IELTS BAND 9 ESSAY: STRATEGIES AND SUGGESTIONS

 

The easier it is for the examiner to understand your opinion/opinions, the less difficult will it be for you to fetch a IELTS band 9.

Planning your essay is very crucial. Calm yourself and gather your thoughts before you start to write. Do not rush. Take a deep breath, count slowly to 10 and then start answering. Always keep in mind the FOUR C RULE.

1. COHESION: Try to link your ideas with words and phrases. For example: firstly, too, formerly etc.
2. CONCISENESS: Keep it short, simple and sweet. The length of the sentences is not going to fetch you more marks. Try to use simple, complex and compound sentences only.
3. COHERENCE: Your essay must be clear and transparent. The reader should be able to understand your views with ease. Grammatical errors can bring down your score drastically so be aware of what you are communicating. Using connectives can tweak the coherence of your composition.
4. COMPOSITION: This is the most important C of all. Your piece must include a satisfying introduction, at least 3 body paragraphs and a fulfilling conclusion. The paragraphs must gyrate the main idea. The concluding paragraph should summarize a few main ideas from the body paragraphs and it should end with a forecast on the main topic of the essay.

Do not waste too much time framing your essay. 

Perfection does not show up in one go. Whatever we do in life involves trial and error. So I advise you guys to write your essay first and after a while go back through your piece to find ways by which you can upgrade and enhance its quality. Look out for grammatical errors and other flaws. Keep track of the time, else you would not be able to complete your composition.

This essay is a Band 9 for several reasons. Make sure your writing is relevant and is properly aided with ideas. Read the prompt carefully and understand what has been asked of you. Then jot down your views accordingly. You might have been asked for your views, discussion of a situation, solution for an issue or a blend of all. Be attentive. Coherence and Cohesion of your essay plays a huge role. Your composition should have a smooth flow and all of your views and opinions should connect and bind together. Your answer should have a solid and highly organized structure. 

If you want to score fine in the LEXICAL RESOURCE dimension you must have a strong vocabulary. Play around with words, showoff your skills. Prove that you have a solid word stock and you know how to use it as well. Be well versed in synonyms and acronyms of frequently used words and phrases. Learn the correct way to use phrasal verbs. It reveals one’s clutch on English. Do not use idioms.

Description for Grammatical Range and Accuracy 

The IELTS band 9 description for Grammatical Range and Accuracy is “Uses a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy; rare minor errors occur only as slips”. In other words, reduce the number of mistakes that you make. Use of bullet points and short notes is a big no-no.  There should be a subtle blend of long and short sentences to meet the grammar requirements. Long sentences demand the use of connectives which will lead to the formation of complex or compound sentences. Lessen the number of mistakes as much as possible and you are good to go. Write your essay with a formal attitude and use it constantly throughout the venture. 

The essay must consist of 250-280 words. Not being able to reach the target number of words will result in a reduction of marks. Spot the most important points of the prompt and then proceed to write your views. Make sure that each idea of your’s is described in detail and assisted with examples.