IELTS Writing
IELTS writing band descriptors explained for teachers: what to teach first
By the IELTS Laboratory team. Published 22 October 2026. Updated 22 October 2026.
Short answer: IELTS Writing is marked on four equally weighted criteria: Task Achievement or Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. For teaching, start with whatever stops the essay answering the question, then paragraph structure, then the grammar and vocabulary mistakes a student repeats most, rather than working through the descriptors line by line.
The band descriptors are public, and most students have seen them. Few find them easy to act on. This guide explains what each criterion asks for in plain English and suggests a teaching order.
What are the IELTS writing band descriptors?
The band descriptors are the published criteria examiners use to award a band from 0 to 9 for each Writing task.
They are published on the official IELTS website (ielts.org), and the full wording is worth reading there. This article paraphrases them for teaching purposes. It is our interpretation, not an official guide, and IELTS Laboratory is not connected to the organisations that run the test.
Each task is marked against four criteria, and each criterion counts for a quarter of the task score. Task 2 carries more weight than Task 1 in the overall Writing band.
What does each IELTS writing criterion mean?
Each criterion looks at a different question about the writing: did it do the task, is it organised, is the vocabulary good enough, and is the grammar varied and accurate?
Criterion | The question it asks (our paraphrase) | What often holds students back |
|---|---|---|
Task Achievement (Task 1) | Does the response cover the key features and give a clear overview? | No overview; listing every number; misreading the data |
Task Response (Task 2) | Does the essay answer every part of the question with a clear, developed position? | Answering a related topic; one part of the question ignored; ideas not developed |
Coherence and Cohesion | Is the writing logically organised, with clear paragraphs and natural linking? | One idea per sentence rather than per paragraph; overused linkers |
Lexical Resource | Is the vocabulary wide, precise and natural enough for the task? | Repetition; memorised phrases used wrongly; word form errors |
Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Is there a mix of structures, and how many errors are there? | Repeated basic errors (articles, plurals, tense); over-complex sentences that break down |
Cohesion means the links between sentences and ideas, such as linking words and pronouns. Coherence means the overall logic and order of the ideas. Students often think coherence and cohesion is about linking words alone, which leads to essays packed with moreover and furthermore.
Which band descriptor should you teach first?
Teach in order of damage: first what stops the essay doing the task, then what makes it hard to follow, then repeated errors.
Task Response first. An essay that doesn’t fully answer the question is held back on that criterion however good the English is. This is a blocking problem.
Paragraph structure second. One clear idea per paragraph, with a topic sentence and support, improves coherence quickly.
Repeated grammar errors third. A few errors that appear in every essay (articles, plurals, subject–verb agreement) are limiting: meaning is clear, but they hold the writing back.
Vocabulary precision fourth. Replace repeated words and fix word forms before teaching “advanced” vocabulary.
Small slips last. Occasional cosmetic errors matter least.
This order is why our Writing Task 2 lesson plan from student mistakes ranks issues before teaching them.
How do you explain the descriptors to students?
Turn each criterion into one or two questions students can ask about their own essay.
Criterion | Student-friendly question |
|---|---|
Task Response | Did I answer every part of the question, and is my opinion clear throughout? |
Coherence and Cohesion | Does each paragraph have one main idea, and could a reader follow my argument? |
Lexical Resource | Did I repeat words, and did I use any words I’m not sure about? |
Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Which mistake do I make most, and is it in this essay? |
Students should apply these to their own work, not to model essays. The IELTS writing checklist turns them into a sheet students can use before handing in.
How can teachers use the descriptors in feedback?
Link each piece of feedback to one criterion and say what to change, rather than giving a criterion score with no explanation.
Weak: “Coherence and cohesion: 6.”
Useful: “Paragraph 2 has three separate ideas. Choose the strongest and develop it with an example.”
A short lesson can then group the class’s feedback by criterion. Our guide to lesson plans built from learners’ mistakes shows how.
What should teachers avoid when using band descriptors?
Avoid promising bands, copying descriptor wording into feedback, and teaching to individual descriptor phrases.
Promising bands: only the real test gives an official score. Classroom estimates are guidance.
Descriptor wording as feedback: phrases from the descriptors are hard for students to act on. Translate them into a specific change.
Chasing phrases: teaching “less common lexical items” as a goal leads to forced vocabulary. Precision matters more.
How can IELTS Laboratory help?
IELTS Laboratory (ielts-laboratory.co) is an independent online platform for IELTS teachers and learners that turns learners’ own Writing and Speaking mistakes into flashcards, lesson packs and practice. It is not affiliated with IELTS, the British Council, IDP or Cambridge.
It follows the same teaching order:
Sol, our AI, gives each essay band estimates and flashcards first, and you check, edit or remove the cards before your student sees them. Every card is labelled with an error code tied to one of the four criteria, and the “Who struggles with what” grid shows learners against criteria.
First and second drafts sit under one report link, so students can see whether a fix worked.
Flashcards go into each learner’s own deck, and missed cards come back sooner.
Lesson packs turn a class’s common mistakes into class material.
Nothing in the product is an official IELTS score, and you remain the judge of each essay.
FAQ
What are the four IELTS writing marking criteria?
Task Achievement (Task 1) or Task Response (Task 2), Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Each counts for a quarter of the task score.
Where can I find the official IELTS writing band descriptors?
They are published on the official IELTS website, ielts.org. Read the full wording there rather than relying on summaries.
What is the difference between Task Achievement and Task Response?
Task Achievement applies to Task 1 and looks at covering key features and giving an overview. Task Response applies to Task 2 and looks at answering the question with a clear, developed position.
Which criterion is easiest to improve quickly?
Often Task Response and paragraph structure, because they depend on planning habits that can change in a few lessons.
Can teachers give official band scores?
No. Only the real test produces an official score. Classroom estimates should be presented as guidance.
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IELTS Laboratory is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or connected to IELTS, the British Council, IDP: IELTS Australia or Cambridge University Press and Assessment.
About the author. Will Salisbury is a TESOL and Applied Linguistics specialist and the founder of IELTS Laboratory. He has taught English for Academic Purposes and ESL for over 14 years at universities in the UK and Canada. More about Will →