Answers about counting words

by 10 Comments

Below are the answers to yesterday’s lesson about counting words in IELTS writing. See the qustions and answers below. Also notice I have added some extra links with more information so you can learn more about how words are counted in IELTS.

  1. Are small words counted such as “a” and “the”?
    1. Yes, they are counted. All words are counted. If you write “a man walked into a shop” = 6 words.
  2. Is “15%” counted as one word or two?
    1. It is one word. If you write “15 percent” = two words.
  3. Is this one word or two: “good-looking”?
    1. It is one word.
  4. Are commas counted as a word?
    1. No punctuation is not counted as a word.
  5. Does the examiner count all the words in your essay or does the examiner guess the word count?
    1. The examiner will see if your writing doesn’t look long. In that case, the examiner will count every single word. Each individual word must be counted precisely by the examiner.

Learn More

  1. Another exercise to test your understanding of word counting. Click here: Practice Counting Words
  2. Rules about how words are counted in IELTS. Click here: How Words are Counted in IELTS
  3. Using the writing answer sheet and counting your own words: How to Use the Answer Sheet Correctly
  4. Learn about deleting words in IELTS Writing. Click here: Deleting Words
  5. Learn about Essay Word Length: How Long Should My IELTS Essay Be?

All the best

Liz

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Comments

  1. Helen says
    November 15, 2024 at

    a name which has 3 parts (first name, middle name and last name), should we count it as 1 word or 3 words?
    thank you

    Reply
    • Liz says
      November 15, 2024 at

      When you see a space between words, it means it is a new word. So, three words with spaces is three words, that includes names as well. Only hyphenated words are counted as one because they are connected together with a hyphen.

      Reply
  2. Parneet says
    July 24, 2018 at

    May I use contractions while speaking

    Reply
  3. Tawaz says
    July 22, 2018 at

    Thank you Liz for your help.may god bless

    Reply
  4. catherine brewster says
    July 22, 2018 at

    i use your comments in my classes; therefore thanks a lots

    Reply
  5. ELIZABETH ATAENU says
    July 22, 2018 at

    Thank you so much for providing the answers to the lesson thought.

    Reply
  6. Govinda khanal says
    July 22, 2018 at

    Good
    I got informed

    Reply
  7. Priyanka says
    July 22, 2018 at

    Thank u mam good bless you always

    Reply

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