Editing and Proofreading
90-second post-write checklist
Topic & Why It Matters
IELTS Writing is timed, so many candidates finish with a draft that contains avoidable errors: a missing overview, an unclear position, repeated words, wrong verb forms, or an unfinished conclusion. Editing is the final chance to protect marks you have already earned.
The aim is not to make the answer sound more impressive at the last moment. The aim is to remove visible weaknesses quickly and conservatively. A simple, accurate correction is worth more than a risky advanced phrase added under pressure.
Knowledge Points
Structure Template
Use this 90-second sequence after finishing either Task 1 or Task 2. The order matters: meaning first, mechanics second.
| Time | Focus | What to Do |
|---|---|---|
| 0-20 seconds | Task match | Re-read the prompt and underline the exact demand. Check that your introduction and conclusion answer the same question. |
| 20-40 seconds | Paragraph control | Confirm that every body paragraph has one clear main idea, a topic sentence, and development rather than a list of unrelated points. |
| 40-60 seconds | High-risk grammar | Scan for subject-verb agreement, verb tense, plural nouns, articles, and sentence boundaries. Fix only clear errors. |
| 60-75 seconds | Vocabulary precision | Replace repeated or vague words where easy: 'things', 'bad', 'good', 'people', 'big'. Do not insert unfamiliar words at the end. |
| 75-90 seconds | Final safety check | Check word count, missing conclusion, unfinished sentence, copied prompt language, and any Task 1 units or figures. |
Personal Error Log
| Error Type | Fast Check |
|---|---|
| Subject-verb agreement | Circle third-person singular subjects: government, education, technology, student. Check the verb after each one. |
| Articles | Scan singular countable nouns. If you wrote 'policy', 'student', or 'problem', ask whether it needs 'a', 'the', or plural form. |
| Sentence boundaries | Look for very long sentences joined only by commas. Add a period or a clear linker if two independent clauses are colliding. |
| Word form | Check common families: education/educational, benefit/beneficial, responsibility/responsible, economy/economic. |
Vocabulary & Grammar Toolkit
| Expression | Usage Note |
|---|---|
| I partly agree that... | A clear but qualified Task 2 position |
| This essay argues that... | Direct thesis framing; use sparingly and naturally |
| The main reason is that... | Simple topic control for a body paragraph |
| A further concern is... | Adds a second problem without overusing 'another reason' |
| This means that... | Clarifies cause and effect in plain language |
| For this reason,... | Links a recommendation to the previous explanation |
| provided that... | Adds a condition to a final judgement |
| rather than... | Useful for precise contrast in solutions or opinions |
| whose lives differ from... | Relative clause for specifying people |
| which can... | Relative clause for adding a result or benefit |
| may / can / is likely to | Safer than absolute claims such as 'will always' |
| limited, supervised, and connected to learning | Parallel list; useful for concise policy conditions |
| academic time | More precise than 'study time' |
| public problems | More academic than 'society problems' |
| practical communication skills | Specific skill noun phrase |
| a stronger sense of responsibility | Controlled abstract noun phrase |
| flexible options | Useful when discussing realistic implementation |
| assess reflection | Education-topic collocation; stronger than 'mark hours' |
| real social needs | Precise phrase for community-service topics |
| thoughtful graduates | Concise outcome phrase; avoids vague 'better students' |
| resentful volunteers | Specific contrast phrase; use only when the argument supports it |
Common Pitfalls
| Mistake | Correction |
|---|---|
| Editing by adding memorised phrases | Do not add empty phrases such as 'Every coin has two sides' or 'In this modern era'. Use the final minute to improve accuracy, not decoration. |
| Changing a correct sentence into a risky one | Late edits should be conservative. If a sentence is clear and accurate, leave it. Replace only errors or weak wording you can fix confidently. |
| Checking grammar before checking task response | A polished answer can still fail if it does not answer the prompt. Always check position, question parts, and paragraph relevance first. |
| Ignoring article and plural errors | Errors like 'student need' or 'government should provide a support' are small but frequent. Scan nouns and verbs quickly in the final check. |
| Ending with an unfinished sentence | Leave the last 10-15 seconds to complete or delete a weak final sentence. An unfinished ending is highly visible to the examiner. |
Practice Prompt
Set a 40-minute timer. Stop writing after 38 minutes and spend the final 90 seconds using the checklist above.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programmes.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Write at least 250 words.
Model AnswerBand 7.5+ · 252 words
Many schools want students to become more responsible citizens, and compulsory community service is often proposed as one way to achieve this. I partly agree with the idea: well-designed service can develop maturity and empathy, but it should be limited, supervised, and connected to learning rather than treated as free labour.
The main benefit is that service gives teenagers experience outside the classroom. When students help in libraries, environmental projects, or local care homes, they meet people whose lives differ from their own and learn that public problems are not abstract. This can build practical communication skills and a stronger sense of responsibility. It may also help students understand careers in health, education, or social work before they choose further study.
However, making service compulsory can weaken its value if schools manage it poorly. Students who already have part-time jobs, caring duties, or long commutes may find extra hours stressful, especially before exams. There is also a risk that organisations receive unwilling volunteers who need constant supervision. For this reason, schools should not simply demand a fixed number of hours. They should offer flexible options, prepare students properly, and assess reflection rather than the total time completed.
Overall, I support community service as a required element of high school education, provided that it is modest and educational. A short, flexible programme can expose students to real social needs while protecting their academic time. If schools design it with care, the policy is likely to produce more thoughtful graduates rather than resentful volunteers.
Annotated Commentary
Each paragraph is quoted, then checked against the features that should survive final proofreading: thesis, topic control, cohesion, vocabulary, and grammar accuracy.
Self-Check
Answer these from memory before looking back. If you cannot answer all, re-read the relevant section.
- Why should task response be checked before grammar in the final 90 seconds?
- Correct these errors: 'Student should do a community services because it make them responsible.'
- Name three personal error types you should scan for in the last minute.