This book covers the IELTS Writing section only; it does not cover Reading, Listening or Speaking.

You know English. You’ve written essays before. Then the clock starts, and the blank page is somehow more intimidating than the question.

IELTS Writing isn’t testing whether you can write — it’s testing whether you can write the specific way examiners are trained to score, under a strict word count, in a fixed time, on a topic you’ve never seen. Most candidates don’t lose marks because their English is weak. They lose them because nobody ever showed them, concretely, what actually separates a band 6 response from a band 8 — and the difference is more about structure and precision than raw vocabulary.

What’s inside

• Task 1 Academic — every chart type, actually drawn — line graph, bar chart, pie pair, table, process diagram, mixed chart, and maps, each shown as a real illustrated chart you read before the model answer, not a paragraph telling you what a chart “shows.”
• Task 1 General Training — 5 letter types — formal, semi-formal, and informal, each with a full model letter and the register rules that go with it.
• Task 2 — all 6 essay types — opinion, discussion, advantage/disadvantage, problem/solution, two-part question, positive/negative development — each with a complete model essay and its structure.
• How the test is scored — the four official criteria (Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range & Accuracy) in plain language.
• A real band 6 vs. band 7 vs. band 9 comparison — the same question answered at all three levels, side by side, annotated.
• 9 writing toolkits — essay templates, trend vocabulary, paraphrasing the question, formal linking words, academic vocabulary upgrades, advanced grammar, Task 1 data language, letter register.
• The 10 mistakes that cap most candidates at band 6 — regardless of vocabulary.
• Two complete mock tests — Academic and General Training, each with a real Task 1 and Task 2 prompt to attempt under timed conditions first, then a full band 8–9 model response to check yourself against.
• A quick-reference cheat sheet — every key phrase and structure for the morning of the exam.
• A bonus “Identity Shift” section — a short, neuroplasticity-backed mindset exercise for walking in already thinking like the organized, clear-headed writer.

Who it’s for

Anyone preparing for IELTS Academic or General Training whose Writing score is quietly dragging down their overall band. Written in clear B1–B2 English; works as a full course or a final-week sharpening.

Who’s behind it

Written by Dr. Henry English, founder of Concord Black — a school director with a BA in English Language and Literature, a BA in English Language Teaching, a master’s degree in English Language Teaching, and a PhD in English Language and Philosophy — who has spent years watching capable students write beautifully in their own language, then underperform the moment it’s under exam conditions, in a second language, against the clock.

Get instant access to IELTS Writing Mastery — every chart type drawn, all letter and essay types with full model answers, band 6-vs-7-vs-9, and two full mock tests — for $9.

—