Can we use informal words in IELTS writing?
In Academic Task 1 and Task 2, mostly no. Not because the words are wrong, but because they belong to a different register: the level of formality a situation calls for. 'The kids got a lot of stuff' is perfect English between friends. In an essay it sounds like a text message.
Band 7 allows some slips, so one 'a lot of' will not sink you. What hurts is a pattern of chatty words, which looks like a writer who cannot switch register. The descriptors name no banned words: every list online, including the one below, is teaching advice. And aim for neutral, not poetic: over-formal choices are a separate style problem, covered in IELTS Lexical Resource band 7.
Informal words to avoid in IELTS writing: a swap list
BandLadder advice: these informal words turn up most in practice essays. The swap is a neutral word, not the fanciest one.
Informal word → neutral swap
| Informal | Neutral swap | Note |
|---|---|---|
| kids | children, young people, pupils | Pupils for school, young people for teenagers. |
| a lot of / lots of | many (countable), much (uncountable), a large number of, a great deal of | Conversational, not wrong. One is fine; five is a pattern. |
| stuff / things | the exact noun: equipment, tools, belongings, produce | It fails when it hides what you mean. |
| get | become, receive, obtain, reach, understand | Ask what 'get' means in your sentence, then use that verb. |
| really / so (as intensifiers) | considerably, highly, or delete | Often better: the plain adjective plus a reason. |
| pretty / kind of / sort of | fairly, somewhat, rather | Or cut them. |
| big / huge | large, major, substantial, significant | 'Big' is neutral for size; avoid it for trends and problems. |
| OK / fine | acceptable, reasonable, adequate | Or say what makes it acceptable. |
| anyway / plus (to add a point) | in any case, in addition, moreover | 'Plus' as a sentence opener is the commonest slip. |
BandLadder advice, not an official list. Swaps depend on meaning: check each one fits your sentence.
Can I use contractions and phrasal verbs in IELTS writing?
Contractions: write them out
Forms like don't, it's, can't, they're are standard in speech and friendly letters. In an Academic essay, write them out: do not, it is, cannot, they are. The descriptors never mention contractions, so this is BandLadder advice: a register signal, not a rule, but not worth the risk. 'Its' (possessive, no apostrophe) is not a contraction and stays.
Phrasal verbs: some are neutral, some are casual
'Avoid all phrasal verbs' is bad advice. Many are neutral and appear in academic writing every day. The test: would a news report or a textbook use it? If yes, keep it.
Phrasal verbs in IELTS writing
| Fine in an essay | Too casual | Neutral swap for the casual one |
|---|---|---|
| carry out (research) | figure out | work out, determine, understand |
| set up (a scheme) | put up with | tolerate, accept |
| bring about (change) | end up | eventually, finally (or rephrase) |
| point out | mess up | damage, spoil, mismanage |
| take part in | check out | visit, examine |
| phase out | come up with | devise, propose (borderline: neutral enough in many essays) |
BandLadder advice. Register is a scale, not two boxes: 'come up with' sits near the middle.
Formal vs informal writing examples: Task 1 and Task 2
Informal: Overall, lots of kidschatty joined chess clubs, and the number of older players got really bigvague + casual too. Neutral: Overall, junior membership rose sharplyprecise, and the number of players over 60 also increased considerablyneutral.
- → Task 1 is about data, so 'lots of' also hides the trend. 'Rose sharply' is more formal and more precise at once.
- → More Task 1 language in context: IELTS Writing Task 1 samples.
Informal: Plus,spoken linker it's pretty obviouscontraction + casual that people on the list don't get a fair chancevague, and they end up giving upcasual. Neutral: In addition, applicants often wait several years for a plotspecific, and many eventually lose interest altogether.
- → The neutral version is not harder. It replaces each vague word with what actually happens.
✗ Allotments give people loads of fresh stuff to eat.
✓ Allotments give households a cheap supply of fresh vegetables.
'Loads of' is slang-level and 'stuff' hides the noun. Naming the produce makes the point concrete.
✗ Councils can't figure out how to share the land fairly.
✓ Councils have not yet found a fair way to divide the land.
Contraction plus a casual phrasal verb. The neutral version keeps the same meaning.
When informal words are right: letters to friends
Register is about fit, not about formal being better. In General Training Task 1, the prompt sometimes asks you to write to a friend. There, 'Thanks so much', 'I can't wait' and 'Could you keep an eye on my plot?' are exactly right, and a stiff 'I am writing to inform you' would be the mismatch.
Keep the tone consistent: a friendly letter that suddenly says 'Furthermore, I would be grateful if' has a tone problem too. General Training Task 2 is still an essay: ielts.org calls it a "semi-formal/neutral discursive essay", so the swap list applies there in full. For covering and extending each letter bullet point, see IELTS letter bullet points.
Which register for which task?
| Task | Register | Contractions? |
|---|---|---|
| Academic Task 1 (charts, maps, processes) | Academic or neutral | No |
| Task 2 essay (Academic and General Training) | Academic or neutral | No |
| GT letter to an official or company | Formal | No |
| GT letter to someone you know slightly | Semi-formal | A few are acceptable |
| GT letter to a friend | Informal | Yes, naturally |
BandLadder advice, based on ielts.org's guidance to match style to the audience.
Your turn: formal enough for an essay?
Each sentence comes from a Task 2 essay unless stated. Is it fine as it is, or does it need a register fix?
- Many residents have to wait ages before they get a plot.
- A. Fine as it is
- B. Needs a register fix
Show answer
Needs a register fix
'Wait ages' is conversational; 'wait several years' is neutral. 'Get' could also become 'are offered'.
- The council should carry out a survey of unused plots.
- A. Fine as it is
- B. Needs a register fix
Show answer
Fine as it is
'Carry out' is a neutral phrasal verb that academic writing uses all the time.
- GT letter to a friend: "I can't wait to show you the pumpkins!"
- A. Fine as it is
- B. Needs a register fix
Show answer
Fine as it is
In a letter to a friend, contractions and warmth are the appropriate tone.
- Task 1 report: "Chess clubs saw a huge jump in kids joining after 2015."
- A. Fine as it is
- B. Needs a register fix
Show answer
Needs a register fix
'Huge jump' and 'kids' are conversational. Try 'Junior membership of chess clubs rose sharply after 2015.'
BandLadder AI practice scores each writing task with a band per criterion and feedback, so you can see whether Lexical Resource is the criterion holding you back. For well-written essays to compare against, read the IELTS Writing Task 2 samples.
BandLadder questions
Practise it now
Use the method on original BandLadder questions. Attempt them free and see your score.
Questions
FAQ
Can we use informal words in IELTS writing?+
In Academic Task 1 and Task 2, use neutral or formal words: ielts.org asks for an academic or semi-formal/neutral style, and calls General Training Task 2 a semi-formal/neutral essay. In a letter to a friend, informal words are the right choice.
Can I use contractions in IELTS writing?+
Avoid them in essays and Academic Task 1: write 'do not' and 'it is'. The band descriptors do not name contractions, but they are a sign of informal register. They are natural in a letter to a friend.
Can we use phrasal verbs in IELTS writing?+
Yes, if they are neutral. 'Carry out', 'set up' and 'bring about' are fine in any essay. Casual ones such as 'figure out' or 'put up with' are better replaced with a single verb.
Is 'a lot of' informal?+
It is conversational rather than wrong. One use will not cost you, but in an essay 'many', 'much' or 'a large number of' sound more natural, and they force you to be more precise.
Is 'kids' an informal word?+
Yes. Use 'children', or a more exact word such as 'pupils' or 'young people', in essays and Task 1 reports.
Is 'nowadays' informal?+
No. 'Nowadays' is a neutral word and is fine in an essay. BandLadder advice: just avoid opening every introduction with it, which is a variety problem, not a register one.
Sources
- IELTS Writing Band Descriptors, Task 1 (ielts.org, updated May 2023): PDF page 3 (band 7 Lexical Resource and GT tone); PDF page 4 (band 5 appropriacy of word choice)
- IELTS Writing Band Descriptors, Task 2 (ielts.org, updated May 2023): PDF page 7 (band 7 Lexical Resource); PDF page 8 (band 5 appropriacy of word choice)
- IELTS Academic test format: Writing (ielts.org): https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-academic-test/ielts-academic-format-writing
- IELTS General Training test format: Writing (ielts.org): https://ielts.org/take-a-test/test-types/ielts-general-training-test/ielts-general-training-format-writing
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