Writing Task 2 – Session 12 – Common Mistakes in IELTS Writing Task 2

Idea dumping

The action of including numerous important ideas in one paragraph without sufficient explication is referred to as idea dumping. This common error is to blame for a low Task Response score. 

You must explain each main idea presented in the Body Paragraphs. It makes no difference how many ideas you have. It is determined by how well you communicate your ideas.

Slang, informal words, and idiomatic language

IELTS Writing Task 2 does not allow slang. Your Lexical Resource score will be reduced if you use slang. 

Informal words and idioms are not prohibited in IELTS. Being able to employ formal words and expressions, on the other hand, will demonstrate your ability to use formal English, improving your Lexical Resource score. 

Phrasal verbs, idioms, and metaphors are examples of idiomatic language. These are largely informal terms. As a result, you should avoid employing idiomatic language. For instance, instead of “look for,” you may use “search” or “seek.”

Incomplete arguments

Incomplete arguments do not go a full circle to explain the main ideas. I often refer to this mistake as “leaving the readers questioning ‘so what?’” It means when you explain a main idea, your argument does not really explain in detail, so your explanations do not really clarify the main ideas, which is supposed to be done. 

Another type of incomplete arguments is a non-example one, where the explanations are not visualized by a related example.

Example: On the one hand, it is true that visual images have a significant impact on shaping children’s perception of life. In fact, children learn more from visual content than any other types.

In this example above, you can see that the explanation is related to the main idea, but it does not clarify why or how visual images can shape children’s perceptions. This is an incomplete argument with or without an example.

Corrected: On the one hand, it is true that visual images have a significant impact on shaping children’s perception of life. In fact, the more a child is exposed to content that suggests violence as the solution for all situations, the more chance he or she will normalize violence. As a result, violent acts which are classified as criminal offenses become acceptable, hence the increase in crime rates. In 2010, a teenage Vietnamese boy of 15 years old committed an unspeakable crime to his grandmother to steal her money for his video games because he believed she would be resurrected as the characters in his games always did.

Self-plagiarism

Self-plagiarism is when you repeat your own ideas to explain them. It happens more often than you think. When repeating yourself, you tend to paraphrase the ideas and think it is an explanation. However, an explanation clarifies the meanings that the main ideas do not directly deliver. Self-plagiarism lowers your Coherence and Cohesion score.

Memorized phrases and unfit writing styles

Everyone has a unique writing style that shows their command of the English language and vocabulary. Memorizing phrases and inserting them into your writing without matching them to your writing style will lower Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy scores. Examiners are well-trained to recognize your style as well as any memorized words and expressions. 

Because they will be unique, it is permissible to construct your own remembered phrases and expressions depending on your writing style.

Unaligned main ideas

This error is most common in agree-disagree essays and positive-negative essays. This error occurs when the main ideas in your Body Paragraphs do not correspond to your core ideas. 

For example, the core idea states that you entirely agree with the statement, but you dedicate an entire paragraph to explaining why you disagree. This mistake lowers your Coherence and Cohesion score.

More advantages than disadvantages = outweigh

This is the most common misunderstanding regarding this type of essay. “Outweigh” does not always imply a bigger number. We all know that eating organic veggies has many more benefits than eating regular vegetables, but the price of organic vegetables is the only barrier to purchasing them. In this scenario, one negative trumps all of the benefits.

Your view/new ideas in the conclusion

In the conclusion of discussion essays, many people give their opinions. Similarly, others incorporate entirely new ideas in the end. This is incorrect. In the conclusion, you CANNOT have any new ideas. This error lowers your Task Response score.