Why writing more essays doesn't improve your IELTS writing score
Most people who study IELTS writing alone write one new essay a day, read it through quickly, then move to the next prompt. The essays come faster, but the band does not move. Speed is the only thing that plan trains.
The problem is feedback. When you reread your own essay straight after writing it, you read what you meant, not what you wrote. You also try to judge everything at once, so nothing gets judged properly.
So each criterion is a quarter of a task score, and a weakness in one is worth fixing on its own. A Task 2 body paragraph is the best unit to practise on.
How to check your IELTS writing yourself: one paragraph, one criterion
You cannot give yourself a band, and you do not need to. You can count. Each descriptor line names a typical weakness, and each weakness leaves something countable in a paragraph.
What to count for each criterion (counts are BandLadder's, the quotes are the descriptors')
| Criterion | Descriptor line to read | What to count in one paragraph |
|---|---|---|
| Task Response | Band 6: main ideas relevant but "some may be insufficiently developed" | Claims versus sentences that extend a claim (a reason, an example, a consequence) |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Band 6: cohesion "may be faulty or mechanical due to misuse, overuse or omission" | Linking words that open a sentence, and sentences that do not follow from the one before |
| Lexical Resource | Band 6: meaning clear despite "a rather restricted range or a lack of precision" | Repeated content words, and vague words such as good, things, very, many |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Band 7: "error-free sentences are frequent" | Error-free sentences out of the total, and complex sentences that are also correct |
Quotes: IELTS Writing Task 2 band descriptors (updated May 2023), pp. 7–8.
One paragraph, one criterion (BandLadder method)
- 1
Pick. Take one body paragraph from an essay you wrote at least a day ago, so you read what you wrote, not what you meant.
- 2
Read the line. Read only the descriptor line for this week's criterion. Ignore everything else, even errors you notice.
- 3
Count. Count the thing in the table above and write the number in the margin.
- 4
Rewrite. Rewrite to change that number. Keep the idea; change only what the criterion is about.
- 5
Count again. Count the new version and log both numbers. The difference is today's feedback.
IELTS writing practice examples: one paragraph, two passes
Here is an original Task 2 prompt and two body paragraphs written in about 15 minutes. Each gets one pass, against one criterion.
Some people think local councils should fund seed libraries, where residents borrow seeds and later return seeds from their own plants. Others believe the money would be better spent on food banks. Discuss both viewsTask and give your own opinionTask.
Pass 1: Task Response (count claims and extensions)
Seed libraries have many advantages for peopleClaim. A lot of people are interested in gardeningClaim and want to grow vegetables. Seed libraries are also very cheapClaim. They are good for the environmentClaim because the seeds are local.
- → Four claims, none explained. Cheap for whom? Better than what?
Supporters argue that seed libraries give families a cheap and lasting source of foodClaim. A household that borrows a packet of bean seeds in springExample can harvest several weeks of meals, and by returning some seeds in autumn it keeps the library stocked at almost no further cost to the councilReason. In this sense, the money is not spent once, as a food parcel isComparison, but keeps producing food each year.
- → One idea, developed, replaces four; the food parcel comparison ties it to the other view.
- → For more ways to extend an idea, see the moves from band 7 to 8 in Task 2.
Pass 2: Grammatical Range and Accuracy (count error-free sentences)
On the other hand, food banks helpsAgreement people who are hungry today. A family without money cannot wait three months for vegetables to grow, they needComma splice food tonight. Food banks gives them mealTwo errors immediately. Therefore, the council should spend more money to food banksPreposition first.
On the other hand, food banks helpAgreement fixed people who are hungry today. A family without money cannot wait three months for vegetables to grow; they need a mealComma splice fixed tonight. Because food banks provide that meal immediatelyAgreement + article fixed, now complex, many residents see them as the more urgent use of public money. The council should therefore fund food banks firstVerb replaces 'spend money to' and treat seed libraries as a longer-term project.
- → Count again: 4 of 4 error-free, two of them complex. That is the number you compare next week.
- → If one error type keeps returning, it is a pattern, not a slip: log it.
For fully developed paragraphs to compare with, see the IELTS Writing Task 2 samples.
A weekly routine to improve IELTS writing at home
One pass is a good day. The weekly loop shows real change, because it tests whether the fix appears in writing you have not polished. Keep one criterion for the whole week (BandLadder advice).
The 7-day loop (BandLadder routine, about 30 minutes a day)
- 1
Day 1: timed essay. Write one Task 2 essay in 40 minutes, at least 250 words. Do not reread it today.
- 2
Day 2: choose. Count all four things from the table on one paragraph. The worst count is this week's criterion and your baseline.
- 3
Days 3 to 5: rewrite. Rewrite one paragraph a day, from this essay or older ones, for this week's criterion only.
- 4
Day 6: cold paragraph. Write one new body paragraph on a new prompt in 12 minutes. Do not edit it. Count it: this is the real test.
- 5
Day 7: compare. Compare day 6 with the day 2 baseline. Better: keep the criterion or move on. No change: keep it.
What a log looks like (example numbers, invented)
| Week | Criterion | Baseline (day 2) | Cold paragraph (day 6) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Task Response | 0 extensions in 5 sentences | 2 extensions in 5 sentences |
| 2 | Task Response | 2 extensions in 5 sentences | 3 extensions in 5 sentences |
| 3 | Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 2 of 6 sentences error-free | 4 of 6 sentences error-free |
Only the cold paragraph counts as evidence. Rewritten paragraphs always improve; the question is whether the habit carries over.
Every four weeks, sit a full timed Task 1 and Task 2, to keep your speed and planning sharp.
Common mistakes when you practise IELTS writing alone
✗ Rewriting a paragraph to fix grammar, linking and vocabulary all at once.
✓ One criterion per pass, with one number before and after.
When everything changes, you cannot tell which change helped.
✗ Replacing simple words with rare ones to raise Lexical Resource.
✓ Replacing repeated or vague words with precise ones that fit the sentence.
The band 6 line is about range and precision. A rare word in the wrong collocation adds an error.
✗ Learning a model paragraph by heart to reuse in the test.
✓ Learning the move (claim, then reason, example or consequence) and using your own words.
The band 4 Lexical Resource line names "memorised phrases, formulaic language" as inappropriate.
Linking words are the other trap: see why more linking words can lower your band. If your extensions are general statements rather than specific examples, read how to stop overgeneralising.
Your turn: check your own IELTS writing
Use the counting table from this sheet. Each question has one best answer.
- Count the Task Response tally for this paragraph: "Seed libraries save money. They help the environment. They bring neighbours together."
- A. 3 claims, 0 extensions
- B. 1 claim, 2 extensions
- C. 3 claims, 3 extensions
Show answer
3 claims, 0 extensions
Each sentence makes a new claim and none explains, illustrates or shows a result of another.
- You are working on Coherence and Cohesion this week. What do you count?
- A. Words over 250
- B. Sentence-opening linkers and sentences that do not follow from the one before
- C. Rare words
- D. Complex sentences
Show answer
Sentence-opening linkers and sentences that do not follow from the one before
The band 6 line names faulty or mechanical cohesion; these two counts show both problems.
- Day 2 baseline: 2 of 6 sentences error-free. Your rewritten paragraphs on days 3 to 5 reach 6 of 6. Your day 6 cold paragraph scores 2 of 6. What does this tell you?
- A. The habit has not carried over yet, so keep the same criterion next week
- B. You are ready to move to a new criterion
- C. Your grammar band has gone up
Show answer
The habit has not carried over yet, so keep the same criterion next week
Only the unedited cold paragraph shows a change in habit, and counts are a self-check, never a band.
BandLadder questions
Practise it now
Use the method on original BandLadder questions. Attempt them free and see your score.
Questions
FAQ
Can I improve IELTS writing on my own?+
Yes, if you build your own feedback. Rewrite one paragraph against one criterion, count one thing the band descriptors describe before and after, and test the change on a new, unedited paragraph each week.
How do I check my IELTS writing myself?+
Leave the essay for a day, then check one criterion at a time. Count claims and extensions for Task Response, linkers for Coherence and Cohesion, repeated or vague words for Lexical Resource, and error-free sentences for Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
Why is my IELTS writing score not improving?+
Usually because practice repeats the same habits. A new essay every day trains speed, but without one weakness to fix and a way to measure it, the same problems appear in every essay.
How long does it take to improve IELTS writing from 6 to 7?+
There is no fixed time, and no method can promise a band. Track one criterion's count on unedited paragraphs each week: when the number improves and stays improved, the habit has changed.
Should I practise IELTS writing Task 1 or Task 2 first?+
Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score, according to ielts.org, so Task 2 body paragraphs are the best use of limited time. Keep some Task 1 practice too.
Sources
- IELTS Writing band descriptors, Task 2 (updated May 2023), ielts.org: pp. 7–9 (Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range and Accuracy, bands 4–7)
- ielts.org: IELTS Academic Writing test format: Time allowed, minimum words, and Task 2 contributing twice as much as Task 1
- ielts.org: IELTS scoring in detail (Writing): Four criteria, weighted equally; Task 2 carries more weight
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