In this post: The homework questions and structure sheet, the pros, cons and who it suits, four ways to get the most out of marking, and my final result with an FAQ.
Mike's Marking Service · 2 parts
- 1. Score record and criterion scores
- 2. Homework, pros and cons, tips (you are here)
✦ In this post
5. Writing homework and the question-type structure sheet
Six homework questions
As well as the Cambridge questions I chose myself, Mike set 6 Task 2 homework questions, all written between 10 and 18 June:
| Homework | Topic | Question type |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cooking at home vs eating out | Agree / Disagree |
| 2 | Whether museums should be free | Outweigh (do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?) |
| 3 | Why some people choose self-employment, and its disadvantages | Two-question |
| 4 | Whether celebrities (entertainers, athletes) are paid too much | Two-question |
| 5 | Advantages and disadvantages of a gap year | Advantages/disadvantages + personal opinion |
| 6 | Advertising: persuasive or ignored? | Discuss both views |
My scores for these six were 7, 7, 7, 6.5, 6.5 and 6.5. To be honest, the last three didn’t reach 7, but that was also the point of the homework: the six questions covered different types, so in just over a week I rotated through Agree/Disagree, Outweigh, Two-question and Both views, and it quickly became clear which types I was still shaky on.
The structure sheet: decide each sentence’s “job” in advance
Another very useful resource was a structure sheet covering four question types (Agree/Disagree, Outweigh, Discuss both views and Two-question), setting out what each sentence of the introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion should do. For example, what the first and second sentences of the introduction do; and in a body paragraph, the first sentence is the topic sentence, followed by explanation and an example, and then how to close the paragraph.
The sheet itself is Mike’s teaching material, so I won’t post it here. But I can share how it helped me:
- No more thinking “what’s the next sentence?” in the exam: each sentence’s job is already decided, so I just fill in the content. The time saved can go into thinking of better examples.
- A steadier CC score: once the paragraph structure is fixed, the logical order of the sentences becomes clear naturally. Looking back, Task 2 CC was the criterion that improved most, and I believe this is related.
- Faster checking: after writing, I can compare my essay with the sheet and see which paragraph is missing an explanation or example.
If you’d like to see a similar structured approach, have a look at my post about Ali (in Chinese); the way he simplifies essay structure also suits people stuck at 6.5.
6. Pros, cons and who it suits
Pros (based on my data)
| Pro | My experience |
|---|---|
| Four criterion scores, so you know which one pulls you down | Task 2 CC and Task 1 TA were my weak points; GRA wasn’t really the issue |
| You can practise one question type in a row | Writing several essays of the same type, I could see the scores change (for example, my Task 2 7.5s clustered at the end) |
| Six weeks of intensive feedback | 50 essays in 6 weeks, about 8 a week on average, so problems surfaced quickly and were fixed quickly |
| Resubmitting after corrections | Revising the same essay twice made mistakes less likely to repeat |
| Homework questions and the structure sheet | Covered question types I would have avoided when choosing my own questions, and fixed my paragraph structure |
Cons and things to be aware of
| Be aware | Explanation |
|---|---|
| You need time to write intensively | 50 essays plus corrected versions meant handing in nearly 100 drafts in six weeks. If you can only write one or two essays a week, the effect will be smaller |
| Scores may drop before they rise | When you switch to new question types, scores drop (my week 4 average fell to 6.67), so be mentally prepared |
| Practice scores are not test scores | Most of my practice essays scored 7 or above, but in the real test you still have to perform consistently on the day |
| This post covers only the essay marking | I haven’t covered lesson format or price here; if you’re interested, I suggest leaving a comment to ask |
Who does it suit?
- People stuck at 6–6.5 in Writing who don’t know which criterion is pulling them down
- People with a clear test deadline (for example, an offer condition) who are willing to write intensively for a month or two
- People willing to resubmit after corrections, not just look at the score
- People who want to work on Task 1 and Task 2 together
When it’s less suitable: if you’re not yet comfortable with basic Task 2 paragraph structure, or you can only write a few essays a week, you might start with a structure-focused course or self-study first. Once you can write several essays a week consistently, marking will give you more value.
7. How to get the most out of a marking service
1. Write the same question type in a row, rather than jumping around
Write two or three essays of the same type in a row: mistakes from the first can be fixed in the second, and you can see the scores change. If you switch type with every essay, it’s hard to tell whether a better score means you improved or just happened to know that type better.
2. Record the four criterion scores for every essay
I suggest using a spreadsheet to record each essay’s date, question, question type, four criterion scores and overall score. The weekly table and the two-week comparison in Part 1 of this series were all calculated from my per-essay criterion scores. Your columns could look like this:
| Date | Task | Type | TA/TR | CC | LR | GRA | Overall | Main problem |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 June | 1 | Map | 5 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | Overview wrong, locations wrong |
| 19 June | 2 | Both views | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7.5 | — |
3. Always resubmit after correcting
When the marking comes back, don’t just glance at the score and move on to the next question. Fixing the mistakes and sending back a rewritten version is what actually deals with the problem. I sent a corrected version of almost every essay, and I think that’s one reason I could see a change within six weeks.
4. Build your own list of mistakes
After 50 essays, you’ll find that your mistakes keep repeating. Put them into one list and read it before the test; it’s more useful than any model essay. Here are a few entries I collected from my own Task 1 essays:
| Mistake | My example | Reminder to myself |
|---|---|---|
| Overview copied from a template without changing the content | I gave the starting point of a process as “collection of raw materials”, but the diagram showed flour being delivered and stored | Use the diagram’s own words for the start and end |
| Number of steps doesn’t match the body | The overview said seven steps, but the body described eight or nine | Fill in the number after writing the body |
| Number read from the wrong row | I wrote the 0.81% for agricultural products as the fall for gems and jewellery | Check every number against the chart once |
| Mixed-up tenses on a map | Describing 2007 with “can go” | Decide the tense for each map before writing |
| Wrong nominalisation | the delivering of → the delivery of | Use a noun for the last step |
8. The result and FAQ
The final result
After the six weeks of marking, in early July I booked a one-skill retake of Writing, and when the result came out I applied for a re-mark. In the end I got 7.0 in Writing and 8.0 overall, meeting the language condition of my Cambridge offer. I wrote about the re-mark process separately in my post on my successful IDP re-mark (in Chinese).
Looking back, I don’t think one magic technique got me through. What worked was finding the problems one by one over those six weeks: knowing that CC was pulling down my Task 2 and TA was pulling down my Task 1, and then practising specifically for them. The score table for those 50 essays is the most honest record of that process.
FAQ
| Question | My answer |
|---|---|
| Are practice scores as accurate as the real test? | There’s no guarantee. My practice average in the last two weeks was 7.05, and in the real test I got 7.0 after a retake and a re-mark. Practice scores are better for seeing “trends” and “which criterion is pulling you down”. |
| Should I practise Task 1 or Task 2 first? | I wrote both together (27 Task 1 and 23 Task 2 essays). Task 2 carries more weight, but if your Task 1 TA is often 5 or 6, it will still pull your overall score down. |
| How many essays a week is enough? | Over my six weeks I averaged about 8 a week, plus corrected versions. You don’t need to copy that amount, but you should at least be able to write two or three essays of the same type in a row. |
| Can I practise on my own without a marker? | Yes, but you need a method. Compare your essays with the officially published band descriptors, score each of the four criteria, and check every sentence against what the question asks (for Task 1, check the chart item by item). My Band Score Samples series uses exactly this approach to break down my own 6, 6.5 and 7 essays, so you can use it as a reference for self-assessment. The downside is that it’s hard to see your own blind spots, so outside feedback is still more efficient. |
| How can I contact Mike? | His contact details are not public for now; if you are interested, leave a comment below. |
If you’re also stuck at 6.5 in Writing, I hope this record helps you decide: what you need may not be more model essays, but a feedback system that tells you which criterion is pulling you down. Whether you find a marker or compare your own essays with the band descriptors, the key is to make the problem specific.
Further reading
- Stuck at the Same Score? How to Find Recurring Problems in Your Practice Records
- After Your Essay Is Marked: Turning Feedback into Notes You Will Use
- Ali: simplifying essay structure, from 400 words down to 300 (in Chinese)
- Farid, former examiner: my experience of live Speaking and Writing feedback (in Chinese)
- How to look up your IELTS sub-scores: the four criterion scores you can’t see on the score report (in Chinese)
- My successful IDP re-mark: Writing from 6.5 to 7.0 (in Chinese)
- IELTS study notes: overview (in Chinese)
This is the last part of “Mike's Marking Service”. To start again, go back to Part 1.
IELTS Notes in English · Practice Methods (post 5 of 5)
← Previous: After Your Essay Is Marked: Turning Feedback into Notes You Will Use
Task 1 Structure · Task 2 Structure · Topic Guides · Writing Language · Band Score Samples · Practice Methods · Speaking & Study Tips
✦ Target Your Future
Some days you practise for hours and the score still does not move. I hope these notes remind you that the setbacks are part of the road: every recording you replayed, every essay you rewrote and every sentence you finally dared to say is progress you have already made.
I wrote this down so the next person can take fewer detours. You do not have to follow my method exactly. Find a rhythm that works for you, rest when you need to, and come back for the next small step.
I hope what you take away is more than a number on a score report: a little more confidence in yourself, and the courage to step a bit closer to the world.
— Ting
← Back to IELTS notes in English
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