IELTS Writing is one of the most challenging parts of the exam, and many learners lose marks due to avoidable mistakes. In this guide, you’ll discover the most common grammar, vocabulary, and structure errors—and learn smart strategies to recognize, fix, and avoid them for a better band score.

I. What Are the Most Common Mistakes in IELTS Writing
II. How to Avoid Mistakes in IELTS Writing?

4 mistakes in IELTS Writing that cause a "plummeting" band score

I. What Are the Most Common Mistakes in IELTS Writing

Many IELTS candidates struggle to achieve their target band score in the Writing section—not necessarily because they lack ideas, but often because they make frequent and avoidable language errors. These mistakes may seem minor at first glance, but they can significantly reduce your score across all four assessment criteria.

So, why do these mistakes happen so regularly?

Lack of deliberate practice: Many learners write too few full essays under timed conditions before the test.
Limited understanding of the IELTS Band Descriptors: Without knowing what examiners look for, it’s easy to focus on the wrong things or overlook key weaknesses.
Interference from the native language: Translating thoughts directly from your first language can result in unnatural phrasing, structural errors, or misplaced vocabulary.

Recognizing the root causes is the first step—but more importantly, you need to know where these mistakes actually show up in your writing. To help you focus on what matters most, we’ve categorized the most common IELTS writing mistakes according to the four official scoring criteria:

1. Grammar Mistakes in IELTS Writing

Grammar errors are among the most common reasons candidates lose marks in the IELTS Writing test. These mistakes often occur across all band levels and affect the "Grammatical Range and Accuracy" criterion. The table below highlights typical grammar issues, explains why they happen, and offers clear examples for each.

Mistake	Why It Happens	Example
Wrong tense usage	Confusion between verb tenses such as present simple, past simple, and present perfect	Incorrect: The company announce a new rule last week. Correct: The company announced a new rule last week.
Subject–verb agreement errors	Misunderstanding of singular vs. plural subjects, especially with determiners like "each" or "everyone"	Incorrect: Each student have to submit homework. Correct: Each student has to submit homework.
Overusing simple sentences	Learners rely on safe sentence types and avoid complex structures	Incorrect: The city is polluted. People are sick. Correct: Because the city is polluted, many people are getting sick.
Article errors (a/an/the)	Learners misuse or omit articles, especially with general nouns or proper nouns	Incorrect: She applied to the university. (generic) Correct: She applied to a university in the UK.
Preposition misuse	Not knowing correct collocations or prepositions for common expressions	Incorrect: We must reduce harm to the environment. Correct: We must reduce harm to the environment.
Relative clause mistakes	Misuse of relative pronouns like "which", "who", or faulty clause structure	Incorrect: The people which need help are ignored. Correct: The people who need help are ignored.

How to Use This Table

After completing a practice IELTS Writing Task, refer to this table to identify and correct common grammar slips. Over time, building grammar awareness through real sentence examples will help improve both accuracy and variety in your writing.

2. Vocabulary Mistakes in IELTS Writing

Vocabulary, or "Lexical Resource," is one of the four key criteria used to assess your IELTS Writing score. A limited vocabulary, poor word choice, or overuse of simple words can hold you back from achieving Band 7 or higher. Below is a breakdown of the most common vocabulary-related mistakes, why they occur, and how to spot and fix them.

Mistake	Why It Happens	Example
Overusing vague or generic words	Learners rely on safe words like "good", "bad", "thing", or "people"	Incorrect: This is a good solution. Correct: This is an effective solution.
Repeating the same word too often	Limited vocabulary range or lack of paraphrasing skill	Incorrect: The government should invest in public transport because public transport is important. Correct: The government should invest in public transport because reliable infrastructure is essential.
Using words with the wrong tone	Inappropriate level of formality or casual language in academic writing	Incorrect: Kids should learn about money. Correct: Children should be educated about financial literacy.
Misusing word forms	Confusion between noun, verb, adjective, and adverb forms	Incorrect: This policy helps improve economy. Correct: This policy helps improve the economy.
Incorrect collocations	Words don’t naturally go together, even if grammatically correct	Incorrect: Do a mistake Correct: Make a mistake
Over-relying on memorised phrases	Learners use scripted or overused expressions that sound unnatural	Incorrect: This is a hot topic in society today. Correct: This issue has become increasingly relevant in modern society.

Tips to Improve Vocabulary Accuracy and Range

Use synonym lists wisely, but always check context before replacing a word.
Actively learn and practice collocations—the way words naturally go together.
Read model essays and underline high-level vocabulary in context.
Create your own vocabulary bank with examples, not just definitions.

Avoiding these vocabulary mistakes will help you sound more natural, precise, and academic in your writing—key traits for scoring Band 7 or above.

Also watch for mistakes in paraphrasing for IELTS Writing which often lower LR.

3. Coherence and Structure Mistakes in IELTS Writing

Coherence and cohesion refer to how well your ideas are logically organized and how effectively you use linking devices to guide the reader. A well-structured essay should be easy to follow, with clear arguments and well-developed paragraphs. However, many IELTS candidates lose marks by making avoidable structure-related mistakes.

Mistake	Why It Happens	Example
Missing topic sentence	The main idea of the paragraph is unclear or unstated	Incorrect: Many people ride bicycles. They are cheap and good for health. Correct: Bicycles are a practical alternative to cars because they are affordable and promote physical health.
Poor paragraph development	Ideas are listed rather than logically expanded or explained	Incorrect: This is a good solution. It helps. It saves time. Correct: This solution is effective because it reduces waiting time and improves workflow.
Overuse, underuse, or misuse of linking words	Learners use basic or repetitive connectors like "and", "so", "but" excessively	Incorrect: This problem is serious. And it causes stress. Correct: This problem is serious, which in turn contributes to higher stress levels.
No clear logical progression between ideas	Sentences or paragraphs jump between topics without transitions	Incorrect: People like working from home. Education is important. Correct: While many people prefer remote work, others argue that structured environments enhance productivity.
Long and confusing sentence structures	Lack of punctuation or poor control of complex sentences	Incorrect: Although people think it is easy but it is not because many factors affect success which makes it more complicated. Correct: Although people think it is easy, success depends on many factors, making it more complex than expected.

Mistakes in IELTS Writing:Fragmented sentences

How to Build Better Coherence and Structure

Use clear topic sentences for each paragraph to guide the reader.
Follow the PEEL format (Point – Explain – Example – Link) to structure body paragraphs.
Vary your linking devices (e.g., however, furthermore, in contrast, as a result) and avoid overusing basic ones.
Ensure each paragraph supports the thesis and relates logically to the one before.
Avoid adding unrelated points that make the paragraph lose focus.

Start each paragraph with a clear topic sentence in IELTS Writing Task 2.

4. Task Achievement and Task Response Mistakes

One of the most common reasons for losing marks in IELTS Writing is failing to fulfill the task’s requirements. Whether you're doing Task 1 or Task 2, fully addressing the question — with clear, developed ideas and relevant information — is essential for scoring Band 7 or higher. The table below outlines typical mistakes related to Task Achievement and Task Response, and how to avoid them.

Mistake	Why It Happens	Example
Off-topic response	Misunderstanding the question or writing on a related but incorrect topic	Question: "Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?" Incorrect: Writing only about benefits without comparing both sides
Incomplete answer (missing key points)	Failing to address all parts of the prompt or question	Question: "Discuss both views and give your opinion." Incorrect: Discussing only one view without providing personal opinion
Lack of explanation or development	Ideas are stated but not expanded with reasons or examples	Incorrect: Online learning is good. It is convenient. Correct: Online learning is beneficial because it saves commuting time and offers flexible schedules.
Unbalanced data description (Task 1)	Over-describing minor trends or ignoring major ones	Incorrect: Describing each data point in detail without summarizing key comparisons
Including irrelevant or memorized content	Using pre-learned templates or examples that don’t fit the question	Incorrect: In today’s modern society, technology is everywhere… (in an essay about environmental problems)
Weak or missing thesis statement	No clear main idea in the introduction or conclusion	Incorrect: There are many opinions about this topic. Correct: This essay will argue that the benefits of working remotely outweigh the drawbacks.

How to Improve Your Task Response

Understand the task fully: Always underline keywords and identify question types before planning.
Plan your ideas first: Use bullet points or a mind map before writing.
Answer all parts of the question clearly: Especially in two-part questions or discuss-both-views prompts.
Support every claim: Use at least one relevant example or explanation per main idea.
Avoid memorized introductions/backgrounds that do not directly support your argument or topic.

By avoiding task-related mistakes, you not only improve your overall coherence and clarity but also meet examiner expectations described in the official IELTS Band Descriptors.

Use brainstorming for IELTS Writing Task 2 to avoid off-topic responses.

II. How to Avoid Mistakes in IELTS Writing?

Making mistakes in IELTS Writing is common—but avoiding them requires awareness and strategy. Below are practical methods to improve accuracy and boost your band score.

Understand What the Examiner Wants

IELTS Writing is graded on four criteria:

Task Response (answering the question clearly)
Coherence and Cohesion (organizing ideas logically)
Lexical Resource (using appropriate vocabulary)
Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Reviewing the official Band Descriptors helps you write with purpose. When you know what is being assessed, you can avoid guesswork.

Review Your Work Actively

Instead of just writing more essays, focus on reviewing.

Edit one layer at a time: grammar → vocabulary → structure
Read aloud to catch awkward phrasing
Keep a checklist of your frequent mistakes
For example:
- Do I repeat words too often?
- Are sentences too short or too long?

Practice Rewriting and Fixing Mistakes

Select an old essay and improve it.

Highlight mistakes and explain why they’re incorrect
Rewrite paragraphs using better grammar and vocabulary
Compare with high-band models if possible

This method strengthens both awareness and accuracy.

Use Sample Essays the Right Way

Study high-scoring examples to understand:

How ideas are developed clearly
How paragraphs are structured
What kind of vocabulary is used appropriately

But don’t memorize — use them as inspiration, not templates.

Avoid Overused Phrases and Templates

Generic phrases like "Nowadays, technology is very common..." won’t help your score, especially in Band 7+. Instead:

Paraphrase the question naturally
Use topic-relevant vocabulary
Vary your sentence types

Improving your writing takes time, not just more practice. Use these strategies to focus on quality, not just quantity—and your results will improve steadily.

This article has provided the most basic mistakes in IELTS Writing that have been detailed in this compilation. If you need support to improve your IELTS preparation, feel free to refer to the online IELTS preparation program at PREP.