IELTS Band 7 Essay Structure: The 5-Paragraph Formula That Works

Stuck at Band 6? Most IELTS Writing Task 2 essays lose marks on organisation, not English. Examiners score four equally weighted criteria: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. At Band 7, the official descriptors require ideas that are “logically organised” with “a clear progression throughout.”

The Band 7 Essay Structure (270–300 words, 40 minutes)

Introduction (2 sentences): paraphrase the question, then state a clear position. Body Paragraph 1: topic sentence → explanation → specific example. Body Paragraph 2: your second main idea, same pattern. Body Paragraph 3: a third idea, or the opposing view in “discuss both views” essays. Conclusion (1–2 sentences): restate your position. No new ideas.

Band 7 Checklist

Answer every part of the question. Keep one central idea per paragraph. Link with referencing (“this trend”, “such policies”), not just “Firstly” and “Moreover”. Mix complex sentences; aim for frequent error-free ones. Use natural collocations like “alleviate congestion”. Keep each body paragraph to 60–70 words; plan 5 minutes, write 30, check 5.

Mistakes That Keep You at Band 6

Memorised templates (examiners penalise them), overused linking words, vague examples and essays under 250 words.

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