IELTS Writing Task 2: how to reach Band 7

Writing is the skill that holds back more IELTS candidates than any other. Many Nepali students reach Band 7 in listening and reading, then get 6 or 6.5 in writing and miss their university’s requirement. The good news is that Task 2 is predictable, and the way it is marked is public.

How Task 2 is marked

Examiners score your essay on four criteria, each worth a quarter of the mark:

Task 2 counts for twice as much as Task 1 in your writing score. A weak essay is hard to rescue with a strong graph description.

Read the question twice

The most common reason for a low Task Response score is answering a different question from the one asked. Questions come in a few types:

• Opinion (“To what extent do you agree or disagree?”): give your view and keep it the same throughout.
• Discussion (“Discuss both views and give your opinion”): cover both sides, and give your own view.
• Problem and solution: explain causes or problems, then realistic solutions.
• Two-part questions: answer both questions, roughly equally.

Underline every instruction. If the question has two parts, your essay needs two parts.

A simple four-paragraph plan

1. Introduction (2–3 sentences): paraphrase the topic and state your position clearly.
2. Body paragraph 1: one main idea, explained and supported with an example.
3. Body paragraph 2: a second main idea, explained and supported the same way.
4. Conclusion (2 sentences): restate your position. Do not add new ideas.

Spend the first five minutes planning. Write down your position and one main idea with an example for each body paragraph. Students who skip planning tend to drift off topic halfway through.

Develop ideas, don’t list them

Band 6 essays often list many ideas briefly. Band 7 essays explain fewer ideas well. For each main idea, use this chain:

Point → explanation → example → link back to the question.

For example: “Remote work can improve productivity. Employees save the time they would spend commuting, which in cities like Kathmandu can be over an hour a day. That time can go into focused work instead, which supports the view that…”

Vocabulary: accurate beats impressive

Using a rare word incorrectly costs more than using a common word well. Aim for:

• Topic words that fit the subject (for education: curriculum, tuition fees, vocational training).
• Collocations that sound natural (play a crucial role, pose a threat, raise awareness).
• Paraphrasing, so you are not repeating the words of the question.

Grammar: mix it up, then check

You need both range and accuracy. Use a few complex sentences (with although, which, if) alongside simple ones. Then save the last three minutes to check for the errors you personally make most: articles (a/the), subject–verb agreement and plurals are the usual ones for Nepali speakers.

Habits that keep scores at Band 6

• Writing under 250 words.
• Giving an opinion that changes between paragraphs.
• Memorised introductions that do not fit the question.
• One-sentence paragraphs, or one giant paragraph.
• Never getting feedback, so the same mistakes repeat for months.

Practise with feedback

Writing improves only when someone points out what to fix. Write one Task 2 essay at least three times a week under timed conditions, and get each one checked against the four criteria.

On Prepyo, every IELTS essay you submit is scored against these same four criteria, with comments on what to change, so you can see which criterion is holding your band down. See the IELTS Academic preparation page for the full course.