Eight IELTS Writing mistakes that cost a band
From under-length answers to memorised introductions, eight common Writing mistakes and the fix for each.
By IELTSora teaching team · Updated · 2 min read
The eight mistakes
- Writing under 150 / 250 words. Fix: practise to time and know your words-per-line.
- No overview in Academic Task 1. Fix: write it at the start of paragraph two.
- Not answering every part of Task 2. Fix: underline instructions before planning.
- Changing position halfway through. Fix: decide your view in the plan.
- Listing ideas without explaining them. Fix: point → reason → example.
- Memorised template sentences. Fix: paraphrase the actual question.
- Overusing linking words. Fix: use them only where the logic needs them.
- Informal language in essays (kids, gonna, stuff). Fix: children, going to, things.
Check before you finish
Leave three to five minutes to read your answers once, looking only for articles, plurals, verb agreement and spelling. These small errors are quick to fix and common at every level.
Keep a personal error list
Most learners repeat the same five or six mistakes. When you get feedback on an essay, from a teacher, from the AI examiner or from your own checklist, add each repeated error to your mistake notebook. Before your next essay, read the list for one minute. After the essay, check for those errors first. Within a few weeks the most common ones disappear, which is often enough to move half a band in Grammatical Range and Accuracy.