Welcome to the Chapter: Formal Style and Academic Tone
Hello! Today, we are focusing on one of the most important parts of IELTS Writing Task 2: the "personality" of your essay. In the Academic test, the examiners aren't just looking for good ideas; they are looking for a professional, objective, and formal tone. Think of it like this: you wouldn't wear pajamas to a job interview, right? Using a formal style is like "dressing up" your English for the examiner.
Don't worry if this seems tricky at first. Many students struggle with making their English sound "academic." By the end of these notes, you will know exactly which words to use and which ones to avoid to boost your score.
How Style Affects Your Score
In the official IELTS marking criteria, your style directly impacts two main areas:
1. Lexical Resource: To get a Band 7 or higher, you must show you can use "less common lexical items" and understand "style and collocation." This means avoiding "baby words" and slang.
2. Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Formal writing often uses specific structures, like the passive voice, which shows the examiner you have control over complex grammar.
Quick Fact: Using "don't" instead of "do not" might seem like a small mistake, but it tells the examiner your style is "informal," which can keep your score stuck at a Band 6.
Step 1: Say Goodbye to Contractions
The easiest way to make your essay look more professional immediately is to stop shortening words. In academic writing, we always write the full version.
The Rule: Never use apostrophes to shorten words (like can't, won't, or it's).
Weak Version: The government shouldn't ignore the problem because it's getting worse.
Improved Version: The government should not ignore the problem because it is becoming more severe.
Step 2: Avoid "Personal" Language
In Writing Task 2, you are often asked for your opinion. However, high-scoring essays present opinions as objective facts or general arguments rather than personal feelings. Try to move away from using "I," "me," or "my" in every sentence.
The Analogy: Imagine you are a news reporter, not a person writing a diary entry.
Weak Version: I think that people are too lazy these days.
Improved Version: It is often argued that modern lifestyles have become increasingly sedentary.
Useful Phrases to Replace "I":
• It is widely believed that...
• Some people argue that...
• It can be observed that...
• Evidence suggests that...
Step 3: Swap "Basic" Words for "Academic" Words
To improve your Lexical Resource score, you need to replace common, everyday words with more precise, academic alternatives. Avoid "phrasal verbs" (verbs with two words like go up or find out) when a single formal word exists.
Weak (Basic) Words: get, kids, bad, big, things, find out
Improved (Academic) Words: obtain/acquire, children/juveniles, detrimental/negative, substantial/significant, factors/issues, discover/ascertain
Contrast Example:
Weak: The kids got bad marks because they didn't study.
Improved: Students obtained unsatisfactory grades because they did not engage in sufficient revision.
Step 4: The Art of "Hedging" (Being Cautious)
In the academic world, nothing is 100% certain. If you use words like "always" or "everyone," your argument looks weak and unscientific. Using cautious language (hedging) actually makes you sound more intelligent and earns higher marks for Task Response.
The Rule: Avoid "absolute" words like all, every, always, never, or will. Use "soft" words instead.
Hedging Vocabulary to Use:
• Verbs: tends to, appears to, seems to, suggests
• Adverbs: possibly, likely, frequently, often
• Modals: may, might, could
Weak (Too Strong): Playing video games makes children violent.
Improved (Academic): Playing video games may contribute to aggressive behavior in some children.
Step 5: Nominalization (The "Secret" to Band 7+)
This sounds like a scary word, but it is a simple trick. Nominalization means turning a verb (an action) into a noun (a thing). This makes your writing sound much more formal and compact.
Example 1 (Verb focused): If the crime rate increases, the public will be worried.
Example 2 (Noun focused): An increase in the crime rate may lead to public concern.
Why this works: It shifts the focus from "people doing things" to "concepts and trends," which is the heart of academic tone.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
• Avoid Slang: Never use words like cool, guys, info, or photos. Use excellent, individuals, information, or photographs.
• Avoid Emotional Language: Don't say something is "terrible" or "disgusting." Use "highly problematic" or "unacceptable."
• Avoid Clichés: Do not use phrases like "at the end of the day" or "every coin has two sides." These are considered "memorized language" and can lower your score.
Pacing Reality
In the real exam, you have only 40 minutes for Task 2. You don't have time to look up words in a dictionary. The best strategy is to memorize 10-15 formal "template" phrases (like "It is often claimed that...") so you can write them automatically without thinking. This saves your brain power for your actual arguments!
Summary Checklist
Before you finish your practice essay, ask yourself:
• Did I write out all contractions (e.g., do not instead of don't)?
• Did I avoid using "I" or "Me" too much?
• Did I use cautious language like "may" or "tends to"?
• Did I replace phrasal verbs (like set up) with formal verbs (like establish)?
• Is my tone objective and professional?
Key Takeaway: Academic style is about being precise, objective, and cautious. Master these small changes, and you will see a significant jump in your Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range scores!