Check the shape of your essay before anyone scores it
Paste your essay. It checks length, paragraphing, linking, repetition and whether you answered the question — the things that cost bands before grammar does. Nothing you paste leaves your browser.
Structure only This is not a band score. It never reads what your sentences mean, so it cannot mark Task Response or grammar — it checks the shape an examiner sees first.
Your essay
It also re-checks on its own a moment after you stop typing, once you are past 50 words.
What it looks at
Every check shows you the number it found, one line saying what that means, and why it matters to a marker. Nothing is hidden behind a score.
- Length — word count against the 250 minimum, counted the way a marker counts it.
- Paragraphs — how many, which is the introduction and which the conclusion, and any that are too thin or too fat.
- Position — whether your introduction actually says where you stand.
- Conclusion — whether the last paragraph reads as one, and whether it smuggles in a new idea.
- Linking words — which cohesive devices you used, how often, and the rate per 100 words.
- Repetition — the content words you leaned on, ignoring the question’s own vocabulary.
- Sentence length — average and longest, plus paragraphs made only of short sentences.
- Question coverage — which ideas from the prompt made it into the essay.
- Register — contractions and casual phrases, with the formal alternative.
- Memorised openings — the template first lines examiners read every day.
Written the same way as our Task 2 structure guide, so the two never contradict each other.
What the check found
These are counts of structural checks, not a band. A page of “Good” means the shape is right; what the sentences say is still unmarked.
Ready for the actual score?
IELTS Mentor AI marks a full Task 2 essay — and Task 1 — on the four Writing criteria, and shows you which sentences moved the band.
Frequently Asked Questions
What this page can tell you about a Task 2 essay, and what it can’t.
Is this an IELTS band score?
No. This page checks the shape of an essay — its length, paragraphing, position, cohesion, repetition and register — and nothing on it reads what your sentences actually mean. A band comes from a marker judging your response to the question, your vocabulary and your grammar together. Treat a clean structure report as the floor you should be starting from, not as a score.
How long should an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay be?
At least 250 words, and in practice about 260 to 320. Writing under the minimum costs you directly, while padding an essay out to 400 words does not raise the score on its own — the last paragraph of a rushed long essay is usually where accuracy falls apart. Aim to be safely over 250 with time left to check what you wrote.
How many paragraphs should I write in Task 2?
Four is the safest shape for most candidates: an introduction that states your position, two body paragraphs that each develop one idea, and a conclusion that restates the position without adding anything new. Five works when you genuinely have a third developed idea. Two thorough body paragraphs always beat three thin ones. The structure that works for any question walks through each paragraph’s job.
Do linking words raise your IELTS Writing score?
Only when they are accurate and natural. Cohesion is rewarded for showing a real relationship between ideas, so a connector that fits earns its place. Opening every sentence with one is noticed and marked down, because it reads as mechanical rather than as organisation. One or two well-placed devices per paragraph is a healthier target than a list of them memorised in advance.