After seventeen years of teaching English — and hundreds of IELTS students — I can tell you the difference between a Band 6 essay and a Band 8 essay is rarely vocabulary. It's structure. Band 8 examiners are not looking for fancy words; they're looking for a response that answers the question completely, flows logically, and uses accurate grammar consistently. Here is the exact four-paragraph structure I teach every student, and why each paragraph exists. Paragraph 1 : The Introduction (2–3 sentences). Your only jobs here are to introduce the topic in your own words (paraphrase the question) and state your position clearly. Never copy the question wording — paraphrasing is a scored skill. End with a thesis that tells the examiner exactly what the essay will argue. Paragraph 2: First Body Paragraph. Start with a topic sentence that states your first main idea. Follow it with one specific example — real, concrete, believable. Examiners reward developed...
VerbUp — practical English learning: IELTS strategies, grammar fixes for Arabic speakers, and business English that works. Written by a teacher with 17 years in the classroom.