Hello May, could you possibly tell me what alternatives can be used instead of ‘nowadays”?
The word “nowadays” and other similar words are some of the most overused words in IELTS writing task 2. Almost all writing task 2 essays are about world issues that exist today, so you don’t have to repeat that it is about today. The only time you should use it is if you are comparing between the past and present, or between future and present. That is the time to use time phrases such as nowadays or these days.
Hi May,
I’ve seen lots of tutorial videos where we are supposed to write “in this essay, this topic will be discussed…” “in this essay, I’m going to address…” should we avoid this? or should we include it?
It is not needed in an IELTS essay at all.
We should give our opinion only in the conclusion (not in the introduction) for discussion essays. Is this true?
There is no such rule.
Hi May!!!! My tutor says, we should not start a sentence with ‘So’ in IELTS writing… Is it true.. ? And why or why not?
There is no such rule.
Hey May, hope you’re doing well. I want to know is there any problem if I have written more than 350 words in Task 2
The problem with writing over 320 words is that your essay is likely to lack the clear focus that is required for a good band score. It also means you will most likely show the examiner more errors and this can have a negative impact on your score.
Writing a long essay is not the aim. Your aim is to write a flawless essay of between 270 and 290 words.
(การเขียนเรียงความยาวไม่ใช่เป้าหมาย เป้าหมายของคุณคือการเขียนเรียงความที่ไร้ที่ติโดยมีความยาวระหว่าง 270 ถึง 290 คำ)
If you have time after writing such an essay, you can use it to check for any errors and ensure that each and every sentence is perfect. IELTS writing is about quality, not quantity.
I often end up using “whilst” in my essays. Should it be avoided or is considered formal?
IELTS essays are formal so it’s fine to use.
Hey May, I wanted to know if using ‘while’ at the beginning of my task 2 introduction will be judged negatively? I am completely in control of using the structure that follows, but I was not sure if it is the right thing to do.
There are no rules about using one particular word in IELTS. Such rules can’t exist. It is about if it is the right word to use given the meaning and context.
Dear May, I have really benefited a lot from you by viewing your webpages.
Can I ask you a question? Is it true that in WT2, we should not or at least avoid using first person pronouns “we” and “our”. I know “I ” is an exception because we need it for personal opinion if the question asks for that.
There is no such rule. It is a recommendation. However, for topics such as space exploration or the pollution of this planet, it might be suitable to use “we” or “our”, such as “our planet”. However, those pronouns are mostly not needed.
Please I need your advice .You mentioned not to use nowadays to start the essay.But if the Question had today how to paraphrase.Is this correct grammatically.Nowadays, many countries prioritize education of young people.
It is not necessary to paraphrase “today”. When you use the present simple, it is already “today”. Paraphrasing is not about word for word changes. It is about meaning in general.
How do we know that “his/her” is not correct as in “Taking as an example a politician running for election and having a worthwhile platform for his/her country”? Should we say “their”, or just “his” or just “her”?
(comment is re your reply to Shailesh, January 9, 2019)
IT is not grammatically correct to use a forward slash in an IELTS essay in that way. At least, you should use clear linking words “his or her”. But it is better to use “their”.
Hello May! thank you for your interesting content, I am a beginner and I have a lot of problems when using” the” especially in a complex sentence for example : I went to the mall to shop the brand-new iPhone and the salesperson helped me a lot with the choice of the memory capacity, the color and the Size .
By doing a self-evaluation, I found a lot of repetition of the word “the” , and it is not a sentence written with a good style , can you give me your advice to change my style in a way that prevent the repetition of the word “the”
In this case, the problem is not the repetition of “the”. The problem is that you didn’t need “the” at all. “..helped me a lot with the choice of memory capacity, color and size”. So, the problem here is that you need to learn more about using “the”. You can google this or you can wait for my e-book about grammar which will be released in a few months. But in essence, “the” is used to refer to something specific – one particular color (the color = blue). If you are referring to colors in general, you do not use an article at all – you use “zero article”. Your other mistake is “I went to the mall to buy a brand new iPhone” – you are referring to one and not a specific one. At the time, you didn’t know which one you wanted to buy – it was not specific = “a”. I hope this helps
Hi May,
Hope you are doing well!
After paraphrasing the given topic, Can I use the below sentences?
“I strongly concur with the above-mentioned topic. The essay will discuss the rationale behind my agreement elucidating with illustrations.”
Your response is highly appreciated. Thanks.
Regards,
Uttej
You want to ask me about memorizing a sentence (two sentences)? I think you know what my answer will be.
Hey May! Is it allowed to write “&” instead of “and”.
The only symbols you can use are for currency and percentage.
