Top 10 Mistakes Students Make in IELTS Writing Task (with Examples)
The IELTS Writing section often feels tough, but the truth is—many students lose marks because of avoidable mistakes. Below are the 10 most common mistakes along with examples and solutions.
- Not Understanding the Question
❌ Example:
Question: “Some people think the government should invest more money in public transport instead of roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree?”
A student writes only about problems of traffic jams → ❌ Off-topic.
✅ Correct Approach:
Discuss both options (public transport vs roads) and then give your opinion.
👉 “While better roads may reduce congestion temporarily, investment in public transport is a long-term solution to urban traffic problems. Therefore, I strongly believe…”
- Weak Introduction
❌ Example (Memorized intro):
“Since the dawn of time, people have been travelling and transportation has been important.”
This looks unnatural and irrelevant.
✅ Better Introduction:
“It is often argued that governments should prioritize public transport funding over road construction. In my opinion, I strongly support this view because efficient public transport reduces traffic and protects the environment.”
- Poor Time Management
Mistake: Spending 25 minutes on Task 1 and only 15 minutes on Task 2.
👉 Task 2 is worth double the marks.
✅ Solution:
- Task 1 = 20 mins
- Task 2 = 40 mins
- Last 5 mins = Proofreading
- Lack of Structure
❌ Example (no paragraphs):
“Public transport is very important it helps people to travel faster and cheaper also roads are needed for private cars so the government should balance both but in my opinion transport is better.”
Hard to read!
✅ With Structure:
- Introduction: Paraphrase + Opinion
- Body 1: Advantages of public transport (cheap, eco-friendly)
- Body 2: Why roads are less effective (traffic jams, pollution)
- Conclusion: Summarize + Restate opinion
- Repeating Ideas
❌ Example:
“Public transport is cheap. It saves money. It is not costly. People spend less when they use it.”
👉 Same idea repeated with synonyms.
✅ Better:
“Public transport not only saves money for individuals but also reduces the need for costly infrastructure projects, such as new highways.”
- Limited Vocabulary
❌ Example:
“There are many good effects of public transport. It is very good for the environment and very good for people.”
✅ Better Vocabulary:
“Public transport provides significant benefits, such as lowering carbon emissions and offering affordable mobility for large populations.”
- Grammar Mistakes
❌ Example:
“Government should spends more money on public transport.” (wrong: subject-verb agreement)
“There is many problems with roads.” (wrong: plural agreement)
✅ Correct:
“The government should spend more money on public transport.”
“There are many problems with roads.”
- Not Supporting Arguments
❌ Example:
“Public transport is better for the environment.” (just a statement, no support)
✅ Supported with Example:
“Public transport is better for the environment because one bus can replace 30 private cars, significantly reducing air pollution.”
- No Clear Conclusion
❌ Example:
“So, public transport is good. That’s my opinion.”
✅ Proper Conclusion:
“In conclusion, although road expansion may bring temporary relief, investing in public transport is a sustainable solution for both economic and environmental reasons. Therefore, governments should prioritize funding in this area.”
- Ignoring Task Achievement
Task 1 Mistake: Only listing numbers from a graph without comparisons.
❌ “In 2010, 30% of people used buses. In 2015, 40% used buses. In 2020, 50% used buses.”
✅ Better:
“Bus usage increased steadily from 30% in 2010 to 50% in 2020, showing a clear upward trend.”
Task 2 Mistake: Using irrelevant examples.
❌ “I like buses because my grandfather was a bus driver.”
✅ Better Example:
“For instance, cities like Singapore have shown that heavy investment in public transport results in fewer cars on the road and cleaner air.”