A review & free download link for IELTS Writing Step by Step (PDF)

For those who are self-studying for the IELTS exam at home, choosing a high-quality advanced book for each skill, especially for the Writing skill, can be quite challenging. Understanding this concern of test-takers, PREP would like to review the highly reputable book "IELTS Writing Step by Step" for your preparation.

I. Introduction IELTS Writing Step by Step

1. General information

IELTS Writing Step By Step by Mike is a book that helps you improve your writing skills effectively for the IELTS exam. The book provides detailed guidance on the steps to complete various types of writing tasks. Here is some information about the book:

2. Targeted learners

For those who have a weak foundation in English, poor speaking skills, and poor pronunciation, it is advisable to focus on improving their grammar and vocabulary knowledge first or seek out more basic books. This is because the book IELTS Writing Step by Step is suitable for those who already have a strong foundational knowledge, typically scoring around 4.0 on the IELTS exam.

II. A review of IELTS Writing Step by Step

1. Content

The purpose of the author in writing this book, "IELTS Writing Step by Step," is to make the Writing section of the IELTS exam easy and effective for test-takers. Therefore, the author has conducted research and divided the book into four parts to make it reader-friendly:

• Part 1: Introduction to the IELTS Writing Test
• Part 2: Task 1 – Academic Reports
• Part 3: Task 1 – General – Letters 
• Part 4: Task 2 – Essay Writing 

Regarding the content, "IELTS Writing Step by Step" provides you with an overview of the methods to approach Task 1 and Task 2 for both the General Training and Academic IELTS formats. 

• The book offers detailed step-by-step guidance to help you complete Task 1 and Task 2 in the academic and general forms of the IELTS Writing exam. It equips you with the necessary skills and information to improve your writing band score.
• Author Mike, a former IELTS examiner, provides many valuable and focused tips, emphasizing two key factors: providing knowledge and avoiding mistakes. The book provides scoring criteria, a framework for each task type, and essential words/phrases for writing (especially for Task 1). Additionally, the book includes examples for each task type and analyzes them step by step.
• "IELTS Writing Step by Step" offers beneficial strategies that help you understand how to effectively approach and score high marks in each task type (report, letter, essay).
• The author understands and bases the book on the scoring criteria of the exam, providing appropriate guidance to help learners easily improve their band scores and avoid regrettable mistakes.
• Furthermore, when using the book "IELTS Writing Step by Step," you will become aware of the "classic" mistakes that most test-takers tend to make in the Writing section. This knowledge will enable you to prevent these errors and avoid losing points unfairly.

2. The pros & cons of IELTS Writing Step by Step

2.1. Pros

• Content:
• Understandable content: What many readers appreciate most about this book is the author's use of clear language and emphasis on important points. The natural and approachable writing style of the book makes readers feel comfortable and at ease, especially with the right balance of substance and information.
• Clear and easy-to-follow sections and divisions.
• Format:
• Visually appealing layout: The book uses two main colors, with green headings and black text, making it easy to distinguish different sections with bold, underlined, or italicized fonts. Additionally, there are eye-catching gray and green background frames.
• High-quality paper that allows for easy note-taking and highlighting of important points.

2.2. Cons

• Content:
• No tips provided: Many readers who prefer a guide with tips may feel somewhat disappointed with the book "IELTS Writing Step by Step" because the author emphasizes the need to use accurate English based on the context to achieve the most natural expression. The advice given here is the author's experience as an examiner guiding learners, rather than specific tips provided for those who are unsure.
• The book is entirely written in English, which may pose difficulties for learners.
• Format:
• Illegible charts and graphs: A major drawback of this book is that the content editing process did not completely address small errors, especially significant issues with charts and graphs. Some parts of the images and colors in the charts overlap, making them difficult to read.
• The font used for the headings is not consistent throughout the book.

III. How to use IELTS Writing Step by Step effectively

To effectively use this book, PREP would like to provide you with some guidelines on how to study "IELTS Writing Step by Step" as follows:

• Prepare a dictionary for reference: Since "IELTS Writing Step by Step" is entirely written in English, it is recommended that you have a dictionary on hand to support your learning process. For those who are just starting to learn English, PREP advises you to supplement your grammar and vocabulary knowledge beforehand to have a strong foundation in English.
• Complete all exercises and examples: Practice all the exercises and examples provided in the book. As you learn, do the exercises step by step, following the instructions to remember how to analyze and approach each task type.
• Alternate between the two tasks: Instead of studying chapter by chapter, you can alternate and study the chapters simultaneously to learn how to tackle both Task 1 and Task 2 in the Writing section. For example, on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, study Chapter 2 on Task 1 (Academic Reports), and on Mondays, Thursdays, and Saturdays, study Chapter 4 on Task 2 (Essay Writing).
• Take notes of important vocabulary and grammar: Regardless of which book you are studying, it is essential not to overlook the practice of taking notes on important knowledge in a notebook or notepad. To make your note-taking systematic and organized, you can refer to techniques for grammar note-taking or mind maps for grammar.

IV. Download IELTS Writing Step by Step PDF

Compared to the Listening, Speaking, and Reading, Writing is always considered a challenging skill that requires a lot of time for many candidates preparing for the IELTS exam. Therefore, PREP has collected the link to download the PDF version of the book "IELTS Writing Step by Step" below for you:

This article has provided a detailed review about the content and pros and cons of the book "IELTS Writing Step by Step" by Mike in PDF format. Hopefully, it will help you decide whether you should use the book for IELTS preparation and how to use it effectively!