When the meaning is lost along the way :(

Some candidates get so carried away trying to fulfill all the requirements of the task that they totally forget that they are using a language, and writing something that is supposed to read and understood by another person.

Students struggling to get their target band mark have started to think like this "I need an introduction, two opinions, 2 main ideas, 2 supporting ideas, 2 examples, complex structures, and a sprinkle cohesive devices". The idea that they are trying to communicate ideas has totally been lost.

It's important to remember that even if you have all the requirements of the task, if your ideas can't be understood or are illogical, then your mark for Task Achievement and Coherence and Cohesion will be low, no matter how good your use of grammar, vocab, and cohesive devices are.

In all types of questions, you are being asked for your opinion. In order for you to get a 7 for TA and CC, this opinion needs to be expressed in a clear and logical way throughout the whole of the essay and not just one part of it. Your opinion should be clear from top to bottom, and there should be no contradictions within it. Your thesis statement should be a reflection of the body and conclusion and vice versa.

I recommend all candidates read their own writing, and ask themselves this question. Would I be convinced by this essay? If the answer is no, then they were probably too focused on the technicalities of the task, and they forgot that they were writing something that was supposed to be read by a real human, the corrector (and yes, they are human ).


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