IELTS Writing: How Does Marking Happen?

IELTS Writing
What’s on the test?
The 60-minute pen-and-paper IELTS Writing test assesses a student’s ability to state their
thoughts in writing cohesively.
It includes two assignments with the first one asking them to explain the information presented
in a chart, table, diagram or graph and describe how something works.
The second assessment is an essay, expecting test takers to give their opinion or to write
persuasively about a given social or economic issue.
The use of formal English language is recommended when answering both the assignments.
How does marking happen?
1. Task completion
It’s important to attempt and complete both the tasks to score well. Students are advised to
spend no more than 20 minutes on the first activity which is interpreting a graph or table
and explaining how something works. The second activity is exhaustive and therefore,
demands a major portion of the time.
2. Grammar and Spelling
The grading takes into the following factors:
 the accuracy of the grammar

 spellings
 range and complexity of the language
 sentence structure
The writing needs to drive the point home efficiently. However, there are times when the
selection of vocabulary hits a sentence harder than the grammatical errors, especially when
people try to write like a native English speaker and want to use complex words. There’s
nothing advanced or complex about choosing inappropriate or exaggerated words that no
English speaker would use.
3. Coherent Thought
Does the essay make sense? The examiner will determine whether the ideas put forth are
cohesive, sentences support the central theme and paragraphs are organized well. The marking is
based on the fluency and sequencing of facts, information, and ideas.
4. Overall Response
Did the student answer the question? The instructor will score depending on whether the student
fully delved into the subject matter. Did they give a full response or miss key points? Did they
offer an opinion that’s easy to pinpoint or was there a lack of real ideas in the essay?
IELTS Writing
IELTS Writing test assesses students on their proficiency in the English language, and the clarity
and fluency when writing a message or sharing an opinion.
There are no shortcuts to excel at this as this is a test of all they’ve learned in communicating
adequately. Right from the use of nouns and pronouns, logical connectors and conjunctions,
sequencing and sentence structure to contexts and references, it’s a test of everything.
Few important things for you to consider when helping students prepare:
1. Structure matters – a lot!
Each piece of writing should at least cover what, how, why, when and where. Each paragraph
should have a central theme or idea. When the student needs to move to the next idea, it will
mean a new paragraph.
There’s no single set structure except that a write-up is a journey that starts with introducing the
readers to an idea and ends at a conclusion.
What you need to teach your students:
 Writing an appropriate headline

 Incorporating writing conventions
 Joining sentences
 Connecting two ideas
 Writing complex
IELTS examiners give considerable weight to long, complex sentences that make use of
conjunctions, subordinate clauses, and pronouns.
2. Writing skills
Because both the activities in IELTS writing test are poles apart in the form of structure, tone,
and utility, it’s important you make them practice different styles and sounds. You will need to
work with students to best plan out the content and organize their thoughts.
i. Write enough: 400 words in 60 minutes – a 150-word description of a diagram or data and a
250-word opinionated article. The biggest challenge that IELTS test takers face! Not writing
enough attracts a penalty of 0.5.
The ability to write enough and relevant is gained over time with practice, but there are certain
tricks that you can pass on to them. Tell them how to break the write-up into different segments
– thesis, background, main idea, summary and future prediction. Division of words is equally
important.
ii. Talk about contextual writing: Context is the hero when it comes to writing. Students are
expected to explain circumstances, draw inferences, and connect different ideas in the same
framework to show the bigger picture.
iii. Teach paragraphing: The opening paragraph should state the thesis or idea. Subsequent
sections should back up that idea with facts and further thoughts. The final paragraph should
offer a full conclusion to the essay. Each section should contain its main idea, and they should
follow a set order.
iv. Proofing Skills: Even native speakers should proofread their writing before submission,
which is twice as important for students taking the IELTS. Have students practice proofing their
essays before handing them in each time. They should be looking for grammar and spelling
mistakes. They should also be looking for errors, such as using the same word repetitively.

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IELTS Writing

What’s on the test?

How does marking happen?

2. Grammar and Spelling

The grading takes into the following factors:

 the accuracy of the grammar

1. Structure matters – a lot!

What you need to teach your students:

 Writing an appropriate headline

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