"I don't have any ideas..." is what I often hear from #IELTS candidates.

And no wonder. Some IELTS writing topics are not exactly what you talk about in your daily life. But where do ideas come from? From input.

My "input" of choice is New Scientist. Look at this short paragraph:

"Nevertheless, Hall's results have already stimulated action. Soon after the study came out, the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization published a report calling the trial a "solid link" between ultra-processed foods and ill health, and calling for a raft of measures to reduce their consumption, including food labelling, advertising bans and junk food taxes on such products at the point of sale."

You have three solid ideas for an IELTS essay about reducing junk food consumption:
- food labelling
- advertising bans
- junk food taxes.

And it's just one tiny paragraph!

I have designed a whole writing course based on New Scientist articles and geared towards IELTS essay writing. Launching two new groups soon:

📅 Friday 11-12:30 Moscow time
Level C1+/C2, course instructor Irina Lutsenko

📅 Saturday 11:30-13:00 Moscow time
Level C1, course instructor Anastasia Beisova

More details and student testimonials (sorry, it's VK again):
https://vk.com/market/product/writing-with-new-scientist-47977221-5061302

💌💌💌 @iraluts

#IELTS Writing Task 2: progression right from the introduction

Just like many of my posts, this one is based on a common weakness I see.

I'll take a ridiculous made-up topic for illustration purposes.

"Some people believe apples are the best fruit. Others say that tangerines are better. Discuss both these views and dove your own opinion."

1. Weak

"Opinions are divided on whether apples or tangerines are the best fruit. While there are those who consider the apple to be the superior fruit, I side with those who claim that it is the tangerine.

Yet, admittedly, the apple might be considered the best fruit by some. ... "

This introduction is spinning wheels: it is repeating the same thing over and over again. Yes, there are no mistakes in it, but it shows no skill - so it's likely to place you in the lower score pile.

2. Stronger

"Opinions are divided on what the best fruit is. While some consider the apple to be one, I side with those who believe the tangerine is better.

The proponents of apples might cite their sweet taste as the reason for the superiority. ... "

This essay is progressing - it's moving forward with every sentence.

Help your essay move in three simple steps:

1️⃣ take one step back

2️⃣ state the actual topic

3️⃣ take one step forward

Or, in other words, tell the reader something new with every step you take.

💡 The bonus part of this technique is that it allows you to avoid repetitions naturally. With the weaker structure, you will end up using all the possible synonyms in the first three sentences and then end up either with repetitions or with awkward phrasing later on.

Try out this technique in the comments with this topic and then compare with my version by checking out the IELTS collection in the post below.

"Some people believe that children that commit crimes should be punished. Others think the parents should be punished instead. Discuss both views and give your own opinion."

🐸 https://t.me/irinalutsenko/551

#ieltswritingtask2

"My language is too simple. What can I do?" is another problem I hear from #IELTS students.

Indeed, when we learn English, we typically focus on common everyday expressions rather than on formal, academic words. And then, when we have to write an IELTS essay, we don't have academic language at the ready.

Solution? Again, input and careful guidance. And again, my choice is New Scientist. Look at the topic below and just some of the lexis we mined for it from the article.

"Nowadays most people choose to throw away broken things instead of repairing them and replace them with new ones. Why is this? What are some problems associated with this?"

❓ Why is this?
- Planned obsolescence
- Used fleetingly
- A sense of novelty
- A defunct product
- Throw-away culture, consumerist society

❓ What are some problems associated with this?
- Discard
- Disposable / single-use
- Landfills, gyres
- Incineration / incinerated
- Leaching … into soil

❓ Bonus: What can be done to reverse the trend?
- Come into force (be put into force)
- Phase out
- Eschew
- Incrementally
- Impose fines

Look at the transformations you can make in your essay to take it to the next level:

1️⃣ broken things >> defunct products

2️⃣ because they want something new >> are driven by a sense of novelty

3️⃣ should stop using plastic bags >> should eschew disposable plastic bags

This is just a tiny glimpse how course "Writing with New Scientist" can help you on your IELTS writing journey.

Two groups starting soon:
- Friday 11-12:30 Moscow time, Level C1+/C2
- Saturday 11:30-13:00 Moscow time, Level C1

More details and student testimonials (sorry, it's a link to my VK community page again).

💌 @iraluts

✏️ And try your hand with one of the expressions in the comments!

"Irina, I want to join your course. I am ready to pay now. How do I pay?"

I get such messages sometimes. And I appreciate the enthusiasm, but there is more to signing up for my courses than paying.

I have a very thorough enrollment process in place:

1️⃣ If your profile name is a nickname or an alias, please introduce yourself properly - with your name and last name. My name is Irina Lutsenko - I want to know yours. Nameless subscribers and people with nicknames or aliases won't be considered.

2️⃣ Tell me about yourself in 100 words or less. Answer all or some of these questions as needed: What course do you want to join? Why? What are your goals and course expectations? What is your experience of learning English? What is your experience of writing? Have you taken any exams? What were you scores?

3️⃣ If you want to enroll in a writing course, I'll give you a placement writing task.

4️⃣ We'll schedule an interview.

This process might seem lengthy and annoying.

What do I get out of it? Groups of student who all have the same level and the same mindset. ❤️

Would you rather be in a group like this or in a group where people join by simply paying? ❓

Two new "Writing with New Scientist" groups starting this week:
- Friday 11-12:30 Moscow time, C1+/C2
- Saturday 11:30-13:00 Moscow time, C1

💌 Dm me @iraluts

#TOEFL has gone through a complete overhaul in January 2026, and the writing part did not escape this fate.

What is writing in the new TOEFL like? Join our workshop this Sunday to find out.

🦋 "The new #TOEFL: Is there any writing?" by Maria Botina

In our Writing Incubator workshop, we’ll take a look at these new tasks and answer the questions:

• Is it enough to really show off your writing skills? How do we adapt to shorter and shorter yet task times?
• What are some of the techniques to write faster?
• How can we show off our writing skills in such a time frame?
• What can we do when the format is new and there are barely any prep materials?

In class, we will get a taste of a few sample task and actually write them!

📅 8 February, Sunday, 11:00 am Moscow time, Zoom

💌 The workshop is free. To join, message me @iraluts with a meaningful ending to this comment, "Wow, I can't miss this one! I'd love to join because ... ."

❗️ Please note that this is a workshop, not a webinar or a lecture. If you join, you have to write. "Ghosts" will be kicked out. We don't record our workshops, so this is a safe space to participate.

🦋 "Writing Incubator" is a series of workshops by stellar professionals who love writing.

🦋 Writing Incubator - where writing skills hatch

The vegan health trap - but not a lexical one 🥦🥒🥑

First off, a shoutout to all the vegans out there.

But even if you are not one, you might still want to write about a vegan diet. How many "synonyms" can you think of for "vegan"? Not the easiest word to paraphrase...

Look, here is a list I mined from a New Scientist article:

- Plant-based diet / Plant-based foods
- Plant-based meat alternatives
- Meat alternatives
- The meat-alternative market
- Diet without meat and dairy
- People who avoid meat and dairy in their diet
- People who avoid animal-based foods
- Live without consuming animal-based products
- This diet / Individuals who follow this diet
- This way of eating
- Your eating patterns

This is more than enough for your essay. And note that not all of these phrases are synonyms - there are other techniques to avoid repetitions.

This is just a tiny glimpse of what we do in "Writing with New Scientist" - a course that is designed to keep you in a good IELTS writing shape without the pressure of the format.

Two groups started in September. Two groups started recently. IELTS track. To join, @iraluts 💌

📅 Started in September:
- Friday 13:00-14:30 MSK (C1/C1+)
- Wednesday 12:00-13:30 MSK (C2)

📅 Started recently:
- Friday 11-12:30 MSK (C1+)
- Saturday 11:30-13:00 MSK (B2+/C1)

Details and student testimonials (sorry, it's a link to my VK community page again).

#IELTS Writing Task 2: Paragraph rewrite 🐸

In today's post I want to share my rewrite of a student's paragraph -- a rewrite that was very easy to do because the student originally had solid ideas. What was needed was just a little ... Scroll down to see.

Topic: Some people believe that it is best to encourage children to have a healthy diet at school while others believe that parents should be the ones to teach children to have a healthy diet. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

1️⃣ Original

The idea that one’s parents should be held accountable for fostering healthy eating habits in their children is based on the premise that it is they who introduce their children - starting from toddlerhood - to a variety of meals. By doing so, they shape a child’s palate and food preferences from the youngest age, long before educational institutions exert any influence on them. Naturally, young children’s psyche is hard-wired to mirror adult behaviour: if they see their parents choose a salad and steamed meals over fried alternatives, they are considerably more likely to perceive such a pattern as normal and adopt it as their own. A further explanation is often related to the assumption that parents provide a larger number of food intakes - at least breakfast and dinner. Therefore,parental food choices play a profound role in what their children consume most of the day, while educational establishments usually provide students with a single midday meal.

2️⃣ Irina's rewrite

Admittedly, there might be reasons to believe that parents can play a profound role in fostering healthy eating habits in their children. First, it is parents who introduce children to food – starting from toddlerhood. By doing so, they shape the child’s palate and food preferences from the youngest age, long before educational institutions can exert any influence. Second, children are hard-wired to mirror adult behaviour, so they are likely to acquire the habits they see daily. For example, if they see their parents choose a salad and steamed meals over fried alternatives, they are considerably more likely to perceive such a pattern as normal and adopt it as their own. Finally, parents are responsible for more meals than any institution: they typically provide breakfast and dinner as well as all meals at the weekend, while schools only serve one meal a day. Thus, parental choices can have a more profound impact than schools.

What was needed was just a little Coherence and Cohesion: we now have the same ideas, but they are clearly signposted, so the paragraph flows better.

Irina Lutsenko 🌸

Writing Incubator - where writing skills hatch 🦋

"Writing Incubator" is a series of workshops by stellar professionals who love writing. Please welcome our second workshop of the season!

🦋 "Poetry in class? Fear not! Give it a hand and pass it on to your students." by Svetlana Kukharevich

Poetry can be joyful, meaningful, and surprisingly simple to write.

Whether you are a newbie to poetry or a seasoned verse lover, you'll discover simple yet powerful ways to bring poems to life.

This practical hands-on session is designed to make poetry accessible, engaging, and enjoyable. We are going to put our pens to paper, give poetry a whirl and flex our creative muscles together.  On top of that, you’ll leave with a toolkit of strategies that can be implemented immediately.

📅 1 March, Sunday, 11:00 am MSK, Zoom

💌 The workshop is free. To join, message me with a meaningful ending to this comment, "Wow, I can't miss this one! I'd love to join because ... ."

❗️ Please note that this is a workshop, not a webinar or a lecture. If you join, you have to write. "Ghosts" will be kicked out. We don't record our workshops, so this is a safe space to participate.

🦋 Svetlana is a treasure trove of creative ideas. Make sure to follow her at https://t.me/lemon_squizzy

Two full worksheets for my "New Scientist" courses ...

... and they are available online FOR FREE!

1️⃣ "Writing with New Scientist" (13 pages!)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JJVxEWgLj8DFA9qb43ZLKUjReUNXrzNYpvB4D3eWhb0/edit?tab=t.0

2️⃣ "Speaking with New Scientist" (12 pages!)

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1tqn0xkQ38AtbiixHA9hHSfrHvMPT3P16IDOwOuSBSjQ/edit?tab=t.0

🐸 Irina Lutsenko

A sad reminder to my Russian subscribers:

💡 I have a community on VK: https://m.vk.com/iralutse

💌 And here is my profile link:
https://m.vk.com/iraluts

Writing Incubator - where writing skills hatch 🦋

"Writing Incubator" is a series of workshops by stellar professionals who love writing. Please welcome our third workshop of the season!

🦋 "Hedging in C2 Proficiency essays: good or evil?" By Alena Nikitina

Hedging is allegedly familiar to many. (Or is it?) But have you ever found yourself wondering how exactly you should use it? Let's be brutally honest: how many times have you completely forgotten to use hedging in an exam essay?

For CPE candidates, hedging might be a trap. We know we should use "might" or "tend to" , but do we hedge the summary of the input texts? The evaluation? Both? Neither? Get it wrong, and you sound either arrogant or uncertain. Get it right, and you demonstrate C2 precision.

In this 90-minute workshop, we are going to solve the dilemma and practice using this helpful tool in your writing. Stop guessing how to use hedging. Start writing with confidence.

📅 22 March, Sunday, 11:00 am MSK, Zoom

💌 The workshop is free. To join, message me @iraluts with a meaningful ending to this comment, "Wow, I can't miss this one! I'd love to join because ... ."

❗️ Please note that this is a workshop, not a webinar or a lecture. If you join, you have to write. "Ghosts" will be kicked out. We don't record our workshops, so this is a safe space to participate.

#IELTS Writing Task Response mistake ❗️

As usual, before I explain the mistake, I will illustrate it – see if you can notice it.

Topic: “Some people believe that children that commit crimes should be punished. Others think the parents should be punished instead. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.”

I will give short, simplified examples for illustration purposes.

Paragraph 1️⃣: The reasoning behind the view that the punishment must be imposed on parents relies on two arguments. First, the offense might be seen as a direct result of upbringing …

Paragraph 2️⃣: I, however, do not consider these arguments convincing and believe that parents must not face any punishment. The main reason for this is that it is unfair to punish those who did not commit any crimes. More importantly, parents cannot be held accountable for their child’s upbringing because their child might have become susceptible to a negative influence elsewhere – for example, at school. …

Do you see what I did wrong in the second paragraph?

Instead of arguing in favor of the second point of view, I argued against the first point of view; i.e. instead of arguing that children must be punished, I argued that parents must not be punished.

Make sure you argue the actual view in the topic – not the just opposite of another view. ❗️

Lifehack: Look at the actual topic several times as you write.

See my full essay on this topic in a pdf collection of around 100 sample answers:

https://t.me/irinalutsenko/551