Understanding the IELTS Writing Task 2 rubric is essential for a high score. For some, though, the terms are difficult to understand, so below are quick definitions of the main phrases.
Definitions and Suggestions by Section
Task Response
| Band | Task Response |
| 9 | – fully addresses all parts of the task – presents a fully developed position in answer to the question with relevant, fully extended and well supported ideas |
| 8 | – sufficiently addresses all parts of the task – presents a well-developed response to the question with relevant, extended and supported ideas |
| 7 | – addresses all parts of the task – presents a clear position throughout the response – presents, extends and supports main ideas, but there may be a tendency to over-generalise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus |
| 6 | – addresses all parts of the task although some parts may be more fully covered than others – presents a relevant position although the conclusions may become unclear or repetitive – presents relevant main ideas but some may be inadequately developed/unclear |
| 5 | – addresses the task only partially; the format may be inappropriate in places – expresses a position but the development is not always clear and there may be no conclusions drawn – presents some main ideas but these are limited and not sufficiently developed; there may be irrelevant detail |
fully developed – going deeper into the argument touching on the causes of the causes, possible alternatives or results of actions
extended and supported – similar to ‘fully developed’ showing the depth of the argument.
relevant – everything in the essay is about the question topic
position – your opinion / agreement or disagreement and so on. Your thoughts on the topic.
a tendency to overgeneralise – not going into enough detail and staying so far from the topic everything is vague
lack focus – concentrating on too many things or not enough detail
repetitive – saying the same thing in different ways / trying to say different things using the same words
partially – not completely
not sufficiently developed – not going into the argument in enough depth
irrelevant detail – writing things that are not related to the question
Suggestion – To get a higher score in Task Response, students have to answer the WHOLE question and go deep into their argument.
Coherence and Cohesion
| Band | Coherence & Cohesion |
| 9 | – uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention – skilfully manages paragraphing |
| 8 | – sequences information and ideas logically – manages all aspects of cohesion well – uses paragraphing sufficiently and appropriately |
| 7 | – logically organises information and ideas; there is clear progression throughout – uses a range of cohesive devices appropriately although there may be some under-/over-use – presents a clear central topic within each paragraph |
| 6 | – arranges information and ideas coherently and there is a clear overall progression – uses cohesive devices effectively, but cohesion within and/or between sentences may be faulty or mechanical – may not always use referencing clearly or appropriately – uses paragraphing, but not always logically |
| 5 | – presents information with some organisation but there may be a lack of overall progression – makes inadequate, inaccurate or over-use of cohesive devices – may be repetitive because of lack of referencing and substitution – may not write in paragraphs, or paragraphing may be inadequate |
coherence – the logical flow of the ideas
cohesion – the flow of your English
paragraphing – how you split the information into paragraphs
sequences information n ideas logically – the reader finds it easy to follow the essay because of the way the information is organised
all aspects of cohesion – use of cohesive devices, organisation, referencing and substitution.
clear progression throughout – the essay presents information and then adds more so the reader is better informed
cohesive devices – words that aid the flow of English, such as furthermore, however, except, next or mainly. There are many others.
a clear central topic – a main idea that a paragraph is based on
arranges info n ideas coherently – organises information logically so the reader is informed
faulty or mechanical – especially about cohesive devices which are used only because the writer knows they should be used, not because it makes sense.
referencing – using pronouns to refer back to something previously mentioned
substitution – using synonyms to avoid repetition
Suggestion – A higher score in Coherence and Cohesion can be achieved by organising the essay well in essay structure, paragraph structure and sentence structure. The ideas should be presented in a way so if there are errors, the reader can still understand the meaning. The better the English flows (as in fluency in speaking), the better the score.
Lexical Resource
| Band | Lexical Resource |
| 9 | uses a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control of lexical features; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips’ |
| 8 | uses a wide range of vocabulary fluently and flexibly to convey precise meanings – skilfully uses uncommon lexical items but there may be occasional inaccuracies in word choice and collocation – produces rare errors in spelling and/or word formation |
| 7 | – uses a sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision – uses less common lexical items with some awareness of style and collocation – may produce occasional errors in word choice, spelling and/or word formation |
| 6 | uses an adequate range of vocabulary for the task – attempts to use less common vocabulary but with some inaccuracy – makes some errors in spelling and/or word formation, but they do not impede communication |
| 5 | – uses a limited range of vocabulary, but this is minimally adequate for the task – may make noticeable errors in spelling and/or word formation that may cause some difficulty for the reader |
natural and sophisticated control of lexical features – using vocabulary in the same way a native speaker would.
minor slips – insignificant errors that are not in keeping with the rest of the essay
convey precise meanings – using vocabulary to say exactly what you want to express.
uncommon lexical items – Not rarely used words, but words and phrases that go together naturally
collocation – two or three word phrases that are natural, such as black and white, interest rates or a thirst for knowledge.
rare errors – making an error is unusual
flexibility and precision – using words and phrases accurately without repetition
awareness of style and collocation – using words and phrases that fit into the context of the topic naturally
occasional errors – less than rare errors, but more than some errors
some errors – the meaning is perhaps not affected, but several errors in spelling, word choice or word formation
impede communication – the reader still understands the essay even though there are mistakes
minimally adequate – just enough for the task
noticeable errors – too many errors so the reader finds it difficult to understand the meaning
Suggestion – The more natural the vocabulary is, the higher the score, although the more errors there are, the lower the score. For a better score in Lexical Resource, try not to make errors in spelling or word formation.
Grammar Range and Accuracy
| Band | Grammar Range and Accuracy |
| 9 | – uses a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy; rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips’ |
| 8 | – uses a wide range of structures – the majority of sentences are error-free – makes only very occasional errors or inappropriacies |
| 7 | – uses a variety of complex structures – produces frequent error-free sentences – has good control of grammar and punctuation but may make a few errors |
| 6 | – uses a mix of simple and complex sentence forms – makes some errors in grammar and punctuation but they rarely reduce communication |
| 5 | – uses only a limited range of structures – attempts complex sentences but these tend to be less accurate than simple sentences may make frequent grammatical errors and punctuation may be faulty; errors can cause some difficulty for the reader |
structures – use of sentence construction
rare minor errors – errors are unusual and not in keeping with the rest of the essay
occasional errors – less than rare errors, but more than some errors
majority of sentences error free – more than 50% of the sentences have no errors
complex structures – types of sentence
frequent error free sentences – more than a few, but less than 50% of the sentences have no errors
good control of grammar and punctuation – there is no doubt in meaning due to grammar and punctuation
simple n complex sentence forms – simple, compound, complex and compound complex sentences
frequent grammatical errors – many grammar errors
punctuation may be faulty – the use of punctuation may make the meaning unclear
cause some difficulty for the reader – it is not easy for the reader to understand the writer
Suggestion – The better the grammar is, the higher the Grammar range and Accuracy score will be. On the other hand, the more errors that are made, the lower the score will be; therefore, it would be better to be careful in grammar choice and punctuation and more certain you do not make a mistake.