Level B1 (approx. band 4-5) · Academic and General Training Many learners write and hope. They do not know what the examiner looks for, so they spend time on long, rare words and forget what really counts. A criterion is one thing the examiner checks. In this episode: • Two tasks, one writing score • Criterion one: did you do the task? • Criterion two: is it easy to follow? • Criteria three and four: words and grammar • Three risks that damage a score • Model • Language bridge • Practice • Self-check questions with answers Key points: • Task 2 counts double, so protect your 40 minutes for it. • Answer every part of the question, not only the part you like. • Clear order, clear paragraphs, and linking words only where they help. • Exact words and a mix of correct sentence types; all four criteria are equal. • Write enough words, write them fresh, and stay on the topic. IELTS Complete Course: a self-study podcast from A1 to C2 for Academic and General Training. Listen, pause and answer, then take the 52-question quiz. Audio voiced with AI from an original script by Dr. Rashmi R Nair. Independent course, not affiliated with the IELTS test owners.