Understand the four IELTS Writing criteria and see what usually needs to change as an essay moves from Band 5 towards Band 7 or Band 8.
Task 1 and Task 2 use the same core dimensions, but the first one has a different name: Task Achievement for Task 1 and Task Response for Task 2.
Task 1 is judged on Task Achievement; Task 2 is judged on Task Response. Both ask whether your answer addresses the question, presents a clear position or overview and develops the main ideas with enough support.
This criterion covers the way your ideas are organised and connected. A stronger response has a clear paragraph purpose, a logical progression and linking that helps the reader follow the argument without noticing the mechanics.
Lexical Resource looks at range, precision and appropriacy. Aim for words that express the exact idea in context, with enough variety to avoid repetition and enough control to keep the meaning clear.
This criterion considers the variety of structures you use and how accurately you control them. Complex sentences help only when they remain easy to understand; basic sentence accuracy still matters throughout the essay.
These are plain-language study notes, not a word-for-word reproduction of the official IELTS band descriptors. Official results are awarded by IELTS examiners using the full criteria.
The response shows a basic attempt, but parts of the task may be incomplete. Ideas, organisation and language control are often limited or uneven.
The main answer is generally clear and relevant. Development, cohesion, vocabulary or grammar may still be uneven, with errors that sometimes affect precision.
The response is clear, organised and sufficiently developed. It shows useful range in vocabulary and grammar, with some errors still possible but generally controlled.
The answer is well developed and easy to follow, using language flexibly and precisely. Errors are infrequent and do not normally interrupt communication.
Underline what the prompt asks for, then state your answer in one sentence. Clear language cannot make up for an unclear response.
Write down each body paragraph's main point and check that the explanation, example and result support it.
Do not only hunt for advanced words. Fix grammar errors that affect meaning, repeated vocabulary and unnatural collocations first.
Youshow IELTS
Sign up or log in to Youshow IELTS to submit a Task 1 or Task 2 essay and review the overall band, four criterion comments, word count and specific improvement suggestions.
This page is a simplified study guide. Use it for self-review, not as a replacement for official IELTS scoring.