The Cambridge English Language Test – also known as the IELTS exam – is a popular choice among students seeking an English-taught degree. With an average score of 7.8 (out of a total of 9), you are guaranteed to score high enough to enter UK universities to study English. If you want to write at a 9 level in the IELTS, then this blog post will teach you the key elements you need to master.
Start with the Essay
Like in most writing tasks, the first thing you need to do is start with the essay. In the IELTS, you have 40 minutes to write your essay. You will need to plan out the structure of your essay in advance, so you can follow a certain style and focus on the task at hand without wasting time on unnecessary details.
In order to write at a 9 level in the IELTS, you need to have a clear overview of the essay structure. Essentially, you need to write a thesis statement, provide some body paragraphs and conclude with a summary.
The Thesis Statement
A thesis statement is a short, concise piece of text that forms the backbone of your essay. To score well in the IELTS, you need to write a sound thesis statement that is also relevant to the task at hand. Your thesis statement should not be longer than two sentences, and should follow the following formula:
- It should be specific and concise.
- It should outline the key facts and explain their relevance to the essay as a whole.
- It should be a novel contribution to the topic area.
- It should be supported by sufficient evidence.
- It should be independently verifiable.
- It should be suitable for a wide audience.
Body Paragraphs
A body paragraph is a longer piece of writing that provides supporting evidence for your thesis statement. For the sake of your test score, you need to write four to six body paragraphs, using the formal English required in the IELTS. When writing your body paragraphs, keep the following in mind:
- Use the present tense – actions, events and things are in the present tense.
- Avoid lengthy quotes
- Use transition words
- Use active voice
- Use present tense for the time-related words (e.g. now, tomorrow, next week, etc.)
- Use pronouns accurately (i.e. he, she, it, they, his, hers, etc.)
- Never begin a sentence with a conjunction (e.g. and, but, or, so)
- Converse with your reader and put the information in the right order
- Use paragraphs to organize your thoughts and engage the reader
- Have a plan for the introduction and the conclusion
Before you begin writing your body paragraphs, you need to consider what type of essay you are writing. You have two options here. If you are writing an argumentative essay, you will need to do some research into the topic and provide arguments to support your thesis. Remember: the formal part of the IELTS is very argumentative, so it’s a good idea to practice analyzing arguments and countering them with your own. In case you are writing a descriptive essay, you should provide sufficient evidence to support your thesis. This may include citing specific examples of the topic in question or using relevant academic research to illustrate your points.
Final Summary
A summary is a brief sentence or two that provides a general overview of your essay. To score well in the IELTS, you need to write a summary that is also relevant to the task at hand. In order to write a good summary, follow the following formula:
- It should be no more than two sentences long.
- It should be a concise and accurate summary of the entire essay.
- It should follow the same structure as the essay itself (i.e. thesis statement, body paragraphs, and conclusion).
- It should not contain any redundant information (e.g. a summary cannot say the same thing as the essay itself).
- It should not give away the ending of the essay (i.e. do not give too much away in the summary).
- It should be relevant to a variety of audiences (e.g. teachers, fellow students, family, etc.).
- It should be easy to scan for the reader.
- It should be self-explanatory.
As you can see, writing at a 9 level in the IELTS is a lot of work. However, if you are serious about scoring well, then you should try to follow the instructions laid out above. Good luck!