By English Test Coach · Updated
Lesson 8 of 8 · All writing formats
Review efficiently and practise again
Use a timed routine, check word meaning after spelling review and turn feedback into a specific next exercise.
Protect time for both tasks
The writing paper lasts 60 minutes. Official guidance allocates about 20 minutes to Task 1 and 40 to Task 2; Task 2 carries twice the weight. The minimum lengths are 150 and 250 words respectively. Use timed practice to find a workable division between planning, drafting and review within each task. A long first response can consume the time needed to complete the second, so practise stopping and moving on.
Review in separate passes
First check coverage: have you answered the actual instructions and supported the main points? Then check organisation and unclear references. Finally, target language errors you often make. Trying to check everything in every sentence can lead to aimless rereading. Do not replace a clear paragraph at the last moment merely because a different structure looks more impressive.
Use feedback as evidence, not a verdict
Choose one recurring issue and practise it in a small new example before writing another full response. If a tool suggests a correction, compare it with the exact original and check that the meaning survives. AI feedback can be mistaken, especially about visual details. Keep the original response and the revision so that you can explain the change. A practice-check result or estimated band is not a guaranteed exam result.
Worked example
Before
Next time I will improve everything and use more difficult words.
After
Before my next essay, I will write two paragraphs that explain one claim with a relevant example, then check whether each example supports the claim.
The revised plan defines a small action and an observable check. It turns a broad intention into a repeatable practice routine.
After the spelling check: is this the right word?
The free workspace checks spelling on your device. It does not judge meaning, grammar or task coverage. Use this original short exercise to practise a review that a dictionary check cannot replace.
Before: real words in the wrong context
Their may be less buses, so residents could loose access to local services.
After: keep the claim, repair the language
There may be fewer buses, so residents could lose access to local services.
Their, less and loose are all English words. A dictionary-based spelling check can therefore accept them even though they do not fit this sentence. A clean spelling result does not establish accurate grammar or meaning.
There introduces the possible existence of fewer buses; their would indicate possession and needs an appropriate noun. Fewer compares a count of buses, while less fits an uncountable amount, as in less traffic. Lose means no longer have something; loose usually describes something that is not firmly fixed in this context.
The revision keeps may and could: it corrects the language without turning a possible consequence into a guaranteed result. You still need to check whether this hypothetical claim answers the actual question and is developed with relevant reasoning.
Try a dictionary-valid word repair
Revise this sentence without making the claim stronger: Working at home can have a positive affect on employees because they spend less time travelling.
Compare the meaning-preserving repair
Working at home can have a positive effect on employees because they spend less time travelling. Here effect is the noun meaning a result or influence. The usual verb affect means influence, as in Commuting can affect free time. Keep can: the spelling-and-meaning repair does not prove that every employee benefits.
In your next draft, check task coverage and organisation first, then the job and meaning of doubtful words. Read the whole sentence before accepting a suggestion. A word that is correctly spelt may still be unsuitable, and a name or specialist term flagged by a dictionary may be valid. The spelling check does not give an IELTS band.
IELTS writing time management: try a complete practice routine
The official IELTS preparation guidance recommends about 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 for Task 2. The smaller allocations below are an English Test Coach practice example, not compulsory exam rules. Adjust them after a timed attempt while protecting time for both tasks.
| Stage | Task 1 | Task 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Read and plan | 0–3 | 0–5 |
| Write | 3–17 | 5–35 |
| Review | 17–20 | 35–40 |
Give each stage a job
- Plan: for a visual, identify the overview and two useful detail groups; for a letter, note the purpose, recipient and three task points; for an essay, note your answer to every instruction and supporting reasons.
- Write: follow that small plan. Explain selected points rather than adding a new idea whenever one occurs to you. Keep enough time to finish the response.
- Review: check the required task parts first, then your position or overview, then recurring language errors. Check the minimum length: 150 words for Task 1 and 250 for Task 2. Avoid spending the final minutes replacing clear words just to sound more sophisticated.
The word-count guide shows how to develop a short response and remove repetition without losing a useful claim.
Use a stopping rule
When only three minutes remain on the Task 1 timer, or five on the Task 2 timer, move to your review. If the response is unfinished, prioritise a missing required point and a clear ending over another example. At the end of Task 1, move on so it does not consume the time reserved for Task 2. After practice, note where time went and change one part of the next plan.
Practise with the existing timer
Open a task below and choose Start timer in the writing workspace. It counts down from 20 minutes for Task 1 or 40 for Task 2. The practice timer does not submit your answer or prevent further writing when it ends. Download your draft if you want a copy before changing tasks.
Use this checklist
- Practise a realistic split between both tasks.
- Review task coverage before cosmetic language changes.
- Convert one evidence-backed weakness into a small new exercise.
Practise the lesson
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Choose one answer for every question, then check.
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Try it in your own writing
Write a three-step practice plan for someone whose paragraphs contain several claims but little explanation. Include a small exercise, a check and a later full-task practice.
0/4,000 characters. This writing is not automatically marked.
- Does the exercise target explanation rather than an unrelated skill?
- Can the writer tell whether the exercise was completed?
- Does the plan transfer the small skill into a full response?
Transfer the skill to a full response
Open a related original question and use the checklist. Your exercise text is not transferred or saved automatically; download your review before leaving.
Practise a related questionStudy the complete example: Museum visitor trends
Compare the technique from this lesson with a full response, then use the format guide to plan your own answer.