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Home > IELTS Essentials blog > Writing Task 2: Why can’t I get a band 8?
Writing Task 2: Why can’t I get a band 8?
Getting the score you need in IELTS Writing Task 2 is achievable when you know the criteria examiners mark against.
Our IELTS experts have put together a guide on what you need to do right (positive features) and what you might be doing wrong (negative features) when writing your essay.
Using each of the assessment criteria, let’s take a closer look at the mistakes preventing you from reaching a band 8 and the steps you need to take to move from a band 7 to a band 8 in Writing Task 2.
Task response
How you respond to the question affects your final score. Let's have a look at the below table to see how your response can get you to a band 8.
Task response: band 7 | Mistakes stopping you from reaching a band 8 | Task response: band 8 |
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Coherence and Cohesion
The way you structure your essay and link your ideas between paragraphs is what the examiner looks for in your Task 2 essay.
The following points will help you understand what the examiner looks for in a band 8 essay.
Coherence and cohesion: band 7 | Mistakes stopping you from reaching a band 8 | Coherence and cohesion: band 8 |
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Lexical resource
The range of vocabulary you use to express your ideas is very important. You need to use a wide range of vocabulary to convey precise meaning and you need to show that you can do this flexibly. The other criteria needed to achieve a band 8 are given below.
Lexical resource: band 7 | Mistakes preventing you from reaching a band 8 | Lexical resource: band 8 |
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Grammatical range and accuracy
Make sure you use a wide range of grammatical structures and that your sentences are error-free. You can use the following tips to convert your essay to a band 8.
Grammatical range and accuracy: band 7 | Mistakes stopping you from reaching a band 8 | Grammatical range and accuracy: band 8 |
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And remember, before you submit your essay, use the following checklist to make sure your writing contains the postive features required for a band 8 in Writing Task 2.
Task response |
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Coherence and cohesion |
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Lexical resource |
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Gramatical range and accuracy |
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Related Posts
- IELTS Writing Task 2: 8 steps towards a band 8 Published on November 25, 2019
- Writing Task 2: Reading and analysing the task Published on January 29, 2018
- Common Academic Writing Task 1 Questions Published on December 18, 2017
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