Common Mistakes to Avoid

The Mistakes Examiners See Every Single Day

These are the errors that appear in the majority of IELTS writing scripts at every band level. Eliminating them from your writing is the fastest way to improve your score.

Task Response Mistakes

Not answering the question asked. Read the question three times. Underline the key instruction words. Many students write an excellent essay on a topic adjacent to the question but not exactly on it. If the question asks "To what extent do you agree?", you must state an extent — partially, fully, mostly.

Going off-topic in Body Paragraph 2. Students often introduce a great main point then drift into a related but different discussion. Stay focused on one point per paragraph.

Writing a narrative instead of an argument. Task 2 is not a story. Avoid writing about your personal history or describing events. Make arguments, support them with evidence, and link them to the question.

Coherence Mistakes

Starting every paragraph with "Firstly, Secondly, Thirdly." This is mechanical and low-scoring. Vary your paragraph openers.

No overview in Task 1. This is the most common Task 1 mistake. The overview is not optional — it is expected and its absence costs a full band.

No conclusion in Task 2. Even two sentences are better than none.

Lexical Resource Mistakes

Repeating the question's exact words throughout the essay. Paraphrase them. If the question says "government", use "policymakers", "authorities", "legislators."

Using "very" and "really" as intensifiers. These are conversational. Use "significantly", "considerably", "substantially" instead.

Memorized phrases that are clearly not your own. Examiners recognize memorized "Band 9 phrases" that do not fit naturally into the essay. They can and do mark these down.

Grammar Mistakes

Subject-verb agreement errors with collective nouns. "The number of people are" is wrong — "The number" is singular: "The number of people is."

Tense inconsistency. Switching between present and past tense randomly within a paragraph.

Overusing passive voice. Passive voice is appropriate in specific contexts but using it throughout an entire essay makes it sound evasive and unnatural.

The Single Most Important Rule

Quality over quantity. A 260-word Task 2 essay with a clear argument, precise vocabulary, and strong grammar scores higher than a 350-word essay that rambles, repeats ideas, and makes multiple grammar errors.