How to Score Band 7+ in IELTS Writing Task 2: A Complete Guide

What Examiners Actually Look For in Band 7+ Essays

Every IELTS Writing Task 2 essay is assessed on four equally weighted criteria: Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. To score Band 7 or above, you must demonstrate strength across all four — not just one or two. Many test-takers make the mistake of focusing exclusively on vocabulary while ignoring essay structure, or writing a grammatically correct essay that fails to fully address the question.

Understanding what separates a Band 6 response from a Band 7 response is the first step toward meaningful improvement.

Task Achievement: Address Every Part of the Question

Task Achievement is often where candidates lose marks without realising it. A Band 7 essay must present a clear, extended position throughout the response. This means your opinion or argument must be stated in the introduction and consistently supported through every body paragraph.

Common Task Achievement errors include:

• Only partially answering the question (e.g., ignoring the "to what extent" element)
• Writing a general essay about the topic rather than directly responding to the prompt
• Changing your position mid-essay or presenting a contradictory conclusion
• Using bullet points, numbered lists, or informal formatting

Before you write a single word, spend two to three minutes analysing the question. Identify the topic, the specific issue being raised, and what type of response is required — opinion, discussion, problem/solution, or two-part question.

The Proven Four-Paragraph Structure

Band 7+ essays consistently follow a logical, predictable structure that examiners can follow with ease. A reliable framework is:

1. Introduction (2–3 sentences): Paraphrase the question prompt, then state your clear position or thesis.
2. Body Paragraph 1: Present your main argument with a topic sentence, explanation, and a specific example.
3. Body Paragraph 2: Present a second supporting argument or acknowledge a counterargument before refuting it.
4. Conclusion (2–3 sentences): Summarise your main points and restate your position — never introduce new ideas here.

Each body paragraph should follow the PEEL structure: Point, Explanation, Evidence, Link. State your point clearly, explain the reasoning, provide a specific example or evidence, then link back to your overall argument.

Lexical Resource: Go Beyond Basic Vocabulary

A Band 7 Lexical Resource score requires less common vocabulary used with precision. This does not mean stuffing your essay with obscure words — it means using topic-specific language accurately and avoiding unnecessary repetition.

Practical strategies include:

• Learn collocations, not just individual words (e.g., "pose a significant challenge" rather than "be a big problem")
• Use a range of synonyms for high-frequency words like "increase," "important," and "many"
• Avoid overusing academic words incorrectly — examiners penalise inappropriate usage
• Show awareness of word form: noun, verb, adjective, and adverb forms of key words

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

At Band 7, you are expected to use a variety of complex structures with good control, meaning only occasional minor errors. The key is demonstrating range — mixing simple sentences with complex constructions like relative clauses, conditionals, passive voice, and participle phrases.

A single grammatically complex sentence used correctly is worth more to your score than five simple sentences with no errors.

Focus on consistent control rather than taking risks. A Band 7 essay with mostly accurate complex sentences is far stronger than a Band 5 essay littered with impressive but incorrect structures.

How to Practise Effectively

Effective preparation requires more than writing essays and hoping for the best. You need targeted feedback on exactly which criteria are letting you down. Write timed essays under exam conditions (40 minutes, minimum 250 words), then review your work critically against the four band descriptors.

The most efficient way to identify your weaknesses is to get your essays scored against the official IELTS criteria. You can use our AI evaluator to check your score and receive detailed, criterion-by-criterion feedback within seconds — giving you a clear picture of exactly where to focus your preparation.

The Mindset That Separates Band 7 Writers

High-scoring candidates approach Task 2 essays as a structured argument, not a stream of consciousness. They plan before writing, they stay strictly on topic, and they manage their time to allow a two-minute review at the end. Small, disciplined habits — paraphrasing the question rather than copying it, linking paragraphs with appropriate discourse markers, checking subject-verb agreement — accumulate into a Band 7+ score.

The path to Band 7 is clear and learnable. With the right structure, deliberate vocabulary choices, and consistent grammatical control, achieving your target score is entirely within reach.