After marking hundreds of practice essays every month, our IELTS trainers see the same avoidable mistakes again and again. Here are the seven most expensive ones:

1. Not answering the actual question - addressing the topic generally instead of the specific task.
2. Memorised introductions - examiners recognise them instantly and penalise under Task Response.
3. Overusing linking words - 'moreover, furthermore, in addition' in every sentence reads as mechanical.
4. No clear position in opinion essays - your view must be stated in the introduction and maintained throughout.
5. Ignoring the word count - under 250 words in Task 2 caps your score automatically.
6. Complex vocabulary used incorrectly - a wrongly used 'advanced' word costs more than a simple correct one.
7. No time left to review - 3 minutes of proofreading typically fixes 2 to 4 small errors.

Fix these seven issues and most candidates gain half a band to a full band in Writing. Join our IELTS batch for structured feedback on every essay you write.