Common Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

This lesson identifies the most frequent mistakes that prevent candidates from achieving Band 7+ in Task 2 and provides specific, actionable strategies to avoid each one. These are the errors that examiners see repeatedly — and the ones that make the difference between Band 6.5 and Band 7.

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Mistake 1: Not Answering the Question

This is the single most common reason for a low Task Response score, and it takes several forms.

Answering a Related but Different Question

The question asks: "Do the advantages of studying abroad outweigh the disadvantages?"

The candidate writes about: The benefits of learning English.

These are related topics, but the essay does not answer the specific question.

Missing Part of the Question

The question asks: "What problems does this cause and what solutions can you suggest?"

The candidate writes: 200 words about problems and 20 words about solutions. Both parts must receive substantial treatment.

How to Avoid This

The 3-Read Method
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Read 1: Understand the general topic
Read 2: Identify the specific task (agree? discuss? solve?)
Read 3: Count the parts of the question

Before writing each body paragraph, ask yourself:
"Does this paragraph directly answer the question?"

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Mistake 2: Memorised Phrases and Templates

IELTS examiners are specifically trained to identify memorised language. When they detect it, your score for Lexical Resource drops.

Examples of Memorised Language to Avoid

Memorised Phrase	Problem	Better Alternative
"In today's modern world..."	Generic, adds nothing	Start with the topic directly
"Since time immemorial..."	Cliched and vague	Be specific about the timeframe
"It is a widely debated topic..."	Every essay says this	State the debate specifically
"Every coin has two sides"	Memorised idiom	"This issue has both advantages and disadvantages"
"Last but not least"	Memorised filler	"A final consideration is..."
"In a nutshell"	Informal and memorised	"In conclusion"

How to Avoid This

• Learn vocabulary and structures, not complete phrases
• Practise paraphrasing the same idea in multiple ways
• If a phrase sounds like something you read in an IELTS preparation book, thousands of other candidates are using it too — find your own wording

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Mistake 3: Underdeveloped Ideas

Many candidates write four or five points with minimal development instead of two or three points with full development.

Underdeveloped (Band 5-6)

There are several reasons why education is important. Firstly, it helps people get jobs. Secondly, it improves the economy. Thirdly, it makes people healthier. Fourthly, it reduces crime.

Each point is stated but not explained, illustrated, or connected.

Fully Developed (Band 7+)

Perhaps the most significant benefit of education is its capacity to reduce economic inequality. When individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds receive quality education, they acquire skills that enable them to access higher-paying employment. This, in turn, increases their household income, improves their quality of life, and reduces their dependence on state welfare programmes. Research in Scandinavian countries, where education funding is among the highest in the world, consistently demonstrates a strong correlation between educational investment and social mobility.

How to Avoid This

For each point, ask yourself three questions:

1. Why is this true? (Explain the reasoning)
2. Who does this affect and how? (Show the impact)
3. Can I give a specific example? (Illustrate concretely)

If you cannot answer these questions for a point, either develop it further or replace it with a point you can develop.

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Mistake 4: Informal Language

Academic Writing Task 2 requires formal register. Informality lowers your Lexical Resource score.

Common Informalities to Eliminate

Informal	Formal Alternative
don't, can't, won't	do not, cannot, will not
kids	children / young people
lots of / a lot of	a significant number of / considerable
thing / stuff	factor / aspect / element
big	significant / substantial / considerable
get	obtain / receive / acquire
good / bad	beneficial / detrimental
nowadays	currently / at present / in recent years
basically	fundamentally / essentially
so (as a connector)	therefore / consequently

Other Informal Features to Avoid

• Rhetorical questions: "Isn't it obvious that...?" → State it as a fact instead
• Exclamation marks: Never use them in Task 2
• First person ("I think"): Use sparingly and formally — "I believe" or "In my view" is acceptable; "I reckon" is not
• Addressing the reader: "You might think..." → "One might argue..." or "It could be argued that..."

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Mistake 5: Poor Paragraph Organisation

No Paragraphs at All

Some candidates write their entire essay as one block of text. This makes it nearly impossible to score above Band 5 for Coherence and Cohesion.

Too Many Paragraphs

Writing six or seven short paragraphs creates a fragmented, underdeveloped essay. Aim for four to five paragraphs.