IELTS Writing Task 2 Preparation Checklist

To achieve a higher score on academic writing task 2, you need to have appropriate writing skills, and you need to write a minimum of 250 words in a recommended time of just 40 minutes. 

Here is a free checklist for IELTS Writing Task 2 essays, which will help you understand what you should learn and improve your writing skills. This checklist is for your to prepare before the actual test. 

Here is the writing task 2 preparation checklist. Once you learn them, you can put a tick next to each point on the list. This helps vastly reduce the number of mistakes you make. 

Task achievement

I have learned

• To write between 250 and 300 words
• What the five types of questions are

In the IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 test, you will be required to write an essay about at least one of the following:

• 1) Opinion Essays
• 2) Discussion Essays
• 3) Problem Solution Essays
• 4) Advantages & Disadvantages Essays
• 5) Double Question Essays 

• How to complete the task according to the rubric
• How to write introductions (Practise paraphrasing the question to write introductions)
• How to write an opinion in the introduction and conclusion
• How to write a conclusion
• Ideas for specific topics

Cohesion and Coherence

I have learned

• how to write paragraphs in clear and well-constructed
• to write my answer into paragraphs (an introduction, body and conclusion) to the task and topics?
• how to write clear topic sentences, examples, reasons and results included in each paragraph
• how to use and write correct punctuation
• how to write sentences well-linked together 

Lexical Resource & Grammatical Range and Accuracy

I have learned

• how to avoid repetition of words and grammatical structures
• how to write the question suitably paraphrased
• sufficient use of academic vocabulary
• to use vocabulary specific to the topic such as crime, education
• how to write and check the verb tenses and subject-verb agreement

Improve Writing Skills

I have learned

• Language workout:
  • Word-building
  • Word formation
• Using articles correctly
• Developing topic sentences
• Conditions
• Relative clauses
• Using noun phrases
• Using pronouns to link ideas and avoid repetition
• Using the passive
• Essential language for making comparisons
• More comparative structures
• Advanced comparatives and connecting devices
• Structure and linking:
  • Contrasting ideas
  • Supporting arguments and opinions
  • in spite of/despite
  • in order to / so as to / so that
  • instead (of)
• Avoiding generalizations in your writing
• Grammar and phrases for introductions
• Key adverbs for emphasis, opinion and style
• Expressing someone else’s opinion
• Writing introductions for opinion essays
• General vocabulary for writing about solutions
• Using the second conditional on writing about solutions
• Grammar and vocabulary for writing conclusions
• Write a good paragraph 

In addition to the above points from the list, you should: 

• Study many real test examples (Band Score 9) of each essay type.
• Task 2 Writing Time Management:
  • Write ideas in 3 minutes
  • Start writing in 5 minutes
  • Write an essay in 20 minutes
  • Check an essay in 3 minutes
  • Learn to complete the task in less than 40 minute 

how to cheek writing for mistakes:

• Did you directly answer the question?
• Look grammar mistakes
• Checking Spelling
• Check correct punctuation and missing third person ‘s’
• Used a variety of sentence types
• Is it correctly structured? Such introduction and conclusion
• Clearly defined body paragraphs and “one idea for one body paragraph.’
• Does it have a logical flow? Are transition words used correctly?
• Look for unclear (vague) statements – explain and give examples
• Missing Words (Missing subject, relative pronoun)
• Omission/incorrect inclusion of articles
• Word order
• Appropriately used articles – a, an and the
• Finally, count words – should be more than 250 

To learn more about this checklist and further explanation and learn each checklist item, check out my new website www.IELTSvisa.com, YouTube video and don’t forget to subscribe to my channel.