Many candidates fear IELTS Writing Task II, which is the 250-word essay. However, this can be one of the easiest challenges in your IELTS exam. The good news about an IELTS essay is that it is just 250 words, which is quite short for an essay. Also, the topics are so generic that you don’t have to think too much, as you will discover on further reading.
Key to a good Essay – Planning:
One must understand the importance of planning in creating any well-written work. This is particularly critical for IELTS writing. Planning can help you avoid rework, save time, and enable you to choose the strongest points to present your arguments. Therefore, it is a good idea to put aside about five to ten minutes for planning your essay. If the plan is well thought, it will take you less than twenty minutes to form it into an essay. Not only will this help you finish ahead of time, but also give you enough time to check and modify your final essay.
How to Plan:
In order to create a good plan, you must understand the structure of an IELTS essay. A typical essay will usually have five paragraphs: Introduction, three paragraphs for the main body and finally a short conclusion. You must think of a strong and catchy opening like for your introduction. Once this is done, all you have to do is paraphrase the topic and move on.
Developing your Essay:
Since the main body consists of three paragraphs, all you have to do is think of three main ideas; one for each paragraph. This will form the key point of your paragraph. Supplement this key point with one or two supporting details and an example where possible, and your paragraph is ready. After this, all you have to do is write a suitable closing statement in the form of a conclusion. Remember not to add any new points in your conclusion.
