IELTS Writing Task 2: Academic Tone and Formal Vocabulary
Quick answer: IELTS Task 2 essays are graded on academic tone. Avoid contractions (don't → do not), informal phrasal verbs (look into → investigate), colloquialisms (kids → children), and exaggerated absolutes (always → frequently). Replace with academic equivalents to lift Lexical Resource by half a band.
This guide is part of the WitPrep IELTS Hub. It is updated for 2026 with the current IELTS format, fees, and band descriptors. If you want a personalised band estimate before reading, run the free IELTS diagnostic.
Why tone matters
Lexical Resource is one of four equally-weighted criteria in Task 2 (the others are Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Grammatical Range & Accuracy). Informal vocabulary directly drops Lexical Resource by 0.5–1 band.
Examiners are trained to detect three tone violations: contractions, colloquial vocabulary, and informal phrasal verbs.
Even one informal phrase can flag a paragraph as informal — the impact is disproportionate to frequency.
Top 10 contractions to avoid
Replace don't → do not. Won't → will not. Can't → cannot. It's → it is. They're → they are. There's → there is. Wouldn't → would not. Hasn't → has not. Isn't → is not. Wasn't → was not.
Contractions are appropriate in spoken English and informal writing but not in academic essays.
On computer-based IELTS, the spell checker doesn't flag contractions — you must self-monitor.
Top 10 informal phrasal verbs and their academic equivalents
Look into → investigate / examine.
Find out → discover / determine / ascertain.
Put up with → tolerate / endure.
Get rid of → eliminate / remove.
Bring up → raise (an issue) / introduce.
Make up for → compensate for / offset.
Set up → establish / found.
Cut down on → reduce / decrease.
Look after → care for / supervise.
Come up with → propose / devise / formulate.
Colloquialisms to replace
Kids → children / young people.
Stuff / things → matters / issues / aspects.
A lot of → a substantial amount of / numerous / considerable.
Awesome / amazing → notable / significant / impressive.
Big / huge → substantial / considerable / extensive.
Bad → detrimental / adverse / unfavourable.
Good → beneficial / advantageous / positive.
Nowadays → in contemporary society / in recent decades.
Basically → fundamentally / essentially.
Pretty much → largely / for the most part.
Hedging language for academic essays
Avoid absolutes. Replace "always" with "frequently", "often", "in the majority of cases".
Replace "never" with "rarely", "seldom", "in few cases".
Use modal hedging: "This may suggest…", "This could indicate…", "It is likely that…".
Hedging signals academic awareness and lifts Lexical Resource and Task Response simultaneously.
After every Task 2 essay, scan for the words "always", "never", "all", "every". Replace half of them with hedged alternatives.
Practice: rewrite paragraph
Original (informal): "Nowadays, kids spend a lot of time on their phones. This is bad because they don't get enough sleep. Schools should look into this and find out how to cut down on screen time."
Rewritten (academic): "In contemporary society, young people dedicate substantial time to mobile devices. This is detrimental because they often fail to obtain adequate sleep. Schools should investigate the issue and devise strategies to reduce screen time."
Word count rises slightly (from 38 to 41 words) but Lexical Resource jumps from band 6 to band 7.5.
Practice this with WitPrep
Reading about IELTS only gets you so far — band gains come from rubric-graded practice. Open the IELTS Writing coach to drill this exact skill with band-by-band feedback. If you have not yet baselined your level, start with the free IELTS diagnostic (free, ~10 min).
Related WitPrep reading
Frequently Asked Questions
Are contractions ever acceptable in Task 2?
No. They are categorised as informal in academic writing.
Is it okay to use 'I think' in Task 2?
Yes — IELTS does not penalise first-person pronouns. "In my view" or "I believe" are both acceptable.
How many academic words do I need?
Aim for 8–10 high-value academic words across your essay (e.g., consequently, demonstrate, attribute, mitigate, undermine).
Will using complex vocabulary always boost my score?
Only if used correctly. Misuse of complex vocabulary lowers the score more than using simpler correct vocabulary.
Can I use idioms in Task 2?
Sparingly. Common idioms (e.g., "a double-edged sword", "the tip of the iceberg") can show range, but overuse hurts academic tone.
What's the fastest way to upgrade my Task 2 vocabulary?
Build a personal swap list of your 30 most-used informal phrases and their academic equivalents. Drill it for 2 weeks.
How we verify this content
Every fact on this page is sourced from primary IELTS publishers — IELTS.org, the British Council, IDP IELTS Australia, Cambridge Assessment English, or the relevant national immigration authority. Our IELTS team re-checks these sources at least once per quarter. Where we cite institution-specific scores, we link to that institution's own admissions or visa page. If you spot anything out of date, please contact our editors.