IELTS Writing Task Two Band Descriptors: Lexical Resource

My main focus is to help you achieve between bands 7 to 7.5 in writing. It is quite challenging to achieve any higher if you have never studied in an English-speaking country. So, I am trying to keep this as realistic as possible without the promise of getting band 9 after reading a couple of my essays. 

Band descriptors are the measurement that all writing task 2 essays (and task 1) are evaluated upon. There are four main criteria as follows: task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. 

Here, we are examining the third one: lexical resource. 

The band descriptor for band 7 in the lexical resource reads as the following:

1. The resource is sufficient to allow some flexibility and precision.
2. There is some ability to use less common and/or idiomatic items.
3. An awareness of style and collocation is evident, though inappropriacies occur.
4. There are only a few errors in spelling and/or word formation and they do not detract from overall clarity.

This simply refers to the area of vocabulary in your writing, whether you use a wide range of vocabulary, advanced vocabulary, topic-related and less commonly used ones or not.

Also, you should never repeat words from the prompt directly. This gives a really bad first impression. Read the example below to see how paraphrasing works.

Correct spelling and perfect paraphrasing are of high importance here, too.

In addition, you could utilize the use of adverbs and adjectives skillfully to your own benefit to achieve high in this criterion.

Check out this essay and its mostly sophisticated use of vocabulary, idioms, and collocations. (highlighted)

Some university students want to learn about other subjects in addition to their main subjects. Others believe it is more important to give all their time and attention to studying for a qualification.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Studying at a university could be a great step into one’s professional and academic life. While this institutional education can be sufficient for many students, others prefer to broaden their horizons by studying more advanced disciplines. I agree with the latter approach to education, and both notions along with my own stand will be thoroughly elaborated in the following lines.

Unquestionably, academic formal education is a powerful tool to introduce different topics to students who come from a wide diverse of backgrounds. This could guarantee that virtually all graduates are at the same level of knowledge, which is the basic requirement to begin a career in any professional line of work. After all, the curriculum of those classes is designed by top-notch experts in each field. Although this is true to some extent, a gap between professional skills and academic knowledge persists, which costs many graduates time and money to earn those practical skills. 

University students who pursue both basic academic knowledge with adding more advanced subjects and technical skills can garner better job opportunities, which is the purpose of going through the journey of education in the first place. Not only does this approach advance their careers, but also it could help them realize what fits their personality better, and fulfill their ultimate potential. Furthermore, college students can have lots of free time that is wasted on other unuseful activities. This time could be invested in studying more which would have a positive reflection on their future careers. 

To conclude, the integrity between formal classical education and extracurricular disciplines can advance one’s professional life and even propose alternative paths.

The examiner’s comments

Lexical Resource: You exhibit a good range of vocabulary throughout the essay, with appropriate use of terms related to education and career advancement. Your language is generally clear and precise, contributing to the overall clarity of the essay. However, there is room for improvement in using more varied and sophisticated vocabulary to enhance lexical resources further. Additionally, consider avoiding repetitive phrases to maintain reader engagement.