Shadowing Practice: IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay - Paragraph Length - Learn English Speaking with Video

Kies een oefenmodus

Elke modus opent een volledig scherm oefenruimte.

155 zinnen

Als zinnen te kort of te lang zijn, klik op Bewerken om ze aan te passen.

Hello, I'm Liz.

In this lesson we're going to have a look at how

long your paragraph should be for your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay.

The length of each paragraph does play an important role in your band score

and it's in the marking criterion of task response

which counts for 25 % of your marks that this plays an important role.

So we're going to have a look at how long your paragraph should be in terms of words

and sentences for a four paragraph essay then for a five paragraph essay you are not going to have

or you shouldn't have an essay that is less than four paragraphs

or more than five and then we'll have a look at the biggest mistake

that people make when it comes to the balance of those paragraphs

and of course i'll show you where to find some model essays

so that you can review everything that we talk about today

and yes this lesson is suitable for people preparing for the academic IELTS test and the general training IELTS test.

All my lessons for writing task two are suitable for both.

Let's have a look at a four paragraph essay.

Now you will have an introduction, body paragraph one, body paragraph two and a conclusion.

Now most essays will be between 270 and 290 words.

It is not recommended to write less because if If you're aiming for a good score, you do need to extend and develop those ideas,

so you need more words.

But writing more than 290 is not necessary if you're aiming for a high score.

More isn't necessarily better.

Now even if you're aiming for a band score 9,

290 words is still enough for you to extend your ideas sufficiently to get that high score.

Now, obviously, if you do write more is not a problem

if your ideas are extremely focused and relevant and you do not produce many grammar or vocabulary mistakes,

then writing a little bit more is okay.

But generally speaking, it isn't required.

So on average, your essay will be about 280 words.

Now, the introduction.

The introduction will always have two sentences there'll be a background statement

and a thesis statement writing more does not increase your score it's not required in IELTS

and these essays are specific to IELTS they are not academic essays for a college

or university these are specifically designed essays for IELTS

and two sentences is enough even for band score nine

now the length of those sentences depends it really depends on how much information

you need to put into your background statement

and your thesis statement now on average it will probably come to about 50 words

so that's about 25 words per sentence for the background

and thesis but it's also very possible

that you will write more maybe up to 60

or less about 40

so let's put it at 50 for now now we're going to jump to the conclusion

now the reason i'm jumping straight to the conclusion is

because the introduction and the conclusion are both very functional paragraphs

that means they play a very vital role but extending them

and focusing on them more

and developing them more doesn't actually increase your band score

they are functional once they have performed their role that's all you need to do with them

so the conclusion is normally just one sentence that's actually all

you need now writing more obviously you might want to add another sentence

but i will say it doesn't actually increase your score to do

so now normally again we'll presume that that's about 25 words in length

but yes it could go up to 30 it could go even go up to 35

but please be careful writing very long complex sentences

if your grammar is not strong it would be better to divide

that into two sentences the more mistakes you make the lower your score goes

so do be careful with that

so let's have a look at those body paragraphs as you can see you've got about 105

and 105 words for each of the body paragraphs

this means the focus of your writing is going to be

on those body paragraphs your aim is to develop the main ideas

that you're presenting so to develop and extend them and that is what you are focusing on for the body paragraphs

So they are significantly longer than the introduction or conclusion.

And on the whole, depending on the length of your sentences, let's imagine that the average sentence is about 20 words,

might be more, might be less, but you're looking at about 4 to 6 sentences for each of the body paragraphs.

So when it comes to the number of sentences, as you can see, it's actually between 11 and 15 sentences.

So on average, we're looking at about 13 sentences for your essay.

Now that's not very long, not at all.

It's actually quite a simple essay on the whole.

Now let's have a look at that five paragraph essay.

The introduction and the conclusion for the five paragraph essay don't change.

Their function remains the same and their length remains the same

so the difference will only be in those body paragraphs

now the first body paragraph as you see it's got 70 words

and three to four sentences and if you look at the second

and the third body paragraph exactly the same so

when it comes to the total we're looking at let's say on average about 13 to 15 sentences again

so a very short essay now let's have a look at the biggest mistake

that people make with the balance of their paragraphs and how

that impacts your score for task response and this is a type of mistake

that i'm talking about now what the examiner notices here this is before he

or she even reads one word of your essay the examiner will notice immediately

that when it comes to the body paragraphs which contain main points that have been developed,

that one of the main points is underdeveloped.

These body paragraphs need to be the same length so

that each main point inside that body paragraph is well developed having a main point

that is not sufficiently developed will limit your chances almost prevent

your chances of getting a band score seven in task response

because the actual marking criteria require

you to sufficiently develop each main point to get a band score seven in task response

so you can see that this candidate has spent a lot of time and effort focusing on their introduction

which doesn't help their band score

and they're not enough time developing their main points sufficiently

which is necessary for a good band score so

that is an immediate problem

and as i said you can see it before you even look at any words

so you need to make sure that your essay is properly balanced

so here we've got an example of how it should look you've got the introduction up at the top

100

which is of limited length but it is longer than the conclusion

101

and the introduction is shorter than the body paragraphs

102

and each body paragraph is sufficiently developed and that is what your essay should look like.

103

That is what you need to be aiming for.

104

So let's see what the balance should look like for a four paragraph essay.

105

I want you to fix the image in your mind so that you're very clear about this.

106

It's a very easy mistake to make and it does impact your band score

107

so as you see with the four paragraph essay when there are only two body paragraphs

108

they're really quite extended in comparison to the introduction and conclusion

109

which still remain quite short and functional and i hope you realize also

110

that when it comes to planning your essay you now realize where the focus of your planning needs to be

111

because those supporting points

112

that will help you extend these body paragraphs need to be planned not just the main point

113

but the supporting points as well and once you realize

114

that you will find it much easier and you will find yourself more focused

115

and clear -minded when it comes to actually writing your essay

116

now for most of you this test is an investment an investment of your time

117

and an investment of your money for your future

118

and it's very important that if you're going to invest in something

119

that you do understand it fully you do need to understand the marking criteria

120

and you do need to understand the requirements of each of the marking criteria for the band score

121

that you're aiming for so the fact

122

that these body paragraphs need to be sufficiently developed

123

and equally developed is something you ought to know before you even book your test and

124

if you're not sure about these details then you need to learn about them

125

now of course it's all free on my website i mean i built ielts liz for this purpose

126

so that you could access all this information for free

127

so i'll put in a pinned comment below the video on youtube links to marking criteria

128

and how you can improve your band score in relation to

129

that and also to model essays because now you understand that

130

when you look at model essays there are many aspects

131

that you need to pay attention to

132

and it includes the length of the paragraphs there are all kinds of things

133

that you should notice when you review model essays so that you can learn at home.

134

Now I know there are many model essays online and that's one of the reasons why it gets confusing.

135

A model essay is actually there to learn from.

136

It's there as a guide for you but that means it has to be written with an understanding of the marking criteria,

137

with an understanding of the requirements of the band score

138

and with the ability to actually teach those things

139

and illustrate them in a model

140

that is safe for everyone to use even from band score six right the way up to band score nine

141

now i know what you're going to ask me

142

you're going to ask me whether the balance of paragraphs is

143

the same for ielts writing task one well for the academic

144

test the task one is going to be a report

145

and for the general training test it's a letter

146

and I will tell you that the balance of paragraphs is different

147

and actually it's much more flexible there's quite a variation in fact

148

so again you now are aware of this and

149

when you go to have a look again you'll find all the model answers on my website

150

when you go to have a look and then pay attention to those things

151

so I hope you realize now it's not a complicated essay really

152

it isn't it's actually one of the most simple essays

153

that you can write you are aiming for about 13 sentences

154

and that's all well i hope you found this short video useful

155

and i will see you again in the next video or over on ieltsliz .com see you soon bye

App downloaden

Alles wat je nodig hebt om vloeiend te spreken

AI UitspraakScoor elke zin

IPA OefeningBeheers elk geluid

WoordenschatBouw je woordenschat op

WoordenspelLeren terwijl je speelt

Scan QR

Download on theApp Store Get it onGoogle Play

Zelfde Kanaal

How to improve your IELTS Speaking at Home

IELTS PrepUniversity StudentsWorking Adults

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topics

IELTS PrepCambridge Exam PrepUniversity Students

FOR YOU

Aanbevolen Video

231 zinnen

Woordenschat en spreektips bij deze les

Deze spreekles is gebaseerd op de video “IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay - Paragraph Length”. Deze woorden komen het vaakst terug: paragraph, essay, score, sentence, band. Deze video bevat 155 zinnen en 1872 woorden om na te spreken. Het gesproken deel duurt 12:45. De spreker praat in een gelijkmatig tempo van ongeveer 147 woorden per minuut, prettig om te shadowen. 87% van de woorden hoort bij de 3.000 meest gebruikte Engelse woorden, dus de woordenschat is goed te volgen.

Belangrijke woorden in deze video

15 woorden uit de video die het leren waard zijn, met uitspraak en betekenis:

Woord	Uitspraak	Betekenis
paragraph zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈpæɹəɡɹæf/	alinea, paragraaf
essay zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈɛs.eɪ/	essay, opstel
conclusion zelfstandig naamwoord	/kənˈkluːʒən/	conclusie, einde
extend werkwoord	/ɛkˈstɛnd/	uitbreiden
lesson zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈlɛs.ən/	les
functional bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/ˈfʌŋkt͡ʃənəl/	functionerend, operationeel
depend werkwoord	/dɪˈpɛnd/	afhangen
thesis zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈθisɪs/	these
suitable bijvoeglijk naamwoord	[ˈsjuː.tə.bɫ̩]	geschikt, passend
requirement zelfstandig naamwoord	/ɹɪˈkwaɪɹmənt/	vereiste, plicht
grammar zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/	spraakkunst, grammatica
necessarily bijwoord	/ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/	nodig, noodzakelijk
complicated bijvoeglijk naamwoord	/ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/	ingewikkeld, gecompliceerd
aspect zelfstandig naamwoord	/ˈæspɛkt/	aspect
equally bijwoord	/ˈiːkwəli/	even, gelijk

Grammatica in deze video

De structuren die de spreker het meest gebruikt, met de exacte woorden uit de video:

Structuur	In de video
Lijdende vorm be + voltooid deelwoord — het gaat om wat er gebeurt, niet om wie het doet	is not recommended · isn't required · are specifically designed
Present perfect have/has + voltooid deelwoord — iets uit het verleden dat nu nog telt	have performed · have been developed · has spent

Uitspraak om op te letten

De spreker gebruikt 38 samentrekkingen en verkorte vormen, zoals you're, we're, doesn't. Spreek ze kort uit, zoals je ze hoort.

De klanken “sh” en “zh”: conclusion /kənˈkluːʒən/, sufficiently /səˈfɪʃəntli/, relation /ɹɪˈleɪʃ(ə)n/, variation /ˌvɛəɹiˈeɪʃn̩/
Lange woorden — let op de klemtoon: sufficiently /səˈfɪʃəntli/, examiner /əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/, necessarily /ˌnɛs.əˈsɛɹ.ə.li/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/

Klanken die Nederlandstaligen lastig vinden:

Stemhebbende eindmedeklinker — /b/, /d/, /g/, /z/, /v/ niet verscherpen: bind /ˈbaɪ̯nd/, extend /ɛkˈstɛnd/, depend /dɪˈpɛnd/, complicated /ˈkɑm.plɪˌkeɪ.tɪd/, divide /dɪˈvaɪd/
/æ/ — opener dan de Nederlandse “e”: paragraph /ˈpæɹəɡɹæf/, grammar /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/, examiner /əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/, aspect /ˈæspɛkt/, vocabulary /vəˈkæb.jə.lə.ɹi/
/g/ — een harde plofklank, geen Nederlandse “g”: paragraph /ˈpæɹəɡɹæf/, grammar /ˈɡɹæm.ə(ɹ)/, examiner /əɡˈzæmɪnɚ/

Zo oefen je met deze video

Luister de hele video één keer zonder te spreken en noteer de woorden die je niet kent.
Spreek zin voor zin na op normale snelheid en herhaal elke zin tot je ritme gelijk is aan dat van de spreker.
Neem jezelf op en vergelijk met het origineel; let daarbij op woorden als paragraph, essay, conclusion.

Wat is de Shadowing-techniek?

Shadowing is een wetenschappelijk onderbouwde taalleermethode die oorspronkelijk is ontwikkeld voor professionele tolkentraining en gepopulariseerd door polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. De methode is eenvoudig maar krachtig: je luistert naar native Engelse audio en herhaalt het onmiddellijk hardop — als een schaduw die de spreker volgt met slechts 1–2 seconden vertraging. In tegenstelling tot passief luisteren of grammaticadrills, dwingt shadowing je hersenen en mondspieren om echte spraakpatronen tegelijkertijd te verwerken en te reproduceren. Onderzoek toont aan dat het de uitspraaknauwkeurigheid, intonatie, ritme, verbonden spraak, luisterbegrip en spreekvaardigheid aanzienlijk verbetert — waardoor het een van de meest effectieve methoden is voor IELTS Speaking-voorbereiding en echte Engelse communicatie.

Shadowing-techniek: lees de volledige stap-voor-stap-gids →

Shadowing Practice: IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay - Paragraph Length - Learn English Speaking with Video

Kies een oefenmodus

App downloaden

How to improve your IELTS Speaking at Home

IELTS Speaking Part 1 Topics

2027 Guide to IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

IELTS Speaking Part 2: Describe a Piece of Advice You Received (Band 7.0)

The ONLY IELTS Writing Task 2 Strategy You Need

IELTS Listening Part 3: A Field Trip on Coastal Erosion

Launching Answers Part 2: Break Away From Boring - IELTS Energy Podcast 1638

IELTS Speaking Test questions 2 - Sample Answer

15 Advanced Synonyms for IELTS Essays

How to Make Any IELTS Speaking Answer Longer | IELTS with Charles

IELTS Reading: Where Your Marks Are Actually Leaking

IELTS Speaking Band 8.5 (Temurbek Akbaraliyev)

Complete IELTS Band 5-6.5 - UNIT 3

How Do I Get A Band 9 in IELTS Speaking?