IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Descriptors PDF (TR, CC, LR, GRA)

Examiners do not sit with a vague sense of “this feels like a 6.5.” They match your essay to public band descriptor statements — four criteria, each worth a quarter of the Task 2 mark. If you do not know what those statements actually reward, you can rewrite the same essay ten times and still miss the jump from 6 to 7.

But it cuts both ways. Once a student can see which criterion is dragging the score down and practises that weak spot on purpose — thin Task Response, mechanical cohesion, forced vocabulary, or shaky complex sentences — the jump to the band they want often comes faster than another stack of full essays written cold. The descriptors are not only a warning list; they are a map for where to aim next.

Most students we mark already know the names: Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, Grammatical Range & Accuracy. What they usually do not know is where their script sits inside each one. A script can look fluent and still be Band 6 on Task Response because one half of the question never got a real answer. Another can have “advanced” vocabulary and still leak Lexical Resource because the collocations are off.

Below I put the official wording into everyday teacher English for Task 2, with the Band 5–8 gaps that actually matter when you mark. Keep the PDF nearby when you check your own drafts.

Last updated: July 23, 2026

Free PDF: Task 2 band descriptors study guide

Download our IELTS Writing Task 2 band descriptors study guide (TR, CC, LR, GRA) — based on the official public descriptors, in one printable PDF.

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Want the British Council original wording as well? Official IELTS Writing band descriptors PDF (BC)

Table of Contents

1. The four criteria (what each one asks)
2. Task Response
3. Coherence & Cohesion
4. Lexical Resource
5. Grammatical Range & Accuracy
6. How the four scores become one band
7. Marking your own draft
8. Questions students ask

Related: Task 2 complete guide | Band 6 to 7

The four criteria (what each one asks)

Task 2 is scored on four criteria with equal weight. In everyday words:

Task 1 uses Task Achievement instead of Task Response. CC, LR, and GRA work on the same principles. The rest of this guide focuses on Task 2.

Task Response

This is where a lot of “almost Band 7” essays slip first. TR is not “did you write about the topic.” It is “did you answer every part of this question, with a position the examiner can find, and ideas that are pushed on rather than just listed.”

Band 5 often means the prompt is only half-handled, or the position stays fuzzy. Band 6 usually covers the task, but some parts get more space than others — a discussion essay with one thin “other view,” or a two-part question where the second half feels bolted on. Band 7 covers all parts, keeps a clear position, and backs main ideas with real support. Band 8 does that cleanly, with ideas that feel developed rather than padded.

If you are stuck between 6 and 7 on TR, underline every demand in the question before you plan. Then check each body paragraph: is there at least one reason that is explained, not just announced? One solid example or consequence per body is usually enough. Fancy vocabulary will not save a missing half of the task.

Coherence & Cohesion

CC is less about collecting linking words and more about whether the essay has a clear path. Band 5 often has bits of organisation but weak overall progression — the reader keeps stopping to ask where this is going. Band 6 is usually readable, but cohesion can feel stiff or mechanical: Furthermore… Moreover… In addition… stacked on thin ideas. Band 7 shows clear progression and uses cohesive devices with some flexibility. Band 8 paragraphing looks skilful; cohesion rarely draws attention to itself.

What we see in drafts: students paste a connector into every sentence and call it Band 7 cohesion. It is not. One clear idea per paragraph, sentences that actually follow from the last one, and a bit of referencing (this approach, these costs) usually help more than a longer linker list.

For patterns without the phrase-book smell, see Task 2 linking words.

Lexical Resource

LR rewards range and control. Band 5 vocabulary is limited, and errors can make meaning hard. Band 6 is adequate for the task; mistakes happen, but communication usually survives. Band 7 needs enough range and flexibility to discuss the topic properly, including less common items used with some sense of style. Band 8 shows a wide range and skilful uncommon items, with rare errors.

The Band 6 → 7 trap is chasing “advanced” words from a memorised list. Ameliorate, plethora, myriad in the wrong place often look worse than a plain precise verb. Better habit: pick the exact collocation for the idea you already have (raise taxes, reduce congestion, limited access) instead of swapping every ordinary word for a longer one.

Spelling and word formation count here too. A flashy noun with the wrong form still costs you.

Grammatical Range & Accuracy

GRA is the balance between variety and clean sentences. Band 5 is limited range with frequent errors. Band 6 mixes simple and complex forms; errors occur but rarely stop the reader understanding. Band 7 uses a variety of complex structures and produces frequent error-free sentences. Band 8 has a wide range, and most sentences are error-free.

Stuffing every paragraph with conditionals and relative clauses is a bit risky if control is weak. One complex structure that actually fits — a conditional where the logic needs it, a relative clause that adds real information — beats a pile of broken long sentences. Accuracy still matters: a “complex” sentence that falls apart mid-way does not help the band.

How the four scores become one band

Examiners give a band for each criterion, then average them for Task 2. A few patterns students find surprising:

Rounding follows IELTS rules to the nearest 0.5. In the essays we see, Task Response and Coherence & Cohesion are the criteria that most often hold people under 7 — not because vocabulary is unimportant, but because unanswered task parts and unclear progression are hard to hide.

If you want a quick sub-score split on a practice essay, try the free IELTS essay checker (no login for score-only). Then practise the weak criterion, not another random full essay: Personalized Practice.

Marking your own draft

Take your last Task 2 and rate yourself honestly from 5 to 8 on each criterion — using the descriptors, not your mood after writing.

Ask blunt questions. For TR: did every part of the prompt get a real answer, and is your position easy to find if the question needed one? For CC: does each paragraph have one job, and can someone follow the argument without you explaining it out loud? For LR: did you lean on the same safe words (good, important, people, society) when a sharper word was sitting there — or did you force rare words that do not fit? For GRA: are most sentences clean, or do errors pile up whenever you try something longer?

Your lowest criterion is the next practice focus. Reading the PDF next to that draft usually shows the gap faster than rewriting blind.

Questions students ask

Are the descriptors the same worldwide?

Yes. The public descriptors are global, and examiners are trained to apply them consistently. Local “house style” myths are less useful than matching your script to the published statements.

Can I see the official PDF?

IELTS publishes public band descriptor documents. EssayGradeWise also offers a free Task 2 study guide PDF summarising TR, CC, LR, and GRA: download here. That study guide is not the official British Council or IDP file — use the BC descriptors PDF when you want the original wording.

Does Task 1 use the same bands?

Same 1–9 scale. Task Achievement replaces Task Response for Task 1; the other three criteria stay in the same family.

How do I turn descriptors into daily practice?

Find the lowest criterion, then drill that weakness on short tasks before you write another full essay cold. Our Personalized Practice maps Practices to TR/CC/LR/GRA (1–2 free). Re-check with the free essay checker to see if that criterion actually moved.

After you check your score

Most free tools stop at another overall band. Once you know which descriptor is weakest, practise that spot — a thin Task Response, mechanical cohesion, forced vocabulary, or broken complex sentences — instead of collecting estimates.

• Free IELTS essay checker — no login for score-only
• Try Practices 1–2 free

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