Look at the question below:

Nowadays, many people have access to computers on a wide basis, and a large number of children play computer games.

What are the negative impacts of playing computer games, and what can be done to minimize the harmful effects?

Suppose you read a model answer which proposes¹ two impacts of video games and offers solutions to tackle them. Now what happens is that you fixate² on those ideas. In the long run, it does irreparable³ damage to your ability to think critically, analyze questions and come up with ideas on your own.

Steps to improve your essay writing skills:

1. Read extensively and voraciously:

Indeed, you don’t have much time before taking the test, but bear two facts in mind. Firstly, the average candidate allocates⁴ four to six months to prepare for the test. IELTS topics are limited in range and entirely predictable. Hence, it would be worthwhile to read on those topics. Most topics overlap⁵ too, which is good news. You can extend the ideas you learned in one topic and generate ideas in another. Secondly, this skill, i.e., having decent world knowledge, can, later on, come to your aid and give you an air of education.

2. Merge your idea book and vocabulary notebook

Most candidates learn vocabulary independently, which is OK but not sufficient enough to raise their proficiency level. Learning words like isolated islands can result in a language that sounds broken and memorized. Another concern is the rate at which you forget these discrete items. However, when you combine a topic with language items, you kill two birds with one stone⁶. You learn to discuss and analyze an issue, and simultaneously⁷ you learn language bits and chunks to do so.

Let’s take the topic of urbanization, for instance. What are the advantages of urbanization? One plus point is “easy access to cultural hubs.” See what happens? I learn an idea and two language chunks, i.e., 1) easy access to something and 2) cultural hubs. The benefits of this method are countless, but I suffice⁸ to point out one: you implement⁹ language in a context, and therefore, it is less prone to¹⁰ being lost and is more accessible to retrieve¹¹.

3. Stand on your own feet.

Read the prompts and think. Most candidates give up after a few minutes. Take a piece of paper and plan. Note down ideas and think about examples. Try to recall any context that you have ever encountered on this topic. This could be a reading passage from a test, a documentary, or a podcast. While we are on this topic, it is worthwhile¹² to offer you a piece of advice. When preparing for the IELTS test, you have access to an invaluable reservoir¹³ of material that can come in handy¹⁴ in writing and speaking modules: the reading and listening tests. These are generally on the topics you might be asked to write or talk about. Sadly, students never go back to analyze these tests later on. The reason for reviewing these tests after doing them can be twofold. You can learn ideas, and at the same time, you can tap into an ample supply of good language items (words, collocations, and idiomatic language).

The reason for reviewing these tests after doing them can be twofold. You can learn ideas, and at the same time, you can tap into an ample supply of good language items (words, collocations, and idiomatic language).

4. Read articles and not model answers first.

Search for the topic online. Most IELTS topics are issues that newspapers, magazines, and blogs have pieces on. Read them, jot down¹⁵ ideas and language items and then transfer them in an orderly fashion¹⁶ to your notebook for future reference. Try to review them several times. Now write your essay in a timed framework.

5. Mode answers can be helpful at this stage.

The primary purpose of reading a model answer is to familiarize yourself with the nuts and bolts of writing. Pay attention to how ideas are introduced, how they are developed, and how conclusions are drawn. You can also have a secondary objective: learning ideas and vocabulary, but remember it is on the periphery¹⁷ (not high on our agenda).

These are some tips to improve your writing skills.

List of helpful vocabulary and collocations:

(inf): informal