Other than rewriting the complete letter, descriptive report or essay that you got feedback on if it was not up to standard, further ahead in your preparation it might be enough if you only create a system for your notes of your teacher’s main comments. This is going to yield a useful collection of all your recurring mistakes of different types and revising them will serve as a practical reminder of what you personally need to pay more attention to in your IELTS writing.
Case Study #1
Learner X has the following recurring error types and here are the notes she took of them.
Spelling
writting → writing
gratefull→ grateful
immediatly → immediately
holliday → holiday
studyed → studied
Tenses
last year I have finished my MA at… → last year I finished my MA at…
next weekend I will going to do it → next weekend I will…/next weekend I am going to
I could finished it on time → I could finish it on time
What time does the museum closed? → What time does the museum close?
I hope you can imagining the problem → I hope you can imagine the problem
Prepositions
arrive to Washington → arrive in Washington
a wide range off → a wide range of
to have other priorities on life → in life
for my surprise → to my surprise
on the airport → at the airport
Vocabulary/wrong expression
I can’t choice between… → I can’t choose between…
I was very dissatisfaction with the… → very dissatisfied with
The flight was delayed until a new notification → …further notice
Look forward for your reply → Looking forward to your reply
My faithfully → Yours faithfully
Task achievement
(introduction in a letter of application for a course:)
Dear Sir or Madam,
I am writing to apply for the post I saw last week on your website. → I am writing to apply for the course you advertised on…
(excerpt from a formal letter:)
as compensation for all the stuffs you did for my son → for all your generosity
Case Study #2
Learner Y has problems with the following aspects of his writing and here are the notes he took to help him improve his IELTS writing.
Spelling
whorthy → worthy
tierd → tired
shure → sure
the money reimburst → reimbursed
Secondley → Secondly
Register
(in a letter of complaint:)
I’m very disappointed, I thought you guys were a serious company. → I am very disappointed with your service.
I am pretty shocked and demand that you people compensate me. → I am quite appalled and demand compensation for…
Task achievement
(introduction in a letter of complaint:)
I am writing because last week I ordered a blue jacket from your webpage as a birthday gift to my father and the package was seriously damaged. → I am writing because last week I ordered a blue jacket from your webpage as a birthday gift to my father and the package was seriously damaged for which I demand compensation.
Auxiliaries
didn’t did → didn’t do
He would likes to know → He would like to know
I could finished the booking → I could finish the booking
the marriage will be fail →will fail
They isn’t learning → aren’t learning
Indirect speech
I don’t know if do you have the same trend back in Canada? → I don’t know if you have the same trend back in Canada…
Let me know what do you think. → Let me know what you think.
I would like to know when does this volunteer program start? → I would like to know when this volunteer program starts.
Could you tell me what time do they close? → Could you tell me what time they close?
tell your boss if could I substitute you → ask your boss if I could substitute you
Get into the habit of either fully rewriting your corrected letters, descriptive reports or essays from your teacher, or at least making systematic notes on your weakness areas to help you improve your IELTS writing score.
Happy studying,
IELTS
What are your recurring mistakes? Do you regularly take note of all the feedback you are getting?