IELTS Writing 常見扣分點——縮寫（contractions）：
- don't 應該寫 do not
- it's 應該寫 it is
- can't 應該寫 cannot
- I'm 應該寫 I am
每次出現 = 扣 register 分（語域，你用對地方的語氣）。
為什麼扣分
Task 2 評的四項中有 Lexical Resource 和 Coherence——但還有個隱形標準叫 register appropriateness（語域適當性）。
IELTS 官方評分標準明寫：
Uses features appropriate to formal written English.
縮寫是 spoken / informal 特徵。放進 Task 2 像學術論文裡加表情符號——語域錯亂。
例外：Task 1 General 的 informal letter
Task 1 General 寫給朋友的信可以用縮寫——因為那種信本來就該 informal。
Hi Amy, I can't wait to see you next week! It's been ages since we last met...
Formal letter（給經理、給醫院）仍然不要用：
I am writing to... / I cannot attend... / It is my understanding that...
Speaking 呢？
Speaking 反過來——全部用縮寫。Speaking 不用縮寫會顯得機器人：
❌ I do not think that is correct. （機器人） ✅ I don't think that's correct. （自然）
兩個灰色地帶
灰色 1：'s 表所有格
John's book 不是縮寫，是所有格。隨便用，不扣分。
灰色 2：引用別人的話
如果你 essay 裡引用口語，當然可以用縮寫：
As one researcher put it, "We don't yet know the long-term effects."
引用外的文字全部展開。
對照感受
❌ Task 2 學生版
It's clear that governments can't solve this problem alone. They don't have enough resources, and they've already tried many policies that haven't worked.
✅ 改寫版
It is clear that governments cannot solve this problem alone. They do not have sufficient resources, and they have already tried numerous policies that have not worked.
字面內容完全一樣——但第二版 register 對。
試試看
下次 Task 2 寫完後，Ctrl+F 搜尋 't、's、'm、're。每個出現：
- Task 2 essay → 展開
- Task 1 informal letter → 保留
- 引用 → 保留
這是最簡單的交卷前自檢——花 30 秒，避免扣分。