Writing is the hardest band to move and the one most students misdiagnose. They assume the problem is vocabulary, buy a list of “band 9 phrases”, memorise some templates, and score exactly what they scored before.
The reason is arithmetic. Writing is marked on four criteria of equal weight, and vocabulary is only one of them. You can have excellent vocabulary and still cap at 6.0 if you did not answer the question.
The four criteria, and what each one really asks
| Criterion | The question it answers | Where marks are lost |
|---|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Response | Did you answer the exact question, fully, with a clear position? | Answering a related but different question; missing one part of a two-part prompt |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Can a reader follow your argument without effort? | No paragraphing; linking words used mechanically; ideas that jump |
| Lexical Resource | Is your vocabulary precise, varied and natural? | Rare words used slightly wrongly; repetition of the prompt’s own words |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Can you write complex sentences correctly? | Only simple sentences (caps you at 5 or 6); complex sentences with errors |
Task 2: the forty minutes, spent properly
Underline the question type. Is it opinion (do you agree?), discussion (discuss both views), problem-solution, or two-part? These need different structures. Then write four bullet points: your position, main idea 1, main idea 2, conclusion. Five minutes spent here saves ten later and protects Task Achievement, the criterion that costs most.
Paraphrase the question in your own words, then state your position clearly. Do not write a general preamble about how “in today’s modern world, technology is increasing day by day”. Examiners have read it thousands of times and it earns nothing.
State the idea, explain why it is true, then give a specific example. Most students give three shallow ideas. One idea explained properly scores higher than three listed.
For discussion questions, this is the other view. For opinion questions, this is your second supporting reason. Either way, same structure: claim, explanation, example.
Restate your position in different words and close. No new ideas. No new vocabulary experiments.
Not a general proofread. Check the specific three errors you personally repeat, which you should already know from your practice essays.
Task 1 Academic: describing data
You are describing, not explaining
Do not speculate about causes. If the chart shows unemployment rising, say it rose, by how much, and over what period. Explaining why earns nothing and wastes words.
Overview is compulsory
One or two sentences naming the two or three biggest patterns. An essay without an overview cannot score above band 5 for Task Achievement, however good the detail. Put it immediately after the introduction.
Select, do not list
You have 150 words. You cannot describe every number. Choose the highest, the lowest, the biggest change and any crossing point, and group the rest.
Learn the language of change precisely
Rose sharply, fell steadily, plateaued, fluctuated, peaked at, remained stable. Twelve accurate phrases here, used correctly, outperform any general vocabulary list.
What holds Pakistani students back specifically
Memorised templates
Examiners recognise them instantly and discount the words entirely. A memorised sentence contributes nothing to your Lexical Resource score, so a template-heavy essay is being marked on far fewer of your own words than you think.
Linking words used as decoration
“Moreover, furthermore, in addition” at the start of every sentence does not create cohesion; it signals its absence. Cohesion comes from ideas that genuinely follow one another.
Articles and uncountable nouns
The two errors that appear in almost every Pakistani student’s writing, because Urdu has no article system. “Many advices”, “the informations”, and missing the before a specific noun. These are quick to fix once named.
Only simple sentences
Grammatical Range is half of the grammar mark. An essay of correct simple sentences is capped. One complex sentence per paragraph, using although, whereas, which, while, is enough to demonstrate range without inviting errors.
Facts worth knowing
- Task 1 requires at least 150 words, Task 2 at least 250. Below the limit you are penalised; there is no upper limit, but longer is not better.
- Handwriting is not assessed on the computer version, which removes a real risk for students with unclear script.
- One Skill Retake is available within 60 days if Writing alone is holding you back, which it usually is.
- The four criteria are equally weighted, so a 5 in Task Achievement and 8 in Lexical Resource averages to 6.5, not 7.
- Universities almost always set a per-skill minimum. A 7.0 overall with 5.5 in Writing fails a “6.0 in each” requirement, which is the most common way a good result still fails.
What we would tell you in the room
Writing does not improve by writing more essays alone. It improves by writing an essay, having it marked against the four criteria by someone who knows them, and understanding which criterion cost you the marks. Ten marked essays beat fifty unmarked ones. If you are self-studying and can afford only one thing, pay for marking, not for another course.
Test fees, formats and acceptance rules were checked in August 2026 and change without notice. Fees are planning figures, not quotes. Always confirm the current price on the official booking page, and confirm with your university in writing which test and which version it accepts before you pay. Compare every option on our English preparation page.
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