Ever wondered what things to avoid in your IELTS Academic Writing and what to focus on? We’re here to share our experience and expert advice.
In the IELTS Academic exam, you will have to use not only everyday language, but also the academic style. You will have to demonstrate your proficiency when writing an essay and when describing graphs, tables, or maps in the Writing section.
It is evident that the academic style of writing in English is very different from how we correspond or communicate in everyday life. It’s not that emotional, but it has a lot of abstract words. Moreover, it is even more official. For example, if in a conversation with a friend, you can replace almost any word with the word ‘get’, then in the case of academic writing, you should use the synonyms such as ‘obtain’ or ‘acquire’:
In the second experiment, a very clear result was obtained.
The company acquired a million new customers in a year.
So what are the features of academic writing to keep in mind to get a high exam score? This will be discussed below.
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SHORT FORMS
These include contractions of auxiliary, modal verbs and the verbs ‘to be’ and ‘to have’. We often use them in colloquial language, but they are considered too informal for academic writing. Therefore, it is necessary to write their full forms. For, example:
it’s = it is, it has
don’t = do not
can’t = cannot
you’ll = you will
should’ve = should have
would’ve = would have
we’re = we are
aren’t = are not
isn’t = is not
shan’t = shall not
let’s = let us
who’s = who is, who has
they’re = they are
doesn’t = does not
We do not recommend using the abbreviations of some words that begin and end with the same letter as the initial form of the word but do not have a full stop at the end. For example: govt (government); dept (department), cwth (commonwealth), Qld (Queensland). In other words, avoid them if they are not used in a particular field of discipline or in a reference or as a quote.
PERSONAL ADDRESSING
Let’s have a look at two examples below:
If you have an enjoyable job, you are more likely to be successful.
If one has an enjoyable job, one is more likely to be successful.
Of course, we have to give examples in our essays and even show our opinion. However, there should be no personal addressing in the academic writing. In this case, we replaced the personal pronoun with the impersonal one. When the author uses this neutral indefinite pronoun in an essay, he means ‘a person’ when he writes ‘one’.
RECOMMENDED READING: How to write IELTS essay?
Another way to avoid the use of pronouns is to write sentences in a passive voice. For example:
As you can see in figure 1.2, most respondents chose the second option.
As can be seen in figure 1.2, most respondents chose the second option.
You can also use structures with pronoun ‘it’:
As you can see in figure 1.2, most respondents chose the second option.
It is evident from the data in figure 1.2. that most respondents chose the second option.
Remember that you should not to express your opinion, instead refer to what the facts or figures show.
BUT, ALSO, SO
Avoid using these conjunctions, especially at the beginning of a sentence. You can replace them with other, more formal words.
· Contrasting ideas:
but = however
Many people believe that obesity is caused by fast food. However, it is evident from the data that mainly by lack of exercise.
· Adding more facts or details:
also = moreover
Fish supplies as with substances that might protect against heart disease. Moreover, in many cultures fish is known as a ‘brain food’.
· Describing reasons and consequences:
so = as a result
Our ancestors reconsidered the role of clothing. As a result, clothes started to vary according to marital or social status.
ALSO READ: How is IELTS Academic Writing assessed?
RHETORICAL QUESTIONS
A rhetorical question is a question that is not expected to be answered. Authors of the text often write them if they assume that the reader already knows the answer, or if the answer to the question is in the text. Such questions are inappropriate for academic writing: readers may not know the answers. Therefore, it is more appropriate to turn it into a statement. Do not take risks, and in order for your point of view to be understood by the reader (examiner), clearly state it. Look at these two examples:
Should the government be responsible for providing care for elderly people? = It is the responsibility of government to pay for the care of elderly people.
Industrial sites cause vast amounts of environmental pollution, so why do we still use them? = The question surrounding the continued use of industrial sites, given their vast pollution production, still remains.
COLLOQUIALISMS AND SLANG
Slang is an informal language consisting of words and expressions that are not considered appropriate for formal occasions. Use alternatives instead. For example:
kind of = somewhat significant
a couple of = several
basically = fundamentally
Avoid colloquialisms. These are informal words used in everyday speech by educated and uneducated people of all ages. Use synonyms instead. Here are a few examples:
Give = This chapter gives an overview = This chapter (provides/offers/presents) an overview…
Good = A good example = A (useful/prime) example…
Show = The below figure shows = The below figure (illustrates/demonstrates/reveals)…
If you are getting ready for IELTS Academic or if you are thinking of taking this exam in the future, then you probably know that the Writing section is one of the most difficult parts of the test. And that is exactly what our online IELTS Academic Writing self-study course focuses on. You will not only learn about the features of academic writing, but will also practice describing visuals (Task 1) and writing essays (Task 2), get comments from our IELTS experts and tutors, try full-timed writing with IELTS band score feedback from our automated writing checking system that uses artificial intelligence to evaluate essays. Even more — you will find rules, explanations, examples and exercises to help improve your writing skills.
Recently we wrote about how to get ready for IELTS Academic writing.
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