The IELTS Writing Task is often the most feared part of the exam, and for good reason — it tests grammar, vocabulary, structure, and clarity all at once. Many students come to Lumeners with a strong grasp of English but end up scoring Band 6 or lower. Why?
Let’s break down the 5 most common mistakes students make — and how to avoid them.
1. ❌ Ignoring All Parts of the Task
IELTS tasks often ask multi-part questions. For instance:
“Discuss both views and give your opinion.”
Many students write about both views but forget to include their own. Missing this part drops your Task Response score, which contributes 25% of the band.
✅ Solution: Practice identifying keywords and breaking the question into parts before writing.
2. ❌ Overusing Basic Vocabulary
Using words like “good,” “bad,” “a lot,” or “things” lowers your Lexical Resource score.
✅ Solution: At Lumeners, we teach precise alternatives like “advantageous,” “detrimental,” “significant,” and “aspects.”Create a vocabulary bank and apply it in practice essays.
3. ❌ Weak Introductions
Generic intros like “Nowadays, people do many things…” won’t impress the examiner.
✅ Solution: Open with a paraphrased version of the question + a clear thesis.
E.g., “While some believe children should begin school early, others argue that a delayed start fosters better development. This essay will argue in favor of the latter.”
4. ❌ Lack of Cohesion
Jumping from point to point without transitions confuses the reader.
✅ Solution: Use linking words like “Moreover,” “However,” “For instance,” and “As a result.” Keep paragraphing clean and structured.
5. ❌ Grammar and Punctuation Slips
One comma splice too many and your Grammar score suffers. Errors like “He go to school” instead of “He goes…” are common under pressure.
✅ Solution: Lumeners tutors provide grammar drills specifically targeting verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, and article use, tailored to IELTS grading criteria.
Final Tip:
Practice under timed conditions, get your writing graded by experts, and learn how to self-assess using band descriptors. That’s exactly what we offer in our IELTS crash and master classes.