Template vs. Authentic Thinking
A template-stamping robot next to a student thinking for themselves.
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Templates act like thoughtless stamps, while high-scoring essays require custom building blocks tailored to the prompt.
Recognize why memorized templates lower scores and learn to write prompt-specific responses.
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Why memorised phrases make you sound prepared but don't answer the question.
Many IELTS students memorize complex, dramatic phrases like "Since the dawn of time..." or "This is a highly controversial predicament..." to save time under pressure.
While these templates make you feel prepared, they actually signal to the examiner that you are relying on rote memory rather than authentic English proficiency. Examiners are specifically trained to spot and ignore this "canned" language.
A template-stamping robot next to a student thinking for themselves.
Templates act like thoughtless stamps, while high-scoring essays require custom building blocks tailored to the prompt.
Read a sentence and decide whether it says anything real.
Read this sentence written for an essay about fast food: "Every coin has two sides, and this topic is no exception." Why is this sentence problematic?
Rewrite an empty template sentence into a clear, specific one.
Briefly identify what makes the original sentence an 'empty' template.
Write a clear, direct sentence that actually mentions the topic and what you will do.