Using Templates for IELTS Essays

 

 Is It Good to Use  a Template to Write My IELTS Essay?

Well, you are not alone! There are many students sharing the same doubt. There is no single answer to this question because the impact of using a template on your essay depends on various factors. Let me point out some of these factors for your consideration.

The Pros

IELTS essay template makes writing easy: Yes, with a template readily available, you will find it easy to write the essay because they contain an instant beginning, a number of sentences to advance your essay, and even transition words. Therefore, simply filling the gaps will produce an IELTS essay!

IELTS essay template keeps your writing disciplined: This is another obvious benefit. Students who are not used to planning and writing essays are likely to face difficulty organizing and developing ideas in a cohesive and coherent way. In such a situation, the template can act as a boundary or signal post within which you will be forced to limit your essay. 

IELTS essay templates reduce grammatical errors: Grammar is a major problem faced by many students, especially when they write complex and compound sentences. When you use a template on a regular basis, you master it easily. Without a template to follow, you are more likely to try different varieties of sentences, which could, obviously, increase the chances of grammatical errors. 

Well, so is it OK to use a template for my IELTS essay? Wait and see the other side before you make a decision. 

The Cons

Memorized essays invite penalty: Yes, IELTS does not allow memorized essays. A template usually contains a number of "any essay sentences" and "pre-learnt portable phrases". Your chances of getting caught varies from examiner to examiner. What escapes the attention of one examiner may be identified and penalized by another IELTS examiner. Therefore, when you use a template, you bear the risk of penalty for writing memorized "any essay sentences". 

There is a possibility of mismatch: The fact is, you cannot create a template that suits every situation. A template that goes well with a particular topic will be a total mismatch for another topic. The problem worsens when a candidate tries to convert a topic to fit the available template. For example, there are questions, asking "what are the advantages and disadvantages?" and there are questions asking "do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?". If the candidate fails to understand the difference and tries to use the same template for both, the result will be tragic: the band score will be far less than what the candidate could score writing their own sentences!

It does not blend well easily: The irony of the situation is, if you want to use the template in an effective way, you should be exceptionally good in English, and if you are good in English, you are in no need of a template. In case you are weak in English, you will fail to use the template in an effective way so that the templates merges naturally with your essay. In this case, your theft is more likely to be detected and punished.   

So what is the way out?

If you are a weak student and aims to achieve a band score of about 6 band in a very short time with less effort, using templates might help you. If you aim high score in IELTS writing, the IELTS essay template can affect your score negatively. Finally, if you are good in English, always try to write on your own.