IELTS Essay Structure & Paragraphs

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IELTS Essay Structure and Paragraphing is essentially the same for all types of IELTS essays. IELTS Writing Task 2 has five types of essays and they are all structured more or less the same. You are advised to use only 40 mins to write your writing task 2 essay so it is a short, highly focused, highly relevant, well-organised essay.

IELTS Paragraphing, Structure & Marking

The examiner will mark how well structured your essay is. This is part of the marking criterion of Coherence and Cohesion, which is 25% of your writing task 2 marks. In this criterion, the examiner will check:

  1. the overall essay structure
  2. how ideas are put into paragraphs to help the reader navigate the essay
  3. how topic sentences are written to help the reader understanding the paragraph
  4. how supporting points are organised within body paragraphs
  5. how linking devices and signposts are used to direct the flow of the essay.
    1. You can find a list of linking devices here: IELTS Writing Task 2 Linking Words

You can learn more about the marking for this criterion and others on this page: IELTS Writing Task 2 Band scores5 to 8 Explained.

Overall IELTS Essay Structure

How many paragraphs should I have in my IELTS essay? What is the best IELTS essay structure?

All IELTS essays will have the following structure:

An introduction

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Body Paragraph 3 (optional)

Conclusion

IELTS essays are designed to be quite short, between 270 and 290 words. This means you will have in total either four or five paragraphs with about a total of 290 words. You will not get a higher score for a longer essay. In fact, a longer essay can open you up to more criticism and a lower score.

 The main bulk of your band score will be in the body paragraphs. The introduction and conclusion are of course vital, but they play more of a functional role to the essay.

Can I have one body paragraph or four body paragraphs?

No, you can’t. Having only one body paragraph means you have failed to organise your main ideas into paragraphs and you will get around band 5 for Coherence and Cohesion if you do this.

If you have too many body paragraphs it means that each individual main idea has not been sufficiently developed and that will also lower your score for Task Response. For example, band 5 Task Response is when the ideas have not been developed and band 7 is when ideas have been extended. Of course, there are other factors involved that impact your score in both CC and TR.

Individual Paragraphs & Content

Introduction Paragraph

This always has two statements. One is the background statement and one is the thesis statement. This does not vary no matter what the essay type is. You will always start by paraphrasing the IELTS essay question details – meaning the specific issue given to you. And you will always have a thesis statement which either introduces the reader to your opinion ( your position) or presents main points.

Introduction Paragraph for IELTS Essays Video

An oldie but a goodie and still relevant today.

Note:

Sorry about the handwriting in the video. It was my first ever video.

Body Paragraphs

These paragraphs form the main part of your essay structure. Each body paragraph must have a main theme or main idea. If your ideas are jumbled up and scattered between paragraphs you will get a low score for CC marking criterion. So, each body paragraph must be unique in content and not overlap in content with other body paragraphs.

Within the body paragraph, you will always start with a topic sentence. This is a statement that contains your main idea or theme. It must be clear for the examiner to read. By reading this sentence, the aim of the paragraph is made clear.

All supporting points that follow will explain your main idea or central theme. Each sentence must be 100% critical to the essay and connect both to the main idea and essay question. At no time do you add extra padding or unnecessary description or information. These are highly focused, skills-based essays.

Conclusion

This is the shortest paragraph of only one or two sentences that restates your opinion or main ideas. The biggest problem is having NO CONCLUSION. Running out of time is the biggest problem which causes people to miss out their conclusion. See the video below to learn why this is such a problem. Other issues with the conclusion are: 1) using the right linking word to start your conclusion 2) not going off topic with new ideas.

Why your Conclusion is Essential

What to do with the last 5 mins of your writing task? Is it ok to not have a conclusion paragraph?

IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Structure Example

Some people think that constructing bigger roads will help to prevent traffic problems.

To what extent do you agree?

Notice: overall structure, paragraphing, paragraph content and linking words.

It is sometimes thought that in order to address traffic congestion bigger roads ought to be built. In my opinion, while this is one way to tackle traffic problems, there are drawbacks to this solution and therefore other measures may need to be taken.

Constructing wider roads could certainly have a positive impact on the flow of traffic, particularly during rush hours. Roads in most developed cities were not built to handle the sheer volume of traffic that exist these days which is why traffic often grinds to a halt. Consequently, wider roads should be able to accommodate more traffic and theoretically reduce congestion. However, in some cases wider roads have been shown to actually encourage car use which could negate this solution.

With the growing number of private cars on the road, having wider roads may not be enough to tackle future congestion problems. For this reason, improving public transport and encouraging people to use it also needs to be implemented. Most people find that public transport is unreliable and too costly. By making public transport a cost effective, attractive option, it will be possible to reduce car use and ease long-term congestion.

Finally, it must be considered that some major cities have infrastructure that does not allow for expansion in terms of the size of roads. With growing populations and growing demands for housing, space is becoming a rare commodity and road expansion is sometimes not feasible. Therefore, by taking traffic overhead or underground by constructing bridges and tunnels, it is possible to reduce surface level traffic which ultimately solves road traffic congestion.

In conclusion, although I agree that road expansion is a potential solution, improving public transport and looking at alternative traffic flow options must be considered to effectively tackle traffic problems.

(under 300 words)

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IELTS Reading: Using Online Translations for Medical Purposes

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This exercise is based on matching paragraph information for IELTS reading. This reading exercise is not difficult and could be classed as medium in level. It’s a useful practice lesson.

Skim read the article and then look through the statements below. Take time to think about the information in the statements and consider possible paraphrases for vocabulary before you attempt to locate information.

Using Web Based Translations in Medical Communication

A)  A complex medical and treatment discussion with patients whose knowledge of the local language is inadequate remains challenging. After treating a child whose parents did not speak English, we resorted to the use of a web based translation tool. We were unsure as to whether Google Translate was accurately translating our complex medical phrases. We aimed to evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of Google Translate in translating common English medical statements.

B)  Ten commonly used medical statements were chosen by author consensus. These were translated via Google Translate to 26 languages. Translations only were sent to native speakers of each language and translated back into English by them. The returning English phrases were compared with the originals and assessed for meaning. Minor grammatical errors were accepted but not if the meaning was altered.

C)  The results showed that of the ten medical phrases translated by Google translate and then translated back into English, 57.7% were correct and 42.3% were wrong. Out of the 26 languages used, Africa languages scored the lowest, followed by Asian languages. Western European languages were the most accurate. However, there were some serious errors discovered. For instance, “Your child is fitting” translated in Swahili to “Your child is dead”. In Polish “your husband has the opportunity to donate his organs” translated to “your husband can donate his tools”. In Mathi “your husband has had a cardiac arrest” translated to “your husband had an imprisoned heart”.

D)  The conclusion drawn is that in today’s world “just google it” is considered to be the answer to everything, but for health related questions this should be treated with caution. Google Translate should not be used for taking consent for surgery, procedures, or research from patients or relatives unless all other avenues to find human translators have been exhausted and the procedure is clinically urgent.

Questions 1-7

In which paragraph (A-D) is the following information found. Letters may be used more than once.

  1. When calculating the results, slight mistakes in language, possibly related to syntax or structure of language, were admitted.
  2. It is believed that most information and help can be found on google.
  3. The aim was to test whether Google Translate could be used reliably for medical communication.
  4. Significant mistakes were found in the translations which were web based.
  5. The research was conducted after a situation in which a patient’s relatives did not speak English.
  6. The translate function is not admissible to get people’s permission for operations.

Answers

Click below for answers.

Answers

  1. B
    1. “The returning English phrases were compared with the originals and assessed for meaning.” This is about analysing results.
    2. “Minor grammatical errors were accepted but not if the meaning was altered.”. This means that errors, such as syntax and structure of language would be fine because they weren’t related to meaning.
    3. Remember, you aren’t aiming to find the sentence word for word in the passage. Your aim is to understand the content of the sentence and locate similar information with the same intent in a paragraph. The difficulty with this question is the word “syntax”, which is similar to word order.
  2. D
    1. “The conclusion drawn is that in today’s world “just google it” is considered to be the answer to everything”
  3. A
    1. “We aimed to evaluate the accuracy and usefulness of Google Translate in translating common English medical statements.”
  4. C
  5. A
  6. D

Adapted and edited from BMJ article by Patil and Davies, December 2014 publication

All reading exercises on ieltsliz.com have been written by myself to help you prepare for your IELTS test for free.   

Liz

Vocab Builder

  • inadequate = lacking / deficient / not enough
  • resort to = turn to  / make use of
  • evaluate = assess / appraise
  • consensus = agreement
  • minor = small / insignificant
  • donate = give
  • cardiac arrest = when the heart stops / ceases to function
  • the conclusion drawn = the conclusion derived
  • other avenues = other possibilities
  • exhausted = finished 

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Can you use quotes or idioms in your IELTS essay?

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Idioms, quotes and proverbs are often used inappropriately in IELTS Writing Task 2 essays. Read below to learn whether you should or should be using them in your IELTS writing task 2 essay.

Will I get a higher score using idioms in my IELTS essay?

The answer is clear – no. Idioms are mostly informal because they are descriptive. Idioms such as “it cost an arm and a leg” are too informal to use in a formal IELTS writing task 2 essay for both Academic IELTS and General Training IELTS.. However, there are some idioms which are suitable but they are not always suitable for the topic you might be given so don’t necessarily aim as a strategy to use them. Such suitable idioms are: in the long run / the key to this issue / give rise to / bridge the gap / shed light on / pave the way etc. If your essay topic and aims allow you to use these idioms, that’s great. But such idioms are still not actually required for a high score in Vocabulary because there are other options.

The marking criteria for Vocabulary which relates to idiomatic language is not just about idioms. Idioms are just one type of idiomatic language and as I explained above, not necessarily the best type. Phrasal verbs, on the other hand, are often great to use in your essays, such as to look up / to look after /  to look down on /  to bring about / bring up / bring forward / bring up etc. All these phrasal verbs are examples of idiomatic language that can be used in your IELTS essays to boost your score.

Using Quotes in IELTS Essays

Regarding quotes, the examiner will give you a score based on your own level of English language, not the words you remember from another person. While quotes are suitable for academic essays at university, they will not help your band score for IELTS. Instead, use the idea from the quote and write it in your own words. Your essay should be written using your own language, not memorised phrases or sentences from other people.

What about proverbs in IELTS writing?

I would also recommend avoiding proverbs as well. Most proverbs are not appropriate for academic writing. Here’s an example of an inappropriate proverb in writing “all that glitters is not gold”. While the meaning might be perfect for your essay, it would be better to write “people should not be deceived by appearances because they can be deceptive” The latter sentence has a much better variety of appropriate vocabulary for a high score and each word has clearly been chosen by you to demonstrate your own level of English.

Can I use quotes, idioms or proverbs in my IELTS speaking test?

Proverbs and quotes are not usually academic and for that reason are better suited to speaking. However, don’t lose your fluency score because you are trying to remember an idiom. You get a high score when you use appropriate, natural language in the right context. So, don’t try to fill your answers with idioms or proverbs. Using quotes is not really suitable for IELTS because they are not your own words.

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Maths: IELTS Speaking Topic

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Maths is a topic that can appear in IELTS Speaking Part 1. This topic can also be called Calculations or Numbers. This has been a reported topic since 2015, appearing regularly in the IELTS speaking test.

Below are some questions with useful vocabulary so that you can prepare this topic.

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Questions: Maths

When you prepare at home, don’t write your answers down. Instead, speak your answer out loud and record them on your phone. This way you are practicing more naturally and you can listen back to check your pronunciation and other aspects of language.

  • Are you good at maths?
  • Did you like mathematics when you were at school?
  • What was your teacher like?
  • What kinds of things did you learn in maths?
  • Did you use a calculator when learned maths?
  • Do you find it difficult to do calculations?
  • How do you calculate difficult sums?
  • Do you think maths is an important subject for children to learn?
  • Why do you think children should learn maths?

Useful Language for Maths Topic

  • calculate numbers / data / figures
  • adding up / addition (2 + 4 = 6)
  • subtraction / taking away (6 – 2 = 4)
  • multiplication  / multiplying numbers (multiplying = 2 x 3 = 6)
  • the multiplication table
  • division / dividing (dividing = 6 / 3 = 2)
  • long division (12,000 / 1,500 = 8)
  • estimating powers and roots for positive numbers
  • learning about decimals and fractions (decimal = 0.333 & fraction =  1/3)
  • algebra = learning about using letters and symbols in formulas
  • geometry = calculating angles in triangles or relationships between points on graphs or maps
  • proportions and rates of change
  • maths teaches people how to solve problems
  • maths teaches people how to interpret and understand data
  • maths teaches people how to do simple and complex calculations needed for everyday life

Model Answers

  • Question: Did you like maths when you were at school?
  • Answer: Yes, I did. I enjoyed it at the beginning when we were doing just simple sums but I went off it as we progressed on to complex calculations, like complex algebra and things like that.
  • Question: Did you use a calculator at school for studying maths?
  • We weren’t allowed a calculator for doing sums or long division and things like that. But we were allowed to use one for geometry and other complex calculations.

Speaking part 1 answers are not long. They are quite short, but you should still aim for at least two complex sentences for your answer. Your answer is likely to be shorter for a simple question and longer for a more complex question. In part 3, all your answers will be longer because the questions are more complex.

You can also see that language is very relaxed and natural. This is perfect for IELTS Speaking which is an informal test of your natural spoken English.

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Lack: vocabulary and sample sentences

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This lesson looks at the word “lack” and gives the meaning with sample sentences. Many IELTS students make mistakes using this word. Although many students understanding the meaning, they make mistakes with how to use it accurately. The more mistakes you make, the lower your score will be. So, make sure you read this lesson carefully.

Word Form and Meaning

  • lack (n) = being without / not having enough
  • lack (vb) = being without / being deficient
  • synonyms = shortage, scarcity, loss, shortfall
  • antonyms = sufficiency, enough, abundance, plenty

Please remember that a synonym has a similar meaning but may not always be used in the exactly the same way. You must learn both meaning and how to use words to avoid mistakes in IELTS.

About the word “lack”

  • Students mainly confuse verb and noun as well as how to use prepositions: “a lack of” (n) or “it is lacking in” (vb).
  • This word can be used for both IELTS speaking and writing task 2.

Sample Sentences with “lack”

  1. Due to the lack of employment opportunities in the countryside, a large number of workers are moving to cities to find work.
  2. Under developed countries are often lacking the adequate infrastructure needed for the development of the economy.
  3. Many children are struggling with weight problems due to the lack of physical exercise and a diet rich in fat and sugar.
  4. Many modern films have a lot of special effects but are lacking in quality dialogue and character development.
  5. One of the benefits of living in the countryside is the lack of noise.
  6. Lack of sleep can really affect my mood. It sometimes makes me impatient and irritable.

Error Correction

Find the mistakes in the sentences below for the word “lack”. This exercise will help you develop the accuracy needed to use this word correctly.

  1. Some people lacking the imagination needed to become a good writer of children’s books.
  2. Many major cities have lacking of public transport which can result in more people using their own private vehicles.
  3. Young leaders are often lack of the experience needed to make the right decisions for successful companies.

Answers

Here are some possible options for how to write the above sentences correctly.

  1. Some people lack the imagination needed to become a good writer of children’s books. / Some people are lacking the imagination needed to become a good writer of children’s books.
  2. Many major cities lack public transport which can result in more people using their own private vehicles. / Many major cities have a lack of public transport which can result in more people using their own private vehicles.
  3. Young leaders often lack the experience needed to make the right decisions for successful companies. / Young leaders are often lacking in the experience needed to make the right decisions for successful companies.

 

Never memorise sentences to use in your IELTS test. 

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Listening Practice for Addresses

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IELTS listening practice for addresses. It is common to be asked to write down addresses in IELTS listening section 1. This exercises offers you a chance to practice.

Listening Practice: 10 Addresses

  • Listen to 10 addresses
  • Write down what you hear
  • Not all addresses will be spelled
  • Only street names which are difficult will be spelled

Before you listen, do you know the different types of streets in England? For example, road, lane, street, avenue… How many do you know? Be prepared for addresses that might be new for you.

 

Answers

  1. 150 Church Street
  2. 68C Bridge Lane
  3. 52 Burlington Road
  4. 3 West Street
  5. 94A Notts Way
  6.  Flat 2, 24 Sleet Street
  7. 63 Green Avenue
  8. 54 Station Road
  9. 102 Seaview Crescent
  10. 41 Drummond Square

See this page about using capital letters and for other test information: IELTS Exam FAQ

 

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IELTS Complaint Letter: Error Correction

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Below are sentences written by students for an IELTS complaint letter for writing task 1 (General Training Paper). Can you re-write the sentences correctly? The more errors you have in your writing, the lower your score will be for grammar and vocabulary.

Complaint Letter Sentences: Find the Mistakes

  1. Last week I bought a TV from your store but from the first day it is not working properly.
  2. I called so many times to the customer services but they ignored the request.
  3. I request to the store manager to find the solution for TV, he told me that he will send the technician to fix the problem, but he didn’t.
  4. I am very disappointed from the services of your company.
  5. I need that someone from you fix the TV problem or replace the current TV to the new one within one or two days.

Answers

  1. Last week I bought a TV from your store but from the very first day it did not work properly.
  2. I called many times to customer services but I was either put on hold for over 30 minutes or they put the phone down on me. This is completely unacceptable.
  3. I requested that the store manager find a solution for the TV and he told me that he would send a technician to fix the problem. However, he failed to do this and I have been waiting for over one week now with no positive outcome.
  4. I am very disappointed with the services of your company. / I am exceedingly disappointed with the customer services that your company provides.
  5. I expect someone from your company to fix this problem or replace the current TV  within one to two days. (Please note that using “I expect…” is when you want to show annoyance, otherwise just use “I would like …”)

 

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Which part of IELTS speaking is most important?

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Are all the parts of the IELTS speaking test equally important?

The IELTS speaking test is graded by your performance in all parts of the test. The examiner will check your English language using the 4 marking criteria for each part of the test.

Speaking Part 1

If you are strong in speaking part 1 but not in the other parts, then you will not get a good score. You must do well in all parts to get a good score.

Most of the questions are quite easy in part 1 and are about yourself or your country. So, doing well in this part is expected for high level students. If you give very short answers, for example “Yes, I do” or “No, I don’t”, you are not providing the examiner with a good range of language to assess. So, that means your potential score is not high when you enter part 2 and it will affect your overall score.

Speaking Part 2

In speaking part 2, the examiner has a chance to sit and listen to your English without interrupting. So, giving a short speech of only 1 minute gives you less chance to demonstrate the level of your English and less chance to show fluency. It is still possible to get a good score with only 1 mins or 1.5 mins speech but only if the language you use is very good  and your fluency is very strong during that time.

By the end of speaking part 2, the examiner has a rough idea of your band score. Adding more information and details to each prompt is a way of offering the examiner a broader range of your language ability. Description offers the examiner more vocabulary and fluency. Talking with feeling can offer better intonation. Explaining in detail can offer better sentence structures and grammar. Giving examples of the past and ideas for the future can offer more grammar tenses. Try to find ways to showcase your English in part 2.

Speaking Part 3

In speaking part 3, it is a chance for the examiner to ask more in depth questions which will require more skill in English to answer. The questions are abstract and about the world rather than yourself. This requires a better level of English to answer well.

This is a chance for you to boost your score by providing the examiner with a better range of vocabulary, grammar, fluency and pronunciation. Giving examples and detailed explanations of your ideas naturally produces better language which will help your score.

Will the examiner decide my score in the test or later on?

Your score will be decided by the examiner who conducts the test and the score will be given at the end of the test. By the end of speaking part 3, the examiner will have decided your score.

Does the examiner have model answers?

No, there are no model answers used for assessing you in the IELTS speaking test. Each student will use different English and give different answers. Your score is only calculated on the English language you produce – the level and range of your English and the accuracy of your English.

If I don’t answer one question, will it affect my score?

If you perform well and produce good English in the other questions, you can still get a good score. Struggling with only one question while the others are fine, should not affect your score adversely.

Will I get a low score if I can’t think of many ideas?

The IELTS speaking test only assess your English language, not your ideas. This is very different to the IELTS writing test. IELTS writing assesses your ideas, your answers, how you develop the ideas and how you present them. IELTS speaking only tests your vocabulary, grammar, fluency and pronunciation. See below for the band score descriptors.

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