Week 8 covered the techniques most IELTS guides skip entirely. These aren't basic tips — they're the edge-case skills that separate candidates who plateau at Band 7 from those who push through to Band 7.5 and Band 8.
4 techniques from Week 8
- Part 3 debate structure — Position, Reason, Counter, Resolution. Works for any abstract or societal question the examiner raises.
- Bridge technique — 4 phrases that let you start speaking before you've finished thinking, without sounding lost or hesitant.
- Band 8 hedging language — Avoid absolutes. Use "tends to", "the evidence would suggest", "to a certain extent". Precision over assertion.
- Discourse marker density — Band 8 speakers use 4x more discourse markers than Band 6. Not for decoration — for coherence.
Why discourse markers are a Band 8 indicator
Discourse markers — "on the other hand", "to elaborate", "what I mean by that is", "as a result" — are how examiners measure coherence. They show that your ideas are connected, not just strung together.
Band 6 speakers use discourse markers occasionally. Band 8 speakers use them structurally — every time they change direction, add detail, or introduce a counter-argument.
2-minute drill to measure your coherence density
Pick any news topic — climate policy, remote work, social media regulation. Set a 2-minute timer. Argue both sides using the 4-part structure. Record yourself.
When you play it back, count your discourse markers. Aim for at least 6 in 2 minutes. That's Band 8 coherence density. Fewer than 4 and you're leaving coherence marks on the table.