IELTS Writing: What the examiner is looking for!

The video begins with Keith from the Keith Speaking Academy introducing the topic of IELTS writing and the importance of understanding what examiners look for. Eli Howes, an IELTS training expert, joins Keith to discuss strategies for improving IELTS writing skills. They emphasize the challenges students face, especially when trying to score above band 6, and offer a comprehensive approach to enhance students' writing abilities.

The hosts greet the audience from various countries, highlighting the global participation in the live session. They discuss the common issue of students struggling to achieve a band 7 in IELTS writing and the importance of understanding the assessment criteria. The session aims to clarify how IELTS writing is evaluated and provides examples to illustrate the concepts.

The discussion shifts to the four key criteria for IELTS writing: Task Achievement (TA), Coherence and Cohesion (CC), Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA), and Lexical Resource (LR). The hosts encourage participants to guess the meanings of the acronyms and provide insights into what each criterion entails for effective essay writing.

Eli explains that Task Achievement involves the relevance, development, and position of ideas in an essay. The importance of essay length is discussed, with a minimum of 250 words required for Task 2. The structure of an essay, including an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion, is emphasized as a key component of Task Achievement.

The hosts focus on the necessity of staying on topic and the development of ideas within an essay. They caution against memorizing essays, as slight deviations in exam questions can lead to off-topic responses. The importance of understanding the question and providing relevant keywords is underlined.

The discussion addresses common pitfalls in IELTS writing, such as not adhering to the word count and going off-topic. The hosts also bust myths about word counting in exams and emphasize the importance of handwriting clarity, as poor legibility can impact scores.

Ideas development is explored with examples, stressing the need for detailed explanations and examples to support points made in an essay. The hosts also discuss the necessity of taking a clear position in the introduction and maintaining it throughout the essay.

Coherence and Cohesion are broken down into the progression of ideas, use of linking words, and referencing through pronouns. The hosts liken essay structure to building a house with bricks and cement, emphasizing the importance of a logical flow and clear connections between ideas.

Tips for improving writing skills include using essay structures and templates and engaging in regular practice. The hosts share their experiences with technical issues during the live session and how they affect the presentation, highlighting the importance of adaptability.

The hosts reiterate the importance of Task Achievement and Coherence, providing a detailed breakdown of what examiners look for in an IELTS essay. They discuss the significance of a clear introduction, well-developed body paragraphs, and a concise conclusion.

The session moves on to Lexical Resource, emphasizing the range, accuracy, and spelling of vocabulary, as well as the use of collocations and paraphrasing. Grammatical Range and Accuracy are also discussed, focusing on the variety of structures, correct usage, and punctuation.

The hosts engage the audience in a spelling challenge to highlight the importance of accurate spelling in IELTS writing. They offer advice on building vocabulary through reading, noting collocations, and practicing with a focus on accurate usage over complex vocabulary.

The discussion includes finding synonyms for key terms in the essay prompt as a method for paraphrasing and demonstrating lexical resource. The hosts share personal experiences with education and the transition from school to higher education or work.

Tips for learning vocabulary are shared, emphasizing reading and taking notes, practicing with sample essays, and repeating the use of new vocabulary. The hosts also discuss the importance of understanding the IELTS exam format and provide a free webinar for further training.

Common grammatical mistakes in IELTS writing are explored, such as subject-verb agreement and the use of articles. The hosts advise students to identify and focus on the areas they typically struggle with, based on their native language.

The hosts conclude the session with gratitude for the audience's participation and provide information on how to access the free webinar training. They also mention their YouTube channels for further learning resources and announce the date for the next live lesson.