Introduction
Let’s be honest — nothing is more frustrating than scoring 8.0 in Reading, 7.5 in Listening, and… 6.5 in Writing. Again. And again.
If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone — and you’re not just bad at writing. The IELTS Writing Task 2 band descriptors are notoriously unforgiving, and many strong English users struggle to crack that Band 7+.
But here’s the good news: your score isn’t stuck because you’re hopeless — it’s likely stuck because you’re not writing with the IELTS scoring system in mind.
Let me break it down.
The Real Reason You’re Stuck at Band 6.5
Most students think improving their grammar or adding fancier vocabulary will push them over the line. That helps, but not as much as you think.
In my experience — both as a teacher and as someone obsessed with how IELTS really works — the main thing holding you back is your Task Response.
Why? Because Task Response isn’t just about answering the question. It’s about:
- Understanding what the question is really asking
- Planning ideas that logically match the prompt
- Developing those ideas fully and clearly
- Avoiding generic, memorised, or superficial responses
And the part nobody talks about? Bad Task Response almost always pulls down your scores for Coherence, Grammar, and even Lexical Resource.
🧠 IELTS Writing Isn’t Just About Good English
Here’s something I wish more candidates understood:
IELTS Writing isn’t just about good English — it’s about good ideas presented clearly.
People often assume “good English” just means advanced grammar or vocabulary. But IELTS examiners are also reading for what you’re saying, not just how.
This is one of the things I personally like about IELTS Writing Task 2 — your ideas actually matter, and here’s why:
1. Task Response is Everything
IELTS examiners explicitly say you don’t need expert knowledge on topics like medicine, education, or climate change. But you do need to present a logically sound, well-organised, and relevant response.
If your ideas are weak, confusing, too general, or don’t match the question — it doesn’t matter how good your grammar is. You’ll score low for Task Response, and that often drags down other criteria too.
2. Clear Ideas Improve Everything Else
When your ideas are strong:
- Your writing becomes more coherent
- You avoid awkward sentence structures
- You use better vocabulary naturally
- You write with more confidence
In fact, when you write about ideas that you actually believe in or resonate with, you subconsciously work harder to express yourself more clearly. That alone can boost your writing quality across all four criteria.
3. Make the Examiner Think: “That Makes Sense.”
Let me show you what I mean.
Take this real-style IELTS prompt:
“Some people believe that governments should spend more money on the arts, while others believe it should be spent on science. Discuss both views and give your opinion.”
A weak response might support the arts by saying something vague like:
“Artists should be supported because their work is important and they deserve funding.”
That kind of argument doesn’t go far. It’s unclear why the arts matter — and it reads more like an emotional plea than a logical position.
Now compare that to this:
“While scientific advancement drives innovation, it’s the arts that make us human. Through artistic expression, we shape our culture, reflect our values, and connect emotionally as a society. The arts fuel creativity, empathy, and imagination — traits just as vital to human progress as science.”
See the difference?
The second version makes the examiner think:
“Oh wow — that actually makes sense.”
That’s what you’re aiming for.
💡 If your ideas make the examiner nod in agreement, you’re already halfway to a Band 7+.
This not only makes your point come alive — it demonstrates the exact kind of thinking that separates a Band 6.5 from a Band 7.5.
🛠 The Fix: Focus on What You Can Change Today
Here’s what most people don’t realise:
- Grammar range and vocabulary take time to improve — weeks, months, or even years of active study.
- But Task Response and Coherence can be fixed almost immediately — with the right strategy and feedback.
This is where structure, paragraph planning, and detailed feedback make all the difference. You don’t need to write 100 essays. You need to write 1 or 2 really well-developed ones, and understand what’s working and what’s not.
✅ Want to Know If You’re Doing It Right?
If you’ve written an essay and you’re wondering whether your Task Response is what’s holding you back, try our IELTS Writing feedback tool. You’ll get:
- Full band scores for each criterion
- Grammar and vocabulary highlights
- A Band 7+ model rewrite of your own essay (if needed)
- Clear advice on exactly what to fix
👉 Get feedback on your IELTS writing (You’ll be taken to a secure form where you can submit your essay and pay securely. Feedback is generated in under 1 minute.)
Don’t waste another month writing essays in the dark. Get the clarity you need — and finally break through that 6.5 ceiling.
English 
Chinese