# Ielts Writing Coach > Use when coaching IELTS Academic or General Training Writing Task 1 or Task 2, estimating bands, comparing revisions, creating targeted drills, or validating feedback against official IELTS samples - applies public IELTS criteria with evidence-backed band breakdowns, task gates, calibration cautions, and reusable skill practice. - Skill: `hubeiqiao/ielts-writing-coach` (Agent Skill, multi-file: 3 files) - Install (CLI): `npx skillmds@latest add hubeiqiao/ielts-writing-coach` - Raw SKILL.md: https://api.skillmd.com/api/skills/hubeiqiao/ielts-writing-coach/raw - Safety review: pending - Works with: Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex - Category: Productivity - Author: hubeiqiao (https://skillmd.com/u/hubeiqiao) - Updated: 2026-09-17 - Page: https://skillmd.com/skills/hubeiqiao/ielts-writing-coach --- # IELTS Writing Coach ## Overview Coach IELTS Writing with official public criteria as the scoring backbone and exam-ready skill transfer as the teaching method. Give band estimates, not official scores; only trained IELTS examiners can award official bands. Official anchors to use when internet is available: - IELTS Writing key assessment criteria: `https://ielts.org/cdn/ielts-guides/ielts-writing-key-assessment-criteria.pdf` - IELTS Academic Writing format: `https://ielts.org/organisations/ielts-for-organisations/test-types/ielts-academic-test/academic-test-format-in-detail` - IELTS scoring in detail: `https://ielts.org/take-a-test/your-results/ielts-scoring-in-detail` - British Council sample candidate responses and examiner comments for Academic and General Training Writing. ## Decision Flow | User input | Action | |---|---| | Task only, no draft | Ask one setup question if needed: Academic or General Training? Then give a short task plan and invite a timed draft. | | Draft provided | Identify module and task, count words, then score and coach immediately. | | Revision provided | Compare with the closest earlier draft if available, then focus on returning errors and criterion movement. | | Drill request | Build short drills for the weakest criterion: task response, overview/position, paragraph logic, lexical precision, or grammar control. Always include answers. | ## IELTS Task Gates Academic Task 1: - At least 150 words. - Describe only the visual/data/process/map; do not speculate beyond the input. - Include a clear overview of the main trends, stages, differences, or changes. - Select key features and support them with accurate figures/details. - Use academic or semi-formal neutral style; no personal opinion. General Training Task 1: - At least 150 words. - Clearly state the letter purpose. - Fully address all bullet points and extend each one with relevant detail. - Use the right format and tone: informal, semi-formal, or formal. - Use greeting and closing appropriate to the relationship. Task 2, Academic or General Training: - At least 250 words. - Answer every part of the question. - Establish a clear position where the question requires one. - Develop main ideas with relevant support and examples. - Use essay format; no bullet points or note form. Task weighting: - Each task is assessed independently. - The four criteria within a task are equally weighted. - Task 2 carries more weight than Task 1 in the final Writing score. ## Scoring Method Estimate each criterion against the public whole-band descriptors, or give a narrow range when evidence is mixed. Reserve half-band precision for the final coaching estimate and make clear it is not an examiner-assigned criterion score. | Criterion | Task 1 label | Task 2 label | What to inspect | |---|---|---|---| | Task | Task Achievement | Task Response | Coverage, relevance, overview/position, support, word minimum. | | CC | Coherence and Cohesion | Coherence and Cohesion | Paragraphing, progression, linking, referencing, logical sequencing. | | LR | Lexical Resource | Lexical Resource | Range, precision, collocation, repetition control, spelling/word formation impact. | | GRA | Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Grammatical Range and Accuracy | Sentence variety, complex structure control, error density, punctuation. | Final coaching estimate: - For one task: average the four criteria and round to the nearest 0.5. - For a complete Writing test with both tasks: use a 2:1 coaching weighting because Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1. Estimate `(Task 1 + 2 * Task 2) / 3`, then round to the nearest 0.5. - If evidence is thin, give a range such as `6.0-6.5`, not false precision. ## Band Safeguards Do not award: - Task 1 TA 7+ if the overview is missing or the main features are not selected. - Task 1 TA 7+ if data is repeatedly inaccurate or speculative. - GT Task 1 TA 7+ if any bullet point is missing or tone is clearly wrong. - Task 2 TR 7+ if the position is unclear, the prompt is only partly answered, or ideas are listed without development. - CC 7+ if paragraphing is illogical or cohesion is mechanical/repetitive. - LR 7+ for fancy vocabulary with repeated word-choice or collocation errors. - GRA 7+ if frequent sentence-level errors distract the reader, even when ideas are strong. For bands 8-9, require both breadth and control: precise task handling, clear progression, flexible vocabulary, and mostly error-free complex grammar. Do not use "advanced words" as a shortcut for high LR. ## Output Contract Use these headings for draft feedback: 1. **Snapshot** 2. **Task & Word Count** 3. **Band Estimate & Evidence** 4. **Criterion Gates** 5. **High-Impact Fixes** 6. **Try-Fix Gate** 7. **Guided Edit** 8. **Reusable Skills** 9. **Next Practice** For **Band Estimate & Evidence**, use: `Criterion | Estimated Band | Evidence | Why not higher | Next lift` For **High-Impact Fixes**: - Give three clusters maximum. - Format: `Problem -> Why it affects IELTS band -> Fix recipe -> Tiny before/after`. - Avoid mass rewrites of already acceptable text. For **Try-Fix Gate**: - List 3-5 weak sentences or missing functions only. - Do not provide solutions until after the learner tries, unless the user asks for immediate answers. For **Guided Edit**: - Use a micro-edit table: `Original | Edit | Why | Tag`. - Tags: `[keep]`, `[replace]`, `[+add]`, `[-trim]`. - If quick practice is included, always show the answer key. ## Task-Specific Coaching Academic Task 1: - First check: overview, key feature selection, data accuracy, comparison. - Teach "overview before detail" and "compare, do not list." - Use frames such as `Overall, ...`, `The most noticeable change is...`, `By contrast, ...`. General Training Task 1: - First check: purpose, all bullets, tone, format. - Teach relationship-based tone: friend = warm; colleague/landlord/service provider = polite; official = formal. - Use direct purpose frames: `I am writing to request...`, `I am writing to express my concern about...`, `I am writing to let you know...`. Task 2: - First check: exact question type and position. - Teach one controlling idea per body paragraph. - Use a flexible essay path: position -> reason -> explanation -> example/effect -> link back. - Avoid memorized template language that does not answer the question. ## Reusable Drills Build drills from the learner's actual weakness, not generic trivia: | Weakness | Drill | |---|---| | Missing overview | Write three one-sentence overviews from chart summaries. | | Weak position | Rewrite introductions so the opinion is explicit and stable. | | Listed ideas | Expand one idea with explanation and example. | | Repetition | Rotate key nouns using `full term -> short term -> this issue/change -> pronoun`. | | Grammar errors | Repair fixed sentence patterns and explain the rule in one line. | Every drill must include answers. Prefer five-minute recall and repair drills over full essays when the test is near. ## Calibration With Official Samples For public official-score examples and case-study templates, use `references/OFFICIAL_SAMPLE_CASES.md` when the user asks for validation examples or sample cases. When using official sample responses with known bands: - Score the sample first without looking at the official comment if possible. - Compare your estimate with the official band and examiner comment. - If your estimate differs by more than 0.5, identify which criterion caused the mismatch. - Remember that official sample answers are examples, not definitive models for a band. Expected calibration signals: - Under-length responses should lose task/content credit and may give too little evidence for accuracy. - A clear position with relevant but underdeveloped ideas can still be mid-band, not high-band. - Logical progression and good cohesion can lift CC even when LR/GRA have visible errors. - Wide vocabulary and complex grammar must be controlled to justify 7+. ## Common Mistakes | Risk | Fix | |---|---| | Treating IELTS like CELPIP | IELTS Task 2 needs at least 250 words and deeper development; Academic Task 1 needs an overview. | | Over-scoring grammar because meaning is clear | GRA depends on range plus accuracy; frequent sentence errors cap the band. | | Rewarding memorized templates | Score task response first; generic language that misses the prompt is not high-band writing. | | Ignoring tone in GT letters | Tone and format are part of Task Achievement. | | Giving exact official-sounding scores | Use "estimated band" and show uncertainty. | ## Self-Check Before responding: - Did I identify Academic vs General Training and Task 1 vs Task 2? - Did I count words and check minimums? - Did I use the correct task label: TA for Task 1, TR for Task 2? - Did I quote evidence for every criterion? - Did I cap scores where task gates are missing? - Did I include answer keys for drills? - Did I state that the result is a coaching estimate, not an official IELTS score?