Register Matters" Is Not Pedantry

The words "vibe coding" and "looksmaxxing" just got dictionary entries, but a Korean learner who writes "I go to library yesterday" is still marked as low proficiency. This gap frustrates me. New slang gets celebrated while basic article errors keep a Band 7 candidate stuck. If you cannot distinguish formal from informal register, your IELTS writing task score drops regardless of your vocabulary. The dictionary adds words for fun; the rubric deducts for missing "the.