Easy Academic English and Writing for IELTS™ and TOEFL iBT

Write complex sentences. Example: Although the robber left her mask at the bank, the police could not capture her. [Notice the dependent clause introduces the independent clause.]

Sentence length, grammar style, and word choice are three ways to change up your paragraphs.

First, alternate between short and long sentences. Be careful. Too many short sentences can make your prose seem stunted and fast-paced. Too many long sentences can make your text more difficult to follow.

Vary your sentence structure.

Tip Six: Write less and say more.

As the author George Orwell wrote: “Never use a long word where a short one will do.”1

Always think “reason and example” on these tests.

Provide supporting evidence.

Tip Four: Use the active voice.

While academic writing is noted for the passive voice, most sentences should still be in the active voice.

Active Voice: John threw the ball to Maria.

Passive Voice: The ball was thrown to Maria (by John).

If you recall, you saw examples of the passive voice above in order to avoid using the personal pronoun “we.”

Strong writers instinctively write in the active voice to use less words and make more impact!

Tip Three: Take a s

thesis statement is the topic sentence of your entire essay.

Tip Two: Get to the point.

The introductory paragraph of your IELTS and TOEFL essay start with a thesis statement and should quickly outline the main points to be covered in the entire document (that answer the prompt).