10 typical mistakes in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

Many test-takers face certain difficulties when describing visuals in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, which leads to typical mistakes. This happens due to not knowing how to prepare and what to avoid during exam preparation. However, these problems can be easily solved. You can improve your IELTS score if you try out our advice.

Andrii Pigariev, one of the authors and coordinators of IELTS Academic Writing self-study course, shares the list of most typical mistakes students and candidates make in IELTS preparation and on the day of the exam, based on his own experience of teaching for IELTS. We are going to discuss the problems that arise for many test takers and students as well as those that can affect the score candidates receive for their IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.

1. Not knowing what to expect.

A lot of candidates who fail the exam or receive a lower score do not know what kind of visuals they can face in Task 1 and what to pay attention to in each of them. You will always benefit if you are familiar with all types of tasks. Know the names of the visuals and pay attention to the key features like trends, stages and steps, changes that have taken in places etc.

We have already written about how to understand IELTS visuals.

2. Including personal opinion or reason.

What kind of information should you include in your response? Firstly, you have to write about figures, i.e. numbers that illustrate changes. Secondly, write about the facts from the chart, such as changes, rise and fall etc.

You might get a penalty if you write about:

— reasons why changes happened;

— your opinion about the situation;

— predict the future of the situation.

3. Starting writing immediately.

Many candidates start writing their reports the very same moment they receive the task. This is the best thing you can do … to fail or complete the task in the wrong way.

What you have to do is:

— read the description of the visual carefully. If you don’t do so, you might misunderstand some information.

— analyse the chart. Carefully look at the axes, measurements, names of columns, dates, periods of time, trends etc. It will help you choose the vocabulary and grammar for your writing.

— plan how to organize your writing. For example, grouping trends by similarities or differences will help you organize your response more effectively, and lead to a higher score.

— spend 3 – 5 minutes on the things mentioned above. However, if you practice a lot before the exam, it might take shorter time to do these things.

4. Not summarizing main features.

Candidates who do not prepare for the exam, do not report on the main features, and, most importantly, don’t focus on the summary of main features.

Do not just describe the details from the chart because it is only the part of the score. It is not enough to complete the task successfully. Provide the summary because its absence will lead you to a penalty.

If you want to receive band 6+, follow the criteria, which say that you need ‘to present an overview with information appropriately selected’. Unlike band 5, where the candidates simply ‘recount details mechanically with no clear overview’. As you can see, knowing what to write about is an important point to consider.

5. Describing every single detail immediately.

Sometimes, students or candidates don’t know what kind of information to describe, and they describe everything they see. They also do not know how to organize it.

What you have to do is to organize your response into paragraphs. For example, if you group your trends by similarities and differences, which is a good strategy, you will:

— paraphrase the task in paragraph 1 + overview of main trends;

— write about similar trend in paragraph 2 (e.g. downward trends);

— write about different trends in paragraph 3 (e.g. downward and upward trends).

Before you start writing, you must have a kind of draft of how you are going to describe your response. Without it, the score might be lower. If we do not organize the information, it is difficult for the reader (examiner) to follow it.

6. Not using specific vocabulary.

The vocabulary for IELTS Writing should be ‘better’, i.e. more specific to the task. The more varied your language is, the higher band you can achieve.

Also, try to avoid repetition. Do not use the same words. Use synonyms instead.

For example:

A: The number of cyclists went up a bit, then went down a bit again and was the same until the end of the period.

B: The number of cyclists first increased insignificantly, then there was a slight decline in figures, followed by a period of stability until the end of the period.

Both sentences describe the same line graph, but B is the example of the better choice of the language.

READ ABOUT: 5 things to avoid in IELTS Academic Writing

7. Not having reliable models to follow.

Another way to avoid typical mistakes in IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 is not only to practice but also to check some good examples of responses where you can see how to write and improve your understanding of how to approach the task.

After you have written your own response, it would be good to see how others have done it and to analyse it.

This can be done on our platform where you will find good model answers for each type of task guidance on how to understand the task, how to organize your answer, and what kind of vocabulary to use. As you proceed, you will get the Knowledge Bank filled up with useful language and strategies, and complete the tasks in test-like conditions. Your answers will be checked using AI, and you will receive your score within a few seconds.

Besides, it is a good idea to see some model answers with mistakes to spot them.

8. Not checking your response.

This is one of the biggest mistakes candidates commit in the real exam. It happens because they do not have enough time to check their writing, especially if they are not trained to do so.

At the same time, this is a very important step. While writing, we tend not to see our mistakes. That is why it is worth spending 1 or 2 minutes at the end to check your writing. Pay attention to:

• spelling;
• punctuation;
• articles;
• subject and verb agreement;
• the mistakes you know you often make.

Read your response a few times. Each time you read focus on a different aspect.

9. Not practicing enough.

Practice makes perfect. In order avoid making typical mistakes in IELTS Academic Writing 1 we recommend:

• writing in English every day;
• describing charts and diagrams in English;
• practicing writing a certain number of words in a limited time;
• trying to describe charts and diagrams in English using a certain number of words in a limited time.

You will also benefit if you try describing all types of tasks and do it a few times. Such order will help you ease the anxiety on the day of the exam.

10. Not using strategies consistently.

Using strategies is all about using things repeatedly. The approach that will help you succeed in IELTS Writing is knowing what to do, how to do it, and practicing.

What is meant here, is the more you practice using the same strategies, the less and less time you spend every time on completing the task. Strategies should become part of your routine.

For example, our platform includes every single type of IELTS Academic Writing task that is followed by a certain strategy — you learn what to do step by step (analyse the task, plan your response, write, and check).

If you would like to improve your IELTS academic writing skills, familiarize yourself with the contents of the course and sign up for a free trial before you get access to the full course.

READ ABOUT: 5 easy steps to complete IELTS Academic Writing Task 1