Example 1: LR (Lexical Resource)
Some test takers lose points in the essay before the examiner has even started reading it.
This is thanks to visual signals that tell an experienced examiner that there’s a problem. These visual signs can be a short essay, i.e. less than the 250-word minimum, a short paragraph that can’t possibly be fully developed, or other signals.
Look at a sample essay written by our client who submitted it for assessment. Can you spot the problem without reading the whole essay?
Here’s a hint: it’s the lexical resource criterion, which assesses, among other points, the writer’s vocabulary range.
To an experienced examiner the problem “pops” out. This is what this examiner sees:
What does this mean for the writer? A lower LR score that will impact the overall score.
- To avoid this, be sure to do a few things:
Avoid using terms from the task itself in the introduction paragraph (i.e. paraphrase). - Use synonyms (driverless vehicles: self-driving cars, autonomous automobiles, autonomous technology, unmanned cars; drivers: car/taxi operators, etc.).
- Restructure sentences so that you can refer to this nouns using pronouns (it, they, them).
This writer lost points before the examiner read the full essay. Once this happens, the examiner is already set to approach the rest of the essay with skepticism, which will likely mean noticing more problem areas and taking off points accordingly.
If you are preparing to take the IELTS exam, be sure to include vocabulary building as a major component of your prep strategy.
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