If you look at the first column of IELTS writing task 1 Band descriptor, then you would find that Task achievement (TA) is one of four criteria that IELTS writing tasks are judged by.
Here, I shall try to let you know common mistakes which prevent IELTS test takers from getting higher scores in task achievement in writing task one. If these errors are avoided then quite possible to get score 7 or higher in first criteria which is Task achievement
Note: It is very important for you to know how your task 1 writing score is calculated so that you can improve writing task accordingly before sitting in the exam.
Mistake #1: Incorrect Analysis
Sometimes, candidate makes wrong analysis of the given graph. This is a serious mistake and will cost you cut in your scores.
Take the following graph as an example.
Q: Which one of the following sentences is inaccurate?
a. Mobile usage grew over the period shown.
b. There was a rise in the use of national and international fixed lines.
c. Local fixed line usage fluctuated over the period shown.
If you look carefully, you’ll notice that “c” is the inaccurate sentence.
The definition of to fluctuate is “to rise and fall irregularly in number or amount” .While local fixed line usage did rise and fall, it was not irregular.
Because of this alone, the task achievement score could drop to a 6 as “details may be irrelevant, inappropriate, or inaccurate.”
Remember: Be careful when analyzing / understanding the graph . Even one mistake can hurt your score.
Mistake #2: Reporting Every Detail
You need to “select and report the main features.” Not every detail on the graph.
Don’t do this:
In 1999, 100 million people entered post-graduate programs. In 2000, this number increased to 110 million. By 2001, this number had again increased to 150 million. Finally, in 2002, the number of people in post-graduate programs decreased slightly to 120 million.
You can see in the band descriptions that a task achievement score of 7 will “highlight the main features”, but that a score of 5 “recounts detail mechanically” and that there “may be a tendency to focus on detail.”
There’s no highlighting in this example. It’s just repeating the graph like a robot. This would probably get a 5 for Task A, even though the other aspects of the writing are fine.
Remember: Choose the important data to highlight. Don’t report every detail.
Mistake #3: Not Enough Comparisons
While it is not specifically written in the band descriptors, the Task 1 writing instructions do say “make comparisons where relevant”. So the requirement is to highlight the main features
Every sentence you are writing should have a purpose. Sometimes it will be to highlight new, important information. Other times it will be to add on extra information by making a comparison.
Let’s look at these examples:
Example 1 (BAD): 100 thousand men went to university in 2002. 200 thousand women went to university in 2002.
Example 2 (GOOD): A total of 200 thousand women went to university in 2002, surpassing the number of men attending in the same year by exactly 100 thousand.
Not only does example 2 have better grammar, vocabulary, and cohesiveness, but it also makes a relevant comparison. Writing like this will get you at least a band 7 score.
Remember: Make comparisons wherever you can.
Are you making such type of mistakes in your writing task 1?
Is your IELTS trainer making you aware how your writing task will be judged in IELTS exam?
If you see such mistakes in your writing, how do you plan to improve your writing skill for getting higher scores?
Find the appropriate answer at City Coaching Centre, Maler Kotla.
Here, students are advised to go through a number of writing improvement exercises which 100% upgrade their understanding of English language, making them to write better sentences in English. Every day, the task is checked and mistakes are highlighted and better sentences are suggested to the students. We can show you exactly what you are doing wrong and how to fix it.
