IELTS Writing Blog
Expert IELTS Writing Advice
Band criteria, sample answers, booking guidance and study plans from Dr Mariam's team — written for IELTS test-takers preparing for Academic or General Training Writing.
27 guides · updated regularly
Latest · Registration
How to Register for IELTS: British Council vs IDP, Step by Step
A step-by-step walkthrough of how to register for IELTS through British Council or IDP: IELTS Australia — what's actually different between them, and what's exactly the same.
01 · Pillar
Scoring & Band Criteria
How the four IELTS writing criteria actually score your Task 1 and Task 2 answers.
Task Achievement vs Task Response: Why IELTS Task 1 and Task 2 Use Different Names for the Same Criterion
Task Achievement vs Task Response in IELTS Writing: the same criterion, scored the same way, but named differently depending on whether you're looking at Task 1 or Task 2. Here's exactly what each one checks.
Common IELTS Lexical Resource Mistakes: Why 'Impressive Words' Won't Get You Band 7
The most common IELTS Lexical Resource mistakes aren't about vocabulary difficulty — they're collocation errors, register slips, and spelling mistakes hiding behind 'impressive' words. Here's what examiners actually reward instead.
5 Grammar Patterns That Signal Band 7 Grammatical Range and Accuracy
Five specific sentence patterns — not vocabulary or length — that examiners read as Band 7 Grammatical Range and Accuracy in IELTS Writing, with before-and-after examples.
IELTS Task 1 Diagram vs Process: How to Tell Them Apart
How to tell an IELTS Task 1 process diagram from a how-it-works mechanism diagram, and why mixing up the two leads to the wrong overview strategy.
What to Do When IELTS Task 1 Data Doesn't Show a Clear Trend
Strategy for IELTS Task 1 graphs, charts, and tables with no clear trend data — how to write an accurate overview when the numbers don't move in one obvious direction.
Why Memorized IELTS Essay Examples Lower Your Task Response Score
How IELTS examiners detect memorized essays and model answers, why the IELTS memorized essays task response penalty costs more marks than a few rough sentences of original writing, and what to prepare instead.
IELTS Task 1 Vocabulary for Trends That Aren't Just 'Increase' or 'Decrease'
IELTS Task 1 vocabulary for fluctuate, plateau, and other irregular trend language — the words examiners expect when data doesn't move in one clean direction, with example sentences for each.
Are You Overusing Linking Words in IELTS Writing?
Overusing linking words in IELTS writing can hurt Coherence & Cohesion instead of helping it. Here's how to spot the overcorrection and fix it.
The Overview Mistake That Costs Task 1 Candidates a Full Band
The most common IELTS Task 1 overview mistakes examiners actually see, why each one caps Task Achievement at band 5, and how to fix them before test day.
How to Describe Two Charts Together in IELTS Task 1
How to handle an IELTS Task 1 two graphs together question: how to write one unified overview, when to compare across both charts, and the structuring mistakes that cost Task Achievement marks.
IELTS General Training Letter Formality: How Formal Should It Really Be?
IELTS General Training letter formality explained with real tone-slip examples across formal, semi-formal, and informal registers, and how each one is actually scored.
IELTS Writing Band 7 vs Band 8: What Actually Separates Them
IELTS Writing band 7 vs band 8 explained criterion by criterion: what changes in Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy, and how to close the gap.
What Happens If Your IELTS Task 2 Essay Is Under 250 Words?
The real IELTS Task 2 word count penalty explained: how examiners treat an under-length essay under Task Response, why there's no fixed band deduction, and how far under 250 words actually becomes a problem.
What Happens If Your IELTS Task 1 Is Under 150 Words?
The real IELTS Task 1 word count penalty explained: how examiners count every word, why there's no fixed band deduction, and how to make sure a short response never costs you marks under Task Achievement.
7 IELTS Writing Mistakes That Keep Students Stuck at Band 6
The IELTS writing mistakes band 6 candidates repeat on every criterion — Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammar — and the fix for each one.
02 · Pillar
Sample Answers & Walkthroughs
Real Task 1 and Task 2 answers scored band-by-band with criterion-by-criterion annotation.
A Real IELTS Writing Band 6 to Band 7 Editing Example: Before and After
A full ielts writing band 6 to band 7 editing example: a real Task 2 essay corrected paragraph by paragraph, with every change explained against the four official IELTS Writing criteria.
A Band 9 IELTS General Training Letter Example, Fully Annotated
A complete Band 9 IELTS General Training letter example, annotated paragraph by paragraph against all four official Writing criteria, plus a Band 7 vs Band 9 comparison table.
IELTS Writing Band 6 vs 7 vs 8: One Task 2 Prompt, Three Real Example Answers
See the same IELTS Writing Task 2 prompt answered at band 6, 7, and 8, side by side, with a full ielts writing band 6 vs 7 vs 8 example breakdown of exactly what changes in each of the four official criteria.
03 · Pillar
Booking & Registration
Choosing Academic vs. General Training, booking your test, and what to expect on test day.
04 · Pillar
Test Prep & Study Plans
Practical study plans, vocabulary, and how to use practice papers well.
Can You Improve Your IELTS Writing Score in a Month?
A realistic, evidence-based look at whether you can improve your IELTS writing score in a month: what a focused 4-week plan can actually move across the four criteria, and what it can't.
How to Write an IELTS General Training Complaint Letter Without Sounding Rude
A step-by-step guide to the IELTS complaint letter for General Training Task 1 — how to stay formal, state the problem clearly, and request action without sounding aggressive.
A Real IELTS Task 2 Essay Outline Before It Becomes an Essay
See an actual IELTS Task 2 essay outline for a real prompt — the messy brainstorm and one-line plan a strong essay is built from, before a single body paragraph gets written.
IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions That Have Repeated in 2026
What actually repeats in IELTS Writing Task 2 questions in 2026 — the recurring themes and question types behind the wording — and how to prepare for them without betting on a predicted-questions list.
Human IELTS Writing Correction vs Free AI Checkers: What's the Real Difference
IELTS writing correction vs AI checker: what a free AI checker actually catches, what only a qualified human marker can assess against the four IELTS criteria, and when each one is the right tool.
IELTS Academic vs General Training Writing: What's Actually Different
IELTS Academic vs General Training writing compared side by side: how Task 1 differs completely, why Task 2 doesn't, and how to know which module you actually need.
How to Finish IELTS Writing Task 2 in 40 Minutes
An IELTS writing Task 2 time management plan that splits your 40 minutes into planning, writing, and checking — with the minute-by-minute breakdown examiners never see you skip.
05 · Pillar
Results & Logistics
Retakes, score interpretation, and what to do after your result.
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IELTS Writing Correction
Practise with expert feedback
Submit your Task 1 or Task 2 writing and receive detailed feedback from Dr Mariam's team — assessed against all four official IELTS writing criteria.