IELTS · Learn · 30 October 2026 · 6 min read

How to improve your IELTS Writing Task 2 score

Practical ways to raise your IELTS Writing Task 2 band: answer the whole question, build a clear structure, link ideas well and widen your vocabulary.

Writing Task 2 is the essay in the IELTS Writing test. You have about 40 minutes to write at least 250 words in response to a point of view, argument or problem. It counts for more of your Writing band than Task 1, so a small gain here is worth more than the same gain in Task 1.

Many candidates get stuck at the same band for several attempts. The cause is rarely "not enough vocabulary". It is usually that the essay does not fully answer the question, or that the ideas are not organised clearly. This guide works through the four marking criteria in the order that tends to raise scores fastest. For the format itself, see our Writing Task 2 guide.

The four criteria

Examiners mark Task 2 on four criteria, each worth the same:

Our guide to the Writing band descriptors explains what each band looks like.

Step 1: answer the whole question

This is where most marks are lost. Before you plan, underline:

• the topic (what the essay is about);
• the specific focus within the topic;
• the instruction (what you must do with it).

Here is a question we have written for practice:

Some people believe that cities should ban private cars from their centres. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The topic is private cars. The focus is banning them from city centres, not traffic in general. The instruction is to what extent do you agree, so you need a clear position that runs through the whole essay.

Know the common instructions

Missing half of a two-part question is one of the quickest ways to limit your Task Response score.

Step 2: plan for five minutes

Five minutes of planning saves time later and produces a clearer essay. A simple four-paragraph plan works for most questions:

1. Introduction (2–3 sentences): paraphrase the question and state your position.
2. Body paragraph 1: one main idea, explained and supported with an example.
3. Body paragraph 2: a second main idea, explained and supported.
4. Conclusion (2 sentences): restate your position in fresh words.

Some essays suit a fifth paragraph, for example when you discuss two views and then give your own. Choose the structure that fits the instruction, not the one you memorised.

Tip: write your position in your plan as one sentence. If you cannot, you are not ready to start writing.

Step 3: develop each idea

A common pattern at the middle bands is an essay with many ideas, each mentioned in one line. Examiners reward fewer ideas, fully developed.

A developed body paragraph usually has four moves:

1. Topic sentence: the main idea of the paragraph.
2. Explanation: why or how it is true.
3. Example: a specific, realistic case.
4. Link back: how it supports your position.

Here is a short paragraph of our own showing the pattern:

The strongest argument for a ban is the effect on public health. When cars are removed from busy streets, levels of exhaust pollution fall, and people are more likely to walk or cycle for short journeys. A city that turned its main shopping street into a pedestrian zone, for instance, might see more people walking to work and fewer short car trips through the centre. For this reason, a ban would bring benefits that reach well beyond reducing traffic.

The example is invented but realistic, which is acceptable. You do not need statistics or named studies.

Step 4: make the essay easy to follow

Coherence and Cohesion is about how the reader moves through your essay.

• One main idea per paragraph. Start each body paragraph with a sentence that says what it is about.
• Link ideas inside paragraphs, not only at the start. Use reference words such as this, these, such and it to connect sentences.
• Do not overuse linking words. Starting every sentence with Moreover, Furthermore or In addition sounds mechanical and can lower your score. Vary them, and leave some sentences without one.
• Use paragraph breaks clearly. On paper, leave a blank line between paragraphs. On computer, press Enter twice.

Step 5: widen vocabulary range, accurately

Lexical Resource rewards range and accuracy. A rare word used wrongly costs more than a common word used well.

• Paraphrase the question in your introduction instead of copying it. Long phrases lifted from the question show nothing of your own range.
• Learn topic vocabulary in phrases, not single words: ease congestion, reduce emissions, public transport network.
• Use collocations correctly. Make a decision and do research are right; do a decision is not.
• Avoid repeating the same key word in every sentence. Use synonyms or reference words.
• Check spelling of words you use often. Repeated spelling errors lower the score.

Tip: keep a vocabulary list organised by common Task 2 topics, such as education, environment, technology, work and health, with five or six useful phrases under each.

Step 6: vary grammar, then check it

For Grammatical Range and Accuracy, aim for a mix of simple and complex sentences: relative clauses, conditionals and different tenses where they fit naturally. Then leave three to five minutes at the end to check:

• subject–verb agreement;
• articles (a, an, the);
• plurals;
• sentence boundaries (no run-on sentences).

Write down the errors you make most often and check for those first.

Step 7: protect your word count

Write at least 250 words. An essay under the limit can lose marks under Task Response. Writing far more than needed does not earn extra credit and leaves less time for checking. Around 270 to 300 words is a comfortable target.

A weekly routine

• Plan three essays in five minutes each.
• Write two full essays in 40 minutes.
• Rewrite your weakest paragraph from each one.
• Add your repeated errors to a checklist.

For a fuller schedule, see our six-week IELTS study plan. Find more practice on the IELTS hub, and check current test details on ielts.org.