Writing & exam glossary
The writing words, in plain English.
Look up 22 short, jargon-free definitions of the terms markers use, from “topic sentence” to “band score.” Each one links to a tool where you can practise it on your own writing.
Ideas
Show, don't tell
“Show, don't tell” means revealing emotion and detail through actions and senses instead of stating them flatly.
Read →Persuasive devices
Persuasive devices are techniques, like rhetorical questions, evidence and emotive language, used to convince a reader.
Read →Figurative language
Figurative language uses comparison and imagery (similes, metaphors, personification) to paint a picture beyond the literal.
Read →Organisation
Topic sentence
A topic sentence states a paragraph's main idea in one line, so the reader knows exactly what's coming.
Read →Cohesion
Cohesion is how smoothly your sentences connect, through linking words, pronouns and order, so a reader never has to stop and re-read.
Read →Coherence
Coherence is whether a whole piece holds together as one clear, logical argument, not just whether each sentence is correct.
Read →Narrative arc
A narrative arc is the shape of a story (set-up, rising tension, climax and resolution) that keeps a reader hooked.
Read →Voice
Tone
Tone is the attitude your writing conveys (serious, playful, urgent, formal), created mainly through word choice.
Read →Register
Register is the level of formality you use, and matching it to your audience and task is a marked skill.
Read →Writer's voice
Voice is the distinctive personality in your writing: the sense that a real person, not a template, is behind the words.
Read →Word choice
Lexical resource
Lexical resource is the IELTS criterion for the range and precision of your vocabulary: variety and accuracy, not big words for their own sake.
Read →Collocation
A collocation is a pair of words that naturally go together, like “heavy rain” or “make a decision”.
Read →Strong verbs
Strong verbs are precise, vivid verbs (“sprinted”, “lurched”, “whispered”) that do the work weak verbs plus adverbs can't.
Read →Sentence fluency
Sentence variety
Sentence variety is mixing short, long, simple and complex sentences so your writing has rhythm instead of a flat, repetitive beat.
Read →Complex sentence
A complex sentence joins a main idea with a subordinate clause, letting you show how ideas relate: cause, time, condition.
Read →Sentence opener
A sentence opener is how a sentence starts, and varying it (with an adverb, a clause, a -ing phrase) adds flow and control.
Read →Conventions
Exam & scoring
Band score
A band score is a level on a fixed scale, like IELTS 0–9 or the selective test's six bands, that sums up the quality of your writing.
Read →Marking rubric
A marking rubric is the official list of criteria and levels an examiner uses to score your writing.
Read →CEFR
The CEFR is an international scale of English ability, from A1 (beginner) to C2 (mastery), used to compare levels across exams.
Read →Task response
Task response is the IELTS criterion for how fully and relevantly you answer the exact question asked, not just how well you write.
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