Common IELTS Writing Mistakes and How to Fix Them
Most candidates stall at band 6.0 not because their vocabulary is too small, but because they repeat the same handful of mistakes in every piece. Knowing which ones you make is the first step — and usually the hardest.
Task response mistakes
Answering a slightly different question: the prompt asks for both views but you argue one, or asks for solutions and you only give causes. This costs the most marks and is the hardest to self-diagnose, because the essay still reads fluently.
Missing the overview in Task 1, or never stating a clear position in Task 2.
Misreporting the data in Task 1 — misreading a figure or describing a trend backwards. The grammar is fine; the facts are not.
Grammar and vocabulary mistakes
Reusing one sentence pattern throughout. Grammatical Range rewards variety, not just accuracy.
Using an 'academic' word in the wrong context. One difficult word used wrongly hurts more than a simple word used correctly.
Sentences that run on, strung together with so many instances of 'and' and 'which' that the reader loses the thread.
Coherence and cohesion mistakes
Overloading linkers: starting every sentence with 'Moreover', 'Furthermore', or 'In addition' reads forced rather than fluent.
Paragraphs with no clear topic sentence, or one paragraph carrying several competing main ideas.
The most effective fix is not writing more new pieces — it is rewriting the one you already wrote, once you know what went wrong in it.
FAQ
Which mistake costs the most marks?
Not answering the question that was actually asked. Grammar and vocabulary improve gradually, but going off-topic caps your Task Response score from the start, however fluent the writing is.
How do I find out which mistakes I make?
Re-reading your own work rarely surfaces your own errors. You need someone — or something — to mark them where they occur and explain why they are wrong, and then you need to rewrite the piece to actually fix them.
See what your writing gets wrong
Errors marked in place, with explanations and rewrites. Free to start.
Grade my writing free