There are no items in your cart
Add More
Add More
| Item Details | Price | ||
|---|---|---|---|
Here we come up with another topic of the IELTS writing task 2. Writing an essay is not a task but to write it in a formal way is a task. In this particular article, some do's and don'ts of the IELTS essay writing task will be discussed along with some formal language usage.
One of the majors don't of IELTS writing exam task 2 is not to write or use short forms in between. Writing a short form is one of the biggest blunders that one can do in writing. It is a mark of writing informally and it will cost you your band score.
What to do- use full forms instead. Instead of writing etc. write etcetera, or example for e.g,
Another thing is not to use contractions in your essay. Contraction is written by joining a pronoun or verb together.
For example- I'd (I had, I would) or can't (cannot) or they'll (they will) etc. Write full words only. It will save your band score and also increase the word count.
Another thing to be kept in mind for writing formally is to use formal language instead of a slang language. Do not use words like hey, bro, buddy, pro.
What to do- use formal language and to avoid such errors, keep practicing for that on a daily basis. Another way to remove such errors is proofreading your task once you have completed it. Save some time, in the end, to reread it again to remove errors.
The examiner expects you to answer the question and not to ask one. Do not use words like who, or what, as all of these are interrogative pronouns.
What to do- It is recommended to use a statement form instead of a question form.
For example, write- Technology is advancing in recent times. Probably, it will reach its peak someday.
A question form will be technology is advancing in recent times. When will it reach its peak?
A formal and academic language should be more objective and scientific. It should not be based on emotions. Think of a more formal word when it comes to any sensitive issue.
Another example of informal emotional words can be good or bad, fantastic or terrible, etc.
For example- Use words like criminal or offense instead of words like robber or murderer.
Also, informal language makes you sound casual. Remember that the reader is not your relative. Make your language formal as you used to write an application to your school's principal.
A list of more formal words is as follows-
bad = dangerous, harmful, problematic, inadequate, destructive, wasteful, insufficient, questionable
wrong = unethical, fraudulent, unscrupulous, corrupt, dishonest, irresponsible, inappropriate, indecent or improper etcetera.
Yes, another major feature of writing formally is strictly avoiding using relative pronouns.
IELTS writing test demands to write your thesis statement in an introductory paragraph. So here, you can write or use I believe or in my opinion. That is absolutely correct. But for writing the statements, it is not correct.
Focus on the topic, not on yourself. The question demands you to write some personal experiences too but try to make them general.
Personal assumptions or general statements are to be avoided in order to make your writing more formal. It can weaken your own reasons and arguments in favour of your own opinion.
For writing specific but for the statements which you are not sure of, use hedging technique. A blog based on the hedging language was posted earlier and you can take help from that.
Example- ‘Everybody loves music’ ‘Boys prefer science subjects’.
Example- ‘Many people enjoy listening to music. ‘Traditionally speaking, boys have tended to lean towards scientific subjects…’
'you' is a pronoun that is conversational in nature. be more specific in writing generally and avoid 'you' as a pronoun in between your essay. 'you' refers to the reader here.
Example- ‘If you lose your health, you may lose your job’.
What to write instead
‘If people lose their health, they may lose their job.’
Or
Noun forms
‘Ill health can lead to unemployment.
Do not write vague facts or statements which you are not sure of in order to prove your point.
Instead, use the language- the research suggests that….. or it has been researched that…. Or evidence suggests that….
Formal language does not demand complex and difficult vocabulary. Keep it simpler and understandable, so that the reader can read it easily and understand it in a better way.
For Example- Compare these two sentences
● ‘The staggering volume of synthetic organic compounds accumulating in large bodies of saline water has engendered a colossal moral quandary for behemoth manufacturers.
● ‘The large volume of plastic waste that has accumulated in the Earth’s oceans has created a moral question for companies that produce large amounts of plastic materials.
Hope that you get the idea of writing formally and writing in complexity.
In order to support or write those claims, cautionary or uncertainty verbs are used and that is called hedging language. Hedging is the use of linguistic devices to express hesitation or uncertainty as well as to demonstrate polite indirectness. It is basically used to soften the statements and to avoid criticism for being overconfident.
● To ‘hedge’ means to use an intentionally ambiguous statement.
● To use adverbial and verbal words such as can, perhaps, may∙ suggest, which deal with degrees of probability.
For example
Introductory Verbs – seem, tend, look like, appear to be, think, doubt, indicate, suggest
Certain Lexical Verbs – believe, assume, suggest
Modal verbs - may, might, can, could….
Adverbs – possibly, perhaps, conceivably, usually, rarely, occasionally.
Do not use formatting in between essays.
● Do not bullet points or
● Do not use headings for different paragraphs. Simply write it in a structure.
Remember that writing an essay is just a writing of 4 to 5 paragraphs.
Also Read- Copy Paste Best IELTS Writing Task 2 Template- Essay Writing
The Passive Voice will always make your writing more formal. It will also make you avoid pronouns in between an essay.
For example- They show too much violence on TV.
Write instead- Too much violence is shown on TV.
● Use full forms and formal language.
● Do not include bullet points and make headings.
● Make general statements and avoid personal assumptions. However, generalizing your own opinion will weaken it.
● Avoid personal pronouns.
● Use passive language instead of active language.
● Use hedging language instead of writing with the certainty of which you are not sure of.
● Use simple words in a formal way as formal does not mean complex words.
So these are some of the major points to be kept in mind for writing an essay whether it is for academic or general tests. Keep your essay's structure simple and understandable. Practice more types of essays. Go through our blogs and content for more information.
Students can also enroll now in BDS Online IELTS Preparation Course today where you will get access to anytime/anywhere IELTS classes, with 400+ detailed video lectures, sample papers, and live classes by Dr. Roma. Candidates can also sign up for IELTS Dr. Roma Writing Templates + Cue Cards Course to get ready essay templates and solutions latest IELTS essay topics. So let's get started with IELTS writing practice.
Best of luck!
Dr. Roma
Content Writer