First Impression Is Important IELTS Essay: Ace Your IELTS First Impression

We get it.

Acing the first impression in the IELTS essay task is easier said than done.

IELTS examiners read hundreds of essays daily and have a short attention span. Therefore, if you get the start right and leave a great impression for your First Impression is Important IELTS essay, you have already done a good job for the most part!

So, let’s walk you through some useful pointers to get a high score in the IELTS essay writing task!

Tips to Leave a Lasting First Impression in IELTS Essay

• Don’t jump right in: You have to first stop and analyse what exactly the question is asking you to be then able to decide on a structure with a stellar introduction in coherence with the question. This first step should take about 5 mins to jot down all the key points.

• Give a broad but smart first line: Always start by giving a general statement that exactly points to the issue at hand. Don’t go into the specifics too soon. Then, you can state your position on the matter.

• Rely on your own knowledge: Don’t pick the words of the questions to form your sentences in the introduction. It can come at the cost of your dream band score. Using your own knowledge to reiterate what’s being asked in the question is a sign of good vocabulary knowledge and understanding the question well. Both these factors contribute to raising your band score.

• Give a preview of the essay ahead: In the introduction paragraph, you explain to the reader in just one line how you’ve structured your essay ahead. It boosts your readability giving you brownie points!

• Flaunt your vocabulary: IELTS essay task is meant for you to go big! You should make use of the most unique words that are relevant in your vocabulary right from the start to be sure to leave a great first impression on the reader. It’s also necessary to ensure correct diction usage here. 

• Go through it once done: When you are satisfied with your opening paragraph and main content, go back and re-read for any spelling or grammar mistakes. Proper usage of grammatical elements like pronoun, preposition, verbs, tenses, synonyms and antonyms, etc. is of grave importance.  

Sample Answer on First Impression is Important IELTS Essay

Question

First impressions are often considered to be important. Some people think that doing well in interviews is how you secure a good job. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Give relevant examples wherever possible.

You should answer in at least 250 words. The ideal time limit for this task is 40 minutes.

Sample Answer

First impressions are often believed to form the backbone of whether or not an interviewer will deem you to be the right candidate for the role. However, some people insist that apart from the candidate’s first impression, many other criteria determine if the candidate is a good fit for the job. I agree with the latter statement and will put my points forth in the following paragraphs.

Firstly, a single meeting is not enough to gauge all the facets of someone’s personality that may be fruitful in helping the interviewer make the final call about accepting or rejecting the interviewee’s candidature. The first interview can surely help you understand a few parts of the interviewee’s personality, but not enough to make a final decision. For instance, an average job interview lasts between 30 to 45 mins, within which the interviewer can get to know about the current relevant degrees held by the interviewee, assess their body language, and discuss their personal interests and prior work experience. This discussion does not present a holistic opinion on the capabilities of the person that is needed to make the final judgement.

Furthermore, companies today conduct a series of interview rounds to test the candidate’s social and mental skills and together, all these rounds rank candidates. The best of whom lands the job! Most organisations lay emphasis on assessing the candidate’s logical reasoning and aptitude along with social skills to ensure that they will be able to mix up well and work with their colleagues. For instance, top-tier MNCs today subject their job applicants to many serious rounds of discussions and tests to be fully sure they are the right fit. First impressions do matter in the entire process but are not sufficient to help candidates secure the job.

To conclude, the perception that first impressions in an interview is enough to get you a good job is largely flawed, in my opinion. Elaborate discussions should be held over several meetings for the employer to then make the final employment call.

Conclusion

The way to score a high band score in the IELTS Writing Task 2 is through consistent practice. You must master the skill of developing an introductory paragraph and create a good first impression. The aim is to give a clear idea to the examiner about your excellent writing skills in English.

We hope this blog post gave you all the major pointers to help you leave that great first impression on the examiner.

For more tips on how to write winning IELTS essays on common themes, visit the Leap Scholar blogs!

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