I think this, and here's why, with no support, or even I think this, and here are all my reasons.
Imagine the examiner disagrees with all of your reasons, right?
You need supporting detail, examples to defend those reasons.
Exactly.
So do we have an example here, Aubrey?
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
So the mistake that a lot of students would make yeah, is either they're writing and as they write, they're writing all their ideas, or even if you do an official brainstorm, you might think of many ideas and list them all.
So what are some of the ideas students might come up with here?
Yeah, distracting ideas, right.
Uh, using phones and smart watches during classes, Or maybe that it's causing students to be lazy, right?
So, if you're brainstorming and you're thinking okay, what are all of the problems that technology could be causing for students?
And you can think of so many, right?
Well, iPhones are distracting.
Smartwatches are distracting.
Students are lazier if they're too reliant on spelling and grammar checkers, right?
It's keeping students from learning to write by hand well.
And increased screen time, right?
There's so many reasons increased screen time could be negative.
For sure.
I mean, you could list all day reasons, but that is not going to make a strong essay, right, Aubrey?
So what should we do instead?
Yeah.
So instead, you would want to choose just one of these.
If you immediately think of 10 reasons, choose this one you can support fully, the one you have an example for, the one you can think of details for, and then that idea you'll support in the body paragraph.
Right.
For an opinion essay, then you could have two ideas, one in each body paragraph supporting your opinion.
For an argument essay where you're asked to share both sides or you're sharing both sides.
Then it's one idea supporting each side of the argument.
Love it.
Love it.
So going deep into one or two things.
There's.
It might be like a false sense of security if we're listing so many ideas and reasons that we think that's going to impress the examiner, but that makes it impossible for the examiner to score us a seven right.
Exactly.
Part of it's just not really understanding how the task response score works, right?
You're imagining.
Well, if I give a lot of reasons for my opinion, that convinces them that it's a good opinion.
But you need that support for each of these ideas in order for the examiner, in order to meet that requirement in the scoring system.
If you were a lawyer, you would never approach the judge and just say you know X Y Z, here are my, here are the 10 reasons, and not argue your opinion or your point.
All the reasons that I'm right.
Yes.
Without actually supporting any of them or proving any of them.
Right.
That would never fly.
So point well taken here.
Let's go on to number two, Aubrey, vocabulary.
Tell us about this.
Yes.
So we want to share some tips, things that students are doing that are keeping them from getting a seven or higher on the vocabulary score.
Because keep in mind, your score is an overall average of these four scores, right?
Task response, vocabulary, cohesion, coherence, and grammar.
And so if any of them are really low, your overall score can't be higher than a seven.
So the first problem is you need less common, high scoring, topic specific vocabulary.
So if students are using very common words, not a lot of impressive vocabulary, the examiner cannot give you higher than a six.
Oh, man.
So the way to do this, to get these higher level words read articles, listen to podcasts about common IELTS topics.
There are a handful of topics that tend to come up the environment education health, government spending right.
Exactly.
And then we've talked about this recently.
But don't make long lists of vocabulary for each article or podcast or you won't actually learn any of it.
You won't be able to use it on test day.
So instead, limit yourself to three or four words per article or podcast that are really interesting, might be related to these topics, that you will have a good chance of being able to use on test day.
Exactly.
Love it.
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Okay Aubrey, we're back with the third thing that we need to look at.
What might be holding us back at a six?
That is cohesion, coherence score.
Now, what's the examiner thinking when it comes to cohesion coherence?
Yeah, so there are a lot of things that students are doing which again, are keeping the examiner from being able to give you a seven on this score.
So first of all, you have to use linking phrases to transition between ideas.
If you have sort of choppy sentences or just ideas and it's not flowing from idea to then, you can't score higher than a six.
Interesting. and the idea that having different meanings.
Tell us about this one a little bit, Aubrey.
Yeah, so each of these has different meanings, right?
Each of these linking phrases.
So, for example, if you're contrasting something, you might use linking phrases like in contrast, on the contrary or nevertheless.
So this is another thing that we see students just kind of throwing out a linking phrase without thinking about the meaning.
They need to be used correctly in context.
Yeah, that's true.
I mean, or if we're providing additional info.
Yeah, as you said, I think you said in addition, right?
Furthermore, what is more?
What else, Aubrey?
And then if you're providing an example as an illustration, for instance, for example, right.
So it does matter which linking phrases you're using.
So, as you're practicing writing your essays, practice using these transition phrases, these linking phrases.
You want to start paragraphs with introductory phrases that introduce an idea, so it doesn't feel choppy, like it's coming out of nowhere.
Yeah, the idea.
If you think about the words cohesion coherence, It's the words that bring together the overall argument, that make it flow.
It's the flow.
Right, Aubrey?
Exactly.
So what are some introductory phrases that we could use?
Yeah.
So one example for this topic that we brainstormed about how technology could be distracting students.
And you could say, on the other hand, a plethora of reasons can be provided for increasing reliance on technology and education.
Nice.
That sounds very high level to me.
I like it.
Yes, definitely.
Right.
And then you have the cohesion.
Coherence score is higher as you are transitioning between ideas, as you're linking your ideas and writing in a very cohesive way.
Excellent.
And then, of course, our best advice here is to use templates regularly.
Not memorizing templates because a template is not something you memorize.
It's a structure, right?
Exactly right.
It's going to be chunks of language linking phrases and high scoring vocabulary that you can then add ideas depending on the topic.
You just plug in your ideas and this high scoring vocabulary and it's going to make it much easier easier, right?
You have these templates, this map, a tool that you can use that has those linking phrases, that has this high scoring vocabulary, and then you just plug them into the right essays.
Awesome.
And we do offer templates in our course, Three Keys IELTS.
So Aubrey, where can our listeners go if they want to just kind of shortcut a lot of this and not have to do this alone?
Do this with a system of strategies created by a former examiner and support and feedback in our community and from you Aubrey, from our teacher.
Yes, this can be hugely time-saving to get templates that have been pre-made and see how to use them on essays.
You go to allearsenglish.com slash keys, K-E-Y-S, to sign up for Three Keys IELTS, our IELTS course.
And we're, you know, here on the podcast.
Like you said Lindsay, we're just sort of giving you the bare bones information.
This course really goes into all of these strategies and how you can use them to get seven or higher on test day.
Exactly.
And another episode we recommend that you check out right now is that first part of this two part series.
Why am I score?
It's 1515.
Why am I scoring six on IELTS writing task one?
So go check that out.
But yes, you need strategies for both part one and part two so that you can get the seven you need on test day.
Yeah.
And just as a final takeaway, I mean from kind of an emotional perspective of IELTS.
We know writing is the hardest and there is nothing more frustrating than if you prepare for months.
And you end up with that 65 and you know that that's not enough to get to your dream institution or job.
Right, Aubrey?
Yes, and especially frustrating if you are getting the scores you need on the other sections of the exam and just can't quite get that writing 7.
We have so many students who have come to us with that problem. just need to get the writing seven.
You need strategies.
You need to really understand the scoring system.
So definitely sign up for Three Keys IELTS so we can give you this insider information that will help you get your score.
Go to allersenglish.com slash keys, K-E-Y-S.
All right, good stuff on the mic today, Aubrey.
I'll see you back here very soon.
You have a good rest of your week.
You too, see you guys next time.
Bye.
Bye.
Thanks for listening to IELTS Energy.
Hit subscribe now, and don't forget to find your estimated band score at allearsenglishcom.
Slash my score.
