You do not need rare words or long sentences to reach Band 6.0. You need to answer the task that was set, put your ideas in a clear order, and write sentences that are mostly correct.
Everyone should do Lessons 1–5 (language) and 12–16 (Task 2 and common errors). For Task 1, Academic candidates do Lessons 6–8 and General Training candidates do Lessons 9–11.
How your writing is marked
The examiner gives four scores for each task, and each counts equally. Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1, so never let Task 1 take more than 20 minutes. On test day you type your answers, or handwrite them if you booked Writing on Paper; do the timed tasks in this unit the same way.
| Criterion | A typical Band 5.5 script | What Band 6.0 needs |
|---|---|---|
| Task Achievement (Task 1) Task Response (Task 2) | Answers the task, but ideas are named, not explained. | Every part covered: an overview in Academic Task 1, or all three bullet points in the right tone in a General Training letter; a clear opinion with explained reasons in Task 2. |
| Coherence and Cohesion | Paragraphs exist, but inside them the sentences are a list. | One job for each paragraph; linking words used correctly. |
| Lexical Resource | Basic words repeated; memorised phrases. | Enough topic vocabulary to say what you mean. |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Short simple sentences; errors in most lines. | Some longer sentences; errors rarely stop the reader. |
FLC Tip
Nothing in the last column asks for ‘high-level vocabulary’. At this level, half a band comes from finishing the task and removing your most frequent errors.
Lesson 1 · The sentence Both versions
An English sentence needs a subject and a verb, and it must make sense alone. The normal order is subject, verb, then the rest: Many students buy their lunch every day. In Hindi, Gujarati and Punjabi the verb comes last, so check that your English verb has not moved there too.
Two faults cost marks in almost every Level 1 script.
| Fault | Example | Repair |
|---|---|---|
| Fragment: a piece of a sentence punctuated as a whole one | Because cooking is a life skill. | Children should learn it because cooking is a life skill. |
| Run-on: two sentences joined by a comma or by nothing | The park had 330,000 visitors, it was more than double. | The park had 330,000 visitors, which was more than double. Or use a full stop. |
Rule
Two ideas may share a sentence only if a linking word (and, but, because, so, which) joins them. A comma alone cannot join two sentences.
Exercise 1 Sentence, fragment or run-on?
Write S for a correct sentence, F for a fragment and R for a run-on. Then repair the fragments and run-ons.
- Because many children eat fast food every day.
- The castle was the most popular attraction in both years.
- I reached home on Monday, my mother was waiting at the station.
- For example, burgers, pizza and fried snacks.
- Cooking is a useful skill, but many schools do not teach it.
- The number of visitors increased it reached 480,000 in 2023.
Lesson 2 · Three tenses that do most of the work Both versions
| Tense | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Present simple | facts, habits, opinions (most of Task 2) | Many children eat fast food. I think this is a problem. |
| Past simple | a finished time: in 2013, last week, yesterday | The castle had 420,000 visitors in 2013. We climbed the hill on Sunday. |
| Present perfect | from the past up to now, with for and since | I have lived here for five years / since 2021. |
Exam Trap
The present continuous (am/is/are …ing) is only for something happening now or for a short period. It is not for habits or facts. I am having two brothers → I have two brothers. Students are going to tuition daily → Students go to tuition every day. Have (= own), know, want, like, belong and agree almost never take -ing.
After did not the verb goes back to its base form: did not went → did not go. Since takes a starting point (since 2021); for takes a length of time (for five years). Since five years is always wrong.
Exercise 2 Choose the tense
Choose the correct form.
- I am having / have two elder sisters.
- Most children in my country go / are going to school six days a week.
- I live / am living / have lived in Surat for five years.
- We visited / have visited the fort last Sunday.
- She is working / has worked in that office since 2021.
- If you come in October, I show / will show you my college.
- I didn’t went / didn’t go out yesterday.
- Please call later. I prepare / am preparing dinner at the moment.
Lesson 3 · Articles: a, an, the or nothing Both versions
Most Indian languages have no articles, so this is the most common error in Indian candidates’ scripts. Do not guess; ask three questions about the noun.
| Question | Answer | Example |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Is it one thing that you can count? | It needs a, an, the, my, this… | I bought ticket → I bought a ticket |
| 2 Does the reader know which one? | No, it is new: a/an. Yes, it was mentioned before or there is only one: the. | We visited a fort. The fort was 400 years old. The most popular place. |
| 3 Is it plural or uncountable, and do you mean it in general? | No article. | The children need the love → Children need love |
Key Language
Always the: the government, the environment, the internet, the same, the best, the number of.
No article when general: society, nature, life, health, education, people, children.
Exercise 3 Add the article
Write a, an or the in each gap, or put – if no article is needed.
- My cousin is engineer in small company in Pune.
- government should give more money to schools.
- We climbed to top of hill before sunrise.
- Cooking is useful skill for life.
- The castle was most popular attraction in city.
- I saw film last night. film was about nature.
- children learn quickly when lessons are practical.
Lesson 4 · Making the verb agree Both versions
In the present tense, a singular subject takes a verb with -s. You know the rule; the errors come when the subject is hidden.
| Find the real subject | Correct | Why |
|---|---|---|
| people, children | People think… Children need… | Already plural. Never peoples or childrens. |
| the number of + plural noun | The number of visitors was high. | The subject is number, not visitors. |
| everyone, everybody, each, every + noun | Every child needs food. Everyone likes it. | Plural in meaning, singular in grammar. |
| one of + plural noun | One of my friends lives in Pune. | The subject is one. |
| uncountable nouns | The information is useful. | Information, advice, homework, furniture, traffic have no plural. |
Exercise 4 Singular or plural verb?
Choose the correct verb.
- Every child need / needs to eat well.
- The number of visitors was / were highest in 2023.
- One of my friends live / lives in Pune.
- The information in the chart is / are for two years.
- My parents doesn’t / don’t eat in restaurants very often.
- Fast food make / makes children overweight.
- Children who cook at home know / knows more about food.
Lesson 5 · Linking with and, but, because, so Both versions
Four small words do most of the linking in good writing. Use them accurately before you reach for moreover and furthermore.
| Word | Job | Example |
|---|---|---|
| and | adds a similar idea | Your mother cooked for us and your father drove me to the station. |
| but | adds a contrast | The gallery was popular in 2013, but it lost visitors later. |
| because | gives the reason | They eat badly because they cannot cook. |
| so | gives the result | They cannot cook, so they eat badly. |
Put a comma before but and so when they join two full sentences. To begin a new sentence, use Also, However, or For example, with a comma.
Exam Trap
English uses one linking word for one link. Hindi and Gujarati pair them: Because it was late so we took a taxi; Although it was raining but we went out. Choose one: Because it was late, we took a taxi or It was late, so we took a taxi.
Exercise 5 Join the ideas
Join each pair with and, but, because or so to make one sentence. In items 5 and 6, correct the linking.
- The gallery was popular in 2013. It had the fewest visitors in 2023.
- I could not call you. My phone was not working.
- Many students cannot cook. They buy food every day.
- Your mother cooked wonderful meals. Your sister showed me the city.
- Because the tickets were cheap so we went twice.
- Although cooking takes time but it saves money.
Lesson 6 · Academic Task 1: reading a bar chart Academic only
In Academic Task 1 you describe a chart, graph, table or diagram to someone who cannot see it (this unit uses a bar chart). You report; you do not explain or give opinions.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows the number of visitors to four tourist attractions in the city of Westhaven in 2013 and 2023.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Visitors to four tourist attractions in Westhaven, 2013 and 2023 (thousands)
Spend the first two minutes on the chart, not on your introduction. The title tells you what is counted (visitors) and in what units (thousands, so 420 means 420,000 people). The labels and the colour key tell you what is compared: four attractions in two years. Both years are finished, so you will write in the past simple.
Exam Trap
Units are the easiest marks to lose. ‘The castle had 420 visitors’ is false. Write 420,000 or 420 thousand, never 420 thousands.
Exercise 6 Read the chart
Write T (true) or F (false) for each statement about the Westhaven chart. Correct the false ones.
- In 2013 the castle had 420 visitors.
- The art gallery was the second most popular attraction in 2013.
- All four attractions had more visitors in 2023 than in 2013.
- Visitor numbers at the adventure park more than doubled.
- In 2023 the aquarium had more visitors than the castle.
- The art gallery had the fewest visitors in both years.
Lesson 7 · Academic Task 1: planning and writing the overview Academic only
Every chart answer can use the same plan. Notice what is missing: no conclusion, no opinion, no reasons.
| Paragraph | Job |
|---|---|
| 1 Introduction | One sentence: what the chart shows, in your own words. |
| 2 Overview | One or two sentences: the biggest things a reader would notice. No figures. |
| 3 and 4 Details | Three or four sentences each: the figures, in two groups, with comparisons. |
Here you can group by year, or by direction (the places that grew, then the place that fell). Choose while you plan and keep to it.
The introduction
Rewrite the task sentence, changing what is easy to change: shows → compares / gives information about; the number of visitors to → how many people visited. Names and years stay. Avoid the memorised The given bar chart illustrates the information about; write The bar chart shows.
The overview
Rule
An answer without a clear overview is very unlikely to score above Band 5 for Task Achievement, however accurate its figures. Write it second, before the details.
To find the overview, cover the numbers with your hand and ask two questions. Which is biggest? The castle, in both years. What changed? Three places went up and one went down. Those answers are your overview. Begin with Overall, and quote no figures.
Exercise 7 Choose the overview
Which is the best overview for the Westhaven chart? Say what is wrong with the other two.
- Overall, Westhaven Castle had 420,000 visitors in 2013 and 510,000 visitors in 2023.
- Overall, the castle was the most popular attraction in both years. Visitor numbers rose at three of the four places, and only the art gallery became less popular.
- Overall, tourism is growing fast in Westhaven because people now have more money to travel.
Lesson 8 · Academic Task 1: reporting numbers accurately Academic only
Key Language
Stating a figure: The castle had / received / attracted 420,000 visitors.
Describing a change: The number of visitors to the aquarium rose / increased from 260,000 to 480,000. Visitor numbers at the gallery fell / decreased by 70,000.
Comparing: the most popular · fewer visitors than · more than double the 2013 figure · about / nearly / just over 500,000.
From gives the starting figure, to the finishing figure and by the size of the change: visitors to the castle rose from 420,000 to 510,000, that is, by 90,000.
Exam Trap
Numbers rise and fall by themselves, so keep these verbs active: the number was increased → the number increased. It is the number that rises, not the building: Adventure Park increased → visitor numbers at Adventure Park increased. And people are visitors to a place, not visitors of it.
Exercise 8 Complete the report
Use the Westhaven chart to complete each sentence with a figure or one word.
- The number of visitors to the aquarium rose from 260,000 to .
- Visitor numbers at the castle increased 90,000.
- The art gallery lost visitors between 2013 and 2023.
- In 2023 the adventure park had visitors, more than the figure for 2013.
- In 2023 the castle had 30,000 visitors than the aquarium.
- The aquarium had the biggest increase: its visitor numbers went up by .
A Band 5.5 answer
This writer knows the plan but has not yet fixed the language. Seven errors are marked; there are others.
The given bar chart illustrates the information about how many visitors went to four tourist attractions in Westhaven city in two years, 2013 and 2023. The numbers are given in thousands.
Overall, it is clearly seen that Westhaven Castle was most popular place in both the years and the visitors of three attractions were increased.
In 2013, Westhaven Castle had 420 thousand visitors, which was the highest. City Art Gallery was on second position with 310 thousand visitors. Harbour Aquarium had 260 thousand visitors and Adventure Park had only 150 thousand visitors, which was the lowest.
In 2023, the visitors of Westhaven Castle increased to 510 thousand. The visitors of Harbour Aquarium also increased and reached to 480 thousand, so it become second most popular attraction. Adventure Park is also increased from 150 thousand to 330 thousand, it is more than double. However, City Art Gallery was decreased to 240 thousand visitors and it was the lowest in this year.
To conclude, tourist attractions are very important for the economy of city and government should take care of them.
(179 words)
Why this answer is at this level
- Task Achievement. The strongest criterion. There is an overview with two real features, and all eight figures are correct. But the overview forgets the attraction that fell, and the details are a list: the writer never notices that the aquarium nearly caught the castle, or that the gallery went from second place to last. The final paragraph (‘government should take care of them’) is an opinion, which Task 1 does not ask for.
- Coherence and Cohesion. Grouping by year is clear. Inside the paragraphs every sentence has the same shape (‘X had … visitors’), linked by ‘and’ and ‘also’.
- Lexical Resource. ‘Visitors’ appears nine times and ‘increased’ four times, with no other word for either idea. The opening is memorised and wordy.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The past simple is mostly right and two which clauses are correct. But the tense slips to the present (‘it become’, ‘is also increased’), increase and decrease are made passive, a comma joins two sentences, and articles are missing throughout (‘the economy of city’, ‘government’).
Marked errors and corrections
- most popular place → the most popular place
- the visitors of three attractions were increased → visitor numbers increased at three attractions
- on second position → in second place
- reached to → reached (no preposition)
- it become second most popular → it became the second most popular
- Adventure Park is also increased …, it is more than double. → Visitor numbers at Adventure Park also increased, from 150 thousand to 330 thousand, which was more than double.
- City Art Gallery was decreased to → the figure for the City Art Gallery decreased to
To reach Band 6.0
- Delete the last paragraph and use those words for comparison.
- Complete the overview: add ‘while the art gallery lost visitors’.
- Vary the wording: attracted, received, visitor numbers, the figure for.
- Keep every verb in the past simple, and keep increase and decrease active.
Exercise 9 Add the comparisons
Rewrite the 2023 paragraph of the Band 5.5 answer in four sentences. Correct the errors and compare: the aquarium with the castle; the park with its own 2013 figure; the gallery’s position with 2013.
Exercise 10 Write your own Academic Task 1 answer
Write a complete answer in 20 minutes, then check it against the checklist. A Band 6.0 model is in the key.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
The chart below shows the number of visitors to four tourist attractions in the city of Lakeford in 2010 and 2020.
Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.
Write at least 150 words.
Visitors to four tourist attractions in Lakeford, 2010 and 2020 (thousands)
- Introduction in my own words; overview beginning ‘Overall,’
- Two detail paragraphs with at least three comparisons
- Every figure has its unit; every verb is in the past simple
Lesson 9 · General Training Task 1: a letter to a friend General Training only
In General Training Task 1 you write a letter. Your score depends on covering all three bullet points and on sounding right for the reader.
You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.
You recently spent a week staying at a friend’s home in another city.
Write a letter to your friend. In your letter
- thank your friend for the stay
- say what you enjoyed most about the visit
- suggest how the two of you could meet again
Write at least 150 words.
You do NOT need to write any addresses.
Begin your letter as follows:
Dear …………,
Before you write, ask three questions. Who is the reader? A friend, so the style is informal and warm: a first name, short forms (I’m, didn’t), everyday words. Why am I writing? To say thank you; say so by the second sentence. What must I include? Three bullet points, so three paragraphs in the same order.
| Part | What to write | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Greeting | Dear + first name + comma | Dear Rohan, |
| Opening | a friendly line, then why you are writing | How are you? I’m writing to thank you for last week. |
| Three paragraphs | one bullet point each, with two or three details | who, what, where, when, why |
| Closing line | one short sentence | Write soon and tell me what you think. |
| Sign-off | informal phrase + your first name | Best wishes, Kunal |
Rule
A bullet point answered in one sentence is half-answered. Give each one two or three sentences by adding details the task does not give you: names, days, food, places. Invent them if you need to; the examiner is not checking facts.
Lesson 10 · General Training Task 1: sounding like a friend General Training only
Many Indian candidates learn one letter opening at school and use it for everyone: I hope this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits. To a friend it sounds like a bank writing to a customer. Office English (kindly, do the needful, revert) has the same effect, and this mixture of tones keeps many Level 1 letters at Band 5.5.
| Purpose | Too formal for a friend | Right for a friend |
|---|---|---|
| Thanking | I am writing to express my gratitude for your hospitality. | Thank you so much for having me. It was so kind of you to… |
| Suggesting | I would like to request you to visit my residence. | Why don’t you come and stay with us? How about meeting in…? |
| Asking for a reply | Kindly inform me at the earliest. | Let me know what you think. Write soon. |
| Sign-off | Yours faithfully, / Yours sincerely, | Best wishes, / Love, / See you soon, |
Exam Trap
Informal does not mean careless. Text-message spelling (u, gr8, thx) and slang such as gonna lower your score. Nor is Dear Friend, acceptable: use a first name.
Exercise 11 Put the letter in order
Meera wrote to her friend Anjali after a week in Jaipur. Number the parts 1–9 to rebuild her letter. Which bullet point of the task does each of the four middle sentences answer?
- Best wishes,
- I had never seen the Amber Fort before, and the light show there in the evening was the best part of the whole trip.
- Dear Anjali,
- Why don’t you come to Ahmedabad in the winter holidays?
- I got home safely last night, and I wanted to thank you straight away for a lovely week in Jaipur.
- It was so kind of you to give me your room and to take three days off work.
- Let me know soon, and say hello to your parents for me.
- You can stay with us, and I will take you to the old city and the riverfront.
- Meera
Lesson 11 · General Training Task 1: covering the three bullet points General Training only
Each bullet needs its own tense. The stay is finished, so the thanks and the best memory take the past simple: your mother cooked, we went. The next meeting has not happened, so use will, can or a suggestion: Why don’t you come…? I will show you… One fixed phrase needs care: after look forward to the verb takes -ing, so looking forward to meet you becomes looking forward to meeting you.
Exercise 12 From notes to sentences
Write one full sentence from each set of notes. Add articles and prepositions, and choose the right tense.
- your mum / cook / lovely dinner / every evening
- we / go / lake / Saturday / and / hire / boat
- best part / be / cricket match / Sunday
- why / you / not / come / stay / with us / December?
- I / look forward / see / you / again
A Band 5.5 answer
Kunal has covered every bullet point. Where does his letter stop sounding like a letter between friends? Eight errors are marked.
Dear Rohan,
I hope this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits. I am writing this letter to say thank you for my stay at your home in Pune last week.
First of all, I want to say thanks to you and your family for the hospitality. Your mother cooked very tasty food for me every day and your father dropped me to the station also. I was feeling like my own home. Please say my thanks to them.
I enjoyed the whole week very much. The thing I enjoyed most was the trip of Sinhagad Fort on Sunday. We climbed up early in the morning and the view was awesome. I also liked the street food which we ate in the evening. I didn’t went to such a beautiful place before.
Now it is your turn to come to my home. You can come to Vadodara in Diwali holidays because we both are free that time. I will show you my new college and we will do lots of fun. Kindly inform me your dates so I can do the arrangements.
Yours faithfully,
Kunal
(188 words)
Why this answer is at this level
- Task Achievement. All three bullet points are answered, each in its own paragraph, and the purpose is clear at once. The problem is tone. The letter opens like a job application, asks for a reply like an office email (‘Kindly inform me your dates’) and closes with ‘Yours faithfully’, which is only for a reader whose name you do not know. In between it is friendly (‘awesome’, ‘Now it is your turn’). This mixture keeps the score below 6.
- Coherence and Cohesion. The order follows the bullets, and ‘First of all’ and ‘Now it is your turn’ guide the reader. Nearly all the joining is done by ‘and’.
- Lexical Resource. Simple and usually clear: ‘street food’, ‘the view’. Several phrases are translated directly: ‘say my thanks’, ‘do lots of fun’, ‘do the arrangements’.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The past simple is mostly right (‘cooked’, ‘climbed’, ‘ate’) and there is one relative clause (‘the street food which we ate’). Anything harder goes wrong: ‘I didn’t went’, ‘I was feeling like my own home’. Prepositions and articles are often faulty (‘trip of’, ‘that time’).
Marked errors and corrections
- I hope this letter finds you in the best of health and spirits. → How are you? I hope everyone at home is well.
- dropped me to the station also → also dropped me at the station
- I was feeling like my own home. → I felt completely at home.
- the trip of Sinhagad Fort → the trip to Sinhagad Fort
- I didn’t went to → I had never been to
- in Diwali holidays → in the Diwali holidays
- we will do lots of fun → we will have a lot of fun
- Kindly inform me your dates → Let me know when you can come
To reach Band 6.0
- Keep one tone from first line to last: a friendly opening, a friendly request and Best wishes.
- Answer the third bullet more fully: offer a second way to meet in case Rohan cannot travel.
- Replace ‘very tasty food’ with a real detail, such as the name of a dish.
- Join some sentences with but, because and so, not only and.
Exercise 13 Write your own General Training Task 1 letter
Write your own answer to the task in Lesson 9 in 20 minutes, then check it against the checklist. A Band 6.0 version of Kunal’s letter is in the key.
- Dear + first name; a friendly first line; my reason for writing
- One paragraph for each bullet, each with two or three details
- Past simple for the visit; will / can / why don’t you for the next meeting
- A closing line, an informal sign-off and my first name; at least 150 words
Lesson 12 · Task 2: understanding the question and planning Both versions
Task 2 is an essay of at least 250 words in both Academic and General Training. This unit uses a very common type, the opinion essay.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people think that all children should learn to cook at school.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Read the question in three pieces. The topic is children learning to cook, so write about cooking lessons, not food in general. The claim is exact: all children, at school. ‘Parents can teach it at home’ is therefore an argument against. The instruction asks for your opinion: give it in the introduction and do not change it.
‘To what extent’ allows you to agree, disagree or agree partly. At Level 1, choose one clear side, the one you have more to say about. There is no correct opinion.
Five minutes of planning
Plan in notes. Two reasons that are explained beat five that are only named.
| Paragraph | Job | Plan for this question (agree) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Introduction | the question in your words + your opinion | cooking lessons for every child – agree |
| 2 Reason 1 | point → why → example | needed in adult life → young people move away, buy costly food → cousin abroad |
| 3 Reason 2 | point → why → example | better health → children learn what is in food → less fast food |
| 4 Conclusion | your opinion again + the two reasons in a few words | agree: independence and health |
Exercise 14 Sort the ideas
A student wrote these notes for the cooking question. Mark each one A (supports ‘agree’), D (supports ‘disagree’) or X (does not answer this question).
- Everyone has to feed themselves after leaving home.
- The school day is already full of other subjects.
- Fast-food companies spend too much on advertising.
- Children who cook learn what goes into their food.
- Parents can teach cooking in their own kitchen.
- Famous chefs earn very high salaries.
Lesson 13 · Introductions and conclusions Both versions
An introduction needs only two sentences. The first says what the question is about, in your own words. The second gives your opinion and, if you can, your two reasons in a few words.
Exam Trap
Openings such as In this modern era, education is a burning issue, Every coin has two sides and I will discuss about it in the upcoming paragraphs fit every essay, so they say nothing about this one. They do not raise your score, and they use up words and minutes that you need for your ideas.
Change what is easy to change and leave the rest: all children → every child; learn to cook → have cooking lessons. Do not copy the whole question; copied sentences are not counted as your writing.
Exercise 15 Choose the introduction
Which introduction is best for the cooking question? Give one reason for rejecting each of the others.
- In this modern era, education is a burning issue. Every coin has two sides. In this essay I will discuss about both sides in the upcoming paragraphs.
- Some people think that all children should learn to cook at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree? I agree.
- Some people believe that cooking lessons should be part of school for every child. I agree with this view because cooking is a skill that everybody needs and it helps children to eat well.
The conclusion mirrors the introduction. Begin with In conclusion, then repeat your opinion in new words and name your two reasons. One or two sentences are enough, with no new ideas.
Lesson 14 · Building a body paragraph Both versions
A body paragraph is not a list of points. It is one point, followed all the way through in three steps: the point (The main reason is that…), the explanation of why it is true (This is because… If…) and an example or result (For example,… As a result,…).
Examples can come from your own life, but say what happened and what it proves.
Exercise 16 Rebuild the paragraph
These five sentences make one body paragraph. Put them in the best order.
- For example, a student who can make rice, dal and one vegetable dish does not need to buy every meal.
- The main reason is that cooking is a skill everyone needs in adult life.
- As a result, such a student saves money and eats better food.
- Most young people leave home one day to study or work in another city.
- If they have learnt to cook at school, they can prepare simple meals for themselves.
Holding the paragraph together
Linking words are only half of cohesion. The other half is pointing back with they, it, this, these lessons, so that you do not repeat the same noun in every sentence.
Key Language
Indian English to avoid: outside food → restaurant food / takeaway food; hotel (for a place to eat) → restaurant; tiffin → packed lunch.
Exercise 17 Complete the paragraph
Complete the paragraph with the words in the box. Use each once.
- also
- because
- but
- for example
- so
- this
Another reason is that cooking lessons can improve children’s health. Many children eat too much fast food 1 it is cheap and easy to buy. 2, a burger costs less than a proper meal in many cities. In a cooking class, children learn what is inside their food, 3 they understand why fresh vegetables are better. They 4 learn to make simple healthy dishes. 5 knowledge stays with them when they are adults. Not every child will become a good cook, 6 every child can learn to choose better food.
Lesson 15 · A Band 5.5 essay and how to improve it Both versions
This essay follows the plan and its opinion is clear. As you read, count how many points are explained and how many are only named. Nine errors are marked.
Nowadays, cooking is a hot topic all over the world. Some people believe that all children should learn cooking in the school. I am completely agree with this opinion and I will explain my reasons in the following paragraphs.
Firstly, cooking is a life skill. Every person need food every day, so every child should know how to make it. Many students goes to other city or abroad for higher study and they don’t know cooking. They are eating outside food daily, which is costly and not good for health. If they had learnt cooking in school, they can make simple food like dal and rice by themselves. For example, my cousin went to Canada last year and he was facing many problem because he cannot cook anything.
Secondly, cooking lessons are good for health of children. Now a days children like junk food such as burger and pizza very much and they are becoming fat. In cooking class, teacher can give them knowledge about healthy food and vegetables. So they will eat less junk food. Moreover, cooking is also fun and children get bored of studying whole day. It gives them break from books. However, some people say that school has no time for cooking because subjects like maths and science are more important. But I think one lesson in a week is enough and it will not disturb the studies.
In conclusion, I believe that all children should learn to cook at school because it is useful for future and for health. Parents and teachers should support this idea.
(261 words)
Why this answer is at this level
- Task Response. The position is clear and never changes. The first reason is developed quite well, from students leaving home to the cousin in Canada, though that example stops early: he ‘was facing many problem’, but which problems? Marks are lost in the second body paragraph. It begins with health, jumps to ‘cooking is also fun’, then answers the opposite view in two sentences. Three ideas share one paragraph and none is finished.
- Coherence and Cohesion. Four clear paragraphs, signalled by ‘Firstly’, ‘Secondly’ and ‘In conclusion’. Inside them the linking is mechanical: ‘Moreover’ introduces an unrelated point, and ‘So’ and ‘But’ begin sentences that should be joined to the ones before. In ‘It gives them break’, ‘It’ could mean cooking or studying.
- Lexical Resource. Enough for the topic (‘a life skill’, ‘junk food’), but forms of ‘cook’ appear eleven times. ‘Outside food’ is Indian English, ‘becoming fat’ is too blunt for an essay, and the first sentence is a memorised opening that is not even true.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The writer attempts a relative clause, a conditional and because clauses, which keeps this above Band 5. But the conditional is wrong, subject–verb agreement fails twice in two lines, the present continuous is used for habits, and articles are missing in most lines (‘to other city’, ‘teacher can’, ‘whole day’, ‘for future’).
Marked errors and corrections
- I am completely agree → I completely agree
- Every person need → Every person needs
- Many students goes → Many students go
- They are eating outside food daily → They eat restaurant food every day (a habit: present simple)
- If they had learnt cooking in school, they can make → If they learn to cook at school, they can make
- was facing many problem → faced many problems
- he cannot cook → he could not cook (the story is in the past)
- health of children → children’s health
- Now a days → Nowadays (one word)
To reach Band 6.0
- Give the second body paragraph one job: health. Delete ‘cooking is also fun’ or give it a paragraph of its own.
- Finish the example. What did the cousin eat? What would have been different?
- Before you finish, check two things only: an -s on every he/she/it verb, and an article before every singular countable noun.
Exercise 18 Rewrite the first body paragraph
Rewrite the paragraph beginning ‘Firstly, cooking is a life skill’ so that it would fit a Band 6.0 essay. Correct the six marked errors, add the missing articles, and add one sentence saying what problems the cousin had.
Exercise 19 Write your own essay
Write your own answer to the cooking question in 40 minutes: 5 to plan, 30 to write, 5 to check. Then check it against the checklist. A Band 6.0 model is in the key.
- Introduction: the question in my own words + my opinion; no memorised opening
- Two body paragraphs, one reason each, with a why and an example
- Conclusion repeats my opinion and adds nothing new
- Checked: verb -s, articles, tenses; at least 250 words
Lesson 16 · Common errors of Indian candidates Both versions
These errors come from first-language habits and from the English of Indian offices and schools. Each sounds normal at home; each costs marks in IELTS. Watch especially for extra prepositions (discuss about), be before a verb (I am agree), wrong plurals (informations), double comparatives (more better) and translated phrases (according to me).
Exercise 20 Correct the sentences
These sentences were written by Level 1 students. Each contains one or more errors. Rewrite it correctly.
- In this essay I will discuss about the advantages of cooking.
- I am agree that children should learn cooking.
- He is living in Canada since three years.
- Childrens should not eat junk foods daily.
- Peoples of my city prefers hotel food.
- I did not knew how to cook when I left the home.
- Government should provide kitchen in every schools.
- According to me, cooking is more easier than maths.
- I am looking forward to meet you in Diwali.
- Today’s children cannot able to cook even a tea.
FLC Tip
In the last two minutes of each task, check for your errors, not for everything. Write the three mistakes you made most often in this unit on a card and check for those.