Force the model to quote your essay before it scores it

Here are the complete official IELTS Writing Task 2 band descriptors: [RUBRIC]

Here is my essay: [MY ESSAY]
Here is the question: [QUESTION]

Mark it in this exact order — do not skip ahead:
STEP 1 — Evidence collection only. For each of the four criteria, quote 3-5
passages from my essay that are relevant to that criterion. No judgements yet.
STEP 2 — Descriptor matching. For each criterion, quote the descriptor wording at
Band 6, 7 and 8, and say which of those three my evidence best matches, and why
it fails the next band up.
STEP 3 — Bands. One table: | Criterion | Band | The descriptor phrase that decides it |
STEP 4 — Overall band with the official rounding applied. Show the arithmetic.
STEP 5 — The single highest-value fix, and the band it would realistically produce.

If at any point you cannot support a judgement with a quote, say so.

Best on Claude · ChatGPT · Gemini.

What to fill in

What you should get back

A four-stage analysis: quoted evidence per criterion, descriptor matching across Bands 6–8 with a reason your essay fails the next band up, a decision table, the rounding arithmetic, and one prioritised fix.

What it actually returned

Tested on Gemini 2.5 Flash, API, August 2026, 2026-08-06. Trimmed — this is an excerpt of a longer response, not the whole thing.

STEP 1 — Evidence collection only.

Task Response:
1. "I completely agree with this opinion because of two reasons which I will discuss below." (Clear position)
2. "Firstly, public transport is better for the environment. Cars produce a lot of pollution…" (Extends idea about environmental benefits)
3. "Moreover, cities like Copenhagen have invested heavily in cycling and public transport…" (Supports environmental point with an example)

[…]

STEP 2 — Descriptor matching.

Task Response:
— Band 6: addresses the task but development is uneven
— Band 7: addresses all parts with a clear position and extended ideas
— Band 8: sufficiently addresses all parts with well-developed, well-supported ideas

Best Match: Band 7. The essay clearly addresses all parts of the question, maintaining a clear position of complete agreement. Ideas are extended (e.g. explaining why public transport is better for the environment, detailing "induced demand").

Why it fails Band 8: While ideas are extended and supported, the development is not consistently well-developed and well-supported to the Band 8 standard. The Copenhagen example is brief…

Tips

• The forced order is the whole mechanism. Do not reorder the steps to save time — Step 2 is where the useful paragraph lives.
• Step 2's "why it fails the next band up" is the most valuable output in this prompt. Copy that sentence into your notes; it is your revision brief.
• Run it in a fresh chat each time. Prior praise in the conversation history pulls the band up.
• Compare its band against a measured one from our Writing Checker. If they disagree by more than 0.5, trust the feedback and distrust both numbers.

Related prompts

• Writing Task 2Give the model a known band first, then mark your essayMarks a reference essay whose real band you already know, forces a recalibration, then marks yours against that same standard.
• Writing Task 2Make the model argue your essay is half a band worseAsks the model to build the strongest case against the band it just gave you, then arbitrate honestly between the two.
• Writing Task 2Analyse only coherence and cohesion, nothing elseMaps your controlling ideas, referencing chains and linker repeats — the criterion most learners cannot self-assess — with grammar and vocabulary explicitly off-limits.
• Mock examinerA 250-word verdict with no room for flatteryA tired, strict examiner persona capped at 250 words: the band first, three quoted justifications, one upgrade condition, nothing else.

Common questions