7 WritingGetting AI feedback is not the end of a practice round. You can put the score to one side, pick one problem you can actually revise, and make the feedback the starting point for your next piece of writing. Below are five steps in order, with an example we wrote ourselves to show the method.
- Pick one problemFind the sentence the feedback points to and write down the goal for this revision
- Write a revised versionKeep the original, fix the meaning first, then the wording
- Check against the goalGo back to the first problem: is it solved, and did you add new errors?
- Leave a noteOne sentence on what to check before your next piece of writing
Pick one problem first
If the feedback mentions argument, collocation and grammar at once, you do not have to fix all of it at once. Read your original first and confirm which sentence and which paragraph the feedback means. Advice that you cannot match to a place in your text can wait to be checked; do not copy it straight in.
Write a specific goal for this revision, for example "explain the reasons in this paragraph clearly". A goal like that is easier to check than "improve coherence". Choose only one goal at a time, because if you change several things together you cannot tell which change did the work.
Keep the original and write a revised version
Keep the original paragraph and write the revision beside it. Deal with meaning first, then wording: what question is this paragraph answering? Does the reason explain your judgement? Is the example related to the reason?
The model revision the AI gives is one possible way to write it. After reading it you can close it and rewrite in your own words; when you meet an expression you do not know, first understand its meaning and use, then decide whether to use it. Copying the model paragraph will not help you write the same paragraph yourself next time.
A demonstration: the same paragraph, before and after
The paragraph and feedback below were written by us to show the method. They are not a real learner's essay. The question is whether children should start learning a foreign language in primary school.
Original paragraph:
Learning a language early is good. It is very useful for children. Many people agree with this.
The problem the feedback points out: all three sentences repeat "learning early is good" and never explain why.
The goal for this round: explain why learning early has benefits. Revised version:
Young children often pick up pronunciation more naturally, because they have not yet settled into the sound habits of their first language. A seven-year-old who hears English songs at school may copy the rhythm without much effort, whereas an adult usually needs deliberate practice. This suggests that starting in primary school gives learners an early advantage.
When checking, ask three questions: is the missing explanation now there? Did the new sentences change the original meaning? Did you add any new errors? In this example, the situation in the second sentence is hypothetical, not a statistic, so it cannot be cited as evidence. On wording, often and may leave room in the judgement and avoid writing "all children ...".
Check against the goal
Do not look only at whether the second score went up. Return to the problem you chose at the start: is the missing explanation now there? Did the new sentences change the original meaning? Did the rewrite introduce new errors?
The paragraph practice in the 7 Writing course provides a "revise once" step and a revision check. After you finish, read it through yourself once more, because AI also misses things.
To submit the revised version again, paste it into the IELTS Writing AI checker: one free check, and 3 more free checks after you sign up. AI scores are for reference only.
Leave a note for review
In your own words, write one sentence: what problem you met this time, and how you will check next time. At the start of your next practice, read that sentence before you begin writing.
A note you can act on is "after writing the body paragraph, check whether the reason has been developed". Four words like "the logic is poor" are hardly any guide for the next practice. Keep these notes in one place, and after a few rounds, flip through them and the common problems will surface by themselves.
Common ways to misuse feedback
- Looking at the score and not the sentences: a score is a range and does not tell you what to change.
- Changing many things at once: afterwards you do not know which change worked.
- Copying the model revision: the score may look higher, but the problem is still there the next time you write alone.
- Treating the AI's judgement as fact: AI may mark a correct expression as wrong, or miss a real problem. When a suggestion does not match your text, trust your own check.
How to think about the AI score
A score is good for watching a trend; one rise or fall says little. To understand how each criterion is marked, compare with the official IELTS Writing scoring description.
How an estimate is produced, and where it can misjudge, is in how the AI estimate works.
To connect feedback to practice, first look at the 7 Writing training flow, or read how to run one short paragraph practice.
Use the essay structure checker to look at paragraph distribution, then rewrite according to your own goal.