What the marker is looking at
What to check in your own draft
| What | What it means |
|---|---|
| Purpose | the email makes its request or the discussion states and supports an opinion |
| Reader | the tone fits the recipient; a discussion post responds to another viewpoint |
| Organisation | a reader can follow the idea without going back |
| Language | words, grammar, spelling and punctuation carry the intended meaning clearly |
These are editing questions based on the task descriptions, not a four-part official scoring grid. ETS describes the current Writing tasks here; task description checked on 24 September 2026.
A fancy word in the wrong place is just a very well-dressed mistake.
A memorised phrase is a risk, not a shortcut
- With the development of society, every coin has two sides, as far as I am concerned can fit many topics precisely because they say so little.
- Replace a generic opener with a claim about this prompt and this reader.
- Under time pressure, every sentence should move the answer forward.
Why is 'With the development of society' a weak opening here?
The phrase is grammatical, but a specific first sentence would move the answer forward.
Precision beats decoration
- Cost fell sharply after 2015 says what changed and when; there was a considerable diminution in the pecuniary outlay hides both points behind heavy wording.
- Choose a common word used precisely before a rare word you are not sure how to use.
- Check whether your words fit the idea and one another. Length is not a virtue by itself.
Which sentence states the change and its time more clearly?
'Cost fell sharply after 2015' identifies the measure, direction and time. The longer sentence does not.
A short correct sentence outranks a long broken one
- A complex sentence helps when it expresses a relationship clearly and accurately.
- Write the sentence you can control. Join ideas when the link between them matters.
- If time remains, read back for missing words, verb endings, plurals, punctuation and whether the request or opinion is still clear.
Making a sentence longer automatically makes the meaning clearer.
Length does not show the relationship between ideas by itself. Join ideas when the connection matters and stays clear.
You have sixty seconds left. What is the best use of them?
If the required ideas are already present, a final read-back can catch fixable errors without adding an unplanned sentence.
Two practical things
- Practise typing your own answers. The section is completed on a keyboard, so fluency with the tool helps you use the available time.
- Write for a reader. An office needs an actionable request; classmates need an idea that enters their conversation.