Here's the thing. You can nail your thesis, write grammatically perfect sentences, and structure your essay flawlessly. But if you're using the same three examples throughout, examiners will catch it. And when they do, your Coherence & Cohesion score tanks.
The Band 8 descriptor says you "use examples and supporting detail to illustrate ideas effectively." That word—effectively—is the whole ballgame. Your examples need to pull their weight, and they need to be different enough that readers don't feel like you're stuck on repeat.
Let's dig into why this happens and how to fix it.
Most students approach Task 2 like they're trying to prove a point 30 times with identical evidence. That's not how it works. When you repeat examples, you're signaling three things to the examiner: you haven't thought deeply enough to find different angles, you lack real knowledge about your topic, and you might be padding to hit the word count.
Band 7 asks you to "present relevant examples." Band 8 wants you to "select and use examples and supporting detail effectively." Notice that word—select. You're not defaulting to the same examples. You're choosing strategically from a real range of options.
Look at Lexical Resource too. When you use the same example repeatedly, you're forced into similar vocabulary patterns. That tanks your lexical range, which counts for 25% of your writing score.
Weak: "Social media harms mental health. For example, young people spend hours scrolling. This causes anxiety. Another example is that young people spend too much time online. Similarly, apps like TikTok make young people neglect their studies because they spend too much time on their phones."
See it? You said the same thing three times: young people spend too much time on social media. Same example, same vocabulary (spend, time), same complaint.
Let's use an actual IELTS question to show how this breaks down:
"Some people believe that technology has made communication easier, while others think it has made people more isolated. Discuss both views and give your opinion."
A Band 6 student writes:
Every single example is the same recycled idea: technology connects or isolates through the same apps and situations.
Here's your pre-submission checklist. Seriously, do this before hitting submit on your IELTS writing task 2.
Most students skip this. Don't. You've got 40 minutes for Task 2. Five minutes checking your work saves you 10+ band points.
Weak: "Remote work is beneficial. For example, people don't have to commute. Also, people can work from home, which saves time. Furthermore, remote work allows people to avoid the stress of traveling to the office."
Good: "Remote work reduces commute fatigue and eliminates travel costs. Flexible arrangements allow parents to balance childcare with professional responsibilities. Distributed teams can recruit talent from global markets instead of competing for local candidates."
The weak version repeats "commute, work from home, avoid travel." The good version hits three distinct angles: personal time, family dynamics, and organizational reach. That's what examiners want to see when they're evaluating IELTS essay writing.
Weak: "University education is important. For example, it helps you get a job. It's also important because you need a degree to find work. Without university, it's hard to get employed."
Good: "University credentials unlock higher earning potential across most sectors. Graduates develop specialized knowledge unavailable through self-taught learning. Networking within academic environments often leads to mentorship and career placement before graduation."
Same topic (university), three completely different angles: income, knowledge, connections. This shows real depth.
Weak: "Climate change is serious. For instance, polar bears are dying. We also see that ice is melting. Another environmental issue is that glaciers are disappearing because the planet is warming."
Good: "Rising temperatures threaten arctic wildlife dependent on ice habitats. Agricultural zones are shifting, disrupting crop yields in unprepared regions. Coastal populations face saltwater intrusion into freshwater aquifers, jeopardizing water security."
The weak version repeats melting ice. The good version covers wildlife, agriculture, and water infrastructure.
Stop writing your essay first and worrying about examples second. Map your examples before you write a single sentence.
Spend two minutes on this template:
Real example. Question: "Do you think technology has improved education?"
You're covering economics, psychology, and infrastructure. Not "technology is good" repeated three times.
Quick check: If you can explain both your examples for one point using the same sentence structure, they're too similar. Rewrite one.
You don't need to invent statistics or create fake scenarios. You need to approach the same topic from different angles with distinct vocabulary and reasoning.
1. Mix your evidence types. Don't rely only on case examples. Blend in statistics, research findings, logical reasoning, and process descriptions.
Good: "Public transit investment cuts urban congestion. Copenhagen's metro reduced car journeys by 12% in three years. Economically, every transit dollar generates roughly $4 in productivity gains. Cities with strong public transport also report lower healthcare costs tied to air pollution."
One case (Copenhagen), one statistic (12%), one economic principle, one health outcome. Four different flavors from one main idea.
2. Shift the scale or context. Use both individual and organizational examples. Mix modern scenarios with historical ones.
3. Vary your vocabulary deliberately. If you used one verb, pick a different one next time. "Exacerbate" and "worsen" aren't identical, and using both shows lexical range.
4. Switch your sentence structures. If your last example was simple, make the next one complex. Alternate between active and passive voice. This shows grammatical control, which is 25% of your score.
Already have a draft? Do this right now.
Step 1: Count how often you used the same root concept. If "social media" appears four times across different examples, that's repetition.
Step 2: Check example density. In a 250-300 word body paragraph, you should have 1-2 distinct examples, not three variations of the same one.
Step 3: Read your examples out of order, shuffled. If you can't tell which paragraph they belong to because they sound identical, rewrite them.
This takes 60 seconds. It's the gap between Band 7 and Band 8.
Over-relying on technology examples. Every point mentions smartphones, apps, social media, regardless of topic. Technology matters, but so do economics, psychology, history, culture, and biology.
Using the same country repeatedly. If every example involves the US or China, you're showing limited research. Rotate regions and contexts.
Repeating the same group. If every example features young people or students, you're not showing breadth. Vary by age, profession, economic status, location.
Restating instead of exemplifying. "Remote work is beneficial. It's also advantageous. It also has positive effects." That's one idea repeated three times, not three examples.
Tip: Paste your essay into a word counter and search for repeated phrases of 4+ words. Flag any duplicates for rewriting.
You've spotted repetition. Now here's your fix process.
Read the repeated section. Ask yourself: "What's my core argument without examples?" Write it in one sentence.
Now brainstorm three completely different ways to prove it. Use different sectors, time periods, evidence types. Write all three.
Pick the two strongest. Rewrite them with completely different vocabulary and grammar.
Example: Your repeated section says "Technology changes how people work."
Same topic. Zero repetition. The examiner sees depth.
Before you submit, verify that your examples show variety across at least three dimensions: the domain they come from, the type of evidence they use, and the vocabulary required to explain them.
Even with all these strategies, your own eyes miss things. You wrote it, so your brain auto-corrects as you read.
An IELTS writing task 2 checker detects repetitive examples instantly and flags exactly where you're circling back. It shows you which examples sound similar and suggests ways to diversify. You get concrete feedback on your specific examples in seconds, not days.
Paste your Task 2 essay and get instant feedback on repetitive examples, evidence strength, and band score predictions. See exactly where to improve.
Check My Essay FreeExaminers read hundreds of essays per week. They can spot a recycled example in seconds. What separates the strongest responses isn't perfect grammar or fancy vocabulary. It's the ability to support an argument from multiple, distinct angles.
When you plan your examples before writing, when you check for repetition before submitting, when you deliberately vary your evidence types and domains, you're showing the examiner that you think deeply about your topic. That's what Band 8 demands.