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IELTS Writing Task 2: Tips, Lessons & Models

Success in IELTS writing task 2 is based on using the right techniques. These free tips, model essays, lessons, videos and information will help develop the skills for writing task 2. This page will teach you how to maximise your IELTS writing task 2 score.

All lessons are on this page are for both GT and Academic writing task 2.

On this page, you will find for free:

Test Information for Writing Task 2
Practice essay questions
Essential tips for IELTS writing task 2
Free video lessons
Model essays
Practice lessons to improve your IELTS essay writing (paraphrasing, skills, ideas, spelling etc

Although some lessons are dated from years ago, all lessons and tips are 100% relevant to IELTS writing task 2 today.

1. IELTS Writing Task 2 Test Information

Learn about your IELTS writing task 2 test.

IELTS recommend you spend no more than 40 mins on writing task 2. However, the time is yours to manage as you wish.
You should write over 250 words. In the lessons below you will learn about word count and essay length.
Learn how your total writing score is calculated: Total Writing Score Calculations
Task Response (25%)
Coherence & Cohesion (25%)
Vocabulary (25%)
Grammar (25%)
For band score tips and details, see this page: IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Scores
Academic writing task 2 is a formal essay. The common types of essays are: Opinion, Discussion, Advantage/Disadvantage, Direct Questions, Solutions. These categorisations will differ from teacher to teacher depending on how they like to teach. See below for 100 IELTS Essay Questions to practise at home.
GT writing task 2 is the same as Academic IELTS. The essay is written in the same way and the scoring is the same. The only difference is that GT essay questions are often easier and topics are simpler.
All words will be counted, even small or repeated words. See this page: How Words are Counted
COMPUTER DELIVERED IELTS: See the following link to read Pros and Cons of Computer Based IELTS :
For more information about IELTS test rules and info, see this page: IELTS Test FAQ

2. IELTS Practice Essay Questions

Practice essay questions to help you prepare ideas for topics in IELTS writing task 2. These questions have been written based on questions reported by IELTS students. They are not IELTS tests.

Over 100 IELTS Essay Questions

3. Essential IELTS Writing Task 2 Tips

The most important writing tips for a strong IELTS essay in writing task 2. Learn about the recommended essay length, how to plan your essay, when to give your opinion and how to write an introduction etc.

How many paragraphs for an IELTS essay? : Essay structure

Key Linking Words List : Academic Vocabulary

Types of IELTS Essays : Main Essay Types in Writing Task 2

Video: How to write an introduction paragraph : Complete lesson

Essay Planning Tips : How to plan your IELTS essay

Common Essay Topics : 20 Most Common Essay Topics

Video: Essay Length Advice : How long should your essay be?

Video: Official Writing Answer Sheet Tips : Using the answer sheet

When to give your opinion : Opinion Essay Tips

Video Using the last 5 minutes : Exam technique tips

Video: Paraphrasing Tips

Finding Ideas : Developing ideas for essay topics

4. More Video & Tips for Writing Task 2

Deleting Words in your Essay
Should I indent the first word of my paragraphs?
10 sentences to avoid in your IELTS essay
Video: How to add examples to your essay
Tips: Under Words Penalty
Do advantages outweigh disadvantages tips?
Video: How to give your opinion
Can you use quotes, idioms or proverbs in your essay?
Handwriting: Using cursive writing or not
Essay Questions from 2016
Writing a Long Introduction: Good or Bad?
Video : Single-sex & Mixed Schools
Video : Grammar – How to Add a Clause
Video : Grammar – Connecting Sentences
Video : Conclusion Linkers
Video : Discussion Essay Useful Language
Video : Using the Last 5 Minutes Tips
Video : Should Ideas be Interesting?
New Essay Topics for 2023

All Free IELTS Writing Task 2 Videos Lessons

5. Model Essays

Sample essays for IELTS writing task 2. These high score model essays will help you understand how to answer the essay questions and how to structure your writing.

Agree Disagree Opinion Essay: Health
Advantages & Disadvantages Essay: Language
Cause Solution Essay: Crime & Punishment
Direct Questions Essay: Happiness
Opinion Essay: Social Media
Discussion Essay: Work
Direct Questions Essay: Family
Direct Questions Essay: Art
Positive or Negative Development: Social Media
2 Model Essays about Economy & Money /Buildings
Model Essay & Question for Topic of Education

6. Practice Lessons for Writing Task 2

Develop your IELTS writing skills and get useful ideas for many essay questions. Lessons are in order of date and new lessons will be added over time.

New Essay Topics in 2023 (these are new topics only. You also need to prepare all common topics as well)
IELTS Essay Topics Prediction 2022
Grammar Test : Using “the” with countries and nationalities
Paraphrasing Practice 1
Paraphrasing Practice 2
Paraphrasing Practice 3
Essay Questions for 2017 – questions reported in the test this year.
Using Passive Voice for Giving Opinions
Essay Ideas: Employment Competition
Writing Skills: Paraphrasing Practice
Writing Skills: Improving Sentences (2)
Essay Ideas: The Importance of History
Essay Ideas: Housing & Trees
Essay Ideas: International Aid
Essay Ideas: City Transport
Essay Ideas: Salaries
Essay Ideas: Function of Schools
Essay Ideas: Female Staff in Senior Positions
Writing Skills: Punctuation Practice
Writing Skills: Linking Word Practice
Essay Ideas: Littering in Cities
Listen and Write Dictation: Natural Disasters
Discussion Essay with Feedback: Music Topic
Writing Skills: Improving Sentences: Ebooks Topic
Essay Ideas: Banning Mobile Phones
Two Question Essay with Feedback: Judging Business Success
Essay Ideas: Tourism and Local Communities
Essay Ideas: Traffic & Pollution
Writing Skills: Improving a Thesis Statement
Writing Skills: Improving Sentences (1)
Essay Ideas: Handwriting Skills
Essay Ideas: Promoting to Children
Essay Ideas: Older or Younger Leaders
Writing Skills: Introduction Feedback
Writing Skill: Opinion Essay Introduction Feedback
Writing Skills: Opinion Essay Body Paragraphs
Writing Skills: Opinion Essay Introduction
Writing Skills: Opinion Essay Finding Main Points
Writing Skills: Thesis Statement
Essay Ideas: Public Services .

………………

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IELTS Writing Task 2: ✍️ Everything You Need to Know

When helping students prepare for the IELTS test, one of the biggest fears is how to do well in IELTS Writing Task 2.

IELTS Writing Task 2 is the second part of the writing test, where you are presented with a point of view, argument or problem and asked to write an essay in response. Your essay should be in a formal style, at least 250 words in length and you should aim to complete it in under 40 minutes.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Everything You Need to Know

In this video, I’ll outline exactly what you must do to create an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay that could score a Band 7, 8 or 9.

It doesn’t matter if you’re new to IELTS or if you’ve failed the exam before – I’ve broken everything down into a simple 3-step process that anyone can use to improve their scores! Watch the video above to find out what they are.

5 Steps to a Band 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

1. Understand the question.

You must understand the question before you attempt to answer it. This way, you’ll know exactly what the examiner is looking for. One of the biggest mistakes students make is not answering the question fully, which stops them from getting a score higher than a Band 5.

To analyse the question , you must first identify the question type, then identify the keywords in the question and finally identify the instructions words. This will help you understand exactly what the examiner wants you to do with the question.

2. Plan your answer.

The students who get the highest marks in Writing Task 2 always plan their answers for up to 10 minutes. Planning helps you organise your ideas and structure your essay before you write it, saving you time and helping you produce a clear and coherent essay.

3. Write an introduction.

The introduction should answer the question directly. This tells the examiner that you know what you are doing straight away and helps you write your main body paragraphs.

4. Write the main body paragraphs.

This is where you give the examiner more detail . You do this by stating your main points and supporting these with explanations and relevant examples.

5. Write a conclusion.

In your conclusion , you should provide a summary of what you already said in the rest of your essay.

4 Ways to Improve your Score in IELTS Writing Task 2

Many people know they need to improve their writing skills but don’t know how to do it. Here are 4 ways you can boost your score in Writing Task 2:

1. Understand the exam.

You must first understand what IELTS Writing Task 2 is, what you are expected to do and how to give the examiners what they want. This is the first stage and one that is often overlooked.

There are many online resources, often with conflicting and poor-quality information, so finding a reliable source of information is key.

2. Identify your weak areas.

If your car breaks down, you would try and identify which part caused the problem. If you get sick, your doctor will run tests to determine the exact cause of your symptoms.

IELTS Writing Task 2 is the same. We must first identify WHY you are not getting the score you need before we can help you improve.

However, be very careful! You wouldn’t ask the average man on the street for medical advice, so make sure you find someone who knows what they are doing and has the expertise to help you with this.

3. Fix the problems.

Now that we know what the problems are, we must fix them.

If your grammar needs work, fix those issues. If your vocabulary is lacking, work on fixing this issue.

Just as a good doctor can help you fix a medical problem, a good IELTS teacher can help you fix your specific issues.

4. Practice and get feedback.

Practice alone will not help you. It is an essential part of your preparation, but you must also get feedback on your work if you are really going to improve.

You wouldn’t try to teach yourself how to drive without an instructor, would you?

Find someone who will give you accurate and helpful feedback on your work. Otherwise, you will not be able to move to the last stage.

Now that you have understood what you need to do, identified the exact areas you need to work on, improved those areas, and received feedback on your work, you are now ready to get the IELTS Writing Task 2 score you deserve.

Writing Task 2 Structures

I want to warn you about structures because they are not a magic wand that will help you automatically get a higher score. They WILL help you, but please realise that they are just a small part of your overall score.

These structures provide a sentence-by-sentence template for all the main Task 2 question types, making your job much easier on exam day.

Task 2 Essay Structures

Essential Writing Task 2 Skills

No matter how good your English is, you must still learn IELTS writing skills before taking the Writing Task 2 test. These helpful guides will take you through each of these skills step-by-step:

How to Plan an Essay

Making a good plan actually saves you time when you write your essay. This guide will show you how to plan and write a clear essay every time.

How to Think of Relevant Ideas

This guide provides 5 different methods to help you quickly think of relevant ideas that are directly linked to the question.

How to Write a Complex Sentence

Complex sentences help you boost your score for grammar. They are actually very simple to write and are not complex at all.

How to Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is one of the essential IELTS skills for all parts of the IELTS test. You should paraphrase the question in the very first sentence of your essay to help boost your vocabulary score in Writing Task 2.

How to Write a Supporting Paragraph

Supporting paragraphs are the main body paragraphs and are the meat in the sandwich. This is where you provide the detail the examiner is looking for in the form of explanations and examples.

How to Write a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement tells the examiner your opinion. Many IELTS Writing Task 2 questions specifically ask for your opinion, and if you don’t write it clearly, you have not answered the question properly. This article shows you how, where and when to give your opinion.

How many words should I write?

Around 250 words? Exactly 250 words or over 250 words? How many words over? How do I know how many words I have? Will I lose marks if I write too many words? This article answers all those questions.

How to Understand and Analyse Any Question

A critical part of answering any question. This article shows you how to break down any Task 2 question and identify the keywords, micro-keywords and instruction words to help you answer the question effectively.

How to Write a Great Introduction

The introduction is the first thing the examiner reads; therefore, we must give them a good first impression. I share a very specific sentence-by-sentence structure in this article to help you write introductions quickly and effectively.

Task 2 Marking Criteria

Do you know how Task 2 is marked? What is the difference between a Band 5 and a Band 8 answer? This article breaks down the marking criteria and explains it in simple language so you can give the IELTS examiners exactly what they want.

How to Write a Conclusion

A good conclusion should be a summary of your main points. The conclusion is the last thing the examiner reads, and if you can write a good one, you will leave them with a very good impression.

Using Examples

Each of your supporting paragraphs should have a specific example that supports and illustrates your main point. This is an essential skill to learn if you want to get one of the higher band scores.

Cohesive Devices

Cohesive devices (sometimes called linking words) are one of the most misunderstood and misused elements of writing. Therefore, you must learn how to use them and when to use them.

The Danger of Synonyms

While synonyms are very important, they can also really reduce your mark if used incorrectly.

Paragraphing and Editing

This article will show you how to make your writing as clear and as easy to read as possible. It will also advise you on whether to use a pen or pencil.

IELTS Writing Task 2: 8 Steps to Success

Read this blog now to access our 61-page Task 2 strategy.

IELTS Writing Tips

I have compiled these tips after years of teaching IELTS, and all of them have been approved by IELTS examiners.

Coherence and Cohesion

This is a video lesson that shows you in practical terms how to improve your coherence and cohesion score.

Writing Task 2 Common Topics

Knowing the common topics can help you prepare for the test more efficiently. Here are the 10 most common topics over the last few years. Studying hard is great, but don’t forget to study smart.

The article below will show you the top 10 most common IELTS topics.

Most Common Task 2 Topics

Full IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice Lessons

Here are some lessons that I have used when teaching students about IELTS Writing Task 2. I have changed them so that you can easily learn from home. They are very long but contain all the necessary information combined with the skills above.

Agree or Disagree (Opinion) Lesson

In this lesson, we look at how to tackle an ‘agree or disagree’ question. Many people worry about whether to take one side of the other or discuss both sides. Additionally, people also worry about how to deal with ‘To what extent’ question types. We allay all of these fears in this lesson.

Discussion Essay Lesson

‘Discuss both views’ questions often confuse people because you are asked to do many things in one essay. As such, it is very important to remember that the question asks you to discuss BOTH views AND give YOUR opinion.

Problem and Solution Essay Lesson

These questions are much easier than you think. You probably discuss problems and solutions in your day-to-day life all the time. Keep it simple.

Advantages and Disadvantages Lesson

There are a couple of different types of advantages and disadvantages questions. This lesson will show you how to answer them.

Writing Task 2 Exercise with Video

Writing is a skill, and just like any other skill, it is important to practice to improve.

From Band 6.5 to 8 Demo Lesson

This is my most comprehensive free lesson on IELTS Writing Task 2. We show you how we took one VIP student from Band 6.5 to an amazing 8.

Sample Answers

You must have some good examples to compare your writing and see if you are on the right track. Click the link below for lots of sample answers and over 100 questions.

Task 2 Sample Answers

Agree or Disagree Sample Essays
Task 2 Band 9 Sample Essay
Latest Real Task 2 Questions
Official Sample Test Questions
Cambridge Sample Questions
Free Practice Test
How To Use Task 2 Samples
Recent Confusing Questions
IELTS Writing Practice Guide

IELTS Writing Task 2 Essential Information

You must write an essay in response to a question.
You must write 250 words or more.
Task 2 is worth 2/3 of your total mark on the Writing test.
You should spend around 40 minutes on this part of the test.
General Training and Academic are essentially the same for Task 2. However, they are different for Task 1.
There are certain types of questions that you will be asked, for example, opinion, discussion etc. See below for more detail on these.
Task Achievement (25%)
Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
Lexical Resource (25%)
Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)

Grammar and Vocabulary

Grammar is one of the four things you will be marked on in the Writing Task 2 test. Finding out what your common grammar mistakes are and then fixing them is a very powerful way to boost your score in this area. Here are some common grammar mistakes I have found after making hundreds of tests.

Top 10 Grammar Mistakes

For most IELTS students, the problem is not grammar in general. In fact, it is usually just 1-2 problem areas. Therefore, when you fix these main weaknesses, you’ll be able to improve your grammar and your writing score dramatically.

Using Personal Pronouns

Hint- They aren’t as big of a deal as you think.

See the interactive tool below for the answers to the most commonly asked questions we receive about IELTS Writing Task 2:

IELTS Writing Task 2 FAQs

How can i improve my writing.

You will find all the resources you need on our Writing Task 2 page. Click the link below:

Writing Task 2

We also have two Task 2 courses for those that need to improve their Task 2 skills and strategy. They are both based online and completely free of charge. Learn more about them below:

Task 2 5 Day Challenge

Task 2 Essay Builder

If you need serious help or personalised feedback, you should check out our VIP Course. There is a waiting list, but you can add your name here:

How can I get a Band 7, 8 or 9?

The answer to this question is different for every individual IELTS student, as it depends on a number of factors, including your work ethic, English skills and exam strategy. You'll find a guide to answering this question in this article

If you need serious help with improving your IELTS scores, you should check out our online writing course. There is a waiting list, but you can add your name by clicking the link below:

Can you correct my writing?

Please click the link below and it will give you all the information you need about our writing correction service:

Writing Correction Service

Do you have any sample answers?

Yes, you will find them at the link below:

Will using 'high level' or 'academic' words help me improve my score?

Probably not.

Read my recent article about IELTS vocabulary here:

5 Things You Need to Know about IELTS Vocabulary

Can I use idioms?

No, you should not write idioms for Task 2.

Can I use personal pronouns?

You should avoid using personal pronouns, but it is fine to use them when giving your personal opinion.

Do you write a conclusion for Task 2?

Yes, it is very difficult to get a good score in Task 2 if you haven't finished your essay with a conclusion. You will find an in-depth lesson on conclusions here:

How to Write an Effective Task 2 Conclusion

How many paragraphs should I write?

Most IELTS task 2 essays follow the same basic four paragraph structure:

Introduction
Supporting Paragraph 1
Supporting Paragraph 2

However, you can find more comprehensive help with structuring your Task 2 essays here:

5 Day Challenge

Do I need to plan my essay?

I would highly recommend planning your essay. A good plan acts like a map that guides you through the essay, ensuring that you give the examiner exactly what they need to award you the score you need. You can find help with planning your essays here: How to Plan an IELTS Essay

You must write at least 250 words in Writing Task 2.

I would suggest that you aim to write around 270-280 words in total. Aiming for 20-30 words more than the required amount makes you more likely to reach the word limit without setting an unrealistic goal.

Will I lose marks if I don't write enough words?

Yes, if you don't write the required number of words, you will lose marks in 'Task Achievement' for not answering the question fully. Read more here .

Can I use contractions?

No, should not use contractions when you are writing an academic essay.

Preparing for IELTS
Practice tests
Free online IELTS Writing practice tests
Free online IELTS Academic Writing practice tests - paper

IELTS practice Academic Writing test - Task 2

How to approach academic writing task 2.

In the actual IELTS Academic Writing test, you will have one hour to complete the two questions or tasks: 20 minutes for the first task and 40 minutes for the second. So, you should expect to spend a little longer on practice Task 2 than you did on practice Task 1.

While you shouldn’t put yourself under too much pressure when practicing, it’s a good idea to set a timer or alert, so you can keep a track of your progress and how close you are to the time limit.

An easy reminder…

Q: How long should I spend on IELTS Writing Task 2?

A: We suggest 40 minutes.

Q: How many words for IELTS Writing Task 2?

A: 250 words is about the right length, but don’t be afraid to go a little over.

Q: Should I be formal or conversational in style?

A: You should write in a formal style, suited to an academic environment.

Task 2 - Write about the following topic:

You should give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge to support your response.

What should I do next?

Once you’ve finished, you can download the model answer for Writing Task 2 and see how your work compares.

Remember, you don’t have to agree with the opinion expressed in the model answer; this Task 2 sample is a guide to illustrate the style, content, level of detail, structure, length and so on. A good way to improve is to spend some time reflecting on how your answer compares to the model answer - and keep practicing, of course.

If you want to see an example of an actual answer sheet for the IELTS Academic Writing test (‘on paper’ version), you can download a sample copy below.

IELTS practice Academic Writing test - Task 1

A Beginner’s Guide to IELTS
Common Grammar Mistakes [for IELTS Writing Candidates]

Writing Correction Service

Free IELTS Resources
Practice Speaking Test

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7 Steps to Structuring an IELTS Task 2 Essay

Posted by David S. Wills | Apr 6, 2020 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

In this week’s article, I want to show you how to structure an IELTS writing task 2 essay. I’ve written about this many times in the past, but today I want to show you a simple, 7-step approach that can guide you to the perfect essay.

First of all, I want to mention that there are lots of ways to write an amazing essay. There are also 5 different kinds of question, hundreds of topics, and lots of different combinations. This means that you cannot just memorise an answer or even memorise a structure. You can learn about that in my IELTS books :

However, this article will give you a guide to writing a great essay structure by logically sequencing your ideas. This can help you to score highly for Coherence and Cohesion, which is worth 25% of your writing score.

IELTS Essay Structure: The Basics

Before we begin with the 7 steps, I would like to give you a short overview. Writing an IELTS essay requires many skills and you have a lot of different criteria to meet in order to get a band 7 or above. Your essay will be judged in four ways, each accounting for 25% of the total score:

Task Achievement
Coherence and Cohesion
Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy

When thinking about structuring an essay, we are essentially talking about Coherence and Cohesion . Being able to produce a strong structure with logically sequenced ideas will give you a good chance of a high score in this section.

There are lots of different approaches, but most IELTS trainers agree that a four-paragraph structure is the best approach, with five paragraphs sometimes being appropriate. [ Read about 4 vs 5 paragraphs ] You should aim to divide your ideas sensibly and then build them in order to support your thesis or explain the issues as necessary.

Today, the steps that I will describe for you are as follows:

Analyse the Question
Brainstorm Ideas
Plan your Overall Structure
Plan your Internal Paragraph Structure
Write a Strong Introduction
Link your Sentences
Write a Good Conclusion

1. Analyse the Question

Every IELTS question is different and so it is really important that you read it carefully in order to understand it fully. If you just read it quickly, you might get the wrong idea. It is natural for our brains to see a word and jump to a conclusion. For example, a question that mentions climate change might really be asking about solutions to fossil fuel emissions rather than the consequences of global warming. If you don’t understand the question, you cannot write a good answer.

Before you begin brainstorming , read the question at least twice. Let’s look at an example:

Some people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They say that the only way to make people recycle more is to make it a legal requirement. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

When you first look at this question, your eyes will be drawn to keywords like “waste” and “recycle.” That is good, but we need to understand the full sentence. What sort of waste are we talking about? Waste from homes . What does “legal requirement” mean? It means make it a law .

You will always see a statement of some sort above and then the question below. Once you understand the statement, you should read the question. In this case, the question is “To what extent do you agree…?”

Therefore, you need to choose a position ( agree/disagree ) and then write an essay that explains your position.

Note: Some IELTS candidates believe that you have to give a balanced viewpoint. This is not necessarily true. You can read about it in this article .

2. Brainstorm Ideas

Once you understand the question, you can begin to think of ideas to use in your essay. My biggest piece of advice here is: DON’T CHOOSE TOO MANY IDEAS!!

Seriously, it is not helpful to use lots of different ideas or examples in your essay. Yes, this might help you reach 250 words easily, but your essay will definitely get a low score for Coherence and Cohesion (and possibly Task Achievement) because it will not be well organized and probably will lack sufficient development of ideas.

I encourage my writing students to follow the idea of ONE PARAGRAPH, ONE IDEA. In some essay types, this is easy. For example, in an advantages/disadvantages essay , you can just devote one body paragraph to advantages and the other to disadvantages. Simple!

However, in other types of essay, you might find it harder. With agree/disagree essays, you might have two reasons why you agree. In this case, you just put one reason in each body paragraph.

Let’s brainstorm now.

Personally, I agree that laws should be passed that require people to recycle their household waste. Therefore, I would consider the following ideas:

brainstorm ideas for ielts writing task 2

Those are just some ideas. Sometimes you will struggle to think of even two ideas and sometimes you will easily think of five or six. The important thing, though, is to choose the most important ones. Think about what would make the most convincing argument.

3. Plan your Overall Structure

By “overall structure,” I mean your basic paragraph plan. Every IELTS writing task 2 essay should have an introduction and conclusion , and at least two body paragraphs. This is the standard essay format and I highly recommend that you practice with it. Essays that have lots of paragraphs are usually a mess and will receive low scores for Coherence and Cohesion.

I want to write an advanced essay that will score band 9, so I am going to use an interesting structure that will allow me to show off my essay-writing skills. My first body paragraph will look at opposing viewpoints and then refute them, before the second body paragraph concisely states why we do need laws that make people recycle.

For this essay, my overall structure would look like this:

This is a pretty simple and flexible paragraph structure. I highly recommend that you use it because once you become comfortable with it, you can really adapt it a lot. Even though it is basic and you can use it for scoring band 6, you can also use this structure for band 9 essays.

The reason is that you can vary the content of your body paragraphs greatly. Here, I have tried to give balance to the argument, even though I agree with one side – the need for laws. However, rather than simply state two compelling reasons, I will first dismiss the counter-arguments and then give an argument in favour of my viewpoint.

4. Plan your Internal Paragraph Structure

This is the most difficult part of structuring an essay and it is the reason why most people struggle to get a high score for Coherence and Cohesion.

It is really, really important for IELTS writing that your ideas are sequenced logically. That means they go from one idea to the next in a logical way. Look at these two example passages. One contains a logical flow of ideas and the other does not. Can you tell which is which?

The case in favour of laws mandating recycling is simple and irrefutable. These laws would ensure that a far higher amount of household waste is recycled, thereby reducing the amount of pollution that goes into our environment. People cannot be trusted to do this for themselves, and the evidence exists in the places where environmental laws are strictly enforced, compared to those where they are non-existent, or weakly enforced.
These laws would ensure that a far higher amount of household waste is recycled, thereby reducing the amount of pollution that goes into our environment. People cannot be trusted to do this for themselves, and the evidence exists in the places where environmental laws are strictly enforced, compared to those where they are non-existent, or weakly enforced. The case in favour of laws mandating recycling is simple and irrefutable.

Which one is correct? Answer: #1.

In this answer, I began with a topic sentence . This is a sentence that introduces an idea. I then explained that idea in more detail. Finally, I added another sentence that built upon the previous two. Both the second and third sentences supported the first. When you put them in the wrong order, they make no sense.

Finally, notice that I used certain words to refer back to previous ideas: these laws , do this .

5. Write a Strong Introduction

It’s really important with any kind of writing to give a strong introduction. This grabs your reader’s attention but also tells them what to expect from your writing. If an examiner reads a really terrible introduction, they will think that your body paragraphs are likely to be very bad, too.

As such, it is important that you devote a little time to writing an excellent intro.

What does that involve?

I recommend that people generally write a three-sentence introduction. (However, remember that there is no one perfect way to write an essay and so there are other good possibilities.)

I suggest this:

General statement that addresses the topic.
Slightly more specific statement that relates wider topic to specific question.
A sentence that shows essay intention or overview. (This is often called an outline sentence .)

For the above question, I would write an introduction like this:

Pollution remains a significant problem all around the world and this is causing people to debate possible solutions. One such solution is for governments to impose laws requiring citizens to recycle certain kinds of waste from their homes. This essay will argue that environmental laws are essential to reducing waste and thereby saving the planet.

sample introduction for ielts writing task 2

Let’s look at how those sentences are structured:

A very general statement: pollution is a problem; people discuss solutions.
More specific statement: introduce potential solution with simple detail
Essay statement: state that laws are essential for solving problem

6. Link your Sentences

Next, you are going to need to write the body paragraphs. With your essay structure already written, it should not be too hard to do this. You need to follow a simple but effective internal paragraph structure that develops and supports each idea.

When you do this, it is important that you link your sentences. Now, if you have a good enough structure, your sentences will already be linked. That is because your ideas will flow naturally from one to the next.

As you will know, it is possible to use “ cohesive devices ” (also called transitional or linking words/phrases etc). These include words and phrases like: however, therefore, next, after that, meanwhile, on the other hand . They are very useful and help guide your reader, but you should not overuse them or it will make your writing weak.

Let’s look at my third paragraph as an example.

The case in favour of laws mandating recycling is simple and irrefutable. These laws would ensure that a far higher amount of household waste is recycled, thereby reducing the amount of pollution that goes into our environment. People cannot be trusted to do this for themselves, and the evidence exists in the places where environmental laws are strictly enforced, compared to those where they are non-existent, or weakly enforced. In the United Kingdom, people are required to recycle most of their household waste, and the environment is far cleaner than other countries, such as China, where people can throw any trash away without consequences.

How many cohesive devices did I use?

None. My sentences were already well-organized, so I did not need to use any.

You can read all about not using too many cohesive devices here .

7. Write a Good Conclusion

Finally, you must finish all your IELTS writing task 2 essays with a conclusion . This means a final paragraph that summarizes everything you have said so far and then references your key ideas. This can be either one or two sentences, but don’t write much more than that.

A conclusion will also differ according to the question type. Some might require you to make a suggestion or state an opinion, while others will really just require you to summarize you have said.

It is a pretty good idea to follow a structure like this:

Paraphrase your main idea.
Re-state your main arguments.

For example, here is my conclusion from the above question:

In conclusion, laws are absolutely essential to ensure that people recycle their household waste. Without such laws, very few people would actually go to the trouble of recycling; however, if governments enforce these laws, almost everyone would have to comply.

In this conclusion, the first sentence paraphrases my main idea (laws are necessary) and the second sentence re-states my main arguments (people would not recycle without laws; laws make people recycle).

Note that I have avoided repeating myself. In these two lines, I have simply referred to my previous arguments but I have not copied the things I already said. I have used new language for it.

Sample Band 9 Answer

Next, I will show you my answer for this question. Remember that this is just one possible answer. There are other ways to write a band 9 score. However, I do think that this is the best way because it is easy to learn and apply to your own essays. I recommend that you download the essay as a Microsoft Word (.docx) file because I have annotated it fully. You can see a clear explanation of what purpose each sentence has.

Sample Answer

Pollution remains a significant problem all around the world and this is causing people to debate possible solutions. One such solution is for governments to impose laws requiring citizens to recycle certain kinds of waste from their homes. This essay will argue that environmental laws are essential to reducing waste and thereby saving the planet. The case against laws imposing mandatory recycling revolve around the notion that people can learn to recycle by themselves, and this is true to an extent. With the improvement of education, people typically litter less and recycle more. However, our planet is presently in the grips of environmental catastrophe and it would take several generations for people to make changes to their lives. It is also sometimes argued that poor people cannot afford to make the sacrifice necessary to use less plastic and switch to sustainable products, and it is therefore unfair to punish them. However, mandatory recycling would not require people to immediately give up plastics; instead, they would simply be required to dispose of them in an ethical manner at a government-run recycling facility. The case in favour of laws mandating recycling is simple and irrefutable. These laws would ensure that a far higher amount of household waste is recycled, thereby reducing the amount of pollution that goes into our environment. People cannot be trusted to do this for themselves, and the evidence exists in the places where environmental laws are strictly enforced, compared to those where they are non-existent, or weakly enforced. In the United Kingdom, people are required to recycle most of their household waste, and the environment is far cleaner than other countries, such as China, where people can throw any trash away without consequences. In conclusion, laws are absolutely essential to ensure that people recycle their household waste. Without such laws, very few people would actually go to the trouble of recycling; however, if governments enforce these laws, almost everyone would have to comply.

You can download a copy of that sample essay here . This will allow you to see all of my annotations like this:

Improving your Writing Skills

If you really want to get better at IELTS writing, the best way is to have an expert check your work. People who use my writing correction service find that they can quickly identify their mistakes and improve their overall IELTS score.

E-mail me at david [at] ted-ielts [dot] com to find out more, or check the above link.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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IELTS Writing Task 2: The Complete Guide

For Task 2 of IELTS Writing , you’ll be asked to give your opinion on a social issue. Want to know how this section works? Read on for our complete guide to IELTS Writing Task 2, with tips and tricks, sample essays, and more!

(Note: This guide is a handy supplemental resource for those who use our IELTS study schedules . In fact, we specifically recommend consulting this guide on Day 4 of our one week IELTS study plan !)

IELTS Writing Task 2 Basics

IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Organization and Example

Task 2 ielts sample essays, improving your score in the second ielts writing task, task 2 ielts tips and tricks, ielts writing task 2 practice resources.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Basic Information

When you give your opinion on a social issue for IELTS Writing Task 2, you’ll work under the following basic rules and standards:

This task will either be handwritten or completed on computer, depending on what format of the IELTS you take. Your recommended time limit for this task is 40 minutes, and the task takes up 2/3 (66%) of your score. For a full introduction to formatting, timing, and scoring, check out “ The Basic Facts of IELTS Writing Task 2 .”
You need to write a 250 word minimum for your response. If your word count is below the minimum, it will hurt your score. For more information on how this works, see the IELTS Writing word count penalty for IELTS Task 1 and IELTS Task 2 .
The good news is that keeping the right word count is one of the simplest ways to aim for a top Task 2 IELTS Writing score! For more guidance on how to do this, check out our post on how many words to write in your IELTS essays.
Your Task 2 IELTS Writing essay should be formal , reflecting the same tone you’d take in an introductory university academic writing class. For this skill, Magoosh has you covered! See our tutorial on formal writing in IELTS Writing Task 2 for guidance.

IELTS General Task 2 vs. Academic Writing Task 2

This is an IELTS Task 2 basics question I often get: what is the difference between IELTS General Task 2 and IELTS Academic Writing Task 2? The answer is that there is no significant difference. Writing Task 2 Academic usually looks exactly the second IELTS Task 2 on the General Training version of the IELTS.

Get a higher IELTS score? Start your online IELTS prep today with Magoosh.

There is one very small difference: the wording of IELTS General Task 2 prompts is sometimes slightly shorter and simpler . But even then, the same things are being asked. And your essay will need to meet the same scoring standards no matter which version of the test you take.

A well-organized essay is your passport to a top score. Take a few minutes to plan and outline your essay from the beginning, following a good template. If you can do that, you’ll have a strong introduction, body, and conclusion that will really impress the scorers for the Task 2 IELTS essays.

How to Organize Your IELTS Essay

Below are a few resources to help you organize Task 2 IELTS essay in an efficient, impactful way:

Brainstorming Essay Topics for Task 2 IELTS Writing
The Best IELTS Writing Task 2 Template
IELTS Writing Task 2 Body Paragraph Structure

Example Essay Template

The Task 2 IELTS Writing template contains a full model Task 9 essay. However, each section of the sample IELTS Task 2 essay is in a different part of that article, with instructions and explanations between the paragraphs. It may be helpful to also view that sample essay as it would look on a real exam. To see our model essay all in one piece, check out this PDF .

But wait, there’s more! Magoosh has one model essay for each of the five most common question types for Task 2 IELTS Writing prompts ! Click the links below for each sample IELTS Task 2 essay, with scorer commentary:

IELTS Writing Task 2 Discussion Sample Essay
Model Essay for a Two-Part Question in Writing Task 2 IELTS
Task 2 IELTS Writing: Causes and Solutions Sample Essay
Task 2 IELTS Writing: Agree/Disagree Sample Response
Model Advantage Disadvantage Response for Task 2 IELTS Writing

Now that we’ve shown you several model Band 9 essays, you may ask yourself: how can I get a top score on my own IELTS Task 2 essay? To be sure, looking closely at those model essays can help. But it also helps to take a closer look at the four categories in the official rubric for IELTS Writing Task 2 .

In brief, the four IELTS Task 2 rubric categories you’ll be scored on (and their share of the score) are:

Task Response (25%)
Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
Lexical Resource (25%)
Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)

These categories actually apply to both IELTS Task 2 and Task 1. For a detailed description on how to get high marks in all four categories across the whole writing section, check out:

The IELTS Task 2 and IELTS Task 1 Writing band descriptors
How to get a band 8-9 in your Task 2 IELTS Writing

Last but certainly not least, we have tips and tricks for success in each of the four rubric categories:

IELTS Writing Task 2: Task Response
Coherence and Cohesion in IELTS Task 2 Writing
IELTS Task 2 Writing: Lexical Resource
Grammatical Range and Accuracy in IELTS Writing Task 2

Beyond the advice I’ve given you so far, Magoosh offers many other free tutorials for boosting your IELTS Writing Task score, and writing powerful essays within the time limits of the test. Here’s a roundup of our best Task 2 IELTS Writing resources to guide you on the road to test day:

Tips and Tricks From the IELTS Blog

Magoosh’s Complete Guide to IELTS Writing
Useful Sentence Patterns in IELTS Writing
Linking Words for IELTS Task 1 and IELTS Task 2
Using Conjunctions on the IELTS
Paraphrase Exercise for IELTS Writing
Do You Lose Points for Bad Handwriting in IELTS Writing?
How to Use Commas Correctly in IELTS Writing
5 Common Grammar Mistakes in IELTS Writing: IELTS Task 1 and IELTS Task 1
How to Effectively Check Your IELTS Writing
How to Write More Quickly in the IELTS Task 2 Essay
How to Write an Effective Conclusion in IELTS Writing Task 2

YouTube Videos

Top Tips to Prepare for IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 (Video)
IELTS Writing Task 2: Top Mistakes! (Video)
IELTS Vocabulary: Writing Task 2 (Video)
More Words to Know for IELTS Writing Task 2 (Video)
6 Useful Sentence Patterns to Improve Your IELTS Writing (Video)
How to Get a Great IELTS Writing Band Score (Video)
Paraphrasing Tips to Boost Your IELTS Writing Score (Video)
IELTS Writing: How to Score a Band 8+ (Video)
How to Prepare for IELTS Academic Writing Task 2
How can I improve my IELTS Writing Band score?
6 Useful Sentence Patterns to Improve Your IELTS Writing

In addition to Task 2 IELTS Writing tips and tricks, Magoosh also offers you some great resources for practicing IELTS questions! Earlier in the post, I already showed you the practice set for the five most common types of Task 2 IELTS essay questions . But wait, there’s more….

Task 2 Practice Material

The Best Writing Resources for IELTS Task 1 and IELTS Task 2
How to Access the Practice Questions on the Four Official IELTS Websites

Youtube Videos

IELTS Writing Practice Test (Video)
IELTS Task 2 Essay: Agree/Disagree Sample Questions (Video)
The Advantages/Disadvantages Essay for Task 2 IELTS (Video)
Agree/Disagree Questions

Prepare For IELTS Writing Task 2 with Magoosh!

If you like what you see here, there is still even more. With a subscription to Magoosh IELTS you’ll get well over 100 video lessons, more than 600 practice questions, and email tutoring help from our teachers at no extra charge. We also offer a subscription to an IELTS essay scoring service that will assign a band score to your IELTS essays. You can also try a free one week trial of either service ! 🙂

Eliot Friesen-Meyers is the Senior Curriculum Manager for Magoosh IELTS and TOEFL. He attended Goshen College (B.A.), New York University (M.A.), and Harvard University (M.T.S.), gaining experience and skills in curriculum development, ESOL instruction, online teaching and learning, and IELTS and TOEFL test prep education. Eliot’s teaching career started with Literacy Americorps in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and later, taught ESL programs at Northeastern University, University of California-Irvine, and Harold Washington College. Eliot was also a speaker at the 2019 TESOL International Conference . With over 10 years of experience, he understands the challenges students face and loves helping them overcome those challenges. Come join Eliot on Youtube , Facebook , and Instagram . Recent blog posts Complete Guide to IELTS Writing Task 1 Complete Guide to IELTS Writing Task 2

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More from Magoosh

112 responses to “IELTS Writing Task 2: The Complete Guide”

Thanks a lot for creating this pretty much useful guiding blog.

You’re welcome, Nanda! I’m glad you’re finding it so useful. Good luck with your studies!

is paraphrasing is common in all types of essays

Paraphrasing is definitely common in pretty much every type and topic for IELTS Writing Task 2, for the reasons outlined in this post: you need to paraphrase the question, and the conclusion will paraphrase ideas from the introduction and body of the essay. And IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 is pretty much 100% paraphrasing– your job there is to take information form a chart, table, or other graphic, and rewrite the info in your own words.

But even IELTS General Training Writing Task 1 has elements of paraphrasing, since you are given a situation that you will address by writing a letter, and you need to write about the situation in your own words.

And of course, paraphrasing is important in non IELTS essays, such as the ones you might be assigned in a university course. The skill of paraphrasing is something you’ll use in a variety of ways throughout your university career, really.

marvellous tips thanks for this

I’m so glad you found them helpful, Nanda!

Very organized and exhaustive article. The writer gave us a meticulous insight into task 2. Found it very useful. Thank you!!

Thank you for your feedback, Kaif! I’m glad you found the guide so helpful!

Although I have always thought of possible ways to bring about positive changes to me home town, it has become even more convincing to me because I have so many ideas already concurred to carry this out

Thank you a lot!

You’re welcome! Happy studying!

Dear Eliot, if the question is: “Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?” do I need to answer in the introduction or I can answer after discussing advantages and disadvantages? Thank you in advance

Hi Mari! Great question! As a general rule, you should always present your basic idea at the beginning of the essay. Some IELTS essay questions only ask you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of something (not your opinion). Therefore, in your introduction, you simply need to summarize the advantages and disadvantages that you will discuss in detail in the body paragraphs. However, when a Task 2 IELTS question asks for your opinion, it’s very important to state your viewpoint in your introduction as well.

Perfect! Thank you very much! And thank you for the article, is very useful!

You’re welcome, Mari! I’m glad you find the article helpful. Happy studying!

Sorry I can’t find the 5th one of your question types.

Hi Sazzad! Thanks for your question. You can find the 5th Task 2 question type on the table with the title “Thematic Questions.” Thematic Questions are a Task 2 question type that involve answering a set of questions that relate to a theme.

Thanks a lot. This was very useful.

I’m glad you found the post useful, Joel! Good luck with your IELTS studies.

Thanks for this great article. I would like to ask something. What one should do if someone doesn’t have enough information/points as per word requirements on that particular topic, how one should complete the task?

Thanks for your question, Shanawaz! It’s a good one because many IELTS-takers struggle with this same problem. Here’s a tip that has worked for many of my students: add more details and examples to your body paragraphs. If you go back and look at the sample essay in this blog post (about giving kids freedom to choose their careers), you’ll see that each body paragraph has main point, but there are many details (in this case, reasons) included to explain the main points further. Depending on the topic, you can use examples from your life and experience, people you know, or simply from what you have learned somehow. Just make sure that every detail in each paragraph relates to the main idea of the paragraph directly.

I hope this helps! Happy studying.–Eliot

Hi Eliot, thanks for such an informative blog post. As you have mentioned that one can mention about personal experiences in the task 2. However, I have seen that people have recommended not to use personal experiences while citing the instances. They suggest to use examples on general basis. Is it true?

I can take this one for you, Eliot! 🙂

Actually Sukhmani, you can use personal experiences in IELTS Task 2, as long as a personal example is the best suitable example to explain your point. (Eliot mentions this in the comments under this article, and I concur. 🙂 )

It’s a phenomenal thing we learn a lot with the help of this Thx a lot sir

I’m glad you found it helpful, Kamaljeet! Good luck with your IELTS preparation.

Eliot, thank you very much for your post, it was really useful! I would like to ask you a question. When writing body paragraphs, one paragraph represents its own idea. Do we need to do give several arguments (clearly dividing them by “first”, “second” and “finally”, for example) and then supporting ideas to each argument for the idea in the paragraph? Or can we simply state the idea and then explain it with examples? I’m wondering how strict the structure should be.

Hi Angelina! Thank you for your question. It’s a good one!

The answer is that you have some flexibility. You do not need to follow the same pattern in each essay. If you have a list of something (for example, two or three supporting reasons in one paragraph), it is a very good idea to clearly state the organization of your ideas with a list. The pattern you used in your example is a good one (first, second, third), but you can also say things like, “The first reason I like this idea is…” and then discuss this reason for a sentence or two. Then you can transition, “Another reason to support this idea is…” and then do the same as before–provide an example or explain your reason in more detail in a sentence or two.

Now, back to your question. Can you provide a few examples instead of presenting reasons or arguments in your paragraphs? Yes! If you want to explain your main idea with examples instead of reasons, you can use the same strategy as above. Introduce your examples so the reader has a clear idea how you are organizing your ideas. You can do it this way:

One example is….[and write a sentence or two to describe your example]. Another example is….[and write a sentence or two to describe your example].

However, I would add one important note here: If you write a body paragraph that uses only examples to support the main idea, you should always make sure to say, very clearly, how your examples relate to the main idea of your paragraph. After you provide an example, you can write things like this:

This example shows that… This situation means.. I believe this example shows…

I hope this helps with your question! Good luck with your IELTS studies!

Ooops …wish I found it little earlier because tomorrow is my test. However, I do have a query that could help for next test takers. In the answer sheet of booklet of some Cambridge book, I have found sample answer by the examiner which include introduction in the first paragraph followed by explaining the both argument and then giving ones opinion. I found is little bit contradictory as I referred here. How far is it considerable in giving ones opinion just prior to concluding paragraph and on what type of questions? Anyway, really a great job…!!!

Hi Kalash! Thank you for your comment. I think I understand your question and I will do my best to answer it. However, if I have missed your point, please let me know and I will follow-up!

Yes, it is fine to offer your opinion in the final paragraph, especially in Task 2 questions where the question says something like “discuss both sides and give your opinion.” Actually, there are many ways to organize a clear response to questions like these. The suggestions in this blog post (or any other place you find information about Task 2 essays!) are there to help you think of ways to present your ideas clearly.

In this case, you could discuss Side 1 in the first body paragraph, Side 2 in the second body paragraph, and then you could write a full third paragraph providing your opinion. However, you could also present Side 1 and offer your opinion about it in one body paragraph, and then present Side 2 and offer your opinion about it in a second body paragraph.

One thing you MUST do in both cases is present your opinion in your thesis statement (the last sentence of the introduction). No matter how you decide to organize your body paragraphs, this element is essential.

I hope this helps!

Good luck on your test tomorrow!!

–Eliot

I have a question. I took the exam a couple of days ago. i was able to finish both task 1 and task 2. However, I used 2 papers for my task 2, which I forgot to put a page number on top. Will that affect my grade? Im kinda freaking out hehe

I doubt anything significant will happen to you or your score. We can’t say for sure (it will depend on the rater) but this type of thing happens frequently. Good luck! 🙂

Sir, Is there any difference between essay structure asking Do you agree or disagree and to what extent do you agree or disagree??

Hi Gurpreet,

Great question! No, there is no difference between these questions and you can approach them the same way. In other words, you may argue for just one side, or you can make a balanced argument that focuses on the strengths and/or weaknesses of both sides. If you make a balanced argument, keep in mind that you should NOT argue that both sides are equally good or equally bad. You must take a position and choose the side you think is best. Make this argument clear in your thesis statement in the introduction.

Happy studying!

Yes, there is a difference. If the word extent is written, it is necessary to write either totally or completely agree/ disagree or partly agree.

Hi Rajneesh,

Eliot’s point here is that there isn’t a major difference between the two essays instructions. In the GRE, for example, you must take one side and make a strong argument for it. In the IELTS, your primary job is to show that you are able to express yourself clearly in written English. As long as you show that you understood the prompt and respond to it, these nuances are not as important as showing your ability to write clearly in English!

Hi Eliot, thanks for this very helpful article.

My question is, can I make statements like, “In my country, we have the practice of…” Will there be an identity-revealing issue or is this an acceptable approach?

Hi Anu! I don’t think this statement would cause you a problem. You are free to use examples from your life and experience on Task 2, so long as the examples you choose fit the question prompt.

However, it’s possible I don’t fully understand your concern about revealing identity. If so, please say more about what you have in mind.

I sent this link to my students that I’m currently tutoring. Saves me a lot of time! The explanations are clear and thorough. Thank you so much.

Hi Eliot , your blog really helped me a lot. I have a question. When we are asked to discuss both sides and give our opinion, can I write my opinion in the conclusion paragraph instead of writing separate paragraph before conclusion. Thanks in advance

Hi Yeshaswini,

It is not ideal to end an essay with new information (in this case, your opinion) which is why we recommend the opinion coming before the conclusion. But if you are in a situation where you truly feel this is better, you can definitely pull it off.

it is very helpfullthank you so much

In your “Writing IELTS Part 2 Question Types” “Discuss both sides and give your opinion”, you say that there should be 3 paragraphs, but at the free iELTS preparation course, they say, that “your opinion” goes into the conclusion. What is right? Thanks Vera

If you look at the example essay we provided here, you’ll see that there is a short introduction paragraph and a short conclusion paragraph that both express the author’s opinion. The two body paragraphs allow you to write about both sides of the issue and show your thought process. We should note here that there is no secret ‘formula’ on the IELTS–there are guidelines to help you craft your essay. It sounds like our advice matches pretty closely with what you heard from the free IELTS preparation course, but the most important thing is to show that you can write well in English 🙂

Thanks for the tips! I do have a few questions. When the topic question is about, “to what extent do you agree or disagree?”, do you have to pick a side? If you feel like the topic has both pros and cons, can you write the pro’s in para 1 and cons in para 2?

Also, when you are writing different examples to support a claim you make, can the different examples be in the same paragraph?

Thanks for your help!

Hi Samitha,

There is no one correct answer here–the purpose of Task 2 is to show that you can write well in English. The content doesn’t matter that much (you don’t need to convince anyone of anything) but you do need to show that you understand the prompt and can construct a response to it. Yes–you can use one paragraph to show how you agree (pros) and another paragraph to show how you might not agree (cons). In the brainstorm example we gave in this blog post, the person mostly agreed with the prompt, but also provided some reasons against the prompt. As long as you write a strong and logical essay, you’ll be fine 🙂

Each body paragraph should be a different major idea or claim. If you have time, you can write several examples in one paragraph as long as they all relate to the same claim. If you follow the structure above, you can have several examples for the ‘pro’ paragraph and several for the ‘con’ paragraph–just keep an eye on the time to make sure you can write the entire essay in time 🙂

hi, you have written wonderful article . I have a question for you if you could reply me i would be thankful.My question is that may i learn some essay by heart like 40 or 50 essay ?so it could help to get idea on time and might be possible i get exact same one of them in writing task 2

Thanks for reaching out! It’s not a good idea to think of trying to memorize essays in order to succeed on the writing test. They could ask you about anything at all in Task 2, and there’s no list of questions that you can draw from. Instead of spending your time trying to memorize essays, you should use your time to improve your general writing ability, understand the strategy associated with how to write an essay, and practice as much as possible. This is what is really going to help you improve! The templates that we provide you with here are useful because they will help you to organize your essay. Good luck!

I am very much confused about example that is asked to give in task II. How example can be mentioned? Another question is supposed there is statement related to agree or disagree, can we partial for it? If yes/no then how?

The purpose of task 2 is to show that you can express your ideas clearly in written English. In the second task, you should try to find examples that support your point. You can think of things logically or from your personal life that you can use to make your argument.

It’s ok to partially agree with the prompt and partially disagree, as long as you clearly state both sides. In the example essay, the author agrees in the first paragraph but disagrees in the second paragraph. In the conclusion, the author discusses both sides and makes his point clearly.

The best way to get used to this is just to write as much as possible! The more you practice, the easier it will be to think of examples and write your opinions down 🙂

Thanks for your enormous support. Really helped!

I’m so glad this was helpful! Happy studying 🙂

Hi sir, i would like you to give me a feedback on this introduction of mine which is answer to your example in the video. “Home town is the place that many people, including me love so much. In order to develop it, i would come up with some suggestions in altering it. I believe that these points will benefit to enhance my home land.” Thanks in advance sir!

Hi Lakhana,

I’m glad that you found this video and blog post useful! Unfortunately, we are a small team with a lot of projects, and we are not able to provide personalized feedback on writing. I’m sorry about that! There are many different forums and other places where you can find people willing to edit your essays. Best of luck!

I have written the IELTS academic test twice and even though I receive good marks for speaking, listening and reading, I have received 6.5 for writing both times. The first time I couldn’t finish my conclusion, which would make sense that I only got 6.5. But the second time I completed it all with the right amount of words and paragraphs. I’m not sure how to go abouts studying for this as I don’t know where my faults are – I wish they could return your test results to help you prepare better.

Any advise would be lovely.

It is definitely frustrating not to get any feedback on your writing for the IELTS! However, there are still plenty of ways that you can improve on this score! First, I recommend that you look over any practice essays that you wrote, especially timed ones that you wrote right before the exam. It’s likely that any mistakes you made on the actual exam are pretty similar to the mistakes you made on these practice essays. Take some time to analyze these essays according to the Band Descriptors released by IELTS ( https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/IELTS_task_1_Writing_band_descriptors.pdf and https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/IELTS_task_2_Writing_band_descriptors.pdf ). You can also post some of your essays on message boards such as the one on the IELTS Australia page ( https://ielts.com.au/forums/ ). If possible, have a friend or tutor with a high English level look over your essays and provide some feedback. You should also definitely continue to write as many practice essays as possible and analyze each one. This should give you a good sense of what you need to improve and how you can do it. The more you practice and analyze your essays, the more you will improve! Good luck 🙂

I’d like to share my IELTS experience, I recently took IELTS and I scored less than what I am expecting. I finished both writing tasks on time. After reading your blog, I noticed that each question type should have a specific number of body paragraphs? All I know is, you should have 4 paragraphs in your writing. (introduction, argument 1(pros/cons), argument 2 (pros/cons) and lastly conclusion. I followed these during my actual exam. Answering question about “Many people today claimed that they have a better quality of life than those who live few centuries ago, how do you agree or disagree in this statement?” First, I made a short introduction and I stated that in the next few paragraphs I will discuss my answer. On my second paragraph, I stretched all the advantages to people living these days in terms of modernisation and globalisation and the negative effect it brings as well. On my third paragraph, I wrote about the claims of older people that life before were simpler and and stress free however there are disadvantages too. Finally, on my concluding part, I wrote about my side, that living nowadays offers a better quality of life due to improvised technology and new discoveries. Do you think I made a complicated writing? I am planning to take my IELTS for second time, although I am still feeling a bit frustrated. I also wish we could take our writing results with comments and corrections from the examiner who checked my paper so that I can diligently improve the parts that I missed.

Thanks for sharing your experience! I know it’s frustrating not to get any feedback or other information about your exam–it can make it hard to improve! It’s really hard to tell what happened without reading your essay, but there are a few things you can consider. In some cases, simple is better for the writing section of the IELTS. You need to show that you can write well in English, but if you try to do too much you might end up with handwriting that is hard to read, sentences that are long or convoluted, or arguments that don’t quite make sense. I’ve seen students who try to use advanced vocabulary and grammar even though they are not entirely comfortable with them; the result is difficult to read and make sense of for a native speaker. I’m not sure exactly what happened here. Based on your description, you set up your essay in a good way, but you may want to analyze some of your practice essays (and ask others to analyze them, perhaps some teachers in your school) in order to get some feedback about what you wrote. I recommend that you keep practicing the essays and keep analyzing your results so that you can continue to improve! Good luck!

please is it wrong to use biro(pen) to write the easy .You mentioned the use of pencil.

According to this information from the British Council , you can use either a pen or a pencil. You should confirm the test-day requirements with your testing center. Keep in mind that a pen might be difficult because you won’t be able to erase your work, and the page can get messy if you make mistakes and have to correct them. Remember that handwriting and read-ability affect your score, so make sure that you are completely comfortable using a pen if you decide to bring one!

Greatly simplified article. I want to ask something. Should I write more than one points in a body paragraph? For example, in one body paragraph, point 1, its supporting reason/ example, point 2, its supporting reason/ example. Same in paragraph 2.

Hi Chintan! Thanks for your question. Yes, you may include more than one point in a paragraph in the way you described. However, it’s important to make sure that both points relate to or support the same main idea in the paragraph. If you move to a new idea, you’ll need to begin a new paragraph.

Please find the introduction for the essay question you have given in the video. Please do examine this and give the corrections or improvements.

Given an opportunity, I would bring certain changes to my hometown, thereby adding glory to the glorious city.

Thanks for stepping up to the challenge in the IELTS Writing Task 2 video in this post, Buvana. 🙂

So, let me give yo my critique. 🙂

First, you want to make sure that you really are paraphrasing the original question. So let’s revisit that question from the video:

If you could change your home town to make it a better place, what changes would you make?

How would these changes improve your home town?

You’ve done a good job at paraphrasing the “If you could change your home town” portion of the original sentence. “Given the opportunity” is a good paraphrase of “If I could.” “Bring certain changes to my hometown” is a good paraphrase of “change my home town,” too. But you could paraphrase this even more thoroughly and elegantly by eliminating the root word change, and saying something like “I would make some things in my home town different.” Finally, we get to “adding glory to the glorious city.” Here, your paraphrase “make it a better place” is a little awkward. The use of both “glory” and “glorious” is a bit repetitive. How can you express the idea of making your home town a better place with less repetitive language?

Now that we’ve looked at the structure of your paraphrasing, let’s look at overall introduction content. Remember, your introduction should actually be two sentences. You want an initial sentence that paraphrases the question, and you have written that. But then you what a thesis statement that previews and summarizes the specific answers you have to the question. So you should add a second, follow-up sentence that briefly explains how and why you would change your hometown in order to improve it.

Feel free to revise the first sentence and add a second sentence as I mentioned above. If you put your new, revised introduction in the comments section, my colleagues and I will give you further feedback on it. 🙂

I have tried with an introduction.

“Hometown is the place where you are born and have many good memories with that place. this essay discusses the problems and solutions to them on how to make our hometown a better place to live in. in my opinion, the joint efforts of everyone can make it a better place.”

Another commenter rises to our video challenge! 🙂

This is a pretty good introduction. But remember, the question is asking you what you’d do to improve your hometown, and how your proposed course of action would improve things. So be sure to include a “what” and “how” in your introduction. The “what” statement could begin something like this: “through our joint efforts, we would all (DESCRIBE WHAT YOU’D DO). Then for the “how,” say something like “this plan would improve my hometown because….” And of course, as you revise, make sure to double check for spelling and grammar errors. 😀

Here is my introduction: There are some crucial things that I would like to alter of my home town to ameliorate the living and environment condition. I would suggest to reduce or eliminate the enormous traffic jam from the street and I believe if the excessive traffic jam is reduced, our precious time to reach destination would be saved as well as environment pollution would be lessen.

Hi Tabassum,

In terms of content, this is an excellent introduction. It references the original question; it’s clear what has been asked and what kind of answer you are giving. It also puts forth your main idea and supporting details: you’ll reduce traffic congestion so that people can save time and pollution can be reduced.

In terms of wording, however, there are a few problems you should fix. The vocabulary you’re using seems overly wordy, and a little too advanced. Words like “ameliorate” aren’t really used in regular, more conversational writing, and “our precious time to reach destination would be saved” is overly wordy and a little hard to follow. It would probably be better to say something more straightforward there, such as “commuters could save time.” The IELTS essay really should have a more plain, conversational tone.

In addition, many of the bigger words you’re using are in the wrong form or grammar. For example, “environment condition” should actually be “environmental condition,” and “would be lessen” should be “would lessen.”

It strikes me that you’re overextending your vocabulary a little, using advanced, highly formal academic words that you understand, but have trouble using yourself in writing. You can actually get a better score if you make your writing simpler, working with the words you’re most comfortable with.

Many thanks for such excellent guidance.

I would like to ask about the preferable word limit in IELTS writing Task GT essay? Is it fine if word limit exceeds 300 words or should it be kept below 300?

Also, I am not sure about which examples can be quoted… should it be related to real life experiences or mentioning of any anonymous survey can suffice the purpose.

Good questions. When you write, “Task GT,” I believe you are talking about General Training Task 1, for which you write a letter. Please let me know if you had something else in mind. For Task 1 (Academic and General Training), you should not write a lot more than the requirement. Writing too much will use valuable time you can spend editing your composition. It also steals time you could use to work on your Task 2 response, which counts more towards your overall writing score. I suggest shooting for 180 – 200 words for Task 1. You should be able to cover the required information very easily if you hit that mark.

Regarding examples, I believe you are asking about Task 2 here. You can include examples from your life, the lives of people you know, things that occurred in your city/country, etc. You may also use data even if you don’t remember the precise details. For example, you could write, “A recent study revealed that roughly 60% of the residents in my city…” It’s fine to use anything that supports your point well. However, here is the important point about examples: they must be appropriate to the topic. Some IELTS topics have a more personal angle, such as discussing the qualities of a good friend or a good teacher. Other topics are much less personal, such as discussing the environment or social changes over time. Use examples that fit the essay topic and support your main points well.

I hope this helps. Happy studying!

Modifying our own native place to make it the most liveable place is always accepted by people. Though difficult, few changes can lead to boost the place to be more liveable for instance, good infrastructure, establishment of better educational institutions, emphasising in house production which can prompt to escalate the overall growth of the home town.

Your paraphrasing of the original question is a bit weak. “Native place” for example, is not really a phrase that’s used in English, and it doesn’t mean “home town.” Also, “a more livable place” would probably work better than “the most livable place,” since we’re talking about improving the town, not perfecting it. There are a number of other problems here: “few changes” mean “almost no changes,” so “a few changes” (some changes) might be better. And “emphasizing in house production” also sounds strange. Less awkward wording could be “focusing on home construction.”

Those are just a few examples of odd wording that could hurt your IELTS writing score. With that said, the basic structure of your introduction is good. You start by paraphrasing the question and giving your opinion, and then you go on to give specific examples. Keep that excellent structure as you revise your wording.

The sample essay is pretty good, but to address the child possessive pronoun should be fixed (his or her), in the essay it keeps on changing.

This is actually a very common convention in English writing, since there is no gender nonspecific pronoun. Some people will write “his or her” every time, but that is cumbersome and difficult to read. It’s also becoming more widely accepted to use “they” as a singular pronoun , but we don’t recommend that you do so in academic writing. Instead, it’s common to switch between gender pronouns in different examples. In this sample essay, you’ll notice that the author uses “she/her” for an entire paragraph, and then switches to “he/him”–that is completely acceptable in English writing! Remember that we aren’t talking about a specific person or child here, so there’s no issue with switching the pronoun. In fact, it shows even more clearly that the example is general and applies to an entire group!

Is there any online writing evaluation? I need someone to score my writing to check my level

We don’t provide essay grading services here at Magoosh. Sorry about that! We are a small team with thousands of students, and in order to keep our prices affordable we decided not to provide essay grading.You can share your IELTS Speaking and Writing for online feedback at various IELTS Internet message boards, including the official IELTS Australia forums . It is also useful to get feedback from a tutor, or a friend, classmate or teacher who has good English. You can use our resources in this guide to help you grade your essay accurately 🙂

In body 1 & 2, if I write only main points with explanation using complex sentence and don’t give an example, so what happened? I got good score or not?

On the IELTS, you are graded on the quality of your writing. You can certainly score well without specific examples, as long as you answer the question presented by the task and develop your ideas in each paragraph. Examples help you to do this, but you can also do this logically.

Every place could became a better place thanks to some improvements. If I could I rebuild the city where I live adding more parks and green area, but I also would establish some more stringent parking and traffic rules to discipline residentds.

Your ideas and basic structure are very good here. Remember, though, a good introduction also gives a few reasons for the claims you’re making. I advise adding a sentence or two explaining why you feel that more parks, more green areas, and more stringent parking/traffic rules would make your town a better place to live in. Also remember that if you use the phrase “If I could,” you should follow it with “I would.” As in “If I could rebuild the city… I would add more parks….”

“To what extent do you agree or disagree” Do we have to discuss on both points?

No, if you get a question that says “to what extent do you agree or disagree?” you need to assess the strength of your stance as well as what that stance is. You might be strongly on one side or maybe weakly. I hope this helps!

Here is my intro please feddback this.

Changes always are good makes life better and comfortable. While I agree it is unwise to leave a place imperfect, however we have many things that should be changed in my hometown.

We currently don’t offer speech or writing feedback. We are a small team with a lot of students, and unfortunately can’t offer this sort of personalized support. I recommend that you check out the official IELTS Australia forums. . A lot of students give and receive feedback there!

Changes do matter in the present upgraded world. If am allowed to take some measures in the place where i live or in the place where i have stayed before, could be a thought to have discussion.

Hi – I am responding to the task 2 introduction as per the video. It was related to the changes I would like to bring about in my hometown.

Introduction only –

With the growth of commercialization, I certainly believe it’s time to stop and think about the improvements and modifications we can bring about in our local communities, societies, cities and towns to build an eco-friendly atmosphere. I belong to a small town of Nanital, in the state of Uttrakhand, India. One of the major changes that we need to focus on is for the famous ‘Nani’ Lake to resolve the issue of depleting lake water.

Thanks, Looking forward to hearing back from your soon.

Hi Abhilasha,

Let’s take a closer look at this introduction. I like the good range of vocabulary you have here. The grammar is perfect too! With all that said, there are also a few improvements you could make.

Remember that the question is about “hometown” and not local society in a broader sense. Your reference to “local communities, societies, cities and towns” is a little too broad. You want to keep the focus on the idea of a hometown. And you can actually use the exact term “hometown” from the prompt. While paraphrasing the prompt is important, the most important specific terms from the original question should be repeated as-is.

So I would make the opening sentence simpler, just referencing hometowns. I also recommend adding some information to the second sentence. What specific change would you make in relation to the lake? You obviously don’t want to go into too much extra detial, but getting more specific, summing up the change in perhaps 5-10 words, would help make your introduction meaningful and impactful.

Hello, i wanna thank you for this amazing article, that I found very handy indeed. i have one question in mind and I hope you will provide with me with sufficient feedback. Is it okay!! to write in task 2 such phrases as: this essay will discuss, this essay agrees ….. best regards

The phrase “this essay will discuss” should be fine as an introduction/overview, though it’s not really necessary. If you clearly state your thesis statement, then this sentence may just be repetitive.

The phrase “this essay agrees,” on the other hand, just sounds strange! An essay can’t agree or disagree with anything–you, the writer, are agreeing or disagreeing. I would recommend that instead of using a sentence like that, you just clearly state your thesis.

helloo!! dear i have a query if you could answer it please. i took my ielts GT recently and was asked to discuss both sides and give your opinion. i gave intro and then discussed both views and gave my opinion in conclusion. b8ut here you have suggested to write a seperate parah for opinion before conclusion. m little worried that will i loose bands for not doing it this way ?

if so, then how this will effect my score? i require 7 bands in it.

That’s a great question, Swati. If you didn’t express any opinion at all until the very end of the essay, that could definitely affect your score. The instructions say you should state the extent to which you agree or disagree with a position or positions. So that should be the main focus of your essay, and some expression of agreement or disagreement should be happening throughout the essay.

However, if you expressed parts of your opinion in the body paragraphs, and then summarized your opinion in full int he final paragraph, you still might be able to get a good score. Ideally, your opinion should be mentioned in some way in every paragraph. But if your introduction was very brief and you expressed at least parts of your opinion in each body paragraph, you might still get a good score.

My home town is a small city with bustling streets.There are lot of improvements has to be made to uplift the city and bring to the standard of rest of the cities.

Hi Elliot,’

Here is the introduction to the above-mentioned question. Kindly give it a read and let me know your feedback.

Making alterations to their hometown in order to make it a wonderful place is like a dream for a majority of people nowadays. Given an opportunity, I would like to make advancements in my town. This will include the use of metros which will solve the traffic issues to a great extent. In the below paragraphs, I intend to delve into some other improvements that I want to do and the impact these will have on my city.

I have my exam in the next two days. Kindly let me know your valuable feedback

Hi Prakhar! Let’s take a closer look at your introduction!

I like the way you start with broader statement that introduces the topic (your first sentence). You also did a good job of including one specific point that will be in your essay (“use of metros”). And you gave a specific way in which that change would improve your town (“solve the traffic issues”). This is excellent as well.

With that in mind, let’s also talk about things you could do to make this introduction even stronger. 🙂

Be careful of your word choices. “Alterations,” for instance, is a kind of awkward word choice here. “Alterations” usually refers to changes made to clothing or other product designs. This word does not fit well when you are talking about changes to an entire city. Similarly “advancements” usually refers specifically to modernization and the use of new inventions and technology, which doesn’t clearly match your intended meaning. And “metros” can mean meany different things (a “metro” can refer to a city area that includes suburbs, or can refer to a local bus, a local train, or a number of other local services). So it would be better to use a more specific example than that.

It also might be good to briefly describe specific traffic issues that need to be solved. And you should be more specific about the “other improvements.” If you’re going to write about other improvements besides traffic in your essay, you should also briefly mention those other improvements in your introduction.

I hop all of this helps, but let me know if you have any questions about the feedback I’ve given you here. 🙂

I often envisage of making my City modern with less pollution and eco friendly. This can be achieved by reducing the cars on the roads and creating alternative modes of transport like building underground tubes, railways and using electric cars.

Nice introduction. Remember, thought– paraphrase the prompt fully and clearly in your introduction. An added phrase such as “if there is one way I would improve my home community….” could be a helpful extra paraphrase. Be sure to also explain in your intro why alternative modes of transport would be helpful, something like “these changes would reduce pollution and be more eco-friendly because….” Also, here, the word should be “envision,” not “envisage.” Again though, great ideas and setup for an intro to this essay. 🙂

Everyone would like his country to be the most perfect place in the world, and so do I. This essay will explain my point of view of how would using renewable energy and internet influence my home town to develop.

Hi Asmaa! Nice intro 🙂 Are you looking for feedback? This is good, though I might suggest that you make an even clearer connection between your opening sentence and your thesis. I do like how clear your thesis is!

Here is an introduction to the prompt in the video.

I have been staying away from my hometown for quite a few years, and when I look back, I really want to bring in some changes to my native to make it a better place to live. Given an opportunity, I would introduce multiple institutes to learn martial arts and/or self defense. The dynamics of safety will be highly impacted by this change in a positive way, offering a higher sense of security among parents, kids, women in general, and older people as well.

I would request you to take a look and let me know of your valuable feedback and suggestions, if any.

Hi Moumita,

Thanks for responding to this prompt! I’m afraid that we don’t provide feedback for IELTS speaking tasks–we are a small team with a lot of students, so it would be difficult to provide this service for everyone! There may be other readers who can give you feedback 🙂

Introduction: The topic of the essay is the possible amendments that might be made to beautify my home town and to develop its living conditions.The modifications will add up to the betterment of my town in numerous ways. Replacement of old, out of ordered transformers with new ones would the first step to be taken.Secondly,I will try to provide enough amount of water supply to every house in town.Trash dumping system and improvisation of poor conditions of roads would be third in my target list.Like any well-established area my home town would also turn into a place with all fundamental facilities.

The structure of your introduction is good. You open up with a good overview,a nd then you outline each idea that will appear int he body of your esay. Nice work!

To make this introduction even stronger, carefully double-check your word choices. To give just two examples, “amendment’ usually means a written change to a document rather than an infrastructure change to a town, and “improvisation” refers to an unrehearsed stage performance, not an improvement.

My introduction

I’ve frequently imagined how beautiful,healthy, happy and peaceful my community would appear if I was able to make some radical changes to benefit every member of the community and the community itself.This essay will elaborate on three major changes that if made would in my opinion significantly improve the quality and standard of living in the community. The three major changes are, Road repairs, Removal of stagnant water and garbage collection and disposal.

Body #1: Road repairs(Explanation, reasons, benefits) Body #2: Removal of stagnant water(Explanation, reasons, benefits) Body #3: Garbage collection and disposal(Explanation, reasons, benefits)

Really look forward to a feedback.

Thanks Ranjan

Great structure and a really good introduction, Ranjan. There is one change I’d suggest, though. At times, your writing is a bit too wordy. Having four adjectives to describe your community int he first sentence is a little more complex than ideal. Similarly, “on three major changes that if made would in my opinion significantly improve…” is also quite wordy. Consider eliminating at lease one or two inessential words. “In my opinion” could be omitted, and/or you could get rid of adjectives such as “significantly.”

Hey David !

I really appreciate the feedback. I agree that I had used a lot of objectives in the first sentence and that the introduction is pretty wordy.

I guess concise choice of words and phrases are the way to go eh ?

I think that your article helped me a bit although I’m still a somewhat stumped. Thanks anyway!

The essay enquires about the possible modifications you’d consider making in order to improve your hometown. There are numerous changes that I would consider implementing, but the most important ones will be as following: constructing playgrounds in each neighbourhood, defining proper traffic lanes and an improved transport facility. I believe these are the most essential and rudimentary necessities for everyone and such changes improvements can make lives easier.

is it mandatory to write ielts task 2 in three paragraphs?

Hi Anshuman,

No, there is no required organization to the IELTS Task 2 essay. Some people might write 3, 4 or even 5 paragraphs. It is important to organize your essay well, however, and ensure that your use of paragraphs makes sense for the content of the essay.

Very useful guide. Many thanks

Hi Anil, You’re so welcome, we’re so glad you found it helpful!

In regards to your question, since for Task 2 you’re asked to give your opinion on a social issue, it’s better to say “I will discuss” or “I agree…” That will help make your writing more clear. I’d advise you to look as several Task 2 example essays to get a good idea of how they’re written and the types of phrases they use. We have several linked towards the bottom of this article, and that should really help to make it clear in your mind!

Happy studying! 😀

IELTS essay plan for writing task 2 (7 steps)

Home » IELTS academic task 2 » IELTS essay plan for writing task 2

Before starting your essay you need a solid essay plan.

Avoid jumping straight into the introduction, first organise your ideas.

Ametuer tutors will often over simplify this stage, however, it is incredibly important we plan effectively and extensively before starting to write.

A proper plan will prevent you having to rewrite the paragraph if you find yourself off topic later.

Here is a very brief overview of what we teach in our online ielts course.

1. First classify the question. 2. Brainstorm ideas around the idea and clarify your position for each paragraph. 3. Check the ideas correspond to the question (important for task response). 4. Develop the ideas further. Ask yourself WHY? 5. Develop examples that prove your point. 6. Organise your ideas and plan the paragraph. 7. Write your introduction, paragraphs and conclusion.

1. Classify the question

Here you can find the 5 types of IELTS task 2 questions you are likely to see in the exam.

Opinion (Agree or Disagree) Discuss (Both views + Opinion) Problem + Solution Two Part Question Advantages / Disadvantages

Classifying the question correctly will help you later determine what response you will write.

2. Brainstorm ideas and clarify your position for each paragraph.

At this stage we brainstorm possible ideas, from these ideas we can build out our paragraph.

It is important we get a clear plan established.

Our plan needs to reflect the positions we are taking in each of the paragraphs.

Do we agree or disagree? What are the problems? What are the solutions?

If you struggle for ideas this tutorial will help.

Below is a sample question with sample ideas and positions. In this tutorial we have hundreds of essay questions and sample ideas / answers .

Some people think that it is important to use leisure time for activities that improve the mind, such as reading and doing word puzzles. Other people feel that it is important to rest the mind during leisure time. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Paragraph 1:

YES USE LEISURE TIME FOR IMPROVING THE MIND Improve the mind through stimulus, make use of idle time, possibly even learn or improve a language with new apps

Paragraph 2:

NO, REST THE MIND .... because work can be stressful, rest can result in better performance at work ....

3. Check your ideas correspond to the question

Double check that your ideas are answering the question.

It is easy to get an idea and develop it extensively, only to find we are not really answering the essay question.

This will negatively affect your Task Response score which is 25% of the band score criteria in the writing section.

It is easier to catch the problem now - before writing the paragraph.

4. Develop the ideas further. Ask yourself why?

This is a fundamental skill for IELTS essay writing and essential for the criteria: Cohesion and Coherence.

We have a detailed tutorial about cause and effect here .

From the earlier question we had this idea:

Now to develop it further we ask ourselves, why?

...possibly even learn or improve a language with new apps

Because this can bring lots of benefits

Because learning a language improves mental agility.

5. Develop examples that prove your point.

Developing examples is an extremely valuable skill to boost your score.

You can think of studies that prove your point or even give hypothetical examples (and pick up points for grammatical range and accuracy).

In this tutorial we explore at length how to give examples that score high for lexical resource.

6. Organise your ideas and plan the paragraph.

Now we have our: - ideas - position - examples

Now we can organise the paragraph, here is a possible structure to follow:

- introduction / topic sentence - our position - explanation (WHY) - example - paragraph close

At IELTSPodcast our online students have the C2 Template , which is a high scoring template of the structure above. It includes sophisticated sentences and naturally links all your ideas together.

Here is a useful video on this topic.

7. Write your introduction, paragraphs and conclusion.

We only start writing after we have completed the plan we just mentioned.

At first formulating plans will take time but the process gets easier the more times you do it.

Ideally it should become an automatic procedure.

Writing the essay is also a challenge and can take a long time to perfect.

A lot of students get stuck at 6.5 because although they can write excellent paragraphs following a basic structure like the one above, it still is not enough to get Band 7.

You can write essays in perfect normal English following the structure above and still get stuck at Band 6.5.

You see, you need a combination of excellent language skills and excellent exam skills.

We offer a trial essay correction for just $5, we can help you improve faster through feedback. This way you can identify the mistakes being made and avoid making them again.

To get the trial essay correction for $5 just sign up to our mailing list here .

Alternatively, if you need to pass fast then have a look at the Jump to Band 7 or it's Free online IELTS course .

For help improving your IELTS writing , take a look at our essay correction service to help you get a high band score!

Audio tutorial

Tutorials and Tips to Prepare for Task 2

How to Get Ideas for Task 2
Band 9 Sample Essay
Extremely Useful Sentences for Task 2
Five Powerful Sentence Structures to use in your IELTS Writing test
How to use comparisons in Task 2
Concession Paragraphs for “do I agree/disagree essays”
How to write an IELTS Essay Conclusion
IELTS Cohesion and Coherence
3 ways to paraphrase for your Task 2 introduction
Marking Criteria for IELTS Writing
Topics Sentences for Your Essays
7 Ways to Improve your Sentences in Your IELTS Essays
Grammar for IELTS Writing
Academic Collocations for Task 2
Free Essay Band Score Evaluation
Sign up to claim your free IELTS materials
Jump to Band 7 or it’s Free
IELTS Writing Evaluation
IELTS Band Score Calculator
Book Your Online IELTS Test
Sample Topic Answers
Useful Sentences
Sample Task 2 Questions 2022
Introduction to Paraphrasing
Model Band 9 Essay
Five Band 9 Words
Model Band 7 Essay
Differences Band 9 vs Band 7 Essay
Band 6.5 Essay
Academic Collocations
Topic Sentences
Discuss Both Views
Tutorial: To What Extent Essays
Paraphrasing Introductions
Essay Structures
Essay Plans
Describe a Pie Chart
Using Percentages
Map Vocabulary
Describe Flow Charts
Describe a Bar Chart
How to get Band 9
AT 1 Sample Questions 2022
Describe a Graphic
GT Task 1 Questions 2022
IELTS Vocabulary
Google Play / Podcasts
Apple Podcast
Android App
Task 2 Sample Questions
AT 1 Questions

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IMAGES

Easy IELTS Writing Task 2 essay structures for any question
Ielts general writing essay samples with answers
IELTS WRITING TASK 2 MODEL ANSWER
How to quickly think of ideas for IELTS essays. IELTS writing task 2
How to Structure IELTS Writing Task 1 Essays
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Which one is more important: IELTS Writing Task 1 or Task 2?
IELTS Writing Task 2: Advantages Disadvantages Introduction Topic: Achievement
Writing Workshop: IELTS Academic Task 1
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100 IELTS Essay Questions
100 IELTS Essay Questions. Below are practice IELTS essay questions and topics for writing task 2. The 100 essay questions have been used many times over the years. The questions are organised under common topics and essay types. IELTS often use the similar topics for their essays but change the wording of the essay question.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Tips, Lessons & Models
These free tips, model essays, lessons, videos and information will help develop the skills for writing task 2. This page will teach you how to maximise your IELTS writing task 2 score. All lessons are on this page are for both GT and Academic writing task 2. On this page, you will find for free: Test Information for Writing Task 2.
100 Band 7, 8 + 9 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Samples
In this blog post, we have compiled a list of 100 Band 7, 8, and 9 IELTS Writing Task 2 essay samples to help you improve your writing skills and boost your chances of achieving a high score on the exam. These sample essays cover a wide range of topics, from education and technology to health and environment, and are a valuable resource for ...
IELTS Writing Task 2: ️ Everything You Need to Know
When helping students prepare for the IELTS test, one of the biggest fears is how to do well in IELTS Writing Task 2. IELTS Writing Task 2 is the second part of the writing test, where you are presented with a point of view, argument or problem and asked to write an essay in response. Your essay should be in a formal style, at least 250 words ...
Free Online IELTS Writing Practice Tests | Take IELTS
Free online IELTS General Training Writing practice test - paper. Practise for your General Training IELTS Writing test. Familiarise yourself with the IELTS Writing exams with these free online IELTS Writing practice tests, each with answers to assess your ability.
Writing Task 2 Essay structure and writing an introduction
Information about this section of IELTS In Writing Task 2, test takers will be asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem. They will be expected to write at least 250 words and are advised to spend 40 minutes on this task. The essay should be written in formal, academic English. Time 45 minutes
IELTS Practice Academic Writing Test - Task 2 | Take IELTS
In the actual IELTS Academic Writing test, you will have one hour to complete the two questions or tasks: 20 minutes for the first task and 40 minutes for the second. So, you should expect to spend a little longer on practice Task 2 than you did on practice Task 1. While you shouldn’t put yourself under too much pressure when practicing, it ...
7 Steps to Structuring an IELTS Task 2 Essay - TED IELTS
Every IELTS writing task 2 essay should have an introduction and conclusion, and at least two body paragraphs. This is the standard essay format and I highly recommend that you practice with it. Essays that have lots of paragraphs are usually a mess and will receive low scores for Coherence and Cohesion.
IELTS Writing Task 2: The Complete Guide - Magoosh Blog ...
The Task 2 IELTS Writing template contains a full model Task 9 essay. However, each section of the sample IELTS Task 2 essay is in a different part of that article, with instructions and explanations between the paragraphs.
IELTS essay plan for writing task 2 (7 steps) - IELTS Podcast
Here is a very brief overview of what we teach in our online ielts course. 1. First classify the question. 2. Brainstorm ideas around the idea and clarify your position for each paragraph. 3. Check the ideas correspond to the question (important for task response). 4. Develop the ideas further.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Tips, Lessons & Models

1. IELTS Writing Task 2 Test Information

2. IELTS Practice Essay Questions

3. Essential IELTS Writing Task 2 Tips

4. More Video & Tips for Writing Task 2

5. Model Essays

6. Practice Lessons for Writing Task 2

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IELTS Writing Task 2: ✍️ Everything You Need to Know

IELTS Writing Task 2: Everything You Need to Know

5 Steps to a Band 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

4 Ways to Improve your Score in IELTS Writing Task 2

Writing Task 2 Structures

Essential Writing Task 2 Skills

How many words should I write?

Writing Task 2 Common Topics

Full IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice Lessons

Sample Answers

IELTS Writing Task 2 Essential Information

Grammar and Vocabulary

IELTS Writing Task 2 FAQs

How can I get a Band 7, 8 or 9?

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Will using 'high level' or 'academic' words help me improve my score?

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IELTS practice Academic Writing test - Task 2

Task 2 - Write about the following topic:

What should I do next?

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7 Steps to Structuring an IELTS Task 2 Essay

IELTS Essay Structure: The Basics

1. Analyse the Question

2. Brainstorm Ideas

3. Plan your Overall Structure

4. Plan your Internal Paragraph Structure

5. Write a Strong Introduction

6. Link your Sentences

7. Write a Good Conclusion

Sample Band 9 Answer

Sample Answer

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IELTS Writing Task 2: The Complete Guide

Table of Contents

IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Organization and Example

IELTS Writing Task 2: Basic Information

IELTS General Task 2 vs. Academic Writing Task 2

How to Organize Your IELTS Essay

Example Essay Template

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Task 2 Practice Material

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IELTS essay plan for writing task 2 (7 steps)

1. Classify the question