Ielts Writing Task 2: The Structure

In the IELTS writing module task 2, the first lesson is to ensure the word count. As per the instructions, the candidate is instructed to write ' at least 250 words ', therefore, follow the instructions. At least 25/30 more than the requisites, so around 275 words should be the norm.
The next important requisite is grammar and vocabulary. In this lesson, I am just emphasizing on this and will post a lesson in the near future. Here, I want to discuss the structure of the essay.
The three steps every candidate must gain mastery on is Argument, Idea, and Evidence.

1. Argument is the point you want to discuss or argue upon. It is the overall point of view that you have and should be the starting point.

2. Ideas are your support system, every idea that you develop must reinforce the argument, support the argument that you have presented. The sequence must be very clear, your argument must be supported by the ideas that you have.

3. Evidence is the strong pillars on which your argument and your ideas rest upon. Without evidence, the arguments and the ideas are hollow and fall all over the place and coherence is lost and there is no clarity.

Once these very basics are understood and imbibed, the candidate must have a long and hard look at the topic given. The topic could have just one single sentence or a number of sentences. Quite often, a question or two could also be a part of the topic. A candidate must be able to judge a statement for what it is and sometimes turn it into a question. Similarly, a candidate must develop skills which will turn a question into a statement.

These are the very basics of starting your essay. which means that you must Understand the topic to the best of your capability. Merely looking at the topic and giving it a cursory glance and then starting your essay could and would lead you to completely miss the basic and main thesis of the topic and, in such a scenario, a very high level and mastery of the language will only take you so far and no further. To achieve a high band in the IELTS test (Band 7 or more) understanding the topic given and then handling it with all the nuances is the key.

Having understood the topic, next step is to ponder over it. Look at it from this or that angle. Look at Yes and No from all the perspective and sort them out in your mind. Consider the pros and cons, the advantages and the disadvantages and sequence them out or, better still, write them out in a miniature form, a sort of 10/20 words note which will help you to write the complete 250+ words essay.

Proper paragraphing or lack of it, is a very important cog in the complete machine that drives the essay to a higher and higher level. Therefore, you must have a complete Plan in your mind, you must be very sure of how many paragraphs are needed, what your introduction will look like, the body paragraphs and their exact content must be clear and concise (before you begin writing) and the conclusion must bear a touch of finality, a sort of summing up the whole issue in a sentence or two, with absolutely no ambiguity in the mind of the reader, in this case the examiner.

The last and final trick is to always Check. I am sometimes extremely surprised with a touch of annoyance bordering on irritation when, some of my students whom I consider to be good and, in fact, are good, show a sense of immaturity and make a silly mistake because they simply did not check or re-check their sentences. It will come as a great revelation to everybody if you just go through your own writing after a while, you will always realize that a comma here, an article here or there, a change in the format of a word can make a significant if not a huge difference.