How to Improve IELTS Writing Score from 6.5 to 7?

A person with an IELTS Writing score of 6.5 shows that he is competent and can open in a classroom environment. Getting band 7 means you need to be at B2 on the Common European Framework, therefore you have to be realistic and understand that you won’t make this up in a week as claimed by certain YouTubers.

In this article, you will learn what to expect while improving your IELTS Writing score, how to do that and why it is hard to achieve an IELTS band score of 7.

What to expect?

Do you remember the first time you tried attempting the IELTS test all alone or in the academy where you went for IELTS coaching centre?

You would agree with me that you saw a tremendous change in the score after several attempts. This is because of the constant effort you put in and knowingly or unknowingly working on your mistakes. As a result, it is suggested that you focus more on improving your language and give practice regularly for the IELTS test. Open yourself to real life English- books, tv programmes, TED Talks, radio shows, movies, Youtube videos, BBc news stories, etc.

Make sure you are well prepared for the exam. There are no special tricks or shortcuts to getting a high band score in your first attempt without proper preparation. All you need to do is give yourself at least a two to three months’ practice before you attempt the exam.

Why is it hard to achieve Band 7?

Some people find it easy to score a 7 in IELTS Listening and IELTS Reading, while others find speaking and writing difficult. However, candidates with good language skills also struggle in the actual IELTS exam if they are not prepared well.

This is mainly because Band 7 means he or she is an effortless user of language and can form error free sentences. They can have an impressive conversation yet commit a few errors. It might seem that there is a very little difference between a 6.5 and 7, but that little difference is a lot.

How do I prepare for IELTS?

Before you start preparing for the IELTS exam, set a goal and make up your mind. You would need to put in a considerable amount of time and efforts to reach your desired score. This won’t happen in a day, therefore give yourself a good 2 to 3 months to work on your mistakes and furnish them.

Given below are some important pointers that you should follow for an effective IELTS preparation to improve IELTS Writing score from 6.5 to 7.

IELTS Test Pattern

Familiarizing yourself with the IELTS test pattern is the first step and most effective step for IELTS preparation if you want to achieve a band score of 7 or above. Knowing the minute details of the format and question types will help you to create a proper schedule for a comprehensive study.

IELTS Marking Scheme

The next that you need to take is to learn about the IELTS marking scheme. The IELTS marking scheme is a little different for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Writing because the IELTS Writing Task 1 is different. The examiners mark you on the basis of these points:

• Vocabulary
• Grammar
• Coherence and Cohesion
• Task response

So you need to have a good range of vocabulary, accurate grammar, academic words and phrases, use of collocations, good paragraphing with well-developed ideas and topped up with examples.

Spellings and Punctuation

If you are aiming for a 7 in the writing section of your IELTS Test, you ought to make sure that there isn’t even a single spelling mistake or missing punctuation. Please be extra careful of your commas, periods and semi-colons.

Sentence Structure

Using only simple sentence structures in your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay or letter/chart report will not get you a 7 band. In order to get a band 7, you need to prove to the examiner that you are a proficient writer or are extremely good with the English language. Make sure your sentences are in compound or complex structures. Find out ways to convey what you want to say with a compound or complex structure.

For example:

Simple structure: Sam studied engineering. He is also passionate about literature.

Compound structure: Sam studied engineering and was also passionate about literature.

Complex structure: Although Sam studied engineering, he was also passionate about literature.

The second and third examples from the text above would be suitable for a band 7 essay rather than the first example.

Cohesive Devices

Using connectors or linking words in IELTS Writing can help you get a band 7. They are words or phrases that help you connect between different parts of the text like pronouns and transitional words.

Example of transition words:

• Earlier
• Immediately
• Later
• Meanwhile
• Additionally
• Again
• Also
• Though
• However
• Finally

Collocations

Use of collocations is another game changing trick to improve your score. Collocation comprises two or more words that are used together in the English language.

Eg: Look at the two sentences given below:

1. All you need to do is type your pin and make a deposit.
2. Just key in your pin and you can make your deposit.

The first sentence will help you score a 6.5, while aiming for a 7 you need to include use of collocations that change the whole look of the sentence, like how it is used in sentence 2.

Uncommon Vocabulary

Eg:

1. The photographers at Cynthia’s wedding were pushy and irritating.
2. The photographers at Cynthia’s wedding were pushy and intrusive.

The use of complex words leaves a good impression on the examiner and he is made to believe that you have a good command over the language. As you can see, in the second sentence, the word irritating has been replaced with intrusive. While the first sentence will help you score a 6.5, the second sentence will help you get a 7. So, the usage of uncommon and complex words and useful structures to help you get band 7.5+ in IELTS Writing is a great option.

Idioms

Eg:

1. I was happy and joyful when I held my baby for the first time.
2. I was on cloud nine when I held my baby for the first time.

Idioms are groups of words that have a meaning which cannot be guessed from the words individually, but when used in a sentence they transform the whole sentence for good.As you see, the first sentence looks simple and can easily help you score a 6.5, but a little modification using the idioms will boost your score.

You get 2 questions and sixty minutes to finish both the tasks, this might seem easy because you just have to formulate ideas and jot it down. What goes wrong is the usage of certain words and wrong grammar, that leads to your ideas and information being misquoted.

Also check:

• Tips to Improve IELTS Writing Skills
• IELTS Writing recent actual test
• IELTS Writing Answer sheet
• IELTS map vocabulary
• IELTS Writing Task 1 Connectors