Comprehensive guide covering essential IELTS preparation strategies and techniques to help you achieve your target band score.
Originally published February 2018. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
About Andrei’s IELTS Journey
Andrei, a nurse from Romania, needed to achieve a specific IELTS band score for professional registration and visa purposes. Like many healthcare professionals, Andrei faced the challenge of demonstrating English language proficiency while maintaining a demanding work schedule.
The Challenge
Healthcare professionals seeking to work internationally typically need an IELTS overall band score of 7.0, with no individual component below 6.5 for nursing registration, or 7.0 in each component for medical registration in countries like the UK and Australia. This is a high standard that requires focused, strategic preparation.
Key Strategies That Helped
Focused practice on weaker skills: Identifying and targeting specific skill gaps rather than generic study
Using professional context: Leveraging medical and healthcare vocabulary already known from work
Consistent daily practice: Even 30-60 minutes of targeted daily practice builds steady improvement
Professional feedback: Getting expert evaluation on writing and speaking to understand examiner expectations
Advice for Other Healthcare Professionals
If you are a nurse or healthcare worker preparing for IELTS, focus on the academic register required for professional contexts. Practise writing reports, describing processes, and explaining medical procedures clearly — these skills directly transfer to IELTS Writing and Speaking tasks.
Originally published on IELTS Achieve. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
Complete guide to writing this type of IELTS letter. Covers format, tone, useful phrases, and sample answers for Band 7+.
Originally published December 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at the differences between formal and informal writing. Formal and informal language refers to using different forms of language in different situations. For example, in writing, if you were writing an essay for university this would have a different tone than if you were writing a diary entry about your thoughts and feelings or an email to a friend.
In writing, writing an academic essay is different from writing a letter to a close friend. Using the correct form of language is essential for getting a high score on the IELTS writing test.
Informal Writing Style
Colloquial Language
Informal writing is similar to a spoken conversation. Informal writing may include slang, figures of speech, broken syntax, asides and so on. Informal writing takes a personal tone as if you were speaking directly to your audience (the reader). You can use the first or third person point of view (I and we), and you are likely to address the reader using second person (you and your).
Simple Sentences
Using short sentences is acceptable and sometimes essential to making a point in informal writing. There may be incomplete sentences or ellipsis(…) to make points.
Contractions and Abbreviations
Words are likely to be simplified using contractions (for example, I’m, doesn’t, couldn’t, it’s) and abbreviations (e.g. TV, photos) whenever possible.
Showing Empathy and Emotion
The author can show empathy towards the reader regarding the complexity of a thought and help them through that complexity. See our page: What is Empathy? for more.
Formal Writing Style
Complex Sentences
Longer sentences are likely to be more common in formal writing. You need to be as thorough as possible with your approach to each topic when you are using a formal style. Each main point needs to be introduced, explained and supported.
State The Objective
State your main points confidently and offer full supportive arguments. A formal writing style shows a limited range of emotions and avoids emotive punctuation such as exclamation points, ellipsis, etc. unless they are being cited from another source.
Use Full Words
No contractions should be used to simplify words (in other words use “It is” rather than “It’s”). Abbreviations must be spelt out in full when first used, the only exceptions being when the acronym is better known than the full name (BBC, ITV or NATO for example).
Third Person
Formal writing is not a personal writing style. The formal writer is disconnected from the topic and does not use the first person point of view (I or we) or second person (you).
When to Use Formal and Informal Writing
A formal writing style is necessary to use in the IELTS Test. If you are studying for the General Training writing test part 1, you should familiarise yourself with the difference between informal, semi-formal and formal letter writing.
Writing for the Academic writing test parts 1 and 2 and the General Training writing test part 2 requires the formal writing style, although during the speaking test you may use a more informal tone when speaking to the examiner.
Formal Writing Style in Writing Task 2
In writing task 2 you are expected to write your essay in a formal academic style. Here are two examples of the main body paragraph from a positive/negative question >
Bad Example
Sometimes working from home can be great, you can work when you want and live your life around your own clock. If you have kids to look after it makes it even better because you can work around their timetables. I can work from anywhere I want too like if I want to go on holiday I can just take my laptop with me and work from a cafe or anywhere that has wifi. You can fit your work around your life, which is really easy for all sorts of reasons. For example, my friend works from home and she loves it, she’s always saying how great it is that she can work from anywhere she wants to. She even went on holiday and worked from her sun lounger next to the swimming pool. I would love to do something like that for work, it sounds like it can give you lots of time to travel and explore the world.
Good Example
On the one hand, having the option to work from home, can have a positive impact on an employee’s schedule. This is especially so if the person has children or other dependants because working long hours is not always possible depending on your lifestyle. Therefore it allows the employee to manage their own schedule while ensuring that they maintain a work-life balance, working from wherever they are in the world. Having flexible working hours means that collecting children from school, spending time travelling and being able to attend non-work related appointments becomes much easier. For example, Google allows senior engineers to work remotely, using flexible hours for those who travel a lot or have the need to work with little interruptions.
Can you see the difference?
The bad example has been written in an informal manner as if the writer is writing to a friend. The good example shows the formal style and elements of a high-level IELTS main body paragraph, through the structure, use of cohesive devices, complex sentences and the tone.
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Comprehensive guide covering essential IELTS preparation strategies and techniques to help you achieve your target band score.
Originally published December 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at how to use complex sentences in your IELTS writing task 2 essay. Being able to include complex sentences in your writing is important because it shows the examiner that you know how to use them effectively. This can increase your band score in the grammatical range and accuracysection.
In order to gain a band score 7, you need to be able to show the examiner that you can ‘use a variety of complex structures’. For the higher band scores of 8, you need to ‘use a wide range of structures’ and for a band score 9 ‘use a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy’. This means that you should include complex sentences in your essay, but you do not have to make all of your sentences complex.
What Is A Complex Sentence?
Complex sentences are when two or more basic sentences are joined together, using connecting words. Below you will see four simple sentences:
Simple Sentences
Communities meet online via private Facebook groups.
People no longer meet up in a community hall to discuss matters.
Many people do not socialise physically with others.
People like to isolate themselves in a virtual world.
If you wrote all of your sentences like this in the essay, you would gain a low band score. Therefore, you take the basic sentences like those above and make them into complex sentences by joining them together. Take a look at the example below where you can see the word ‘since’ joins the sentences together;
Complex Sentence Example
Communities meet online via private Facebook groups, instead of in a community hall to discuss matters, since this does not allow them to socialise physically with people, they isolate themselves in this virtual world.
Where do I use them in my essay?
In your writing task 2 essay, you can use a complex sentence in any part of the essay. Here we will look at how they can be used to explain your main idea in your main body paragraphs. Your first sentence can be a basic sentence, that introduces the main topic, followed by a complex sentence that explains the main idea, then an example, which can contain a mixture of simple and complex sentences. Think of it like this;
Main Body Paragraph
Simple sentence (introduce your topic)
Complex sentence (explain your topic/main idea)
Complex sentence (example)
Take a look at this example below from a discussion essay;
Firstly, during the last two decades, there have been many tech developments and advancements, bringing convenience to all. One significant attribute of this modernization is the internet, while this technology has made our lives more convenient in many aspects, including our approach to communication. In the past, we only used mail or the telephone to send our messages across the globe, whereas today, the internet allows us to reach out to almost everyone in just a few seconds. The inconvenience of long distances is eliminated as we can talk and even see distant friends or relatives for an unlimited time. For example, the internet connects people whose relatives or families are abroad, through Facebook, Twitter or Skype anytime and anywhere.
If we break it up you can see how it has been structured;
The first sentence – introduces the topic and is simple >
Firstly, during the last two decades, there have been many tech developments and advancements, bringing convenience to all.
The second part of the paragraph is more complex and gives the reader an explanation of the main topic. The words highlighted in bold connect the clauses and make the sentences complex >
One significant attribute of this modernization is the internet, while this technology has made our lives more convenient in many aspects, including our approach to communication. In the past, we only used mail or the telephone to send our messages across the globe, whereas today, the internet allows us to reach out to almost everyone in just a few seconds. The inconvenience of long distances is eliminated as we can talk and even see distant friends or relatives for an unlimited time.
The third part of the paragraph is the example and it is a complex sentence, connected by the words highlighted in bold >
For example, the internet connects people whose relatives or families are abroad, through Facebook, Twitter or Skype in order to contact them anytime and anywhere.
Clauses – A clause is the key element of a sentence.
A clause is a group of words that contains a subject and a verb. It can form part of a sentence or a complete simple sentence. Clauses can be main or subordinate and they can behave like adjectives or adverbs.
Main Clauses – Also known as an independent clause, the main clause includes a subject and a verb and expresses a complete thought. Main clauses are the same as simple sentences because they have to make sense on their own.
Example– The dog (subject) played (verb).
Subordinate Clauses – A subordinate clause (also called a dependent clause) contains a subject and a verb but it does not make sense on its own. It depends on the main clause for its meaning. Subordinate clauses often explain or add more information about where or when things happen, or how they are done. relative and adverbial clauses are types of subordinate clauses.
Example – Because the dog (subject) was lazy (verb).
Relative Clauses – Relative clauses are also known as adjective clauses, and they are a type of subordinate clause. Like adjectives and adjectival phrases, relative clauses describe nouns and pronouns. Unlike adjectives, they can only be placed after the noun or pronoun they are modifying. Relative clauses always start with one of the relative pronouns who, whom, whose, which or that, which acts as the subject or the object of the clause.
Examples
Subject > which was (verb) excellent (adjective)
Object > which the dog (subject) did (verb) every day (adverbial phrase)
Adverbial Clauses – An adverbial clause is a type of subordinate clause that behaves like an adverb. It gives additional information about how, when where and why something is happening. Adverbial clauses start with subordinators such as because, although, after, while, as and until.
Examples
Why? as (subordinator) the dog (subject) wanted (verb) food (object)
When? after (subordinator) the dog (subject) had eaten (verb) food (object)
Sentence Structures
Simple Sentences
A simple sentence is the same as the main clause. it must have a subject and one main verb and it must express a single idea. The subject is the person or thing that does the action (the verb), but one subject can be made up of more than one person or thing. Most simple sentences also include an object, which is the person or thing receiving the action.
Example
The student and his friends enjoyed the library field trip.
Compound Sentences
Compound sentences are made up of two or more main clauses, but no subordinate clauses. The main clauses are linked using conjunctions and the resulting sentence conveys different ideas of equal importance. Compound sentences are a useful way of connecting two or more ideas of equal importance. They help to improve the flow of a piece of writing as many successive simple sentences can be uncomfortable to read. to make most compound sentences, two main clauses, each containing a subject and a verb are joined together using a coordinating conjunction such as and, but or so. A comma is used before the coordinating conjunction to separate the two clauses.
Example
John is a student who loves to study English grammar, and he also reads many science fiction books.
Complex Sentences
A complex sentence is made up of a main clause and one or more subordinate clauses. The subordinate clause depends on the main clause for its meaning. Complex sentences are useful because they can be used to indicate that one idea is more important than another. The secondary idea is contained in a subordinate clause, which has a subject and a verb but does not make sense without the main clause to which it is attached. Subordinate clauses add information to main clauses.
Examples
John put his hat on because he was cold.
The couple allowed their dog to sleep on their bed, although they managed to have very little sleep.
Preparing For Your IELTS Test
Please practice writing IELTS essays and using complex sentences in your work before your test day. Some students try to write complex sentences, which then turn into very hard to understand sentences. They somehow get the word order muddled up and the writing becomes confusing. Don’t allow this to happen, check your work and practice, using essay examples to guide you.
Even better – have lessons or essay corrections with an experienced teacher, who can help you to understand how to structure your essay, make it clear and include all of the necessary elements to pass with a high band score.
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
If you would like to purchase a 16 page PDF download that is easy to read and print out please take a look at the bookshop >
Comprehensive guide covering essential IELTS preparation strategies and techniques to help you achieve your target band score.
Originally published December 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at how to write relevant examples to support your main points in the writing task 2 essay. Being able to write strong examples is important because it shows the examiner that you can logically organise your ideas and support your points with evidence.
In the main body paragraphs, you want to show the examiner that you can write about your ideas, explain them and support them with examples that are relevant, if you do this, you will gain marks for task achievement and coherence.
For a band score 8 in the task achievement section, the marking criteria states ‘presents a well-developed response to the question with relevant, extended and supported ideas’. For a band 9, it says ‘presents a fully developed position in answer to the question with relevant, fully extended and well-supported ideas’.
Why does my essay need to have relevant examples?
As a recap here is what your main body paragraph structure should look like for a high score >
Your main body paragraphs should have 3 main sentences >
Introduce the topic
Explain/give detail
Example
Introduce the topic
Start the paragraph by introducing the topic. This is where you need to have a topic sentence that introduces the examiner to the main idea of the paragraph.
Explain/give detail
The next sentence(s) should explain the topic, going into detail. This gives some background information related to the main idea of the paragraph. It explains the idea, telling the examiner how it is relevant to the question.
Example
The third part of your main body paragraph should give an example to support your main points. The example you give could be something from your own experience or made up – it is ok to make up something as the examiners will not fact check your information. They want to see your ability to use English at a certain level. You could make up an example from a report, journal, newspaper or University study to support your view.
How Do I think of Relevant Examples?
When you are trying to think of relevant examples, you can use your own personal experiences, or information from something you have seen or read about. If you really can’t think of anything, then you are allowed to make one up. The examiners will not check the facts that you present in your examples, as they want to see that you can support your main ideas well and that you have a high level of written English.
When writing relevantexamples you can use one of the following >
1. A University Study
You can make up a fictional study from a University in your country or city. If you want you can even use a study from a famous University, like Harvard, Cambridge or Oxford in the UK. These types of examples are great for supporting points about education, students or children.
Example
For example, Cambridge University in the UK surveyed over 500 students in 2017 and reported that over 65% had completed a gap year before starting their chosen course.
2. A Newspaper Report
Another way of writing a relevant example is to make up some information from a newspaper report or article. This may even be loosely based on something you have read in the news or seen online.
Example
For instance, according to an article published in The New York Times in 2016, a survey of people who work online, from home in the state of New York showed that 24% of people said they had developed depression.
3. Statistics from The Police
If you are writing an example for a crime or punishment related question you could include statistics from the police or government.
Example
For example, in some states in the USA, there are tough sanctions in place for criminals, including death by lethal injection. In 2014, the Texas State Police Department reported that up to 65% of criminals who were incarcerated for high-level crimes (murder, manslaughter) received the lethal injection.
4. Statistics from A Health Organisation
If you are writing an example for a health-related question you could include statistics from a health organisation like The WHO (World Health Organisation), the NHS in the UK or a private organisation like BUPA. Think of places from your own country that you could write about.
Example
For instance, the NHS in the UK regularly hold talks in schools for both parents and students to educate communities on how to have a balanced diet. They also promote proper exercise, involvement in sports, and having an active lifestyle. As a result of this program, in some areas, they saw a decrease in the number of overweight health issues.
5. Data from a Tech Company
If you are writing an example for a technology or communication-related question you could include statistics from a tech company.
Example
For example, in 2015 Google allowed senior engineers to work remotely, using flexible hours for those who travel a lot or have the need to work with little interruptions. This increased productivity to over 70% as the senior members could work seamlessly without any delays.
6. A Documentary
Another way of writing a relevant example is to make up some information from a documentary you have seen.
Example
For example, a documentary by Channel 4 in 2016 showed that the most obese populations were situated in underdeveloped nations, like Venezuela, where people admitted to finding it difficult to eat a balanced and healthy diet and had no nutritional education.
7. Your Own Experience
You can also include examples that display your own experiences in relation to the question. You should avoid using personal pronouns in the essay, but in this example, where you are writing about your own experience it is acceptable.
Example
For instance, In my experience, I know that in Romania, it is common practice for graduates from state-funded university courses to work in areas where their services are needed for a minimum of two years before they are able to apply to work abroad.
Make Your Examples Specific
You need to make sure that your examples are specific as this gives your point more authenticity. If your point is too general, then you will not be supporting your main idea enough for a high band score.
Look at these examples below >
Bad Example
For example, many students have a gap year before starting their chosen course.
Good Example
For example, Cambridge University in the UK surveyed over 500 students in 2017 and reported that over 65% had completed a gap year before starting their chosen course.
Feedback
You can see in the bad example that the example is not developed enough and gives general information to the reader. It tells you that many students have a gap year before starting University, but that is all of the information given.
The good example gives you specific data related to the main idea. There is a time (2017) how many students were asked (500) and the percentage of how many had a gap year (65%). This example gives more authenticity to the answer and provides an academic example. This is the type of answer that will fully support your main idea in the paragraph, which will score higher in the marking criteria.
You can make your example specific by adding the following >
Introduce the example with a cohesive device – For exampl/For instance
Include a percentage (if you are giving the results of a survey)
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Comprehensive guide covering essential IELTS preparation strategies and techniques to help you achieve your target band score.
Originally published December 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at how to use synonyms in your writing task 2 essay. To begin with, when you paraphrase text, you read the question then rewrite it in your own words. You should not copy words straight from the question, instead change the order of the words and choose words with a similar meaning (a synonym). This means you are using different words to write about the same idea.
It is important to use synonyms in your writing, as you will lose marks if you repeat words from the question and use the same words in your essay over and over. If you do that, it will show the examiner that you have a limited vocabulary and you want to do the opposite for a high band score. By using synonyms well you can show the examiner that you have a ‘wide range of vocabulary and can skillfully use it to convey precise meanings’ (band score 8).
TIP >> When paraphrasing the question in your introduction, you don’t need to change all of the words, but you should try to change most of them. Be careful though, because choosing a word that has a similar meaning – not the same meaning can make the meaning of the sentence change or become unclear.
TIP >> The best way to practice this is to have a look at writing task 2 questions and paraphrase/re-write the question in your own words. Whilst practising you can use an online thesaurus tool to help you find synonyms and learn new words
What Is A Synonym?
Synonyms are words that are similar or have a related meaning, to another word. They are important to use in your IELTS writing when you want to avoid repeating the same word over and over. Also, sometimes the word you have in mind might not be the most appropriate word, which is why finding the right synonym is crucial. When you are preparing for your IELTS test, take some time to use an online tool, to help you research many synonym examples. A great way to practice finding the right synonyms is to use an online thesaurus.
Choosing a Synonym
There is a certain skill involved in choosing the most appropriate synonym, as not all are created equal. It is important to consider the connotation of the word because some synonyms can inject a different meaning than the one intended.
For example, one synonym of the word child is “brat” however, this word carries quite a negative connotation. Depending on the circumstance you can use it, but in this instance, if you just want to say that someone is young (a child) then another synonym such as “young child” or “minor” would be more applicable.
TIP >> Make sure the synonym you choose has the same meaning. Inserting a synonym with an incorrect meaning can change the ideas in your essay, which can lower your band score.
Synonym Examples
Here is a list of adjectives and their synonyms that are commonly used >>
These are just a few examples of synonyms but hopefully, you can see that working with synonyms can make your IELTS writing more varied and help you to expand your vocabulary.
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
Comprehensive guide covering essential IELTS preparation strategies and techniques to help you achieve your target band score.
Originally published December 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at the importance of being able to paraphrase. Paraphrasing is very important in your IELTS writing, not only for the writing test but for all of the other parts of the test too. Being able to paraphrase will show the examiner that you have a wide vocabulary, helping you to achieve a higher band score.
To paraphrase text is to read the question then rewrite it in your own words. You should not copy words straight from the question, instead change the order of the words and choose words with a similar meaning (a synonym). This means you are using different words to write about the same idea.
Paraphrasing Example 1
Here is an example of a Writing Task 2 Question >>
In current society, many people are struggling with obesity. What is the main cause of this? What are the effects?
Paraphrased >>
In many countries all over the world today, there are many people who are extremely overweight.
Feedback
Here the student changed obesity to extremely overweight and then changed current society to many countries all over the world.
Paraphrasing Example 2
Here is an example of a Writing Task 2 Question >>
Many people in society believe that having fixed punishments for all crimes is a more efficient way of dealing with criminals in the justice system.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of having a fixed punishment?
Paraphrased >>
There is an ongoing debate on the merits of having a rigid discipline system in place for all crimes committed.
Feedback
Here the student changed the wording, to have a similar meaning, but they have not directly copied words from the question. They have used rigid discipline system to replace fixed punishments.
Paraphrasing Example 3
Here is an example of a Writing Task 2 Question >>
Due to poorer countries experiencing a ‘brain drain’ they are seeing many professionals, such as doctors and teachers, leaving to work in more developed countries.
What problems does this cause? What solutions can be suggested to deal with this problem?
Paraphrased >>
In many developing countries, there are a number of skilled academics leaving in search of better pay, increased socioeconomic benefits, and the chance to earn citizenship in a developed country.
Feedback
Here the student has replaced professionals with skilled academics. They have also expanded on the ‘why’ looking at reasons these people might leave.
USING SYNONYMS
Synonyms are words you use when you want to write a word that has a similar meaning to the original word in the question. For example;
Society / Community / Humanity
Professional / Specialist / Authority
Healthy / Active / Lively
Economic / Fiscal / Commercial
Obese / Fat / Heavy
Punishment / Discipline / Retribution
TIP >> When paraphrasing the question, you don’t need to change all of the words, but you should try to change most of them. Be careful though, because choosing a word that has a similar meaning – not the same meaning can make the meaning of the sentence change or become unclear.
TIP >> The best way to practice this is to have a look at writing task 2 questions and paraphrase/re-write the question in your own words. Whilst practising you can use an online thesaurus tool to help you find synonyms and learn new words.
We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.
The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.
If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.
