How Writing Is Scored: The Four Band Criteria

Welcome to Your Guide: How Your Essay is Scored

In IELTS General Training Writing Task 2, you have 40 minutes to write an essay of at least 250 words. But how does the examiner decide if you get a Band 5 or a Band 8? They don't just "feel" your score; they use four specific rules called the Band Descriptors. Each rule is worth 25% of your total mark.

Think of it like a diving competition. It’s not just about jumping into the water; it’s about your form, your technique, and how little splash you make. By understanding these four criteria, you can stop guessing and start writing exactly what the examiners want to see.

1. Task Response (TR) – Answering the Question

This criterion looks at whether you actually answered the prompt and if your ideas are well-developed. To get a high mark, you must address every part of the task.

What earns marks:
- Answering all parts of the question (e.g., if it asks for "advantages and disadvantages," you must give both).
- Having a clear position (opinion) that stays the same from the start to the end.
- Supporting your ideas with explanations and examples.

What loses marks:
- Writing a "memorized" essay that doesn't quite fit the topic.
- Giving a list of ideas without explaining why they are important.
- Not writing enough (less than 250 words).

Example:
Topic: Should parents limit their children's screen time?
Weak (Band 5): Screen time is bad. Children shouldn't watch TV. It hurts their eyes. They should play outside. (Too simple, no development).
Improved (Band 7+): Excessive screen time can be detrimental to a child's development. For instance, spending hours on tablets often leads to a sedentary lifestyle, which is a primary cause of childhood obesity. (Specific reason and a clear result).

Key Takeaway: Don't just list ideas like a shopping list. Explain them!

2. Coherence and Cohesion (CC) – Organization

This is the "glue" of your essay. It measures how easy it is for the examiner to follow your thoughts.

What earns marks:
- Using paragraphs correctly (one main idea per paragraph).
- Using linking words (like however, consequently, in addition) to connect sentences.
- Using pronouns (this, they, these) to avoid repeating the same words.

What loses marks:
- Having no paragraphs at all.
- Using too many linking words (starting every single sentence with "Firstly," "Secondly," "Thirdly").
- Using linking words incorrectly (e.g., using "Moreover" when you actually mean "However").

The "Bridge" Analogy:
If your ideas are islands, your linking words are the bridges. If there are no bridges, the reader gets lost. If the bridges are broken, the reader falls in the water!

Improved sentence connection:
"Many people prefer working from home. This shift is largely due to the flexibility it offers." (Using "this shift" and "it" creates a smooth flow).

Key Takeaway: Plan your paragraphs before you start writing. Each paragraph should have one clear job.

3. Lexical Resource (LR) – Vocabulary

This is about the words you choose. You don’t need to use the longest words in the dictionary, but you do need to be precise.

What earns marks:
- Using collocations (words that naturally go together, like mitigate a problem instead of fix a problem).
- Using synonyms to avoid repeating the prompt words.
- High precision (choosing the exact word for the situation).

What loses marks:
- Spelling mistakes that make it hard to understand.
- Using "slang" or very informal language (e.g., using "kids" instead of "children" or "stuff" instead of "issues").
- Using a fancy word incorrectly (it is better to use a simple word correctly than a big word wrongly!).

Quick Review: Better Vocabulary Choices
- Instead of "Good": Beneficial, advantageous, positive.
- Instead of "Bad": Harmful, detrimental, negative.
- Instead of "A lot of": A significant number of, a vast array of.

Key Takeaway: Focus on Topic-Specific Vocabulary. If the topic is the environment, use words like pollution, renewable energy, and sustainability.

4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA)

This looks at two things: can you use different types of sentences (Range), and are they correct (Accuracy)?

What earns marks:
- A mix of simple and complex sentences.
- Using different tenses correctly (past, present, and future).
- Correct punctuation (commas and full stops).

What loses marks:
- Making the same mistake over and over (e.g., always forgetting the 's' on verbs: "He go," "She want").
- Only using short, simple sentences (e.g., "I like tea. It is hot. It is brown.").
- Trying to write very long sentences that become confusing and full of errors.

Did you know? You don't need 100% perfect grammar for a Band 7, but your mistakes shouldn't make the reader stop and wonder what you are trying to say.

Example of Range:
Simple: Computers are useful. They help us work faster.
Complex (Better): Although computers can be a distraction, they are undeniably useful because they allow us to complete tasks more efficiently. (Using "Although" and "because" creates a complex sentence).

Key Takeaway: Show off! Don't just use "subject-verb-object" sentences. Use if-sentences (conditionals) and relative clauses (using "which" or "who").

Final Checklist for Success

Before you finish your practice essays, ask yourself these four questions:
1. TR: Did I answer every part of the question and give examples?
2. CC: Does each paragraph have a clear main idea and good linking words?
3. LR: Did I use some "uncommon" words and avoid repeating myself?
4. GRA: Did I check for small grammar mistakes like singular/plural or verb tenses?

Don't worry if this seems tricky at first! Scoring high in IELTS is a skill that improves with practice. Focus on one criterion at a time—for example, spend one week just working on your "Coherence" (linking words)—and you will see your scores climb.