IELTS.international
Rubric · Free under CC BY 4.0
IELTS Writing Task 2 marking rubric for teachers
A teaching rubric based on the public IELTS Writing band descriptors, written in our own words for classroom marking and peer review. It is not the official descriptors text and does not replace it: the official band descriptors are published by the IELTS partners at ielts.org.
Before you choose a band
- Count the words. Under 250 words, the essay usually cannot develop its ideas enough, which holds Task Response down; under about 150 words, Task Response rarely goes above 5.
- Check the essay answers this question. An off-topic answer, or a memorised template that ignores the question, keeps Task Response at 4 or below.
- Mark each criterion on its own. A strong vocabulary score should not pull grammar up, and the reverse.
- If an essay fits most but not all of a band, give the half band below it.
- Do not reward length, rare words or linking phrases on their own. Look for control, precision and developed ideas.
Task Response
Does the essay answer this question, and is the writer's view clear and argued?
| Band | What you see in the essay |
|---|---|
| 8 | Deals with every part of the question in depth. You always know what the writer thinks. Each main idea is explained and backed up; a claim is only now and then too broad. |
| 7 | Deals with every part of the question. The writer's view stays clear to the end. Main ideas are explained and supported, though some claims are too broad or lose focus. |
| 6 | Deals with every part, but some get far less attention. A view is given, yet the ending may be vague, unsupported or a repeat. Some ideas are left undeveloped. |
| 5 | Deals with only part of the question. The writer's view is hard to pin down or shifts. Ideas are thin, repeated or padded with detail that does not help. |
| 4 | Barely engages with the question, or answers a different one. It is hard to tell what the writer thinks; ideas are few, unclear or unsupported. |
Coherence and Cohesion
Can a reader follow the argument from start to finish without effort?
| Band | What you see in the essay |
|---|---|
| 8 | The argument moves in an order that is easy to follow. Linking is smooth and never distracting. Paragraph breaks suit the content. |
| 7 | Well organised; the argument moves forward. Uses a range of linking words, though some are overdone or missing. Each paragraph has one clear main point. |
| 6 | Readable and moves forward overall. Linking works but can feel mechanical, or goes wrong inside or between sentences. Paragraph breaks are not always logical. |
| 5 | Some organisation, but the essay does not build towards a point. Linking is thin, wrong or repeated too often. Paragraphs are missing or do not match the ideas. |
| 4 | Ideas are not in a sensible order. Only basic linking words, often wrong or repeated. The essay may not be split into paragraphs. |
Lexical Resource
Is the vocabulary broad and precise enough for this topic?
| Band | What you see in the essay |
|---|---|
| 8 | Broad vocabulary used with ease and precision, including less common words that fit. Mistakes in word choice, word partnerships or spelling are rare. |
| 7 | Enough vocabulary to be flexible and precise; some less common words; aware of style and word partnerships. Word choice, spelling or word-form slips appear now and then. |
| 6 | Vocabulary is enough for the topic. Tries less common words, not always accurately. Spelling or word-form errors are there, but the meaning stays clear. |
| 5 | Narrow vocabulary, only just enough for the task. Spelling and word-form errors are noticeable and sometimes make the reader work harder. |
| 4 | Basic words, repeated or used wrongly. Weak control of spelling and word forms; errors can make the text hard to read. |
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
How varied are the sentences, and how often do errors get in the way?
| Band | What you see in the essay |
|---|---|
| 8 | A wide mix of sentence types. Most sentences have no errors at all; the few mistakes are minor. |
| 7 | Longer, multi-clause sentences used often and with control; many sentences have no errors. Grammar and punctuation are handled well, with a handful of mistakes. |
| 6 | A mix of short and longer sentences. Some grammar and punctuation errors, but they seldom block the meaning. |
| 5 | Few sentence types. Longer sentences are tried but go wrong more often than short ones. Errors are frequent and sometimes confuse the reader. |
| 4 | Very few sentence types; clauses joined with 'because', 'which' or 'although' are rare. Most sentences contain errors and punctuation is often wrong. |
Band 9 and bands 3 and below are left out on purpose: they are rare in classroom practice. Use the official descriptors for them.
Class marking grid
One row per essay. Write a band for each criterion and the single change that would help most.
| Student | TR | CC | LR | GR | One thing to fix |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
TR = Task Response · CC = Coherence and Cohesion · LR = Lexical Resource · GR = Grammatical Range and Accuracy