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IELTS - Writing - For Band 7 or Above.

Rina Arora

Star Member
Nov 9, 2018
72
22
Hello Folks!

@cansha Thanks for your feedback. I will check the relevant posts suggested by you before writing my next essay.

I see some new members posting essays on the forum now. Some of our old friends have moved on after scoring their desired scores.

One thing that I have noticed is that the new essays have all the same mistakes which have been discussed on this thread before. Well, it is possible when you will post your first essay you would not have read all the previous posts. BUT I really urge you to go back atleast 15/20 pages and read some past reviews and learn from those.

I have said this many times before but I will say it one more time. The key to writing a good essay is not just about practicing writing essays. If you keep practicing the wrong things it won't really help. The key really is two/three things

1. Figuring out what is a good essay in the first place? For this you need to read a lot of high band essays and figure out what is working there. Especially focus on how they address "task response"

2. Second key is to learn to generate ideas, organize them and then structuring your essay in accordance with the essay topic. Do not follow one size fits all strategy for all essay topics. It won't work! Again the key is to read essays and see how essay introductions and structure changes depending on the topic of the essay. Also, do not time yourself initially when you write the essays. You will be doing yourself a favor.

3. Learn from others' mistakes. For that read other reviews as well and not just the review for your own essay.

And now since I know even after writing this some of you may not find the time or motivation of going back pages. I have done some work for you. I went back 40 pages and I have found some of the relevant posts that people really need to read. Below are the links. I hope you will find time to read these.

All the best!

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-36#post-7266093

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-38#post-7269377

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-38#post-7269603

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-46#post-7282474

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-61#post-7343517


https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-40#post-7271249

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-40#post-7271430

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-42#post-7271808

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-43#post-7275154


https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-20#post-7183566

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-21#post-7197177

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-25#post-7218355

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-26#post-7223638

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-26#post-7227157

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-30#post-7245793

https://www.canadavisa.com/canada-immigration-discussion-board/threads/ielts-writing-for-band-7-or-above.540392/page-31#post-7247697
One more essay on the same topic. 3 in a day! Okay lets do this again!



Okay introduction. Not too good not too bad.







I will repeat what I said in the review before. And since I'm not sure people are reading other reviews I will copy paste here again.

The issue with the arguments in the above paragraphs is that they are motherhood statements. What I mean by that is that you ASSUME your argument is true for any person on earth. But that is not true. For example, lets say a rich businessman, sports person, film personality has a lavish wedding. Will they not have enough money to raise a child? They will.

So when you were writing this, in your mind you are thinking about middle class / lower middle class folks who are probably spending in peer pressure? BUT DID YOU MAKE IT CLEAR? Do not assume your arguments are making sense. Make sure you define the boundaries of your arguments if you want to sound convincing. A rich person buys a $10K watch but buying $500 watch may be unnecessary expense for someone. You can't paint your argument with one brush for someone. Need to make sure what are you talking about.




Weak conclusion!!
 

vmsanthosh.chn

Hero Member
Jun 29, 2017
282
116
Hello @cansha , trying the most recent exam question again. Can you please review this one more time? I am also putting down the prep notes I did before starting the essay (btw it took 10 mins for me) to know if that is correct approach.

-------
Some parents and teachers believe that children’s behavior should be strictly controlled. Others believe that children should be allowed to do whatever they like. Discuss both views and provide your opinion.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prep notes:
BP1
Controlled – why? What?
What? à being impatient, anger, not listening to teachers and parents, using bad or mean words, bullying
Why we need to control? à self-discipline, career, wrong direction, others will not respect or love you, he will become a trouble for others, no friends, isolated, bad name in schools, academic failures

BP2
Do not control – why? What?
What? explore on their own, make mistakes and correct themselves, stand on their own
Why we should not control? à improves decision making, improves courageness, face challenges in life, improves confidence
-----------------

Children’s behavior problems are dealt with two different viewpoints. Some people, including teachers, suggests that it should be strictly controlled, while others believe that they should be allowed to do whatever they like without any control. In my opinion, both are important in such a way that we should let children to explore and experiment their own world on their own while enforcing a strict control on basic behavioral qualities.

Young children especially in their early ages, are very flexible and get influenced very easily. They should be taught skills like controlling anger, being empathetic, respect others and more importantly being truthful always. Aggressive behavior of children is not accepted in schools in any manner. Children going out of hand involving in bullying activities needs to be strictly controlled which can even lead to suspensions from school. Moreover, I hope there will not be any second thought about controlling them to be truthful always. On this view, it is very appropriate to impose strict measures on certain behavior necessities that can help in their future.

Having said that, enforcing too much of control on children can also cause other psychological difficulties. They will not be able to face challenges nor be able to take any decisions when needed. Obviously, children under constant control would always look for help in all circumstances. It is important for them to explore, experiment, make mistakes, correct themselves and learn from their own mistakes. This will make them more strong and independent enough to face any challenges in future. For example, let them choose the sport they want to play, fight back for the right he/she deserves at home or school.

In short, it is good to have a moderate amount of controlling on children’s behavior when needed, especially on basic behavior qualities, but it is equally important to let them explore their own world on their own and learn themselves, which will last forever in their life.
@cansha
Sorry for being impatient, but did you get a chance to read this?
 

kadeed

Member
Sep 26, 2016
19
8
I think in the current essay if we remove "On the one hand" from the second para it will have no impact whatsoever on the final outcome of the paragraph. My suggestion would be to avoid using the construct altogether for the simple reason is that it is way overused in IELTS and it rarely adds any more value to the paragraph.
@cansha I need your assistance to clarify one thing here, some ielts writing teachers in youtube or even in udemy advice us to use ready phrases such,

this essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this ..... (in the Intro)
while some people believe .... others think ..... (Intro)
people who think .... argue that (in the topic sentence)
To begin with, ....

and there are other examples too, should we really use such ready made phrases or avoid them for higher band score in our writing.
 
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jadudas

Member
Jan 27, 2018
15
1
Please rate my essay:
@cansha

Some people think that the government is wasting money on the arts and that this money could be better spent elsewhere.
To what extent do you agree with this view?



It’s believed by some people that spending money on the arts by the government is a waste and this expense can be better spent other than the arts. In my opinion, this view is narrow and overly simplistic. However, there should be an oversight for art expenditure so that the budget for the art remains balanced.


Firstly, art is not some leisurely activity that only rich people enjoys. Art is required for the well-being of the souls. A human can’t survive without air or food but the human can’t grow without art as art is the food for the soul. It broadens the horizon of the human mind and makes us more compassionate to our fellow citizens. Moreover, our history and culture are also preserved via art. As a result, investing money in the arts is as equally important as investing any social program that benefits the society.


On the other hand, like many of the government activities and expenses, expenditure in the arts is also prone to the mismanagement. A better way to control this is to have checks and balances throughout the process. For example, creating a committee with specialized people from different sectors and then use this committee to authorize the spending will minimize the waste. Moreover, auditing the expense and making the audit report public will also help as the common people can understand how the money is spent.


In conclusion, art is an important part of our socio-economic structure and it’s the responsibility of the government to invest money on it. However, the government must have an oversight to avoid any kind of wasteful spending.
 
Last edited:

cansha

VIP Member
Aug 1, 2018
6,676
5,855
@cansha I need your assistance to clarify one thing here, some ielts writing teachers in youtube or even in udemy advice us to use ready phrases such,

this essay will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this ..... (in the Intro)
while some people believe .... others think ..... (Intro)
people who think .... argue that (in the topic sentence)
To begin with, ....

and there are other examples too, should we really use such ready made phrases or avoid them for higher band score in our writing.
See this link and check out the very first sentence. Hope that answers http://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-tips-sentences-to-avoid/
 

cansha

VIP Member
Aug 1, 2018
6,676
5,855
Hello @cansha , trying the most recent exam question again. Can you please review this one more time? I am also putting down the prep notes I did before starting the essay (btw it took 10 mins for me) to know if that is correct approach.

-------
Some parents and teachers believe that children’s behavior should be strictly controlled. Others believe that children should be allowed to do whatever they like. Discuss both views and provide your opinion.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Prep notes:
BP1
Controlled – why? What?
What? à being impatient, anger, not listening to teachers and parents, using bad or mean words, bullying
Why we need to control? à self-discipline, career, wrong direction, others will not respect or love you, he will become a trouble for others, no friends, isolated, bad name in schools, academic failures

BP2
Do not control – why? What?
What? explore on their own, make mistakes and correct themselves, stand on their own
Why we should not control? à improves decision making, improves courageness, face challenges in life, improves confidence
-----------------
Children’s behavior problems are dealt with two different viewpoints. What is the use of this line. That there are two different viewpoints is obvious from the essay topic. Think about it if you take away this line do you think your intro para will lose out on any details. Now REMEMBER THAT. If you see any line in your review which is not adding value, that line most likely is not contributing to your score.

Some people, including teachers, suggests that it should be strictly controlled, while others believe that they should be allowed to do whatever they like without any control. In my opinion, both are important in such a way that we should let children to explore and experiment their own world on their own while enforcing a strict control on basic behavioral qualities.
I like the idea. phrasing could be a little better. Overall, I like that you are thinking. And you took a balanced approach in the essay. It is a different way of answering this question.

Young children especially in their early ages, are very flexible and get influenced very easily.

They should be taught skills like controlling anger, being empathetic, respect others and more importantly being truthful always. Question for you. Are these skills? Or are these moral values? Do you think calling them skills is okay here?

Aggressive behavior of children is not accepted in schools in any manner. Now this sentence is like just there. Not in flow.

Children going out of hand involving in bullying activities needs to be strictly controlled which can even lead to suspensions from school. I get the idea but phrasing is too bad. Mixing too many things here.

Moreover, I hope there will not be any second thought about controlling them to be truthful always. "I hope". Why? Make a statement in an essay.

On this view, it is very appropriate to impose strict measures on certain behavior behavioral necessities that can help in their future. How and Why?
You are now thinking. Very good! Make messaging more clear. Make flow better. Bring in your opinion at the beginning of paragraph. Ok let me try and rewrite this. All your ideas. See if it looks better. Something like below.

One area where, I believe, exercising control over children behavior could be beneficial for them, is teaching them moral values. Children are most susceptible to external information at young age and hence can get influenced very easily. Parents and teachers should play an active role to make sure kids are learning good moral values at such age like empathy, calmness, respect for others and being truthful. Bad behavior, if unchecked, at this age may be harmful for the kids in the future, for example, an overly aggressive behavior at school may even lead to suspension.

The idea is you are not flip flopping between your idea / opinion, support line and then example. Keep them in one flow. One should know what was your main idea ... why are you supporting the idea ... an example what you mean

In above your idea is teach kids moral values at young age ... support is that they are most influenced at this age ... consequence of not doing it is example of facing suspension. Makes sense?

Having said that, enforcing too much of control on children can also cause other psychological difficulties. That's a very heavy argument.

They will not be able to face challenges nor be able to take any decisions when needed. Again why?

Obviously, children under constant control would always look for help in all circumstances. It is important for them to explore, experiment, make mistakes, correct themselves and learn from their own mistakes. See again if this line was before the above line it makes sense. You are saying if you tell the kids what to do when the time comes for taking their own decision they won't be able to do so. But how did you say that?

You said oh kids can't take decisions.... now the reader is wondering what the hell ... how and why? Then you go and start the line saying Oh Its OBVIOUS ... HOW? It's obvious for you. You are writing the essay. It is not OBVIOUS for the reader. Lead the reader through your argument. Stop saying things are obvious. If it was obvious they won't ask you to write an essay. Use better words.


This will make them more strong and independent enough to face any challenges in future. For example, let them choose the sport they want to play, fight back for the right he/she deserves at home or school.
Like the idea. Don't like the execution. Like the fact that you are thinking more on task execution and generating ideas. But ideas not presented well is as good as no task accomplishment. So, be careful.

In short, it is good to have a moderate amount of controlling on children’s behavior when needed, especially on basic behavior qualities, but it is equally important to let them explore their own world on their own and learn themselves, which will last forever in their life.
Conclusion is okayish.

All the best!
 

priteshgondalia

Star Member
Apr 3, 2018
72
19
Hey @H0peAndFa1th & @cansha,

Can you please have a look at this essay.


Some people think that the government is wasting money on the arts and that this money could be better spent elsewhere.
To what extent do you agree with this view?

It is often believed by some that the government budget spent on the arts is being wasted and could have been utilized in other social facilities, such as health, educational and transportation facilities. In my opinion, I completely disagree with the aforementioned statement as precious artwork can help not only to conserve the native culture but also to promote tourism in that particular nation.

The artwork is playing a key role in preserving the local culture. This is because a number of cultural aspects and historical events are often reflected in many paintings, sculptures and handicraft which usually help people remember their culture's history and encourage them to value it. Therefore, allocating appropriate governmental budget to informative museums is not the waste of public money since, without local arts, most adolescents and adults tend to follow the western culture and traditions because of the western influence from the media and a television.

In addition to this, spending enough money on the arts can also attract international tourists in the country to view impressive artworks. They are generally more curious about historical art pieces and monuments and can pay any amount of money to see and purchase them. This is why having a small amount of entrance fee in museums can develop a passive income for the government, which can be utilized in other social sectors, including hospitals and schools, for the betterment of the society. The increasing amount of profit from the Madame Tussaud museum simply shows how effective is spending money on the arts.

To summarize, I think that preserving the arts is must for any government since it plays a predominant role in protecting the native culture and enhancing the tourism industry. If they provide better care for the arts, a huge amount of money can also be earned and better used elsewhere.
 

priteshgondalia

Star Member
Apr 3, 2018
72
19
A letter too,

Thank you so much.

You have not received the prize which you have won at a newspaper. Write a letter to the editor of the newspaper with below details:

- Details of how you won the prize

- What is the prize given to you

- What action you expect to be taken


Dear Sir or Madam,

I am writing to draw your immediate attention to the prize which I have not received after winning the last month's literature competition in your prestigious newspaper company.

As you might know, in this contest, only 25 selected university students from Toronto city were required to submit an article regarding any one social issue on your website before the deadline which was 1st November. Therefore, I wrote and uploaded a brief article about gender inequality and surprisingly, I was declared the winner for my outstanding English skills and social knowledge about the topic.

I was promised to receive the reward, which was Toshiba UHD Smart TV, within 1 week after the result, but it has been more than 15 days and I have not received any communication since then.

This is why I would like you to provide me an estimated date, so I can be sure that when to visit your headquarter to receive the prize for my incredible performance in that competition. It would be nice if, from next time, you would be more serious about following the time-frame you have given to the general public.

I am waiting for your prompt and favourable response.

Yours faithfully,

Pritesh Gondaliya
 

Rina Arora

Star Member
Nov 9, 2018
72
22
Hi @cansha and others, Please evaluate my essay and help with areas of improvement. I had checked the old posts and even tried to implement it but it will come in flow with practice and today I will read a few 9 band essays as well.

Some people think young people should follow what elders say. Rest think, young people may have different views than elders. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Young generation might have different thoughts than elders, whereas others believe that youngsters should respect the instructions given by elders. I opine that advice provided by elders should be followed because they are more experienced and can also coach young one’s on moral values.

Elders can evaluate a problem in a better way as compared to youngsters because they are experienced and have seen the ups and down in life. Teenagers are like blossoming flowers are they are not able to brainstorm a situation as they are in their early age. In addition, various learnings are learned by an individual at each phase of life due to which elders have a calculative thought process as opposed to youngsters.

Another reason due to which elders should be followed by young people is that they can coach the younger one’s on the code of ethics and moral values. It is tough for young people to differentiate between right and wrong, therefore, they might end up in trouble sometimes. Thus, if youngsters will follow elders then they will be able to attain various values and habits which will be helpful for them in upcoming life.

One basic reason due to which people agree that youngsters have different thoughts as compared to Elders is due to generation and technological gap. They have adapted to the modern lifestyle and all their thoughts are creative and out of the box. In addition, they are a vivid user of technology which helps them in brainstorming things by using interest and assist them in decision making.

In conclusion, youngsters should follow the advice of the elders because they are helpful in making conscious decisions. Although, youngsters can take their own decisions in the later stages of life.
 

H0peAndFa1th

Hero Member
Jun 19, 2017
485
471
Test Date 08 Sept 2018
Listening 8.5
Reading 9
Speaking 7.5
Writing 6.5
OverAllBandScore 8

Can not believe It !!!!
This is insane!!! Go for a remark for sure. I’m sure it will change.
I think evaluation criteria is not fair. Many people complaint about this
So sorry bro
Gotto love your determination
Do you think they purposely give you 6.5 in writing?

They must know you need 7 for express entry and you never know what they were doing at the back.
I feel very sorry for you hope and faith.
I would like to console you and would like to ask you to go for a eor, pls.
Even if you dont want to do that, still you should think again once on my suggestion. Please.
Good Luck. Really want to see you over the line asap.
Regards.
Listening 8.5
Reading 9
Speaking 7.5
Writing 6.5(old) New : 7
OverAllBandScore 8

Guys, you can imagine my state, Got positive EOR of this test, got 7 in writing in this one tooo.

now can I say I got 7 in writing many times, And its not by an accident or luck.
 

cansha

VIP Member
Aug 1, 2018
6,676
5,855
Listening 8.5
Reading 9
Speaking 7.5
Writing 6.5(old) New : 7
OverAllBandScore 8

Guys, you can imagine my state, Got positive EOR of this test, got 7 in writing in this one tooo.

now can I say I got 7 in writing many times, And its not by an accident or luck.
I did say it will change :) But honestly I know it is not luck to score 7 three times in a row! I guess you can now bury the ghosts of IELTS forever.
 

nns14

Champion Member
Feb 10, 2018
1,438
888
Category........
FSW
Visa Office......
Nairobi, Kenya
NOC Code......
2147
App. Filed.......
26-09-2019
AOR Received.
26-09-2019
File Transfer...
24-10-2019
Passport Req..
18-Jul-2022
VISA ISSUED...
05-Aug-2022
LANDED..........
11-Jan-2023
Listening 8.5
Reading 9
Speaking 7.5
Writing 6.5(old) New : 7
OverAllBandScore 8

Guys, you can imagine my state, Got positive EOR of this test, got 7 in writing in this one tooo.

now can I say I got 7 in writing many times, And its not by an accident or luck.
I don't know what's wrong with IELTS test centers. But at least you are done with it, you do not have to worry about their carelessness.

Do you mind sharing your recent IELTS practice essay? You are a great example of moving from 6.5 to 7 and sustaining. I am still stuck.
 

shah22393

Hero Member
Nov 6, 2017
216
61
I got my test result, and I'm very much disappointed with it.
L-8, R-6.5, W-5.5, S-6.5 and overall - 6.5

This was the second time I took the IELTS test, and my earlier score was
L-7, R-6, W-5.5, S-7, overall-6.5

I'm so broken now, I don't know what should I do. I really don't know where I am going wrong in writing. I don't want to take the test for the 3rd time. Please help with, is there any alternative? I really can't make through it. Please help.
I had the same issue thrice, so I went ahead for rechecking and my scores got corrected from 6.5 to 7. Please be advise, there is a charge for rechecking which is around 6k INR in British Council and around 9K INR in IDP. If the scores are corrected, the money is refunded.

Hope it helps