For a higher score in Ielts you must show that you can develop and support and idea through a paragraph. For a band 7 you need to show that there is a ‘clear central idea’ in a paragraph. It might be an advantage or a disadvantage of something. It might be one view, a problem or a solution.
You must be able to show that you can extend your ideas through a paragraph and text. This ability to develop an idea by ‘making progress’ will guarantee you 7+ score.
This can be done in various ways. Look at the following sentences and see how it is done:
Many people prefer to work and live in a small town rather than a city. There is less pollution, less noise and closer relationships with neighbours there. (giving concrete examples)
Women may sometimes be better than men at taking responsibility in leadership roles. This is due to the experience that they gain from bringing up their children and supporting their family members. (a ‘this’ sentence to refer to the main idea)
During weekends or spare time, I’m fond of arranging my family outings to museums. Visiting these places and appreciating numerous historical exhibits helps my children understand the history and culture of local cities more easily. (a gerund structure to explain an idea further).
I agree that showing the criminal trials to the public can surely act as a deterrent. The shown trials will demonstrate the consequences of offences and thus warn and discourage people from committing crimes. (the use of adjective (verb in past participle) + noun to refer to previous idea).
Now practice this yourself with any topic.
“Traditional music of a country more important and should it be preserved”
Try to develop the a paragraph using the following structure – main idea – explain – example – further support – conclusion (main argument).
Below is some language you can use to develop and idea further:
Language for extending an idea
In terms of ………,
As far as …….. is concerned, ……
If you take ……..for example, ……
When it comes to ………….
With regard to ………
With reference to ………
As for ….
Turning to …..
Moving on to …..
GOOD LUCK!!!!
ALISTAIR BROWN: As a writing and speaking examiner for more than 10 years, I bring a lot of experience. I have seen the frustrations that students have with IELTS from a career where I have actively guided and corrected students’ studies. I am looking for the most effective ways to teach IELTS as I understand students’ needs.