For those struggling with IELTS writing (9; 9; 8.5; 8)
Posted: Tue Apr 14, 2015 10:37 am
Hey guys,
I thought it would be helpful for some if I shared my IELTS story. My case is a happy end (L9; R9; W8; S8.5), though the road was long and challenging.
Briefly about the context: I needed a minimum band of 8 for each section of the test (either GT or A) for migration purposes. I made my first attempt in April 2014 (GT) and got 7 in writing with 9-9-8 in other sections, but that was OK because I had been mentally prepared to make extra attempts in order to achieve the desired result. I then came across Ryan's channel on YouTube and quickly improved to 7.5 in both Academic and General Training modules, but that was still short of what I needed. After that, I took the test 5 more times in 3 different cities, but no success, as I could not beat the writing part no matter what I tried. The funny part was that my preparation never touched other sections, i.e. I was fully focused on writing, but kept getting the worst mark for this section. After failing the test 8 times, I decided to sit down and carefully think about what I had been doing wrong. My analysis revealed that I practiced far less than needed, and this was the major flaw. In addition, I jumped from one study resource to another as well as used different markers for my writing task attempts, which created an awfully great deal of inconsistency. Consequently, I adjusted my study practice by doing Ryan's video course from scratch and sticking to him as the only marker of my papers. After a month of intensive preparation, I took the test twice (two consecutive weekends), but the first one went wrong due to poor timing (got 7 for writing), while the second one felt great, and yet the result was 7.5 for the writing part. I appealed the result of the second test (I was pretty sure it was solid) and booked two more tests, one GT and one Academic. Funny bit, I did the Academic one in Istanbul, where I decided to go on holiday, but couldn't help checking test dates and booking one, even though GT was not available. You can't imagine how pleased I was when I recently found out that my appeal was successful (the mark for the writing part changed from 7.5 to 8) along with my last two attempts (both 8.5 overall with 8 in writing).
Now, a couple of points I'd like to add:
- Get a good grammar book. My best recommendation is Michael Swan's Practical English Usage, it's just what the doctor ordered, you can trust me on that. Do not use it just for reference, make sure you go cover to cover at least once;
- Consider reading the Economist or HBR. Not only will it improve your understanding of English, but also it will definitely provide you with valuable info to come up with examples in your essays;
- When watching Ryan's videos, make sure you write down what you see. Try avoid copying the script word by word. Instead, go paragraph by paragraph, it will improve your logical progression, even if unconsciously. Also, do not forget to highlight new words and expressions, this is the best thing you can do to improve your vocabulary, which really matters on the exam day.
- Try familiarise yourself with the whole package of Ryan's resources before sending your attempts for corrections. Otherwise, you risk to commit easy mistakes which are examined in one of the books/videos that you have skipped.
- Lastly, I'm not trying to advertise Ryan's resources, I am just providing the evidence that it worked for me. There are a few of good teachers on the Internet, but Ryan's system proved to be the most comprehensive for me. Also, you might think that the correction service is a bit costly, but, as far as I am concerned, it is worth every cent, great insight. Again, just my opinion.
Well, I hope this helps, best of luck in your efforts! Don't give up, keep your chin up and smile, everything else will do.
I thought it would be helpful for some if I shared my IELTS story. My case is a happy end (L9; R9; W8; S8.5), though the road was long and challenging.
Briefly about the context: I needed a minimum band of 8 for each section of the test (either GT or A) for migration purposes. I made my first attempt in April 2014 (GT) and got 7 in writing with 9-9-8 in other sections, but that was OK because I had been mentally prepared to make extra attempts in order to achieve the desired result. I then came across Ryan's channel on YouTube and quickly improved to 7.5 in both Academic and General Training modules, but that was still short of what I needed. After that, I took the test 5 more times in 3 different cities, but no success, as I could not beat the writing part no matter what I tried. The funny part was that my preparation never touched other sections, i.e. I was fully focused on writing, but kept getting the worst mark for this section. After failing the test 8 times, I decided to sit down and carefully think about what I had been doing wrong. My analysis revealed that I practiced far less than needed, and this was the major flaw. In addition, I jumped from one study resource to another as well as used different markers for my writing task attempts, which created an awfully great deal of inconsistency. Consequently, I adjusted my study practice by doing Ryan's video course from scratch and sticking to him as the only marker of my papers. After a month of intensive preparation, I took the test twice (two consecutive weekends), but the first one went wrong due to poor timing (got 7 for writing), while the second one felt great, and yet the result was 7.5 for the writing part. I appealed the result of the second test (I was pretty sure it was solid) and booked two more tests, one GT and one Academic. Funny bit, I did the Academic one in Istanbul, where I decided to go on holiday, but couldn't help checking test dates and booking one, even though GT was not available. You can't imagine how pleased I was when I recently found out that my appeal was successful (the mark for the writing part changed from 7.5 to 8) along with my last two attempts (both 8.5 overall with 8 in writing).
Now, a couple of points I'd like to add:
- Get a good grammar book. My best recommendation is Michael Swan's Practical English Usage, it's just what the doctor ordered, you can trust me on that. Do not use it just for reference, make sure you go cover to cover at least once;
- Consider reading the Economist or HBR. Not only will it improve your understanding of English, but also it will definitely provide you with valuable info to come up with examples in your essays;
- When watching Ryan's videos, make sure you write down what you see. Try avoid copying the script word by word. Instead, go paragraph by paragraph, it will improve your logical progression, even if unconsciously. Also, do not forget to highlight new words and expressions, this is the best thing you can do to improve your vocabulary, which really matters on the exam day.
- Try familiarise yourself with the whole package of Ryan's resources before sending your attempts for corrections. Otherwise, you risk to commit easy mistakes which are examined in one of the books/videos that you have skipped.
- Lastly, I'm not trying to advertise Ryan's resources, I am just providing the evidence that it worked for me. There are a few of good teachers on the Internet, but Ryan's system proved to be the most comprehensive for me. Also, you might think that the correction service is a bit costly, but, as far as I am concerned, it is worth every cent, great insight. Again, just my opinion.
Well, I hope this helps, best of luck in your efforts! Don't give up, keep your chin up and smile, everything else will do.
