IELTS Writing for Spanish speakers: How to Fix Examples that are too general to prove the point
Use one specific, believable example per body paragraph: a named situation, a type of person or a realistic scenario. Vague examples such as 'many people' or 'some countries' do not support an argument. Invented statistics should be avoided.
At a glance
- For
- Spanish speakers
- Problem
- Examples that are too general to prove the point
- Scoring criterion
- Task Response (Task 2)
- Task affected
- Task 2 (essay)
- IELTS test
- Academic or General Training (check your requirement)
- Typical effort
- one week
- First step
- Choose an example type: a named country or city, a typical person, or a short scenario.
Why this happens to Spanish speakers
Candidates worry about giving wrong facts, so they stay general. The result is an example that could support any point, which weakens development and makes the essay sound generic.
Why this affects Spanish speakers: Spanish allows long, flowing sentences and has many words that look like English but differ in meaning.
Candidates write fluently but sometimes drift from the exact question.
A strength to build on: Many shared Latin-origin words help reading and academic vocabulary.
Fix it in four steps
- Choose an example type: a named country or city, a typical person, or a short scenario.
- State who or what, and what happened, in one sentence.
- Link it back with 'This shows that…' so the example proves your point.
- Never invent a percentage. Use 'a growing number' or 'most' if you are not certain.
Before and after
Before
For example, many countries have good public transport.
After
For example, a commuter in Tokyo can reach most of the city by train without a car, which removes thousands of daily journeys from the roads.
Ten-minute drill: Write three specific example sentences for the idea 'public transport reduces traffic', one with a place, one with a person, one with a scenario.
Questions and answers
What is the fastest way for Spanish speakers to fix examples that are too general to prove the point?
Use one specific, believable example per body paragraph: a named situation, a type of person or a realistic scenario. Vague examples such as 'many people' or 'some countries' do not support an argument. Invented statistics should be avoided. Candidates write fluently but sometimes drift from the exact question.
How long does it take Spanish speakers to fix examples that are too general to prove the point?
Most learners need one week. Short sessions on collocation and punctuation give quick gains.
Do examples have to be real facts?
They must be believable. A well-chosen general scenario is fine. Made-up numbers or false claims can hurt credibility and are unnecessary.
Can I use personal experience as an example?
Yes, if it is short and supports the argument. Keep it factual and link it to a wider point instead of telling a long story.
What does a good practice drill look like for Spanish speakers?
Write three specific example sentences for the idea 'public transport reduces traffic', one with a place, one with a person, one with a scenario. Short sessions on collocation and punctuation give quick gains.
How can Spanish speakers tell they have fixed examples that are too general to prove the point?
Each example answers who, where and what happened, and could not be reused for a different idea.
What should Spanish speakers know about their IELTS Writing target?
Spanish-speaking candidates often need targeted work on false friends, punctuation and sentence length.
Should Spanish speakers practise this on Task 1, Task 2 or both?
This is a Task 2 issue, so practise it on full essays. Task 2 carries about twice the weight of Task 1 in the Writing band, so progress here moves the score most. Many shared Latin-origin words help reading and academic vocabulary.
Can an AI checker help Spanish speakers with examples that are too general to prove the point?
An AI checker can show where this pattern appears in your own essay and which criterion it affects, which makes the fix concrete. It gives a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score, so use it to choose the next revision, rewrite, and check again. The first check on this site is free.
Check your own essay
See where examples that are too general to prove the point appears in your own writing and which criterion it affects, then rewrite the weakest paragraph.
Feedback is a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score. Last reviewed 2026-11-11. Score requirements change, so confirm them with the organisation that will read your result.
Related guides
- IELTS Writing for Spanish speakers: overview
- Spanish speakers: run-on sentences and comma splices
- Spanish speakers: unnatural word combinations
- Spanish speakers: an unclear position in Task 2
- Spanish speakers: frequent spelling mistakes
- Spanish speakers: sentences that all have the same simple structure
- Spanish speakers: ideas that are listed but not developed
- Candidates stuck at Band 6.5: examples that are too general to prove the point
- Candidates with 30 days before the exam: examples that are too general to prove the point
- Uzbek speakers: examples that are too general to prove the point
- Doctors: examples that are too general to prove the point
- Undergraduate applicants: examples that are too general to prove the point
- Australia skilled migration applicants: examples that are too general to prove the point