How to Generate Ideas for IELTS Writing - 5 Reliable Brainstorming Sources

When studying IELTS Writing, many of us have encountered difficulties in coming up with ideas, right? This is especially true for IELTS Writing Task 2. This section covers a wide range of topics such as Business & Work, Environment, Education, Social problems, Crime, Art, and more. Each topic requires a deep understanding of social knowledge in order to construct strong arguments. Therefore, PREP would like to share with test-takers "How to generate ideas for IELTS Writing easily - 5 reliable brainstorming sources."

I. 5 Reliable Brainstorming Sources to Generate Ideas for IELTS Writing

1.1. Established institutions

The first source that helps generate ideas for IELTS Writing is "Established institutions." These are reputable organizations with a proven track record. Examples include universities and language centers with qualified, experienced professionals with verified qualifications and achievements. Preppies can visit the websites or Facebook fan pages of these organizations/companies/centers to learn from them.

1.2. Experts

Next, we seek information from "Experts." These are experts in the field, such as teachers who have expertise, qualifications, and clear certifications. You can refer to their personal Facebook profiles or fan pages. If they share ideas about IELTS Writing, you can learn from them. However, it is advisable to limit asking teachers for ideas to write your essays. Depending too much on them shows dependence, and it is important to do your own research. Only when you have thoroughly explored all reference sources and still feel stuck, should you consider seeking help from teachers.

1.3. Articles 

You can explore ideas for IELTS Writing from reputable foreign news websites. When reading articles, evaluate if the language is biased or if the article is too personal. Does the journalist's argument persuade you? Is there credit given to the writer? Finally, does the article provide research that supports the argument?

Usually, articles lean towards certain perspectives, and journalists have the right to express personal opinions. The positive aspect is that articles often present persuasive arguments, clarity, and research to back them up. If you find a website with many articles that meet the above criteria, it is considered a "reliable website."
For example, if the topic is Business, you can refer to the Harvard Business Review website. For the Health topic, you can consult the Healthline website. For other topics, you can search for information from the New York Times or National Geographic.

Besides using information for writing, it is recommended to supplement your knowledge by reading newspapers daily. This will help improve your social knowledge and gradually reduce the difficulty of generating ideas for IELTS Writing.

1.4. IELTS Learning Websites

These are reputable IELTS websites that you can refer to, such as IELTS Simon, IELTS Liz, IPP IELTS, etc. However, be cautious with self-assessment writing tasks that provide band scores without being verified. It is advisable to take additional courses at Prep to supplement ideas for IELTS Writing.

Prep offers writing courses for you to choose from. Therefore, you can explore the brief information about these courses and select the one that best suits your current level.

1.5. Books

There are several excellent books for self-study at home. For example, the book "High-score IELTS Writing" provides high-quality sample essays suitable for all proficiency levels. Another classic book is "IELTS Writing" by Mat Clark, which is highly recommended for those aiming to achieve a band score of 7.0 or higher in Writing.

See more articles:

• Download Marvellous Techniques For IELTS Writing in high-quality PDF version
• Review of the book "IELTS Write Right" - Tips for fixing weaknesses in IELTS Writing

II. How to Ensure Vocabulary and Grammar Criteria in IELTS Writing when Having Ideas

• When referring to such information sources, remember to take note of vocabulary, expressions, or ways of expressing ideas that can be applied to your essay. Note that you should not COPY the original article word for word. Instead, refer to it and PARAPHRASE. Do not use the exact same sentence structure as the original, as it may be considered plagiarism.
• After completing your essay, write Version 1 and carefully proofread for grammar errors before sending it to your teacher. Once you receive detailed feedback from your teacher, proceed to write Version 2. Then, make sure to correct the errors you made. This is also the Deep Practice method employed by Prep. This method helps improve your memory retention by up to 23%.
• Don't forget to regularly practice writing through the High-Quality Writing Correction Course on PREP to receive detailed feedback from teachers on each error and how to fix them.

Hopefully, the above methods for generating ideas in IELTS Writing will help you brainstorm successfully for your exam. PREP wants to remind candidates that, in reality, we can find many necessary ideas for writing. However, choose the simplest and easiest-to-explain ideas. This way, you can focus on developing those ideas easily.

III. Conclusion

IELTS examiners are looking for relevant and well-developed ideas, not overly creative ones. Therefore, you should intelligently choose the easiest Ideas for IELTS Writing to write about. Prep wishes you diligence in effective IELTS preparation.