Hi, I’m Jonathan Mitchell, an IELTS Writing examiner and trainer with two decades of experience assessing scripts from around the world.
Every week, I see intelligent candidates lose valuable marks because of Common IELTS Writing Mistakes that are easy to avoid with awareness and practice.
In this lesson, we’ll go through the errors that reduce your Task Achievement, Coherence, Lexical Resource, and Grammar scores — and how to fix each one confidently.
The IELTS Writing test doesn’t only reward good writing; it penalises poor control.
Knowing these mistakes helps you:
A student who writes fewer errors automatically sounds more fluent and academic — even with simple vocabulary.
The most damaging mistake is writing an essay that doesn’t match the task.
For example:
Examiners immediately mark this down under Task Response.
✅ Fix: Spend two minutes analysing the task type. Look for keywords like “Discuss both views”, “To what extent”, or “What are the advantages”. Plan accordingly.
Many candidates forget to clearly state their opinion in the introduction. Without it, your essay loses focus.
❌ There are many views about this topic.
✅ In my opinion, governments should prioritise healthcare over other sectors.
A clear thesis gives your essay direction and shows logical control — essential for Band 7+.
IELTS essays need clear paragraphing. Long, unbroken blocks of text reduce Coherence and Cohesion.
Each paragraph should follow this structure:
✅ Example:
One key reason why governments should fund education is its long-term social benefit. Educated citizens contribute to national productivity through innovation and civic engagement. For instance, higher literacy rates often correlate with economic growth. Therefore, education funding creates sustainable progress.
Repeating the same vocabulary or examples lowers your Lexical Resource score.
❌ People use cars because cars are convenient. Cars also save time.
✅ Many individuals rely on cars for convenience and time efficiency.
✅ Fix: Use synonyms, paraphrasing, and reference words (this trend, these vehicles, such advantages) to maintain variety.
IELTS Writing tasks require a formal tone. Informal expressions sound unacademic and unprofessional.
Informal | Formal |
kids | children |
a lot of | many / numerous |
really big | significant / substantial |
good thing | positive outcome |
bad effect | negative consequence |
Band 8 Tip: Avoid contractions (don’t, can’t, won’t) in Academic Writing; write the full forms (do not, cannot, will not).
Connectors like however, moreover, and therefore are important — but overuse makes writing mechanical.
❌ Moreover, governments should invest in health. Moreover, it is important for citizens. Moreover, it helps the economy.
✅ Governments should invest in health because it benefits both citizens and the economy.
✅ Fix: Use linking words naturally and sparingly. Two or three per paragraph is ideal.
Frequent grammar issues lower your band, even with good ideas.
Error Type | Example | Correction |
Subject–verb agreement | People enjoys travel. | People enjoy travel. |
Tense consistency | Last year, sales increase. | Last year, sales increased. |
Missing articles | Environment is important. | The environment is important. |
Incorrect preposition | Depend in technology. | Depend on technology. |
Band 8 Tip: Write shorter, clearer sentences. Long, incorrect sentences lose more marks than short, accurate ones.
Minimum word counts are:
Writing under the limit = automatic penalty.
Writing far above (e.g. 400+ words) = rushed grammar and poor coherence.
✅ Fix: Practise aiming for around 170 words (Task 1) and 280 words (Task 2).
A missing or incomplete conclusion lowers Task Response and leaves a poor impression.
❌ That’s why I think education is important.
✅ In conclusion, investing in education ensures a more skilled workforce and a prosperous future for society.
Keep it concise: one or two sentences that summarise your argument clearly.
Rushing Task 2 or leaving it unfinished drastically reduces your score.
Always allocate 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for Task 2.
✅ Fix: Practise writing full tests with a timer and follow a strict time structure (see Time Management for the Test).
Many candidates finish early but don’t proofread — a missed opportunity for easy improvements.
✅ Fix: Spend the final 5 minutes checking:
Band 8 Tip: Read your essay silently once. If any sentence feels awkward, simplify it.
Below is a weak introduction. Can you identify the mistakes?
Nowadays people use the Internet and it is good for people because it helps them to get more information. I think it’s very good.
Mistakes:
✅ Improved version:
In recent years, the Internet has become an essential tool for information access and communication. This essay will examine its positive impact on education and society.
Before you submit your writing, ask yourself:
If yes, you’re already writing at a strong Band 7+ level.
Avoiding Common IELTS Writing Mistakes is as important as learning new techniques.
By developing awareness, planning before writing, and leaving time to review, you’ll eliminate the most common reasons for low scores.
Next, explore the IELTS Writing Overview: Format, Scoring & Key Skills to strengthen your foundation, or visit IELTS.org for official examiner marking criteria.
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