How to Review and Edit Your IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay in 5 Minutes

After you finish writing your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay, you may think the work is done. But wait — you still have 5 minutes. This short time can be very powerful. Many candidates lose marks because of small mistakes that could be fixed in just a few minutes.

In this article, I will show you a simple way to review and edit your essay quickly. You don’t need to be perfect. You only need to follow five clear steps. I will also show you examples so you can understand the editing process better.

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What You Will Learn

• Why editing is important

• What to check in your essay

• A 5-minute editing plan

• Common mistakes with real examples

• Simple fixes for better scores

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Why Editing Is Important

The IELTS examiner will give you a score in four areas:

1. Task Response – Did you answer all parts of the question clearly?

2. Coherence and Cohesion – Is your essay organised? Do the ideas connect well?

3. Lexical Resource – Are you using a range of vocabulary correctly?

4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy – Are your sentences correct and varied?

Even if you have good ideas, you can still lose marks if:

• You repeat the same words

• You forget to answer one part of the question

• You make grammar mistakes

Let’s say a student writes:

“People is happier now because technology is help them.”

This is a grammar error. The correct sentence should be:

“People are happier now because technology helps them.”

Fixing this kind of mistake in the last 5 minutes can improve your score from Band 6 to Band 7 or even higher.

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The 5-Minute Editing Plan

Let’s go step by step with examples.

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Minute 1: Check Task Response and Relevance

Ask yourself:

• Did I answer the question fully?

• Does each paragraph have one clear idea?

• Is my opinion clear from start to finish?

Example

Essay Question:
“Some people think the government should invest more in public transport. Do you agree or disagree?”

Weak Response:
“Public transport is good. Trains are fast. Also, cars are important.”

Improved Response:
“I agree that the government should invest more in public transport because it reduces traffic, lowers pollution, and helps people who cannot afford private cars.”

Fixes:

• Make your viewpoint clear

• Remove off-topic sentences (cars are important)

• Add supporting ideas that match the question

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Minute 2: Grammar and Sentence Structure

Check for:

• Subject-verb agreement

• Tense consistency

• Proper sentence structure

• Countable and uncountable nouns

 

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Common Errors and Fixes

Real Example:
Wrong: “There is many reasons.”
Correct: “There are many reasons.”

Also, use a mix of short and long sentences. For example:

“Education is important. It helps people get jobs. It also improves society.”

can become:

“Education is important because it not only helps individuals find better jobs but also improves society overall.”

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Minute 3: Vocabulary and Word Repetition

Ask:

• Am I using the same words too often?

• Is my vocabulary too basic?

• Are there any informal words?

Example of Repetition:

“People are happy. Happy people live better. A happy life is good.”

Change to:

“People feel more satisfied when they have a good quality of life. A content and fulfilling life can improve both health and relationships.”

Quick Fixes:

• Replace “good” with “beneficial”, “valuable”, “effective”

• Change “bad” to “harmful”, “dangerous”, “ineffective”

• Avoid words like “kids” → use “children” in formal writing

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Minute 4: Linking and Coherence

Your essay should flow from one idea to the next.

Ask:

• Do I have clear topic sentences?

• Are the linking words correct and not repeated too much?

Linking Words to Use:

• Addition: furthermore, moreover, in addition

• Contrast: however, on the other hand

• Cause and Effect: as a result, therefore, because of this

• Examples: for example, for instance, such as

Bad example:
“Public transport is useful. Also, cars are expensive. Also, traffic is bad.”

Better version:
“Public transport is useful for daily travel. Moreover, it is often cheaper than owning a car. As a result, it can reduce traffic in big cities.”

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Minute 5: Spelling and Punctuation

Now do a quick check for:

• Capital letters (for countries, names, first words)

• Comma use

• Spelling of common words

Example Errors:

Wrong: “Bangladesh is a smal country.”
Right: “Bangladesh is a small country.”

Wrong: “In conclusion the goverment should do more.”
Right: “In conclusion, the government should do more.”

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Real Student Editing Example

Original:
“Because it’s good for the country, the government should give more money to education.”

Edited:
“The government should invest more in education because it helps national development.”

Improvements:

• More formal tone

• Better verb (“invest”)

• Clearer sentence structure

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Band 6 vs Band 8 Sample

Band 6:
“People want a job. Jobs are hard. Government should make jobs.”

Band 8:
“Many citizens struggle to find employment, especially in rural areas. Therefore, it is crucial for the government to create more job opportunities by supporting industries and education.”

Why Band 8 is better:

• Specific vocabulary: “employment”, “rural areas”

• Formal and clear tone

• Logical structure

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How to Practice This

• Write one essay a day

• Edit the essay using the 5-minute strategy

• Check if your corrections improve the clarity

• Ask a friend or tutor to give feedback

Use Grammarly or a grammar checker to spot errors, but don’t rely on it completely. Learn why the mistake is wrong.

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Final 5-Minute Editing Checklist

✅ My thesis and conclusion match
✅ Each paragraph has one clear idea
✅ My tenses are consistent
✅ I used strong, formal vocabulary
✅ I varied sentence structure
✅ I used correct linking words
✅ I avoided spelling and punctuation errors

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Summary

Editing your IELTS Task 2 essay is a smart way to improve your score. Even in just 5 minutes, you can:

• Find and fix grammar errors

• Make your message clearer

• Use better vocabulary

• Improve flow and logic

• Correct simple spelling mistakes

Don’t skip the editing stage. Practise editing often, and you’ll become faster and better with time.

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Call to Action

Which part of editing do you struggle with the most? Vocabulary, grammar, or idea organisation? Leave a comment or contact me, and I’ll send you a free personalised editing checklist to help you improve!