Writing: Clear, Purposeful, Controlled
What the writing task asks
The writing section asks you to produce a short piece of continuous prose for a stated purpose and audience. You are judged on whether your ideas are organised, your sentences are controlled and your vocabulary and punctuation are accurate enough to be understood easily. The concepts to master are purpose and audience, structure (a clear opening, logically grouped paragraphs, a conclusion that closes the piece), cohesion (linking words such as however, therefore, for example used correctly, and pronouns that refer unambiguously), sentence variety (a mix of simple, compound and complex sentences), and surface accuracy (spelling, capitals, commas, apostrophes, tense consistency).
Traps to watch for
Common traps include writing a narrative when the prompt asks for an opinion or an explanation; burying the main point in the last line; paragraphs that drift between topics; overusing and or but to join everything; comma splices (two full sentences joined by a comma alone); apostrophe errors in plurals versus possessives; and shifting tense halfway through. Another trap is padding with vague phrases (a lot of things, very good) instead of specific detail. Keep register consistent: a letter to a principal is not the place for slang.
Rule of thumb
Before writing, spend two minutes planning: state your purpose in one sentence, list three supporting points, and note your audience. Then write one paragraph per point, opening each with a topic sentence. Finish with a sentence that restates your position or sums up. Leave two minutes to proofread for capitals, full stops and apostrophes. Worked example: instead of "Sport is good because it is good for you and lots of people like it," write "Sport benefits students in three ways: it improves fitness, builds teamwork, and reduces stress. For these reasons, the school should keep its sports program." Notice the clear claim, the listed support and the concluding link.