Step 1: The writing process for

Writing Task 2
Introduction
Welcome to Step 1!

In this step, we will give you an overview of the process you should follow when writing an IELTS
Task 2 essay. We will also focus on how you should organise your time in the test.

Outcomes
At the end of Step 1, you will:

know the stages to follow when you write an IELTS Task 2 essay
understand how best to manage your time in the test

What is IELTS Writing Task 2?

It is a short essay for an educated reader, for example, a university lecturer or tutor.
In the essay, you have to give your opinion and write a clear argument or discussion. You
must support your ideas with relevant evidence and examples.
Your writing should be in a formal, academic style.
You should write at least 250 words and spend no more than 40 minutes on the task.

You have one hour to do both Task 1 and Task 2. We advise you to spend 40 minutes on Task 2
as it is worth more marks than Task 1.

Timeplan for Writing Task 2

Lets look at a possible timeplan to follow when you do Writing Task 2.

Stage Suggested time

(Total 40 minutes)

Stage 1 3 - 5 minutes
Read and understand the question

Stage 2 3 - 5 minutes
Plan what youre going to write

Stage 3 25 minutes
Write your essay

Stage 4 5 minutes
Check your writing

Summary
This brings us to the end of Step 1.

In this step, you have learnt about IELTS Writing Task 2. You have also learnt how to manage
your time in the test.

In Step 2, we will look at the first part of the writing process, that is, analysing the question.

Step 2: Analysing Writing Task 2

questions
Introduction
Welcome to Step 2!

In this step, we will look at the first part of the writing process - that is, analysing the question
you have to write about.

Outcomes
At the end of Step 2, you will be able to:

identify the different parts of a Writing Task 2 question

analyse Writing Task 2 questions.

Identify the different parts of a

Writing Task 2 question
The first part of the writing process for Writing Task 2 is to read and understand the question.
You should spend three to five minutes on this.

Lets look at the different parts of a Writing Task 2 question.

Example question

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Suggested

 time length

Write about the following topic: Task

requirement

In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to Background

live for 150 years. This could be good for individuals but it information
may have negative consequences for society.

What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?

Specific
question

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples Task
from your own knowledge or experience. requirements

You should write at least 250 words. Suggested

word length

You can read the following parts of Writing Task 2 questions quickly because this information is
always the same.

Suggested time length

Task requirement
Task requirements
Suggested word length.

However, you will need to analyse the following parts of the question closely as they contain the
specific information you need to help you write your essay.

Background information
Specific question.

We will look at this in more detail later in this step.

Activity - Matching question parts

Match the following parts of the question to the example Task 2 question below. Type the correct
letter into the box. The first one has been done for you as an example.

A word length D suggested time length

B task requirements E task requirement

 C background information F specific question

Example question
You
D
should
spend
about 40
minutes
on this
task.

Write
select...
about
the
following
topic:

Over
select...
the
past
fifty
years,
interna
tional
sports
events
such as
the
Olympi
c
Games
and
world
cup
compet
itions
have
played
an
increasi
ngly
importa
nt role
in our
society.
Howeve
r, many
people
think
such
events
are an
 enormo
us
waste
of
money,
time
and
effort.

Do you
select...
agree?

Give
select...
reasons
for your
answer
and
include
any
relevant
example
s from
your
own
knowled
ge or
experien
ce.

You
select...
should
write at
least
250
words.

D suggested
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
time length
E task
Write about the following topic:
requirement
Over the past fifty years, international sports events such
as the Olympic Games and world cup competitions have
C background
played an increasingly important role in our society.
information
However, many people think such events are an enormous
waste of money, time and effort.
F specific
Do you agree?
question
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant B task
examples from your own knowledge or experience. requirements
You should write at least 250 words. A word length

Read and understand Writing Task

2 questions
We have identified all the different parts of an IELTS Writing
Task 2 question. Now lets focus on the parts of the question you
need to read more closely: the background information and
the specific question.

The background information:

includes the topic of the question. This will be the topic

of your essay.
usually presents a viewpoint. This is an opinion about the topic.

The specific question:

is the final part of the question. This is what you need to address in your essay.

Lets look at some example IELTS Task 2 questions to identify the topic, the viewpoint and
the specific question.

Example 1
Topic
Over the past fifty years, international sports events such as the
Olympic Games and world cup competitions have played an Viewpoint
increasingly important role in our society. However, many people
think such events are an enormous waste of money, time and
effort.
Specific
Do you agree? question

The topic of this question is international sports events have played an increasingly
important role in our society. The Olympics and world cup competitions are examples of
international sports events - they are not the topic.

The viewpoint of this question is that such events are an enormous waste of money, time
and effort. This is the opinion presented in the question.

The specific question is Do you agree? To write an answer to this question you need to write
your opinion of the viewpoint presented. That is, do you agree that international sports
events are an enourmous waste of money, time and effort?
Example 2
Lets look at another IELTS Writing Task 2 question.

Topic
Life has become much more stressful compared to our
parents generation. As a result, stress-related illnesses
are on the increase around the world. Specific question

Why is stress such a problem in the modern world

and what do you think can be done to overcome the
problems caused by stress?

The topic of this question is life has become much more stressful.

The specific question is why is stress such a problem and what do you think can be
done to overcome this problem? To write an answer to this question you need to write about
some of the causes of stress in the modern world and give some solutions to overcome this
problem.

Note that this question does not present a viewpoint.

Activity - Identifying the topic, viewpoint and specific question

Read each of the following example questions and identify the topic, viewpoint and specific
question. The first one has been done for you as an example.

Example question 1
Many governments have laws that ban the sale and use of hard drugs such
as heroin and cocaine, yet they allow people to buy drugs such as tobacco
and alcohol. Laws that prohibit the sale and use of hard drugs should be
applied to all drugs, including tobacco and alcohol.
To what extent do you agree with this statement?
What is the topic of the question?

A Drug control

B Drug laws

C Drug use

The topic is B because it summarises what the question is about. The background information
discusses different laws relating to different types of drugs.

What is the viewpoint of the question?

A Laws for all types of drugs should be

the same.

B People should be discouraged from

smoking and drinking.

C What are the most dangerous drugs

and how can we stop people using
them?

The answer is A. The viewpoint of this question states that the law for the sale and use of all
drugs should be equal.

What is the specific question?

To answer this question you need to write how much you agree with the viewpoint that laws for
all types of drugs should be the same.

Now you try!

Example question 2
In the last decade, there has been an increase in the number and variety
of online courses available to adults. This has been welcomed as a great
opportunity by many students, however, others see these courses as less
 effective than classroom teaching.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course?

Topic

A Opportunities for students

B Online courses available to adults
C Online education versus classroom
teaching

Viewpoint

A Online courses are a great opportunity

for some, but less effective for others
B Online education has risks
C Online or face-to-face instruction -
which method is best?

What is the specific question?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course?

To answer this question you need to discuss the positive and negative aspects of online courses
for adults.
Example question 3
Most major cities around the world continue to grow at a phenomenal rate
due to the massive increase in population. This has created difficulties in
some major city areas.
Describe some of the problems that growth of cities causes and suggest
possible solutions.

Topic

A Pollution
B Problems of increasing population
C Population growth in cities

Viewpoint

A This growth has created problems.

B City life is better than country life.
C City development must be limited.

What is the specific question?

Describe some of the problems and suggest some solutions.

To answer this question you need to write about some of the problems caused by the growth of
cities and suggest some solutions to these problems.

Example question 4
Traditional medicine, such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, is very
popular in some countries. Those who practise traditional medicine claim it
is better than modern medicine in maintaining and improving health.
Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?
Topic

A Acupuncture
B The popularity of modern medicine
C Traditional medicine

Viewpoint

A Traditional medicine is the best type

of medical care
B Traditional medicine is more effective
than modern medicine
C Traditional medicine is the most
effective way to maintain and improve
health

What is the specific question?

Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?

To answer this question you need to state whether you agree or disagree with the viewpoint that
traditional medicine is better than modern medicine, and give reasons for your opinion.

Example question 5
Universities are becoming increasingly expensive to operate. In some
countries, money from taxation has met these costs. However, this is not
always enough to maintain the quality of universities.
What are some ways universities could be funded in the future?
Topic

A Education
B Universities
C The funding of universities

Viewpoint

A Governments need to provide

increased funding to universities
B Money from taxation is not enough to
maintain quality
C Students should be heavily taxed for
attending university

What is the specific question?

What are some ways universities could be funded in the future?

To answer this question you need to suggest ways in which universities could be funded in order
to maintain their quality.

Understanding the topic, viewpoint

and specific question
It is important to identify and understand
the topic, viewpoint and specific question clearly because this
will influence how you structure your essay.

Look at the following three example questions. In each question,

the topic is the same but the viewpoint and specific question are
different. Therefore, the topic will be the same for each essay, but
the structure will be different.

Example question 1
Topic
In the future, it may be possible for people to live for 150
 Viewpoint
years. This could be good for individuals, but
have negative consequences for our world as a whole.
Specific
question

What are the benefits and risks of living to 150?

In this essay, you need to structure your arguments and ideas to include
the advantages anddisadvantages of living to 150, both for individuals and for society.

Example question 2
Topic
People are living much longer than before. In the future,
it may even be possible for people to live for 150 Viewpoint
years. This will create enormous pressures on government Specific question
services such as health, education and welfare.
What problems would governments face and what
could be done to deal with a much larger older
population?

In this essay, you need to structure your arguments and ideas to include
the problems and solutions of a much larger older population.

Example question 3
Topic
In the future, it may even be possible for people to live
for 150 years. This is a largely negative development with Viewpoint
dangerous effects on our society. Specific question
To what extent do you agree with this statement?

In this essay, you need to structure your arguments and ideas to show how much you
agree with the viewpoint that (the possibility for people to live for 150 years) is a largely
negative development with dangerous effects on our society

Summary
This brings us to the end of Step 2.
In this step, you have learnt to:

identify the different parts of a typical Writing Task 2 question

read and understand Writing Task 2 questions by considering topic, viewpoint and specific
question.

In Step 3, we will look at how to recognise the different question types in IELTS Writing Task 2.

Step 3: Identifying Writing Task 2

essay types
Introduction
Welcome to Step 3!

In Step 2, we looked at how to read and understand Task 2 essay questions. In Step 3, we will
look at Task 2 questions in more detail.

Outcomes
At the end of Step 3, you will be able to:

recognise the different question types in IELTS Writing Task 2.

Identifying question types for

Writing Task 2
In IELTS Writing Task 2, the specific question indicates that you
should write one of the following types of essays:

Problem-Solution
Argument
Discussion.

Although each type of essay is different, all three require you to

give your ideas about an issue and support them with examples and evidence.
In writing your answer to an IELTS Writing Task 2 question, how can you tell whether you need
to produce an argument, discussion or problem-solution essay?

Lets consider each essay type in turn.

Problem-Solution
A Problem-Solution essay question asks you to focus on a particular problem or issue. It requires
you to write about the causes of a problem and suggest possible solutions.

The following Task 2 question should be answered with a Problem-Solution essay.

Example 1
Cars have become a convenient and economical form of transport and as a result, the use of
cars has increased dramatically during the last century.
Discuss the problems this increase has created and offer some practical solutions.

The specific question (Discuss the problems this increase has created
and offersome practical solutions.) asks you to discuss some of
the problems caused by the overuse of cars, and suggest solutions to
overcome these problems.

Related to this question type are essay questions that ask you to discuss
thecauses and effects of a particular issue. Look at the following example question.

Example 2
During the last century, the use of cars has increased dramatically and today most people use
cars as their main form of transport.
Discuss some of the causes and effects of this increase in car use.

The specific question (Discuss some of the causes and effects of this increase in car use.) asks
you to discuss some of the causes and effects of the dramatic increase in the use of cars during
the last century.

Sometimes the essay question may be a combination of these two types. Look at the following
example.

Example 3
During the last century, the use of cars has increased dramatically. This has caused problems
 such as pollution and overcrowded roads.
Why do people buy cars and what can we do to stop people from buying them?

The specific question (Why do people buy cars and what can we do to stop people from buying
them?) asks you to discuss cars and their negative impact on the environment. You are asked to
discuss thecauses (why people buy cars) and give solutions (what can we do) to discourage
people from buying cars.

Let's now look at Argument essay questions.

Argument
An Argument essay question asks you to give an opinion on an
issue and support that opinion throughout the entire essay. In
your essay, you may briefly consider the opposite opinion or
point of view, but you should strongly and consistently support
only one side of an issue.

The following question should be answered with an Argument

essay.

Example 1
Over the past fifty years, international sports events such as the Olympic Games and world
cup competitions have played an increasingly important role in our society. However, many
people think such events are an enormous waste of money, time and effort.
Do you agree?

The specific question (Do you agree?) asks you to consider international sports events such as
the Olympic Games and world cup competitions and say if you agree that they are a waste of
money, time and effort.

Example 2
Some Argument essay questions ask how much you agree or disagree with the viewpoint given
in the question. You cannot simply answer yes or no to this type of question. Rather, you need to
decide if you:

completely agree/disagree
partially agree/disagree

with the viewpoint presented in the question.

 Every year, large numbers of people migrate from one country to another for social, economic
or political reasons. Some people believe that this is one of the biggest problems in the world
today.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The specific question (To what extent do you agree or disagree?) asks you how much you
agree or disagree with the statement that migration is one of the biggest problems in the world
today

Let's now look at Discussion essay questions.

Discussion
A Discussion essay question asks you to consider an issue
from different points of view. After discussing both sides of an
issue, you should write a conclusion based on what you think is
the most reasonable viewpoint.

The following question should be answered with a Discussion

essay.

Example 1
In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to
live for 150 years. This could be good for individuals, but it
may have negative consequences for society.
What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?

The specific question (What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?) asks you to
write about both the advantages and disadvantages of living to 150. You should briefly state
your personal opinion in the conclusion.

Occasionally, the question may ask you to discuss both sides of an issue and then strongly
support one side. Look at the following example question.

Example 2
Some governments provide financial assistance for retired, unemployed and disabled citizens.
In other countries, families provide support for these people.
Discuss both systems and give your opinion about which you think is better.
To answer this question, you need to discuss both welfare systems (financial support provided by
the government and support provided by families) and decide which one is more effective. At the
end of your essay, you should strongly support the system you believe is better.

Activity - Matching essay types

Below are six IELTS Writing Task 2 questions. Look at the specific question for each one and
decide which type of essay you would write.

Question 1

Traditional medicine, such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, is very popular in some
countries. Those who practise traditional medicine claim it is better than modern medicine in
maintaining and improving health.
Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?

This question requires:

a Discussion essay
an Argument essay
a Problem-Solution essay

Teachers comment: This question requires an Argument essay. The question presents a
strong statement that supports traditional medicine. In your answer, you should either agree or
disagree with this statement. This approach is typical of an Argument essay.

Now you try!

Question 2
 In the last decade, there has been a great increase in the number and variety of online
courses available to adults. This has been welcomed as a great opportunity by many students,
however, other students see these courses as less effective than classroom teaching.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course?

This question requires:

a Discussion essay
an Argument essay
a Problem-Solution essay

Question 3

Every year large numbers of people migrate from one country to another for different reasons.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of migration for the individual and for society as a
whole.

This question requires:

a Discussion essay
an Argument essay
a Problem-Solution essay

Question 4

Many major cities around the world continue to grow at a phenomenal rate This has created
difficulties in some city areas.
 Describe some of the problems that the growth of cities causes and suggest possible solutions.

This question requires:

a Discussion essay
an Argument essay
a Problem-Solution essay

Question 5

Many governments have laws that ban the sale and use of hard drugs such as heroin and
cocaine, yet they allow people to buy drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. Laws
that prohibit the sale and use of hard drugs should be applied to all drugs, including tobacco
and alcohol.
What is your opinion?

This question requires:

a Discussion essay
an Argument essay
a Problem-Solution essay

Question 6

Universities are becoming increasingly expensive to operate. In some countries, money from
taxation has met these costs. However, this is not always enough to maintain the quality of
universities.
How should universities be funded in the future?
 a Discussion essay
an Argument essay
a Problem-Solution essay

Summary
This brings us to the end of Step 3!

In this step, you have learnt how to:

recognise the different question types for IELTS Writing Task 2.

In Step 4, we will look at how to plan Task 2 essays.

Step 4: Planning your Writing Task

2 essay
Introduction
Welcome to Step 4!

In Step 3, we looked at question types for IELTS Writing Task 2. In Step 4, we will focus on
planning your IELTS essay.

Outcomes
At the end of Step 4, you will be able to plan your Task 2 essay by:

getting ideas for your essay (brainstorming)

grouping your ideas
providing examples to support your ideas
ranking your ideas.

The importance of planning

IELTS examiners will be looking to see that your essay:

has relevant ideas

uses these ideas to develop your viewpoint on an issue.

Some students find the planning stage the most difficult part of the IELTS Writing test because it
is difficult to think of good ideas in a short time. To help you with this, lets look at the first stage
of the planning process - brainstorming.

Brainstorming
Brainstorming is when you quickly write or think of a number of interesting and relevant ideas
that are connected with the topic and that will help you to answer the essay question. You may
also wish to include examples to support your ideas.

Lets read what one learner, Anthony, said about the importance of brainstorming.

When I first looked at the IELTS Task 2 essay question, I

thoughtHow could I write 250 words on this
subject? Brainstorming helped me to think of some ideas on the
topic before I started writing.

Lets look at an example of brainstorming. Read the following Discussion essay question and then
the ideas Anthony brainstormed to help him answer this question.

Discussion essay question

In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for 150 years. This could be
good for individuals, but may have negative consequences for society.
What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?
This question asks you to write about both the benefits and risks of living to 150. Therefore,
your brainstorm should include ideas about both benefits and risks. Here are the ideas Anthony
brainstormed for this question.

Benefits

experience more in your life, see more things

more time to be successful e.g. business people
more time with the people we love
gain more knowledge/experience to produce better work
watch our children grow up
scientists, doctors, musicians could be more effective
plenty of time to relax and enjoy life

Risks

later years may be unhealthy

body organs unable to deal with extreme age
physical appearance will deteriorate
not enough natural resources
diseases of older people can be painful e.g.arthritis
social welfare system may break down
water shortages

This brainstorm includes a number of interesting and relevant ideas (both benefits and risks) for
this essay question. We can see that after writing his ideas, Anthony decided to cross one idea
out (physical appearance will deteriorate) because although this was a disadvantage of living to
150, it was not a risk, and therefore irrelevant to the essay question.

However, despite Anthonys great ideas, his brainstorm is disorganised. He must now move on to
the second stage of the planning process - organising his ideas into groups.

Grouping your ideas

In this stage, you should decide which of your ideas can be connected together and then you
should reorganise those ideas into different groups. You may also decide to cross out one or two
ideas that do not fit into any of these groups, or that are not as important as the other ideas you
have brainstormed.

Lets look at how Anthony has done this.

Benefits

experience more in your life, see more things

more time to be successful e.g. business people
more time with the people we love
 gain more knowledge/experience to produce better work
watch our children grow up
scientists, doctors, musicians could be more effective
plenty of time to relax and enjoy life

Risks

later years may be unhealthy

body organs unable to deal with extreme age
physical appearance will deteriorate
not enough natural resources
diseases of older people can be painful e.g.arthritis
social welfare system may break down
water shortages

Benefits

job/career benefits
o more time to achieve success e.g. business people
o gain more knowledge/experience to produce better
work
o scientists, doctors, musicians could be more
effective
personal benefits
o experience more, see more things
o have more time with the people we love
o watch our children grow up
o plenty of time to relax and enjoy life

Risks

risks to society
o water shortages
o social welfare system may break down
o not enough natural resources
health risks
o later years may be unhealthy
o diseases of older people can be painful e.g. arthritis
o body organs unable to deal with extreme age
o physical appearance will deteriorate

Notice that Anthony has also given each group of ideas a heading. This will help him to identify
and write about each of these groups in his essay. Anthony also decided that one of his ideas
relating to personal benefits (plenty of time to relax and enjoy life) was not really important so
he has crossed it out.
Now that Anthony has grouped his ideas, he needs to make sure that he has enough examples.
So far, Anthony has only given two examples. In order to support his ideas more effectively,
Anthony needs to think of a few more.

Providing examples
It is not necessary to provide examples to support every idea that you have brainstormed. You
will find it relatively easy to think of examples for some of your ideas, while other ideas may not
be suited to this. However, you should make sure that you include a few strong examples in your
essay.

It is possible that some of the ideas you have brainstormed could be used as examples.
However, you may also need to include additional examples.

Lets look at how Anthony has used some of the ideas in his brainstorm as examples and where
he has added extra examples. Click on the button below to see Anthony's
original brainstorm.

Benefits

job/career benefits
o more time to be successful e.g. business people
o gain more knowledge/expereince to produce better work
o scientists, doctors, musicians could be more effective
personal benefits
o experience more in your life, see more things
o have more time with the people we love
o watch our children grow up
o plenty of time to relax and enjoy life

Risks

risks to society
o water shortages
o social welfare system may break down
o not enough natural resources
health risks
o later years may be unhealthy
o diseases of older people can be painful e.g.arthritis
o body organs unable to deal with extreme age
o physical appearance will deteriorate

Benefits
 job/career benefits
o have more time to achieve success e.g. business
people
o gain more knowledge/experience to produce better
work e.g. scientists, doctors, musicians
personal benefits
o experience more, see more things
o have more time with the people we love e.g.
watch our children grow up

Risks

risks to society
o social welfare system may break down e.g. Japan
o not enough natural resources e.g. water
health risks
o later years may be unhealthy e.g.
body organs unable to deal with extreme age
o diseases of older people can be painful e.g. arthritis

We can see that some of the ideas in Anthonys original brainstorm have been used as examples
to support the other ideas. He has also added one new example (e.g. Japan).

Ranking your ideas

After you have organised your ideas into groups, you need to rank them. Ranking means putting
these groups of ideas in order.

One common method is to put them in order of importance. This means ranking each group,
starting with the one you think is the most important or has the strongest argument, until you
get to the least important or weakest group of ideas. This method is useful because during the
test you may decide not to write about the least important ideas if you are running out of time.

Lets look at how Anthony has ranked his groups of ideas. Note that he has simply written a
number next to each group to show the order in which he will present them in his essay.

If you want to see his ideas again, click on the button below.

Benefits

job/career benefits
o more time to achieve success e.g. business people
o gain more knowledge/experience to produce better work e.g.
scientists, doctors, musicians
personal benefits
o experience more, see more things
 o more time with the people we love e.g. watch our children grow up

Risks

risks to society
o social welfare system may break down e.g. Japan
o not enough natural resources e.g. water shortages
health risks
o later years may be unhealthy e.g. body organs unable to deal with extreme
age
o diseases of older people can be painful e.g. arthritis

Benefits

2. benefits to jobs and careers

o have more time to achieve success e.g. business
people
o gain more knowledge/experience to produce better
work e.g. scientists, doctors, musicians

1. personal benefits
o experience more, see more things
o have more time with the people we love e.g.
watch our children grow up

Risks

4. risks to society
o social welfare system may break down e.g. Japan
o not enough natural resources e.g. water

3. health risks
o later years may be unhealthy e.g.
body organs unable to deal with extreme age
o diseases of older people can be painful e.g. arthritis

We can see that in Anthonys opinion, the personal benefits of living to 150 are more
important than benefits to peoples jobs and careers. Anthony has also decided to present
health risks before risks to society as he feels his examples for health risks are stronger.

Remember that the way in which you rank your groups of ideas can depend on:

the strength of your examples which support your ideas

your personal opinion.
Where do I write my essay plan? Because you cannot bring your own paper into the exam
room, you should write your plan on the IELTS Question Paper. However, some students prefer
to plan in their heads.

So far, we have looked at the ideas in Anthonys plan in detail. However, during the IELTS test,
Anthony will not have enough time to include this amount of information when he writes his
plan.

Below is an example of a basic outline of Anthonys plan. It uses the same ideas but shows less
detail.

Benefits

2. careers
o time to achieve success e.g. business people
o can gain more experience e.g. scientists,
doctors, musicians

1. personal
o experience/see more
o more time with family e.g. watch our children
grow up

Risks

4. society
o social welfare break down e.g. Japan
o natural resources e.g. water

3. health
o unhealthy old age e.g. failure of body organs
o suffering painful diseases e.g. arthritis

If you want to compare this to the detailed plan click here.

Anthony has now finished planning his Task 2 essay. Lets look at how Anthony used his plan to
write his essay.
Using a plan to write a Discussion
essay
Let's see how Anthony used his plan to write his essay. First, read the Task 2 essay question
again.

Discussion essay question

In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for 150 years. This could be
good news for individuals but it may have negative consequences for our world as a whole.
What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?

Now compare Anthony's plan with the essay he wrote in the IELTS test. Click here to see the
plan again.

Anthony's Essay
To live a longer life has been a dream for countless years. With the
development of science and technology, it might be possible for
people to live for one hundred and fifty years in the near future.
However, in my opinion, it may not be beneficial for people to do
so. (Introduction)
Undoubtedly, there are some major advantages for living a longer life. Firstly,
people could enjoy longer lives and do more of the things they want, such as trying
different lifestyles. They could spend more time with their family and even watch
their children grow to old age. (Personal benefits) In addition, people could
contribute more if they lived longer lives, especially scientists and other valuable
members of society. For example, if Edison had lived longer, he might have invented
more things for us or Mozart might have produced more wonderful music. (Benefits
to jobs and careers)
Nevertheless, there could be many disadvantages if people lived for one hundred
and fifty years. Firstly, people might be unhealthy in their later years because their
body organs are unable to deal with extreme age. Additionally, more people may
suffer from painful diseases such as arthritis. (Health risks) Another factor is that
an increasing older population would cause many problems for society. For example,
it would place a lot of pressure on the social welfare system, a situation already
developing in countries.(Risks to society)
In conclusion, I believe that the disadvantages for people living for one hundred and
fifty years far outweigh the advantages. Therefore, this development would be a
largely negative one for our society. (Conclusion)

Now that we have looked at planning a Task 2 Discussion essay, lets practise what we have
learnt with a different essay type - Argument essays.
Planning an Argument essay
Look at the following essay question that Jane is given in the test.

Argument essay question

Teenage offenders should be treated in the same way as adult criminals.
Do you agree?

Planning an Argument essay is similar to planning other Task 2 essays. However, you will need
to decide if you agree or disagree with the viewpoint presented in the question. You may find
this difficult to decide and in the end, the viewpoint you present in your essay may depend on
the number and quality of ideas you can think of when you plan your essay.

Jane has just finished reading this question and is not sure which viewpoint she will write about.
She has quickly thought of some ideas for both viewpoints to see which viewpoint has the
strongest ideas.

Look at the ideas that Jane brainstormed. Which viewpoint would Jane decide to write about?

Agree:

all criminals should be punished

same result of crime whether committed by an adult or child
there has been an increase in numbers of young criminals
easier/cheaper for the legal system to treat all criminals equally
better protection for society by sending criminals to jail

Disagree:

teenage offenders often under pressure

often influenced by drugs/alcohol
pressure from parents/school
teenagers dont always think about their actions & the consequences
we should help teenage criminals to understand the effects of wrong behaviour
many negative influences in life
violent computer games
give teenagers lesser punishment
teenagers not as smart as adults
community service
give rehabilitation
negative effects of jail may damage their future

By looking at Jane's brainstorm, we can see that she was able to think of more ideas that
disagree with the viewpoint in the question. For this reason, Jane has decided to use these
ideas to disagree with the viewpoint that teenage criminals should be treated in the same way as
adult criminals.

It is possible that Jane may not believe in or like the viewpoint she is going to present in her
essay (i.e. it may not be her personal opinion). However, she has choosen this viewpoint
because she has more ideas and this will make it easier for her to write her Task 2 answer.

Note that you will not always need to brainstorm ideas for both sides of an Argument essay.
This method is only useful if you are unsure of which viewpoint to present in your essay.

Activity - Organising ideas into groups

Now that Jane has brainstormed a number of interesting and relevant ideas to
help her answer the essay question, lets use her ideas to practise organising
ideas into groups. First, look at the Argument essay question again.

Argument essay question

Teenage offenders should be treated in the same way as adult criminals.

Do you agree?

Now look at Janes disagree brainstorm.

You will notice that her ideas can be grouped into two major arguments to support her
viewpoint. One argument is that there are reasons why teenagers have become criminals.
Therefore, some of her ideasdefend teenage criminals. The other argument is that there are
better ways to deal with teenagers. Therefore, some of her ideas support alternative
punishment for teenagers.

Organise her ideas into these groups. The first one has been done for you as an example. You
will find 7 ideas that defend teenage criminals and 5 ideas that support alternative punishment.

Defending
Jane's ideas to support her Alternative
teenage
viewpoint punishment
criminals
teenage offenders often
1.
under pressure
often influenced by
2.
drugs/alcohol
pressure from
3.
parents/school.
4. teenagers dont always
 think about their actions &
the consequences
5. we should help teenage
criminals to understand the
effects of wrong behaviour
6. many negative influences in
life
7. violent computer games
8. give teenagers lesser
punishment
9. teenagers not as smart as
adults
10. community service
11. give rehabilitation
negative effects of jail may
12.
damage their future

Now that we have organised Janes ideas into two groups, lets practise the next stage of
planning her Task 2 essay - providing examples to support her ideas.

Activity - Providing examples

Look at Janes first group of ideas again - Defending teenage criminals.

Decide whether any of her brainstormed ideas:

could be used as examples

could be supported with new examples
are not as important or are irrelevant to the essay question.

Defending teenage criminals

many negative influences in life

teenage offenders often under pressure
often influenced by drugs/alcohol
pressure from parents/school.
teenagers dont always think about their actions and the consequences
violent computer games
 teenagers not as smart as adults

Now compare your examples with Janes.

Defending teenage criminals

many negative influences in life e.g.

drugs/alcohol/violent computer games
teenage offenders often under pressure e.g. from
parents/school
teenagers dont always think about their actions and the
consequences
teenagers not as smart as adults

Feedback: In this example, you can see that Jane was able to use some of the points in the
brainstorm to support her other ideas. Jane has also crossed out the last idea because it didnt fit
in with the other ideas in the group.

Now look at Janes second group of ideas Alternative punishment for teenagers. Decide
whether any of her brainstormed ideas:

could be used as examples

could be supported with new examples
are not as important or are irrelevant to the essay question.

Alternative punishment for teenagers

negative effects of jail may damage their future

give lesser punishment
should give teenagers a chance to understand the effects of wrong behaviour
community service
give rehabilitation
Now compare your examples with Janes.

Alternative punishment for teenagers

negative effects of jail may damage their future e.g.

may return to crime if unable to find a job
give teenagers lesser punishment e.g. community
service
we should help teenage criminals to understand the
effects of wrong behaviour e.g. give rehabilitation

Feedback: In this example, you can see that Jane was able to use some of the points in the
brainstorm to support her other ideas. She has also added a new example (may return to crime
if unable to find a job) to support the first idea in this group.

Jane now has two groups of ideas that disagree with the viewpoint in the essay question. She
has decided to leave these two groups in the same order and will therefore first write
about defending teenage criminals, followed by her ideas on alternative punishment for
teenagers.

So far we have looked at Janes plan in detail. Below is a basic outline of this plan. This is what
Jane would actually write in the planning stage during the test. It uses the same ideas
but shows less detail.

Defending teenage criminals

negative influences e.g. drugs, alcohol, computer games

under pressure e.g. parents, school
dont think about their actions/consequences.

Alternative punishment

jail harms their future e.g. return to crime after jail

lesser punishment e.g. community service
help them understand wrong behaviour e.g. rehabilitation
Using a plan to write an Argument essay
Now read the following Argument essay that Jane wrote using this essay plan. Here is the essay
question again.

Argument essay question

Teenage offenders should be treated in the same way as adult criminals.
Do you agree?

Now compare Jane's plan with the essay she wrote. Click here to see the plan again.

Janes essay
The teenage years can be a wonderful yet difficult time in the lives of young people.
Those teenagers who break the law during their teenage years need to be treated
differently due to their age. This essay will argue for special treatment of teenage
offenders. (Introduction)
The most important consideration is that teenagers are young people with their
entire lives before them. Therefore, they need to be treated differently to adult
offenders, who may have been criminals for some time. Crimes committed by
teenagers may not have been intentional and may have resulted from negative
influences, such as poor parenting, drugs and alcohol or even from watching violent
video games. Additionally, young people may be under enormous pressure to do
well at school. As a result, many teenagers are stressed and may commit crimes
without thinking fully about their actions or the consequences. (Defending
teenage criminals)
Finally, any harsh punishment such as sending teenage criminals to jail, could
damage their future opportunities. For example, if they are unable to find work once
they have left jail, they may return to a life of crime to survive. Therefore, we
should give them the chance to understand the effects of their wrong behaviour by
treating them with lesser punishment such as community service or rehabilitation
classes to learn more about right and wrong behaviour. (Alternative punishment)
In conclusion, I strongly believe that we should treat teenage offenders differently
from adult criminals. By doing this we can ensure that they do not remain criminals
for life.(Conclusion)

Activity - Planning for Task 2 essays

Now that you have learnt and practised the different stages of
planning a Task 2 essay, lets practise writing a complete plan
for:
 a Disscussion essay
an Argument essay
a Problem-Solution essay.

Below are three example IELTS essay questions. Write a plan for each one by brainstorming,
grouping, providing examples and ranking. Remember that planning your essay in the IELTS
test should take no more than five minutes. To save time, you may wish to:

practise brainstorming by thinking of ideas in your head

organise your ideas into groups before you write them down
only write a basic outline of your plan.

Remember to spend no more than five minutes on planning each essay. Write your ideas and
plan on a piece of paper.

Discussion essay question

The benefits of computers in modern society far outweigh the
disadvantages.
Discuss.

Write your ideas and plan on a piece of paper. When you have finished, click on the Check
button to compare your plan with our example. It does not matter if your plan is different to ours.
The most important thing is that you have a number of good quality and well-organised ideas.

Advantages

machines can do difficult and dangerous work e.g. car assembly factories
can help scientists by processing data very quickly
help to develop modern technology e.g. people can now go to the moon
make our lives easier e.g. people can go shopping/book tickets without leaving their
house

Disadvantages

computers used to steal personal information e.g. bank account details

material cant be controlled on the Internet e.g. pornography
less jobs available - more computers used in factories, therefore less workers needed

Our brainstormed ideas have been ranked in order of importance. However, remember that
ranking depends on your personal choice.

Below is a basic outline of this plan.

 Advantages

can do difficult and dangerous work e.g. build cars

processing data quickly
assist modern technology e.g. travel to the moon
easier life e.g. internet for shopping, buying tickets

Disadvantages

easy to steal personal information e.g. bank account numbers

no control e.g. pornography
take jobs away from people

Argument essay question

Traditional medicine, such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, is very
popular in some countries. Those who practise traditional medicine claim it
is better than modern medicine in maintaining and improving health.
To what extent do you agree with this viewpoint?

Write your ideas and plan on a piece of paper. When you have finished, click on the check button
to compare your plan with our example. It does not matter if your plan is different to ours. The
most important thing is that you have a number of good quality and well-organised ideas.

Our example plan for AGREE.

AGREE

traditional medicine uses natural products e.g. herbs and other plants - modern
medicine uses artificial drugs
traditional medicine looks at mind and body e.g. lifestyle and overall health - modern
medicine only cures diseases
traditional medicine used for thousands of years e.g. in China - modern medicine still
recent and long-term effects are unknown

Below is a basic outline of this plan.

Agree

TM - natural e.g. herbs & other plants

MM - artificial drugs
 TM - treats mind/body e.g. lifestyle, overall health
MM - only cures diseases
TM - thousands of years e.g. China
MM - recent, long-term effects unknown

Our example plan for DISAGREE.

DISAGREE

Modern medicine is fast and effective e.g. drugs are designed to treat the problem
immediately - traditional medicine is slow and does not work for everyone
Modern medicine is constantly being developed and improved e.g. research to find a
cure for cancer or AIDS - traditional medicine only uses old knowledge and techniques
Modern medicine strictly controlled to ensure high standards/quality - traditional
medicine does not e.g. recent media reports that some herbal medicine is ineffective

Our brainstormed ideas have been ranked in order of importance. However, remember that
ranking depends on your personal choice.

Below is a basic outline of this plan.

Disagree

MM - fast, effective e.g. drugs work immediately

TM - slow, unreliable e.g. doesnt work for everybody
MM - constant developments, improvements e.g. Cancer/AIDS research
TM - uses only old knowledge
MM - high standards, quality
TM - doubts about quality e.g. media reports about ineffective herbal medicine

Problem-Solution essay question

People are living much longer than before. In the future, it may even be
possible for people to live to 150 years old. However, this could put
enormous strain on our society.
Discuss some of the problems that living to 150 may cause and suggest
possible solutions to overcome them.
Write your ideas and plan on a piece of paper. When you have finished, click on the check button
to compare your plan with our example. It does not matter if your plan is different to ours. The
most important thing is that you have a number of good quality and well-organised ideas.

Problems

Welfare services may be under pressure e.g. unable to pay pensions to older people
Older people are often overlooked by governments
Lack of medical services
Older peoples minds need to be kept active

Solutions

Increase retirement age e.g. require older people to work longer so that they
continue to pay tax
Create government departments that deal with issues faced by older people
Build more hospitals that deal with health problems of older people
Build universities to meet the needs of older people

Our brainstormed ideas have been ranked in order of importance. However, remember that
ranking depends on your personal choice.

Below is a basic outline of this plan.

Problems

welfare services e.g. cannot pay pensions

governments overlooked older people
lack of medical resources
keeping mentally active

Solutions

Increase retirement age so older people still pay tax

government departments to help older people
more hospitals
universities for older people

Summary
This brings us to the end of Step 4.

In this step, you have learnt how to plan for your Task 2 essay by:

getting ideas for your essay (brainstorming)

grouping your ideas
providing examples to support your ideas
ranking your ideas
In Step 5, we will continue with the writing process for your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay. We will
focus on how to use your plan to write a Task 2 essay.

Step 5: Structuring your Writing

Task 2 essay
Introduction
Welcome to Step 5!

In Step 4, we looked at brainstorming for ideas and planning an answer for IELTS Writing Task 2.
In Step 5, we will consider the overall structure of the three different essay types you may need
to write for Task 2.

Outcomes
At the end of this step, you will be able to:

plan an overall structure for different essay types

structure your ideas into an essay.

Overview - IELTS essay structure

In general, an essay has three parts. These are the:

introduction
body
conclusion.

Your essay for IELTS Writing Task 2 should contain these three parts. Each part should be clearly
divided into separate paragraphs. The body of your essay should be around 80% of your content,
while your introduction and conclusion should take around 10% each.

In this step, we will mainly focus on the structure of the body of an essay. We will look at how to
write anintroduction in Step 6 and how to write a conclusion in Step 8.

The structure of the body is different depending on the type of essay you are writing. In this
step, we will look at alternative structures for each essay
type: Discussion, Argument and Problem - Solution.
Let's start by looking at the structure of Discussion essays.

Structure of Discussion essays

We are going to look at two different ways of structuring the body of a Discussion essay. Both
structures are suitable for an IELTS Task 2 essay. The one you decide to use will depend on your
ideas and the topic of the essay.

First, let's look at a typical structure of a Discussion essay. It includes:

Introduction You should introduce the topic. You may also

state your viewpoint on this topic.

Body You should discuss both sides of the issue. Often

the first one or two paragraphs will discuss one
side of an issue and the next one or two
paragraphs will discuss the other side of the
issue. The positive aspects of the issue are called
the pros and the negative aspects thecons.

Conclusion You should provide a summary of the discussion

and state your viewpoint on the issue.

You can plan the overall structure of this essay type in the following way:

Introduction
+
Body paragraph 1
PROS
+
Body paragraph 2
CONS
+
conclusion

Let's look at an example Discussion essay that uses this structure.

Example question

In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for 150
years. This could be good news for individuals but it may have negative
consequences for our society.
What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?
Sample answer - Jurgens essay

Click here to see how Jurgen used the ideas from his plan to structure his essay.

To live a longer life has been a dream for countless years.

With the development of science and technology, it might be
possible for people to live for one hundred and fifty years in
the near future. However, in my opinion, it may not be
beneficial for people to do so. (Introduction)
Undoubtedly, there are some major advantages for living a longer life.
Firstly, people could enjoy longer lives and do more of the things they
want, such as trying different lifestyles. They could spend more time with
their family and even watch their children grow to old age. In addition,
people could contribute more if they lived longer lives, especially scientists
and other valuable members of society. For example, if Edison had lived
longer, he might have invented more things for us, or Mozart might have
produced more wonderful music. (Pros)
Nevertheless, there could be many disadvantages if people lived for one
hundred and fifty years. Firstly, people might be unhealthy in their later
years and may suffer from painful diseases such as arthritis. Additionally,
there may be ethical questions involved. Will everyone be able to live for
this long or only the citizens of developed countries? Another factor is
that an increasing older population would cause many problems for
society. For example, it would place a lot of pressure on the social welfare
system a situation already developing in countries such as Japan. Finally,
the overpopulation of the earth could greatly damage the
earths ecosystem and could lead to ecological disaster.(Cons)
In conclusion, I believe that the disadvantages for people living for one
hundred and fifty years far outweigh the advantages. Therefore, this
development would be a largely negative one for our
society. (Conclusion)

Quick quiz

Are there more pros or cons in this essay? Click on the correct answer.

There are more pros

There are more cons
Language focus - Signpost words
to order information
Discussion essays often use signpost words to order information. These words let your
reader know that you are going to present your information in a certain order. Below are some
examples of frequently used signpost words to order information.

Firstly Another factor

In addition / Additionally Finally
For example In conclusion / In summary

Look at Jurgens Discussion essay again to see how he has used signpost words to order his
ideas. These signpost words have been highlighted for you.

To live a longer life has been a dream for countless years. With the
development of science and technology, it might be possible for people to
live for two hundred years in the near future. However, in my opinion, it
may not be beneficial for people to do so. (Introduction)
Undoubtedly, there are some major advantages for living a longer
life.Firstly, people could enjoy longer lives and do more of the things they
want, such as trying different lifestyles. They could spend more time with their family and
even watch their children grow to old age. In addition, people could contribute more if they
lived longer lives, especially scientists and other valuable members of society. For
example, if Edison had lived longer, he might have invented more things for us or Mozart
might have produced more wonderful music. (Pros)
Nevertheless, there could be many disadvantages if people lived for two hundred
years.Firstly, people might be unhealthy in their later years and may suffer from painful
diseases such as arthritis. Additionally, there may be ethical questions involved. Will
everyone be able to live for two hundred years or only the citizens of developed
countries? Another factor is that an increasing older population would cause many
problems for society. For example, it would place a lot of pressure on the social welfare
system a situation already developing in countries such as Japan. Finally, the
overpopulation of the earth could greatly damage the earths ecosystem and could lead to
ecological disaster. (Cons)
In conclusion, I believe that the disadvantages for people living for two hundred years
far outweigh the advantages. Therefore, this development would be a largely negative one
for our society. (Conclusion)
Alternative structure of a
Discussion essay
An alternative structure for the body of a Discussion essay is one that discusses both sides of an
issue in the same paragraph. Therefore, instead of separating the pros and cons into different
paragraphs, you write about the pros and cons of a particular idea in the same paragraph. You
can use this structure if you can make connections between the ideas you have brainstormed
and grouped.

You can plan the overall structure of this essay type in the following way:

Introduction
+
Body paragraph 1

PROS
+
CONS
+
Body paragraph 2

PROS
+
CONS
+
conclusion

Note that when you use this your essay may contain more than 2 body paragraphs.

Lets look at an example Discussion essay that uses this structure.

Example question
In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for 150 years. This could be
good news for individuals but it may have negative consequences for our society.
What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?

Click here to see how Jurgen used the ideas from his plan to structure his essay. Note that his
ideas are the same as in the previous essay but the structure is different.
Jurgens essay
To live a longer life has been a dream for countless years. With the
development of science and technology, it might be possible for people to
live for one hundred and fifty years in the near future. However, in my
opinion, it may not be beneficial for people to do so. (Introduction)
Undoubtedly, there are some advantages for living a longer life. People
could enjoy longer lives and do more of the things they want, such as trying different
lifestyles. They could spend more time with their family and even watch their children grow
to old age. (Pros) However, we must also consider that these people may not be able to
enjoy their longer lives due to ill health and may suffer from painful diseases such
as arthritis. (Cons)
People could contribute more to society if they lived longer lives, although we have to
remember that this is not automatically the case. For example, Mozart could have
produced more wonderful music if he had lived longer, (Pros) but he might also have
produced some musical disasters as well. (Cons)
An increasing older population could provide great benefits to society by making available
highly skilled workers for a much longer time. This would strengthen the economy as
people would be able to delay their retirement and work longer. (Pros) On the other hand,
it would cause many problems for society. It would place a lot of pressure on the social
welfare system a situation already developing in countries such as Japan.(Cons)
In conclusion, I believe that the disadvantages for people living for one hundred and fifty
years far outweigh the advantages. Therefore, this development would be a largely
negative one for our society. (Conclusion)

Language focus - Signpost words

to contrast information
Discussion essays - especially those using the alternative structure we have just looked at, often
usesignpost words to contrast information. This type of signpost word lets the reader know
that you are going to present a different contrasting opinion. Below are some examples of
frequently used signpost words to contrast information.

However Although
But On the other hand

Look at Jurgens Discussion essay again to see how he has used signpost words to present
contrasting ideas. These signpost words have been highlighted for you.
 To live a longer life has been a dream for countless years. With the
development of science and technology, it might be possible for people to
live for one hundred and fifty years in the near future. However, in my
opinion, it may not be beneficial for people to do so.(Introduction)
Undoubtedly, there are some advantages for living a longer life. People
could enjoy longer lives and do more of the things they want, such as
trying different lifestyles. They could spend more time with their family and even watch
their children grow to old age. (Pros) However, we must also consider that these people
may not be able to enjoy their longer lives due to ill health and may suffer from painful
diseases such as arthritis. (Cons)
People could contribute more to society if they lived longer lives, although we have to
remember that this is not automatically the case. For example, Mozart could have
produced more wonderful music if he had lived longer, (Pros) but he might also have
produced some musical disasters as well. (Cons)
An increasing older population could also provide great benefits to society by making
available highly skilled workers for a much longer time. This would strengthen the
economy as people would be able to delay their retirement and work longer.(Pros) On the
other hand, it would cause many problems for society. It would place a lot of pressure on
the social welfare system a situation already developing in countries such as
Japan. (Cons)
In conclusion, I believe that the disadvantages for people living for one hundred and fifty
years far outweigh the advantages. Therefore, this development would be a largely
negative one for our society. (Conclusion)

Lets read what an examiner said about marking IELTS essays.

Examiner testimonial: Rohans view

Its annoying when you mark an essay that has a good structure but has
poorly developed ideas. I really think candidates should spend more time
thinking of good ideas and examples and then expressing those ideas in a clear
way, rather than trying to write a complicated structure that really doesn't
make their essay successful.

Structure of Argument essays

To write an Argument essay you must first decide if you agree or disagree with the viewpoint in
the question. In your essay, you must then present arguments that clearly support your
viewpoint.

Let's look at two different ways of structuring the body of an Argument essay.

First, let's look at a typical structure of an Argument essay. It includes:

 Introduction This is similar to a Discussion essay. You should introduce the
topic and give your viewpoint on the issue.
Body
You should provide 2 or 3 arguments with examples and
evidence that support your viewpoint.

Conclusion You should write a summary of your argument and strongly

restate your viewpoint.

Note that you may wish to briefly include 1 or 2 ideas that oppose your viewpoint. This shows
the examiner that you are aware of an opposing argument. Nevertheless, the majority of your
essay must present ideas that strongly support your viewpoint.

Lets look at an example Argument essay that uses this structure.

Example question
In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for 150 years. This is a largely
negative development with dangerous effects on our society.
Do you agree with this viewpoint?

Click here to see how Jin Tao used the ideas from his plan to structure his essay.

Jin Taos essay

To live a longer life has been a dream for countless years. Yet if
science delivers this development to humankind, it could prove to be
a disaster for life on earth. This essay will argue that living a longer
life is a negative development for both individuals and for society as
a whole.(Introduction)
Those people who support the idea of living a longer life argue that there are
significant advantages such as more time for a quality lifestyle and for achieving
personal goals.(Argument against Jin Taos viewpoint) However, in my view
there are other more important issues such as poor quality of life due to ill health
and limited world resources, which need to be considered. (Argument to support
Jin Taos viewpoint)
For individual quality of life, living for one hundred and fifty years might be more of
aliability than an advantage. If people lived to an extreme age, their body organs
could start to deteriorate and they may feel unhealthy for many years. They may
also have to live with long periods of illness such as arthritis, which is common
among older people.(Arguments to support Jin Taos viewpoint)
From a more practical point of view, problems could occur when increasing numbers
of older people begin to rely on the welfare system. We have already seen a preview
of this happening in Japan, where a small number of young people have to pay more
and more tax to support an increasing older population. In addition, there could be a
serious decline in world resources if people lived longer. As it is, there is barely
enough water for the present population of the world. (Arguments to support Jin
 Taos viewpoint)
Therefore, I strongly agree with the statement that living for one hundred and fifty
years would be a negative and dangerous development for both individuals and for
our planet.(Conclusion)

Note that in the first body paragraph, Jin Tao has briefly mentioned 2 positive aspects of living a
longer life (more time for a quality lifestyle and achieving personal goals). These ideas oppose
his viewpoint. However, in the rest of his essay, Jin Tao strongly supports his viewpoint (... that
living a longer life is a negative development for both individuals and for society as a whole.).

Activity - Recognising different viewpoints

The following extracts are from Jin Tao's Argument essay that you have just
read. Read the essay question again and then decide if each extract
is FOR (agrees with) or AGAINST(disagrees with) the viewpoint presented in
the question. The first one has been done for you as an example.

In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for 150 years. This is a largely
negative development with dangerous effects on our society.
Do you agree with this viewpoint?

Those people who support the idea of living a longer life argue that there are significant
advantages such as more time for a quality lifestyle and to achieving personal goals.

This extract is FOR / AGAINST the viewpoint presented in the question.

However, in my view there are other more important issues such as poor quality of life due to
ill health and limited world resources which need to be considered.

This extract is FOR / AGAINST the viewpoint presented in the question.

For individual quality of life, living for one hundred and fifty years might be more of
a liability than an advantage. If people lived to an extreme age, their body organs could start
to deteriorate and they may feel unhealthy for many years. They may also have to live with
 long periods of illness such as arthritis, which is common among older people.

This extract is FOR / AGAINST the viewpoint presented in the question.

From a more practical point of view, problems could occur when increasing numbers of older
people begin to rely on the welfare system. We have already seen a preview of this happening
in Japan, where a small number of young people have to pay more and more tax to support
an increasing older population.

This extract is FOR / AGAINST the viewpoint presented in the question.

In addition, there could be a serious decline in world resources if people lived longer. As it is,
there is barely enough water for the present population of the world.

This extract is FOR / AGAINST the viewpoint presented in the question.

Activity - Writing an argument

Now, lets practise writing the body of an Argument essay. Using your Web-
CT Take Notes tool brainstorm ideas for the following question using the
headings for and against. (Go to Take Notes in the Action Menu. Then
click on Add. Type in your notes, then press Update to keep a record.)

When you have finished brainstorming, decide if

you agree or disagree with the viewpoint in the question. Then use your
ideas to write the body of an Argument essay that supports your viewpoint.
You should write two or three body paragraphs. Structure your ideas in an
appropriate way for an Argument essay and use signpost words to order
and/or contrast your ideas.

Some people say that the Internet is bringing people together by making the world smaller.
Do you agree that the Internet is making it easier for people to communicate with one
another?

When you have finished, compare your answer with our sample answer.

Alternative structure of an
Argument essay
An alternative structure for an Argument essay is one that presents your viewpoint and the
opposing viewpoint in the same paragraph. This is similar to the alternative structure of a
Discussion essay we looked at in the previous section.

Lets look at an example Argument essay that uses this structure.

Example question
Some people say that the Internet is bringing people together by making the world smaller.
Do you agree that the Internet is making it easier for people to communicate with one
another?

Click here to see how Esperanza used the ideas from her plan to structure her essay.

Esperanzas essay
Since its invention, the Internet has affected the way people
communicate. Some argue that its influence on the way we
communicate is largely negative. However, I believe that the
Internet has greatly increased the possibilities for
interaction. (Introduction)
Some people say that even though so much information is available through the
Internet, nobody is really processing all this information. (Argument
AGAINST) Nevertheless, everyone would have to agree that the Internet appears
to make communication between people much easier. In the past, it was difficult to
find out information about organisations and current events. However, in modern
society most professional organisations have their own websites and events are
constantly updated on the Internet. This has meant that receiving information has
become a lot easier.(Argument FOR)
Before the Internet age, the only way people could communicate in writing with
others was by writing and sending letters. Now, with the invention of internet-based
email, communication is fast and cheap. Taking advantage of this development
means that people can keep in touch on a more regular basis. (Argument
FOR) Although this has meant that users now spend long periods of time in front of
their computer screens and may not be involved in as much spoken communication
as before, (Argument AGAINST) I would argue that the Internet has actually
increased the amount of communication between people it is only that the means
of communication has changed from more spoken language to written
communication. (Argument FOR)
In summary, it can be seen that the Internet has had a positive effect, giving people
the opportunity to communicate more easily and frequently with
others. (Conclusion)

Note that in the body of her essay, Esperanza presents arguments that are
both FOR and AGAINST her viewpoint, so that in each paragraph there are contrasting
arguments. However, it is always clear to the examiner that Esperanza strongly agrees with the
viewpoint 'that the Internet is making it easier for people to communicate with one another'.
Language focus - signpost words
to contrast information and show
time order
Note how Esperanza uses signpost words to contrast information. This is particularly effective
in Argument essays that use this alternative structure. She also uses time words to show time
order. Some examples of time words include:

In the future
Before Today
In coming years
In the past In modern society
In the next (20)
Previously Currently
years

Read Esperanza's essay again to see how she has contasted information and shown order of
time. These words have been highlighted for you.

Esperanzas essay
Since its invention, the Internet has affected the way people
communicate. Some argue that its influence on the way we
communicate is largely negative. However, I believe that the
Internet has greatly increased the possibilities for interaction.
Some people say that even though so much information is available
through the Internet, nobody is really processing all this information. Nevertheless,
everyone would have to agree that the Internet appears to make communication
between people much easier. In the past, it was difficult to find out information
about organisations and current events. However, in modern society most
professional organisations have their own websites and events are constantly
updated on the Internet. This has meant that receiving information has become a lot
easier.
Before the Internet age, the only way people could communicate in writing with
others was by writing and sending letters. Now, with the invention of internet-based
email, communication is fast and cheap. Taking advantage of this development
means that people can keep in touch on a more regular basis. Although this has
meant that usersnow spend long periods of time in front of their computer screens
and may not be involved in as much spoken communication as before, I would
argue that the Internet has actually increased the amount of communication
between people it is only that the means of communication has changed from
more spoken language to written communication.
In summary, it can be seen that the Internet has had a positive effect, giving people
the opportunity to communicate more easily and frequently with others.
Structure of Problem-Solution
essays
Now, let's look at two different ways of structuring the body of a Problem-Solution essay.
Remember, the structure you decide to use will depend on your ideas and the topic of the essay.

First, let's look at a typical structure of a Problem-Solution essay. It includes:

You should identify the problem presented in the essay question

Introduction
and show how the essay will deal with the problem and possible
solutions.
Body
In the first one or two paragraphs, you should discuss the
problem or part of the problem presented in the question. In
the following one or two paragraphs, you should present
solutions to the problem. It is possible to have more problems
than solutions or more solutions than problems.

Conclusion You should provide an overview of the problem and then

summarise the solutions.

Using this structure, you can plan the overall structure in the following way:

Introduction
+
Body paragraph 1
PROBLEMS
+
Body paragraph 2
SOLUTIONS
+
conclusion

Lets look at an example Problem-Solution essay that uses this structure.

Problem-Solution essay question

People are living much longer than before. In the future, it may even be possible for people to
live to 150 years old. This will create enormous pressures on government services such as
health, education and welfare.
What can governments do to deal with a much larger older population?

Click here to see how Maria used the ideas from her plan to structure her essay.
Marias essay
To live a longer life has been a dream for countless years. However,
if this dream becomes a reality the government could face many
problems in providing basic services. This essay will look at this
problem and suggest how governments can manage a much larger
population of older people in the future. (Introduction)
The reality of people living longer is already with us in countries such as Japan. The
Japanese live longer than any race on earth and already this is causing problems
because it usually is left to the government to support older people after they retire
from work. If people lived for one hundred and fifty years it would place great
pressure on taxpayers. Also, in health and education services, governments would
be forced to spend large amounts on hospitals and education services for the
elderly. (Problems)
However, practical solutions to these problems could be found. Governments could
increase the retirement age and encourage people to stay at work longer. This
would mean that people contribute tax for a longer period of time and would make
older people feel they are still contributing to society. Governments could build more
specialist hospitals that only deal with older people and pay for higher education
institutions that specialise in subjects that would interest older people. (Solutions)
In conclusion, there are a number of steps that governments could take to manage
a much larger older population, especially in the areas of welfare, health and
education. Governments have an important responsibility to keep people healthy
and occupied throughout their whole lives even if they live for one hundred and
fifty years.(Conclusion)

Activity - Identifying problems and solutions

Read the following Problem-Solution essay question and then the sentences from an essay that
answers this question. Decide if each sentence presents a problem or a solution. The first has
been done for you as an example.

Problem-Solution essay question

Some people say that the Internet is responsible for destroying the social skills of teenagers
and young adults.
Why do you think the Internet is seen as dangerous in this way and what can we do to make
sure that it does not harm the social development of teenagers and young adults?

Sentences from the body of a Problem-Solution essay

1. Frequent use of the Internet could lead to loneliness, especially among teenagers.
This sentence presents a:

Problem
Solution

2. One course of action could be to limit the use of the Internet, for example, by having
Internet free days.

This sentence presents a:

Problem
Solution

3. Another strategy could be to encourage more social activities.

This sentence presents a:

Problem
Solution

4. Some people say that frequent use of the Internet leads to less ability in spoken
communication.

This sentence presents a:

Problem
Solution

5. Counselling is an option for people who are addicted to the Internet.

This sentence presents a:

Problem
Solution

Alternative structure of a Problem-

Solution essay
An alternative structure for a Problem-Solution essay is one that presents a problem and then a
solution to this problem in the same paragraph. This approach is similar to the alternative
Discussion and Argument essays we looked at previously.

Using this structure, you can plan the overall structure in the following way:

Introduction
+
Body paragraph 1

PROBLEM
+
SOLUTION
+
Body paragraph 2

PROBLEM
+
SOLUTION
+
conclusion

Note that your essay may contain more than 2 body paragraphs.

Lets look at an example Problem-Solution essay that uses this structure.

Problem-Solution essay question

People are living much longer than before. In the future, it may even be possible for people to
live to 150 years old. This will create enormous pressures on government services such as
health, education and welfare.
What can governments do to deal with a much larger older population?

Click here to see how Mustapha used the ideas from his plan to structure his essay.

Mustaphas essay
To live a longer life has been a dream for countless years. However,
if this dream becomes a reality the government could face many
problems in providing basic services. This essay will look at this
problem and suggest how governments can manage a much larger
population of older people in the future. (Introduction)
The problems caused for governments by an increasing older population could
severely affect welfare services. (Problem) To prepare for this situation,
governments could increase the retirement age. This would mean that people could
work longer in their jobs and therefore continue to contribute tax while still
providing their valuable experience to society. Encouraging older people to stay at
 work would also decrease the amount of tax paid by younger people. (Solution)
Currently, older people dont have enough input into government
policies. (Problem)Governments should create departments that specifically deal
with the issues of older people at all levels of government. (Solution) A related
problem is the lack of adequate hospital services for older people. (Problem) The
government should build more hospitals that specialise in treating older
people. (Solution)
Lastly, the government needs to keep the minds of older people active during their
longer life. (Problem) Therefore, they need to establish higher education
institutions that are designed to meet the learning needs of older people. In some
countries, private universities already fulfil this function for example, the
University of the Third Age in Australia. (Solution)
In conclusion, there are a number of steps the government could take to manage a
much larger older population, especially in the areas of welfare, health and
education. Governments have an important responsibility to keep people healthy
and occupied throughout their whole lives even if they live for one hundred and
fifty years.(Conclusion)

Activity - Writing a Problem-Solution essay

Look at the following Problem-Solution essay question. On a piece of

paper, write the body of an essay to answer this question using one of the
Problem-Solution essay structures you have learnt. The introduction and
conclusion have already been written for you.

Problem-Solution essay question

Some people say that the Internet is responsible for destroying social skills
of teenagers and young adults.

Why do you think the Internet is seen as dangerous in this way and what
can we do to make sure that it does not harm the social development of
teenagers and young adults?

Introduction
Since its invention, the Internet has changed the way people communicate. Many people argue
that it has had a negative influence on the way teenagers and young adults communicate. This
essay will present some ideas about why this may be a negative development and suggest how
this influence can be reduced.

Conclusion
In summary, it can be seen that over-exposure to the Internet can be dangerous to young
people. Specifically, it can harm the development of their social skills at an important time in
their lives. We should all try to make sure that this does not happen before it becomes a major
issue in our society.

Click here to see an example essay plan to help you write the body of your essay.

Write your answer on a piece of paper.

When you have finished writing, compare your essay with the one Yumiko has written.

Summary
This brings us to the end of Step 5.

In Step 5, you have learnt to:

plan an overall structure for different essay types

structure your ideas into an essay.

In Step 6, we will focus on writing introductions to Task 2 essays.

Step 6: Focusing on introductions

Introduction
Welcome to Step 6!

In Step 5, we looked at how to structure and plan an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay. In Step 6, we
will focus on writing introductions.

Outcomes
At the end of Step 6, you will be able to:

recognise and practise writing the three parts of an introduction

write an effective introduction for an IELTS Task 2 question.

Writing an introduction for Task 2

The introduction is the first paragraph of the essay. It is very
important because it is the first impression the examiner has
of your writing.

There are many ways of writing an effective introduction for a

Task 2 essay. In this step, we will look at one way of writing an
introduction that can be used for each essay type in the IELTS
Writing test. This introduction does the following three things:

1. gives a general statement about the topic

2. refers to the viewpoint or problem presented in the question
3. refers to the specific question.

Let's briefly look at these three parts of the introduction. Then we will look at each part in detail
and do some practice activities for each.

The three parts of an introduction

Look at the following Task 2 essay question.

Example
Traditional medicine (Topic), such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, is very
popular in some countries. Those who practise traditional medicine claim it is better
than modern medicine in maintaining and improving health. (Viewpoint)
Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint? (Specific question)

Now lets look at the introduction to Sola's essay, answering this question.

Traditional medicine using methods such as acupuncture and

herbal remedies is widely used in some countries. Some doctors
who practise traditional medicine believe that it is more successful
than modern medicine in developing good health. I completely
agree with this statement.

Lets look briefly at the three parts of this introduction.

Traditional medicine using methods such as acupuncture and herbal remedies is

widely used in some countries. (general statement about the topic) Some
doctors who practise traditional medicine believe that it is more successful than
modern medicine in developing good health. (referring to the viewpoint in the
question) I completely agree with this statement. (referring to the specific
question)
Part 1: General statement
The first sentence is a general statement. It indicates the topic (traditional medicine) and
gives some information about the topic (is widely used in some countries).

Part 2: Referring to the viewpoint or problem presented

in the question
The second sentence refers to the viewpoint in the question (Some doctors who practise
traditional medicine believe that it is more successful than modern medicine in developing good
health).

Note that in a Problem-Solution essay question, this sentence would refer to

the problem presented in the question.

This sentence is important because the next sentence (the last sentence) in the introduction
refers to this viewpoint or problem.

Part 3: Referring to the specific question

The last sentence tells the reader how you are going to answer the specific question. It
should indicate whether you agree or disagree with the viewpoint in the question (Argument
essay), whether you will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of a particular issue
(Discussion essay), or whether you will present some problems of and solutions to a particular
issue (Problem-Solution essay).

By including these three parts we can see that the ideas in the introduction move from a general
statement about the topic to more specific information about the essay. Look at the following
diagram which illustrates this.

Lets look at the three parts of an introduction in detail.

General statement
The general statement is the first sentence of your introduction. It is also the first sentence of
your Task 2 essay, so it should gain the examiners attention immediately.

A general statement should:

indicate the topic of the essay

give some information about the topic.

Note that before you write a general statement, you need to identify the topic in the essay
question. Remember that the topic in the example question we just looked at is 'traditional
medicine'.

To write a general statement about the topic you could:

use your own ideas about the topic

take ideas from the question and rewrite them using your own words.

Let's look at the ideas Krystyna has used in her general statement about traditional medicine.
Has she used her own ideas or taken ideas from the question?

Krystyna's introduction

Traditional medicine is often preferred as a safe and effective way

of keeping and restoring health.

Teachers comment
In her general statement Krystyna has:

indicated the topic of the essay (traditional medicine)

used her own ideas to give some information about the topic (often
preferred as a safe and effective way of keeping and restoring health.).

Here are other examples of a general statement that Krystyna could have written for her
introduction to this essay.

Traditional medicine is recommended by numerous doctors worldwide.

Traditional methods of restoring health are becoming increasingly popular.

Note that the general statement should not give your opinion about the topic.

Lets now look at general statements written by other students for this topic.
Students general statements

Pierres general statement

Traditional medicine is beginning to gain popularity over the

practice of modern medicine in many countries.

Teachers comment
In his general statement, Pierre has:

indicated the topic of the essay (traditional medicine)

taken ideas from the question and rewritten them using his own words (is becoming
more popular than modern medicine).

Esperanzas general statement

Acupuncture and herbal medicine have been used in the East for
thousands of years.

Teachers comment
In her general statement, Esperanza has:

given examples of traditional medicine (acupuncture and herbal medicine). Therefore, in

the next part of her introduction - rephrasing the viewpoint - Esperanza should clearly
indicate the topic by including the words 'traditional medicine'.
has used her own ideas about the topic (have been used in the East for thousands of
years).

Peters general statement

 I believe that the use of traditional medicine is a safe and gentle
way of looking after ones health.

Teachers comment
In his general statement, Peter has:

indicated the topic of the essay (traditional medicine)

used his own ideas to give some information about the topic (a safe and gentle way of
looking after ones health).

However, Peter has also given his own opinion (I believe that...). Remember, you should not
give your opinion in a general statement.

Activity - Recognising effective general statements

Read the Task 2 question below and decide whether the following general statements are
effective or ineffective. The first one has been done for you as an example.

The world is consuming resourses at an increasing rate. In order to prevent these resources
from being wasted, governments should try to discourage people from constantly throwing
away items and buying the newest and most up-to-date products.
To what extent do you agree?

Jurgen's general statement

In my opinion, consumerism is contributing to a depletion of the

world's resources.

Teachers comment
"Although this general statement clearly shows the topic (consumption of resources), it
is ineffectivebecause the writer gives his opinion (In my opinion ...)."

The writer could have written:

 Consumerism is contributing to a depletion of the world's resources.

Now you try!

General statement 1
The world is consuming resources at an increasing rate.

Effective
Ineffective

General statement 2
The increasing demand for consumer goods has become an alarming trend.

Effective
Ineffective

General statement 3
World population is increasing at a dangerous rate.

Effective
Ineffective

Activity - Writing general statements

Let's practise writing a general statement. First, read the following Task 2 essay question and
identify the topic.

Increasingly large numbers of students are undertaking their higher education in other
countries. Despite problems such as the financial cost and the difficulty of studying in a foreign
language, the benefits of studying overseas are often thought to be greater than the
difficulties.
To what extent do you agree?

What is the topic of this question?

A education in other countries

B financial cost of studying overseas
 C higher education overseas

Now that you know the topic, think of some information about this topic and write a general
statement in the text box below.

Now compare your general statement with the one Eva has written.

Studying at a university or college in a foreign country has

become very popular in recent years.

Referring to the viewpoint or

problem
In the second part of your introduction, you should refer to
the viewpoint or problem presented in the question. You can do this in one of two ways:

rephrasing
using your own ideas

First, let's look at rephrasing the viewpoint.

Rephrasing the viewpoint

Lets look at a sample introduction to see how this can be done. First, read the Task 2 question
again.

Traditional medicine, such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, is very popular in some
countries. Those who practise traditional medicine claim it is better than modern medicine in
maintaining and improving health.
Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?

Now look at the introduction that Jane has written.

 Traditional medicine using methods such as acupuncture and
herbal remedies is widely used in some countries. Some doctors
who practice traditional medicine believe that it is more successful
than modern medicine in developing good health. I completely
agree with this statement.

In the second part of her introduction, Jane has rephrased the viewpoint in the question. Lets
look at this in more detail.

Viewpoint in the question Rephrased viewpoint in the

introduction

Those who practise traditional Some doctors who practise

medicine claim it is better traditional medicine believe
than modern medicine in that it is more successful than
maintaining and improving modern medicine in
health. developing good health.

We can see that Jane has rephrased the viewpoint presented in the question. Note that she has
used synonyms so the meaning is still the same.

Activity - Identifying rephrasing

Read the following Task 2 question and decide which of the following students have rephrased
the viewpoint. We have highlighted the viewpoint in the question for you.

Many governments have laws that ban the sale and use of hard drugs such as heroin and
cocaine, yet they allow people to buy drugs such as tobacco and alcohol. Laws that prohibit
the sale and use of hard drugs should be applied to all drugs, including tobacco and alcohol.
What is your opinion?

Example 1 - Hisako

Some people argue that the laws banning sale and consumption of
dangerous drugs should be enforced for all types of drugs,
including less harmful ones like tobacco and alcohol.
 has rephrased
has not rephrased

Example 2 - Milan

Some believe that laws that ban the sale and use of hard drugs
should be applied to all drugs including tobacco and alcohol.

has rephrased
has not rephrased

Example 3 - Krystyna

Some people claim that selling and consuming dangerous drugs

like heroin should be banned.

has rephrased
has not rephrased

Using your own ideas

You can also refer to the viewpoint by using your own ideas. Lets look at an example of this.
First, read the following Task 2 question. The viewpoint has been highlighted for you.

Zoos around the world provide people with the opportunity to enjoy and learn about
animals that they do not usually have the chance to see. However, despite these
benefits, it is unkind to keep animals in zoos.
Do you agree?

The viewpoint in this question states that although zoos can help to teach people about animals,
it is also unkind to keep animals in zoos.
Now look at how Yumiko has referred to this viewpoint using her own ideas. This part of the
introduction has been highlighted for you.

Yumiko's introduction

Zoos give people the opportunity to see and learn about the
animals that live on this earth. Although some people believe that
it is unkind to keep animals in cages, others say that zoos provide
biologists and scientists with the opportunity to research animals
so that they can be helped in the future. For these reasons, I
disagree that keeping animals in zoos is unkind.

In this example, Yumiko has referred to the viewpoint in the question (it is unkind to keep
animals in cages) by using her own ideas (some people say zoos provide research opportunities
for biologists and scientists / animals can be helped in the future).

Activity - Referring to the viewpoint

Lets practise referring to the viewpoint in the following question by rephrasing or using your own
ideas. The viewpoint in the question has been highlighted for you.

The world is consuming resources at an increasing rate. In order to

prevent these resources from being wasted, governments should try to
discourage people from constantly throwing away items and buying the
newest and most up-to-date products.
To what extent do you agree?

In the text box below, write a sentence that refers to the viewpoint in the question.

Now look at how 3 other students have referred to this viewpoint in their introduction. There is a
teacher's comment for each.

Hisako
 The increasing demand for consumer goods has
become an alarming trend. Some people say that
consumers should be discouraged from
buying disposable products or the latest or most
fashionable items, to stop the waste of resources. I
completely agree with this viewpoint.

Teachers comment

Hisako has a good range of vocabulary. She has referred to the viewpoint in the question by
using a number of synonyms to rephrase it.

Jin Tao

The increasing demand for consumer goods has

become an alarming trend. This demand has caused
a dramatic decrease in natural resources that cannot
be easily renewed and many people now argue that
consumers should be educated and encouraged to
shop wisely. I agree with this statement.

Teachers comment

Jin Tao is quite confident in his writing skills and chose to refer to the viewpoint in the question
by using his own ideas.

Jane

The increasing demand for consumer goods has

become an alarming trend. In order to prevent
resources from being wasted, governments should
discourage consumers from constantly disposing
of products and purchasing more up to date or
fashionable items. However, I disagree with this
viewpoint.

Teachers comment

The viewpoint that Jane has written is the same (word for word) as the viewpoint in the
question. She did not use synonyms to rephrase, or use her own ideas.
Referring to the specific question
The last part of the introduction should respond to the specific question.

In an Argument essay, you should respond by stating your viewpoint. If you would like to
review the language used to express your viewpoint, click here.

In Discussion and Problem-Solution essays, it is likely that you will respond by stating
the purpose of your essay.

Lets look at an example Argument essay question and Peter's introduction.

Traditional medicine, such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, is very popular in some
countries. Those who practise traditional medicine claim it is better than modern medicine in
maintaining and improving health.
Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint? (Specific question)

Now read Peter's introduction to see how he has stated his viewpoint in the last sentence.

Peter's introduction

Traditional medicine, using methods such as acupuncture and

herbal remedies, is widely used in some countries. Some doctors
who practise traditional medicine believe that it is more successful
than modern medicine in developing good health. I completely
agree with this statement.

We can see that the last part of Peter's introduction responds to the specific question by
indicating that he agrees with the viewpoint presented in the question.

Now lets look at some other Task 2 questions and introductions written by students. The
sentence that refers to the specific question has been highlighted.

Example 1
In most countries, the amount of crime committed by teenagers has risen significantly.
Researchers are trying to discover the reasons for this increase and the impact it has had on
communities around the world.
What are the causes and effects of teenage crime in modern day society? (Specific
question)
Sola's introduction

The growing rate of crime is a major public concern. In particular,

teenage crime seems to be on the increase, as the media often
presents us with accounts of violent crime committed by
teenagers.This essay will discuss some possible causes of teenage
crime today and the effects this has had on our society.

The last part of Sola's introduction responds to the specific question by indicating
the purpose of his essay which is to present some causes and effects of teenage crime.

Example 2
Citizens of all developed countries should be forced to give a percentage of their income to
citizens of poorer countries, in order to assist them with basic needs.
To what extent do you agree with this statement? (Specific question)

Andres' Introduction

The distribution of wealth between countries around the world is

an ongoing issue. Some people have suggested that people from
wealthier nations should give a part of their income to people from
underdeveloped countries. I strongly agree with this viewpoint.

In the last part of his introduction, Andres has responded to the specific question by
indicating that hestrongly agrees with the viewpoint presented in the question.

Example 3
Children are now watching more television than they have ever done before.
What are the possible risks and the benefits of this? (Specific question)

Maria's Introduction
 These days, an increasing number of children are choosing
television as their main form of entertainment. Many children
watch hours of television on a daily basis and some people are
concerned about the effects this is having on them. This essay will
discuss some of the possible risks and also some benefits that
watching television may have on young children.

The last part of Maria's introduction responds to the specific question by indicating
the purpose of her essay which is to discuss the risks and benefits of children watching
television.

Activity - Referring to the specific question

Read the following Task 2 questions and introductions. The last part of each introduction (the
writer'sviewpoint or the purpose of the essay) is missing. From the options given, choose the
sentence that refers to the specific question.

Question 1

Some governments provide financial assistance for retired, unemployed and disabled
citizens. In other countries, families provide support for these people.
Discuss both systems and give your opinion about which one you think is better.

Paola's introduction

Most countries have a social welfare system to financially assist

disadvantaged or unemployed people. Some people believe this
system should be maintained by the government, while others
argue that each member of society should pay for his or her own
needs. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

I believe that most countries should assist disadvantaged or unemployed people for
the following reasons.
This essay will discuss both types of social welfare systems in order to determine which
one is more effective.

Question 2

Universities are becoming increasingly expensive to operate. In some countries,

money from taxation has met these costs. However, this is not always enough to
 maintain the quality of universities.
How can universities be funded in future?

Mustapha's introduction

For most students, public universities offer an opportunity to

obtain an affordable education. Some public universities however,
are experiencing financial difficulties and are not receiving enough
assistance from governments. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
........................

This essay will look at three ways in which universities could be funded in future years.
I agree that universities should be funded in the future.

Question 3

Traditional medicine, such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, is very popular in

some countries. Those who practise traditional medicine claim it is better than
modern medicine in maintaining and improving health.
Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?

Esperanza's introduction

Traditional medicine is growing in popularity and many people are

now using methods such as acupuncture to maintain and
strengthen their health. Many of those who have experienced
traditional medicine believe that it is more effective. . . . . . . . . . .
........................................

I agree with this viewpoint.

This essay will discuss some of the advantages and disadvantages of traditional
medicine techniques.

Activity - Identifying an effective introduction

Read the Task 2 question below and decide whether or not the following introductions are
effective. Remember to look at the three parts of the introduction:

giving a general statement

 referring to the viewpoint or problem
referring to the specific question.

The first one has been done for you as an example.

In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for

150 years. This could be good for individuals but it may have
negative consequences for society.
What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?

Siddhi's introduction

Science may offer the opportunity to live a lot longer

in the future. Although this might be an advantage
for individuals, it may also have negative effects on
our world. This essay will discuss some of the
benefits and risks of living to an advanced age.

effective

ineffective

Siddhi's introduction is effective because it:

contains a general statement which states the topic (to live longer) and gives some
information about the topic (science may offer this opportunity in the future)
refers to the viewpoint in the question (this might be an advantage for individuals but
may have negative effects on our world)
refers to the specific question by indicating the purpose of her essay which is to discuss
the benefits and risks of living to an advanced age.

Now you try!

Pierre's introduction

Medical developments have many benefits and risks.

Although some people may be pleased to live to a
very old age, this may affect our world in negative
ways.
 effective
ineffective

Jurgen's introduction

In the future, it could be scientifically possible for

people to live to be 150 years old. This could be
good news for individual people but it may have
negative consequences for society. This essay will
discuss some of the benefits and risks of people
living to a very old age.

effective
ineffective
Activity - Summary quiz

Now lets revise the main points from this step. Decide if the following are True or False.

True False

The general statement is the first

sentence in the introduction.

It is acceptable to give your viewpoint

in the general statement.

It is acceptable to repeat all or part of

the question in the introduction.

You can refer to the viewpoint in the

question by rephrasing or using your
own ideas.

An introduction should refer to the

 specific question.

The writers viewpoint or the purpose of

the essay should be indicated in the last
sentence of the introduction.

Activity - Writing introductions

Look at the following Task 2 questions and write an introduction for each. Then compare your
introduction with a sample. Remember that your introduction will not be exactly the same but it
should have the three parts of an introduction that you have learnt in this step.

Question 1

Due to the influence of world-wide media such as television and

computers, the gap between cultures is decreasing. The
introduction of this global culture is of great benefit to the world.
To what extent do you agree with this viewpoint?

The international mass media has for the first time resulted in the majority of people sharing the
same experiences. Some say that this is closing the gap between cultures and is bringing many
benifits worldwide. I completely agree with this viewpoint.

Question 2

In the last decade, there has been a great increase in the number
and variety of online courses available to adults. This has been
welcomed as a great opportunity by many students, however,
other students see these courses as less effective than classroom
teaching.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying an online
course?

As more online courses are being offered to adults, different aspects of this learning medium
have become apparent. Online courses offer students some advantages over studying in a
classroom, however there are some definite drawbacks. This essay will discuss some of the
advantages and disadvantages of online courses.

Question 3

Cars have become a convenient and economical form of transport

and as a result, the use of cars has increased dramatically during
the last century.
Discuss the problems this increase has created, and offer some
practical solutions.

Most people now use cars as their main form of transport. An increase in this trend during the
last centry has contributed to major traffic congestion in cities, and to a decline in the quality of
our environment. This essay will look at how this is occuring and what can be done to address
this problem.

Summary
This brings us to the end of Step 6.

In Step 6, you have learnt to:

recognise an introduction for Task 2 that:

o gives a general statement
o refers to the viewpoint or problem presented in the question
o refers to the specific question.
write an effective introduction for an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay question.

In Step 7, we will focus on how to organise ideas in a paragraph and write the body of an essay.

Step 7: Moving from ideas to

paragraphs
Introduction
Welcome to Step 7!

In Step 6, we looked at how to write an introduction. In Step 7, we will deal with how to use
your ideas to write paragraphs for the body of your Task 2 essay.

Outcomes
At the end of Step 7, you will be able to:

identify what a paragraph is

identify and write the topic sentence for a paragraph
write supporting ideas, evidence and/or examples
write the body of an IELTS Task 2 essay.

What is a paragraph?
A paragraph is a group of sentences in which one main idea is
clearly developed. This main idea is usually presented in the first
sentence of the paragraph (the topic sentence). The other
sentences in the paragraph support this main idea, give
evidence and examples.

To write a paragraph for your Task 2 essay, you should refer to

your essay plan to get your main idea, supporting ideas,
evidence and examples.

Note that in Step 4 you learnt how to plan an essay. If you have organised your ideas in your
essay plan effectively, you will find it easier to write a paragraph.

Let's look at an example essay question and the plan that Jin Tao wrote.

Example
In the last decade, there has been an increase in the number and variety of online courses
available to adults. This has been welcomed as a great opportunity by many students,
however other students see these courses as less effective than classroom teaching.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course?

Advantages of studying online

Flexibility

flexible study hours

study at own pace
 study anywhere if there is a computer with online access

Study

review course information easily

individual contact with the teacher via email/bulletin boards e.g. online students can
email questions to their teacher any time

Disadvantages of studying online

Technology

appropriate technology not always available

lessons online are more theoretical due to technology limitations e.g. learning chemistry
online students could only study theory and simulations with no access to chemicals or
laboratories

Study

classroom offers benefits in addition to the course e.g. use of the library, face to face
contact with the teacher, sharing ideas with classmates, socialising with friends
classroom offers more practical experience

Lets look at the first group of ideas from Jin Taos essay plan about the
advantages of online study. They are grouped under the heading flexibility:

study anywhere if there is a computer with online access

flexible study hours
study at own pace.

These ideas can be grouped because all of the ideas support and give examples of
how flexible online study can be. As these ideas support one main idea, they can be used to
write one paragraph.

Let's look at how he used these ideas to write a paragraph.

Sample paragraph
Online study provides a flexible learning alternative for students. Using a computer with
Internet access, students can study wherever they wish. This could be at home, at work or
even a friends house, and at any time of the day. Students are also able to learn at their own
pace, ensuring they understand the lessons clearly. In these ways, online courses can meet
the personal needs of students.
Using your ideas to write a
paragraph
Each paragraph should:

include a topic sentence introducing the main idea

have sentences to support the main idea
provide evidence and/or examples.

Look at our sample paragraph again. The topic sentence has been highlighted. You can see that
the other sentences in the rest of the paragraph support the main idea in the topic sentence.

Sample paragraph

Online study provides a flexible learning Topic sentence

alternative for students. Using a computer with
Supporting idea 1: can study
Internet access, students can study wherever
anywhere
they wish. This could be at home, work or even
a friends house, and at any time of the Supporting idea 2: flexible
day.Students are also able to learn at their own study hours
pace, ensuring they understand the lessons
Supporting idea 3: can study
clearly. In these ways, online courses can meet
at own pace
the personal needs of students.

First, let's look at topic sentences.

Topic sentences
Topic sentences are important in IELTS essays because they:

introduce the main idea of the paragraph

link the paragraph to the question
link the paragraph to other paragraphs in the body.

Here is an example Task 2 question and the essay Jane wrote to answer it. The topic sentences
are highlighted. Notice the role of the topic sentence in each paragraph.

Example question
The benefits of computers in modern society far outweigh the disadvantages.
What is your opinion?
Jane's answer

The use of computers in modern life has resulted in Introduction

changes in society. Some of these changes have
been to the advantage of society and others have
not. This essay will outline both sides of the issue.

On the one hand, computers are useful tools Topic sentence

offering several benefits to people. Firstly, they
enable machines to do dangerous work instead of introduces the main
humans. For example, in computerised car idea(computers are useful
assembly factories, robots can do hard and tools)
dangerous work without stopping. In addition, links to the
computers have improved the speed of data question(benefits of
processing helping scientists to further develop computers)
modern technology. People can go to the moon
using computers to control the orbit of the
spaceship, the timing of fuel injection and other
vital calculations. Moreover, people can shop and
book aeroplane or theatre tickets without leaving
home.

However, computers can be used in many Topic sentence

harmful ways. For example, computers can be
used to steal peoples private personal information. introduces the main
Also, with the development of the Internet, idea(harmful uses of
previously controlled material such as pornography computers)
has become more widespread making it easier for links to the
children to access it. Furthermore, many people question(disadvantages of
have lost their jobs because computers can shorten computers)
some processes in factories, resulting in fewer 'however' links this
workers being required. paragraph to the previous
paragraph

To conclude, computers are being used in more Conclusion

areas of life such as communication in the
workplace and at home. The result is that people
are relying more on computers in their daily lives.
Despite the disadvantages, it is highly likely that the
use of computers will increase due to the various
benefits computers have to offer.

Activity - Identifying an effective topic sentence

In this activity we will look at how the topic sentence introduces the main idea of the
paragraph. First, lets look at an example question.

Over the past fifty years, international sports events such as the Olympic Games and world
cup competitions have played an increasingly important role in our society. However, many
people think such events are an enormous waste of money, time and effort.
Do you agree?

The following paragraph is part of an essay that answers this question but the topic sentence
is missing.By reading the paragraph carefully and finding the main idea in the supporting
sentences, we should be able to identify an effective topic sentence.

Sample paragraph (without topic sentence)

................................................. . As a result, many professional competitors have

become millionaires from playing sport. Professionals in other fields such as science and
research earn much less, even though their work may lead to the improvement of peoples
health and daily lives. Watching sport is merely a form of entertainment and the money
used to pay sport professionals should be spent in other more worthwhile areas.

The supporting sentences in this paragraph focus on the large amount of money wasted on the
salaries of sport professionals.

The following four students wrote topic sentences for this paragraph.
Click Effective or Ineffective for each of their answers. The first one has been done for you as
an example.

Effective Ineffective

Researchers and scientists provide an

A important service to society and deserve
a higher salary.

Esperanza

Esperanzas topic sentence is ineffective because:

the paragraph mentions scientists and researchers, but it does not say that their salary
should be increased
the topic of scientists and researchers does not relate to the question.

Now you try!

 Effective Ineffective

University degrees provide people with

B the skills needed to become professionals
in their field and earn a high income.

Jin Tao

International sport wastes too much

C money by paying players increasingly
higher salaries.

Peter

International sporting events use too

D
much money to pay team coaches.

Judy

Activity - Matching topic sentences

Lets practise matching topic sentences to paragraphs. The first one has been done for you as an
example.

Question 1

In many traditional societies, caring for the children is only the mothers responsibility. More
recently, some people have argued that the fathers role should be as important as the
mothers role.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Here is a paragraph from a sample answer to this question, however, the topic sentence is
missing. First, read the paragraph to identify the main idea.

Sample paragraph

............................... . Mothers play an important role in caring for their children,

 however, to say that the task of caring for children is the sole responsibility of the mother
is unreasonable. If fathers fail to take time to care for and be with their children, it may
result in the child feeling unloved or even resentful towards their father.

Topic sentences
Now choose a topic sentence for the paragraph above. Remember it should introduce the main
idea and link the paragraph to the question.

Mothers should have the main responsibility for bringing up children.

Both fathers and mothers should be responsible for the upbringing of their children.

If fathers do not help care for their children, the family may have an unhappy
environment.

In a family, both parents need to work to effectively provide for their children.

The second topic sentence introduces the main idea of the paragraph and links the paragraph to
the question.

Now you try!

Question 2

The world is consuming natural resources faster than they can be renewed. Therefore, it is
important that products are made to last. Governments should discourage people from
constantly buying up-to-date or fashionable products.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Sample paragraph

.............................. . This excess of rubbish is mainly due to products such as mobile

phones and computers being constantly updated with older versions becoming quickly
outdated and useless. Consumers are then forced to buy the latest commodities, with the
older items often being discarded. If the products were made out of materials that could be
recycled they could be re-used to make the latest models. The result would be a reduction
in the amount of waste output while still maintaining the ability to produce newer and
more effective products for society.

Click on the best topic sentence for the paragraph above.

Computers are a vital part of modern society.

 For businesses to remain competitive in society, it is important to keep up to date with
modern products.
Recyclable products should be used to reduce the problem of increasing waste and
pollution.
The government should enforce special laws to encourage people not to buy products
that use natural resources.

Question 3

Compared to our parents generation, life has become much more stressful. As a result,
stress-related illnesses are on the increase around the world.
Why is stress such a problem in the modern world and what do you think can be done to
overcome the problems caused by stress?

Sample paragraph

................................... . At work, with more competition between staff members and

organisations, employees find themselves under pressure to work harder. As a result,
people work long hours taking away time from being at home with family and friends. This
could lead to social problems in the individuals private life.

Click on the best topic sentence for the paragraph above.

Developments in technology have helped reduce stress in workers.

Spending time relaxing with family and friends is one important way to reduce stress.
Increasing pressure at work and home has led to many people suffering from high
levels of stress.
In modern society, working habits are leading to health problems such as obesity.

Question 4

Some people say that the Internet is making the world smaller by bringing people together.
To what extent do you agree that the Internet is making it easier for people to communicate
with one another?

Sample paragraph
 .................................. . With services such as email and chat, people can send and
receive messages anytime, anywhere in the world, if they have access to a computer.
Using the Internet is much cheaper than telephone calls and it does not involve the long
wait for a letter to arrive through the post. Through Internet technology, people in different
cities and countries can send and receive messages instantaneously.

Click on the best topic sentence for the paragraph above.

The Internet offers an easy way for people to communicate regularly.

Notebook computers have several advantages over desktop computers.
Internet cafes provide a cheaper alternative to buying a computer.
With the development of the Internet, the number of people making telephone calls
and writing letters is decreasing.

Supporting ideas, evidence and

examples
As we discussed earlier, a topic sentence plays an essential role
in a paragraph: it summarises its main idea. However, a topic
sentence is not enough. We also need supporting ideas to
provide 'support' to that main idea.

Each of your supporting ideas needs to be explained clearly. To

strengthen your argument and make it clear, some of your
supporting ideas should include evidence and/or examples.

The examples you use give more support to your ideas and clarify them. Look at the following
extract which shows the use of examples.

Computers enable machines instead of humans to do dangerous work.(Supporting idea)

For example, in computerised car assembly factories, robots can do hard and dangerous
work without stopping. (Example)

The evidence that you include in your paragraph to strengthen your supporting ideas may
include:

an explanation of that idea

data from a research study or survey
a quotation from a critic.

Look at the following extracts from two students' essays to compare how effectively they have
usedevidence.
 Computers are useful tools offering several benefits to people.(Supporting idea)
Scientists have decided to increase the frequency of expeditions to the moon. (Weak
evidence)

Computers are useful tools offering several benefits to people.(Supporting idea)

Computers have improved the speed of data processing helping scientists to develop
modern technology further. People can now go to the moon using computers to control
the orbit of the spaceship, the timing of fuel injection and other vital calculations. (Strong
evidence)

Lets look at how Jin Tao and Sawako supported their ideas and how they included either
evidence or an example to strengthen their argument.

First, lets look at an example Task 2 question.

Example question
In the last decade, there has been an increase in the number and variety of online courses
available to adults. This has been welcomed as a great opportunity by many students,
however, other students see these courses as less effective than classroom teaching.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course?

Lets look at Jin Tao's plan about the advantages and disadvantages of online study again.

Earlier in this step Jin Tao wrote a paragraph about the advantages of online study. Let's look
at this paragraph again here.

Online study provides a flexible learning alternative for students. Using a

computer with Internet access, students can study wherever they wish.
This could be at home, at work or even a friends house, and at any time
of the day. Students are also able to learn at their own pace, ensuring they
understand the lessons clearly. In these ways, online courses can meet the
personal needs of students.

Now Jin Tao is going to write a paragraph about the disadvantages. First, look at the topic
sentence he wrote for this paragraph.

Topic sentence
Despite the advantages, online courses are not appropriate for all students and subjects due
to the limitations of technology.

Notice that the ideas in the plan support the main idea in the topic sentence by outlining the
limitations oftechnology. Now lets see how Jin Tao used these ideas in a paragraph
with evidence.
Jin Tao's paragraph

Despite the advantages, online courses are not Topic sentence

appropriate for all students and subjects due to the
limitations of technology. If there is no access to
Supporting idea 1
computers and other expensive equipment,
studying online may not be an option for many
people. In addition, lessons themselves can be Supporting idea 2 + evidence
limited by technology, in that it is difficult to provide
practical experience for many subjects online. The
classroom on the other hand offers students more
opportunities to apply the skills they have been
learning.

Now look at how Sawako wrote about the disadvantages of online courses. Note that she has
supported her ideas with an example.

Sawako's paragraph

Despite the advantages, online courses are not Topic sentence

appropriate for all students and subjects due to the
Supporting idea 1
limitations of technology. In many parts of the
world, computers are still not readily available so
studying online is not an option for many Supporting idea 2 + example.
people.The difficulty of providing practical
experience on a computer is a further problem. For
instance, students learning chemistry would have
no access to chemicals or laboratories needed to do
experiments. They would only be able to study
theory and simulations.

Note that the supporting ideas, evidence and examples must relate directly to the main idea in
the topic sentence.

Although your ideas may change as you write your paragraph, it is very important to make
sure all your sentences in the paragraph support the main idea. Look at what one IELTS
examiner said about this.

Teachers comment
 "I really enjoy reading an essay full of good ideas. However, sometimes the
sentences written in some paragraphs are not relevant to the main idea of
the paragraph. This results in the student getting a lower score."

Activity - Supporting your main idea

Look at the following example essay question and sample paragraph from Yumiko's essay. Read
the topic sentence and the supporting sentences. The topic sentence with the main idea has been
highlighted.

Do the supporting ideas, evidence and examples support the main idea of the paragraph? The
first one has been done for you as an example.

In the last decade, there has been an increase in the number and variety
of online courses available to adults. This has been welcomed as a great
opportunity by many students, however, other students see these courses
as less effective than classroom teaching.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course?

Sample paragraph from Yumiko's essay

Online courses may not be suitable for all students and

subjects due to the limitations of technology. Although
computers are still scarce in some parts of the world, the
use of computers in education is rapidly increasing. It is
also becoming much less of a problem for students to carry
out the practical components of their courses on computers. For
example, in the past, chemistry students required access to chemicals
or laboratories to do experiments. However, since most scientists now
use computer-based models to formulate their theories, computers can
now be used by these students.

Look at the topic sentence of Yumiko's paragraph. What is the main idea?

The main idea in the topic sentence indicates a disadvantage of online study, that is, the
limitations of technology.

Do the supporting ideas, evidence and/or examples support the main idea?
 Yes

No

The main idea (the limitations of technology) is a disadvantage of online study, but the
supporting ideas, evidence and examples outline the advantages.

Now you try!

Look at the following Task 2 questions and sample paragraphs. Read the topic sentences and the
supporting sentences. Decide whether the supporting ideas, evidence and examples support the
main idea in the topic sentence.

Question 1

Traditional medicine, such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, is very

popular in some countries. Those who practise traditional medicine claim
that it is better than modern medicine in maintaining and improving
health.
Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?

Sample paragraph

Traditional medicine has many advantages over modern

medicine. Modern medicine offers drugs that have been developed to
meet the needs of sick people. Traditional medicine, however, has a
higher risk of dangerous side effects by relying on materials such as
herbs and plants to treat patients. In addition, while traditional
medicine claims to be able to treat many kinds of health conditions, the
methods used do not always result in success. Furthermore, there is a
lack of scientific evidence to support their effectiveness.

Do the supporting ideas, evidence and/or examples support the main idea?

Yes

No
The topic sentence states that traditional medicine has advantages over modern medicine.
However, the supporting sentences explain the disadvantages of modern medicine.

Here is a sample paragraph with effective supporting ideas, evidence and examples:

Traditional medicine has many advantages over modern medicine. While modern medicine relies
on the use of artificially developed chemicals and drugs, traditional medicine uses natural
materials such as herbs and other plants. The body more readily accepts these with less chance
of harmful side effects. In addition, modern drugs are designed to treat diseases, but do not take
other important factors such as the emotional condition or lifestyle of the patient into account.
Traditional medicine aims to cure the patient, but also offers methods to improve the lifestyle
and overall wellbeing of the patient for the long term.

Question 2

In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for 150
years. This could be good for individuals but it may have negative
consequences for society.
What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?

Sample paragraph

Despite the benefits, the disadvantages of people living to such an old

age creates some serious problems for society. With people living
longer, the financial burden of providing for an increasing number of
elderly citizens is an immediate issue. At the family level, this may
result in people having to work longer to earn enough money to support
their elder relatives. Governments might also raise taxes in an attempt
to provide welfare for the ageing population. A further issue would be
the rapid increase in population. This could cause overcrowding in many
parts of the world, placing demands on housing and food supplies.

Do the supporting ideas, evidence and/or examples support the main idea?

Yes
 No

Question 3

Many governments have laws that ban the sale and use of hard drugs like
heroin and cocaine, yet they allow people to freely buy other more socially
acceptable drugs like tobacco and alcohol.
Laws that prohibit the sale and consumption of hard drugs should be
applied to other more widely tolerated drugs such as tobacco and alcohol.
What is your opinion?

Sample paragraph

In the first place, under current laws, alcohol poses a greater threat to
the health of more people than hard drugs do. Hard drugs both directly
and indirectly affect most people in society. Many people know of
someone who either uses drugs or has been a victim of drug-related
crime. Breaking into peoples houses or mugging them in the street to
steal money to support a drug habit is a serious and growing problem.

Do the supporting ideas, evidence and/or examples support the main idea?

Yes

No

The ideas, evidence and examples do not support the main idea.

Here is a sample paragraph with effective supporting ideas, evidence and examples:

In the first place, under current laws alcohol poses a greater threat to the health of more people
than hard drugs do. When talking about drug problems, people may not even consider alcohol
because it is often considered to be a normal, if not healthy part of life. The reality is, however,
that alcohol causes various health problems such as liver disease, heart trouble and obesity.
Violence resulting from excessive drinking further adds to the problem. With alcohol being legal,
people can buy it easily and cheaply, consequently people are more likely to expose themselves
to the health risks of drinking than to take heroin or cocaine.
Putting it all together
We have learnt about the parts of a paragraph. Each paragraph has:

a topic sentence to outline the main idea of the paragraph

sentences to support the main idea
evidence and/or examples.

Lets look at a sample essay Siddhi wrote and examine the topic sentences, supporting ideas,
evidence and examples.

First, look at the following Task 2 question:

In the last decade, there has been an increase in the number and variety of online courses
available to adults. While welcomed as a great opportunity by many students, other students
see these courses as a poor substitute for classroom teaching.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying an online course?

Siddhi's answer

As more online courses are being offered to adults, different aspects

of this learning medium have become apparent. Online courses offer
students some advantages over studying in a classroom, however
there are some definite drawbacks. The following essay deals with
the advantages and disadvantages of online courses. -
INTRODUCTION -
Online study provides the advantage of a flexible learning alternative for students. -
TOPIC SENTENCE - Using a computer with Internet access, students can study
wherever they prefer. This could be at home, at work or even at a friends house,
and at any time of the day. - SUPPORTING IDEA 1 AND EXAMPLE - Students are
also able to study at their own pace, depending on whether they find the material
easy or difficult. As course material is available on their own computers, students
can easily review material as many times as they wish. Furthermore, in the
classroom, teachers may have little time to answer individual questions. In contrast,
if students have any questions about their online study, they can contact their
teacher using e-mail or bulletin boards. - SUPPORTING IDEA 2 AND EVIDENCE -
Despite the advantages, online courses are not appropriate for all students and
subjects due to the limitations of technology. - TOPIC SENTENCE - If there is no
access to computers and other expensive equipment, studying online is not an
option for many people. - SUPPORTING IDEA 1 - In addition, lessons themselves are
limited by the technology, in that it is difficult to provide practical experience online.
For example, students learning chemistry would have no access to chemicals
or laboratories needed to do experiments. They would only be able to study theory
and simulations. Online students lack access to school facilities such as the library
and the social aspects of face-to-face contact with teachers and classmates. -
SUPPORTING IDEA 2 AND EXAMPLE -
 However, despite the disadvantages of online study, the benefits provide students
with a valuable alternative to classroom learning. - CONCLUSION -

Now let's practise using what we have learnt in this step.

Activity - Writing an essay body

Here are three sample Task 2 questions. On a piece of paper, write an essay for each of these
questions. When you have finished, compare your essay with a sample essay.

Question 1

Some people say that the Internet is responsible for destroying social skills of teenagers and
young adults.
Why do you think the Internet is seen as dangerous in this way and what can we do to ensure
that it does not harm the social development of teenagers and young adults?

Since its invention, the Internet has changed the way teenagers and young adults communicate.
Some commentators even argue that its development has negatively affected the social skills of
this group. This essay will present some ideas about why this is seen as dangerous and how we
can ensure that its impact in this area is minimized.

The Internet can lead to a lack of social skills in several areas. As an activity which is usually
done alone, prolonged use of the Internet can lead to a feeling of isolation and detachment from
the world. Teenagers are especially vulnerable to these feelings as they have not developed
strong peer groups and often lack emotional strength. Excessive use of the Internet could lead to
the inability to communicate effectively with other people in face-to-face situations and often
comes at the expense of more social activities such as meeting with friends.

One solution to combat the negative effects of the Internet on young people is to ensure they
are not overusing it. Limits should be placed on the amount of use and other forms of
recreational activity should be encouraged. Another strategy would be to ensure young people
have Internet-free days and undertake activities that promote social skills, for example, joining
youth or sports clubs.

In summary, it can be seen that over-exposure to the Internet can be dangerous to young
people. Specifically, it could harm the development of social skills at a crucial time in their lives.
We should all try to ensure that this does not happen before it becomes a major issue in our
society.
Question 2

In the future, it may be scientifically possible for people to live for 150 years. This could be
good for individuals but it may have negative consequences for society.
What are the benefits and risks of people living to 150?

To live a longer life has been a dream for countless years. With the development of science and
technology, it might be possible for people to live for one hundred and fifty years in the near
future. However, in my opinion, it may not be beneficial for people to do so.

Undoubtedly, there are some major advantages for increased human lifespan. Firstly, people
could enjoy longer lives and do more of the things they want, such as trying different lifestyles.
They could spend more time with their family and even watch their children grow to old age. In
addition, people could contribute more if they lived longer lives, especially scientists and other
valuable members of society. For example, if Edison had lived longer, he might have invented
more things for us or Mozart might have produced more wonderful music.

Nevertheless, there could be many disadvantages if people lived to one hundred and fifty. Firstly,
people might be unhealthy in their later years and may be afflicted by painful diseases such as
arthritis. Additionally, there may be ethical questions involved. Will everyone be able to live for
one hundred and fifty years or only the citizens of developed countries? Another factor is that
an inflated elderly population would cause many problems for society. For example, it would
place great strain on the social security system a situation already developing in countries such
as Japan. Finally, the overpopulation of the earth could result in catastrophic damage to the
earths ecosystem and could lead to ecological disaster.

In conclusion, I believe that the disadvantages for people living for one hundred and fifty years
far outweigh the advantages. Therefore this development would be a largely negative one for our
society.

Question 3

Traditional medicine, such as acupuncture and herbal remedies, is very popular in some
countries. Those who practise traditional medicine claim that it is better than modern medicine
 in maintaining and improving health.
Do you agree or disagree with this viewpoint?

Traditional medicine is growing in popularity and many people are now using methods such as
acupuncture and herbal remedies to maintain and strengthen their health. Many of those who
have experienced traditional medicine believe that it is more effective than modern medicine. I
completely agree with this viewpoint.

Traditional medicine has many advantages over modern medicine. Firstly, traditional medicine
uses natural ingredients such as herbs and other plants. Medical research has shown that these
natural substances cause less or no harmful side effects on the body. On the other hand, modern
medicine relies on the use of artificially developed chemicals and drugs, which could be toxic to
the body.

In addition, traditional medicine looks at both the mind and body. It aims to cure the patient, but
also offers a variety of methods to improve the lifestyle and overall wellbeing of the patient in
the long term. However, modern medicine uses drugs designed to treat diseases, but does not
take into account other important factors such as the emotional condition or lifestyle of the
patient.

Another important point is that traditional medicine has been used safely and successfully for
thousands of years in many countries. China, for example, is well-known for its traditional
healing methods, which are now respected world-wide. However, technological advances in
modern medicine are still very recent and many of the long-term effects are still unknown.

To sum up, modern medicine relies heavily on artificial products that can harm our health,
whereas traditional medicine is natural, safe and treats the whole body. Therefore I believe that
it is far better in maintaining overall health.

Summary
This brings us to the end of Step 7.

In Step 7, you have learnt how to:

identify what a paragraph is

identify and write the topic sentence for a paragraph
write supporting ideas, evidence and/or examples
write the body for an IELTS Task 2 essay.

In Step 8, we will look at how to write an effective conclusion for your Task 2 essay.
Step 8: Focusing on conclusions
Introduction
Welcome to Step 8!

In Step 7, we looked at how to organise ideas in a paragraph and how to write the body of an
IELTS Writing Task 2 essay. In Step 8, we will focus on writing conclusions.

Outcomes
At the end of Step 8, you will be able to:

recognise and write an effective conclusion for an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay.

Writing Task 2 conclusions

The conclusion is the last paragraph of your essay and is the final impression the examiner has
of your writing.

In the conclusion of any Task 2 essay, you should always summarise the main ideas that you
have presented in your essay. In the conclusion of a Discussion or Argument essay, you should
also give your viewpoint.

In this step, we will look at various Task 2 essays and the conclusions for those essays. Lets
start by looking at the following Discussion essay question.

Example Discussion question

Over the past few decades, international travel has become more affordable and many people
now choose overseas holidays. As a result, tourism is becoming a profitable industry in many
countries. However, despite the benefits, tourism can also create problems.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of tourism?

This question asks you to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of tourism. Now read the
following essay written by Krystyna for this question.

Krystyna's Discussion essay

 An increasing number of people are choosing to travel overseas for their
holidays. They are taking advantage of cheaper airfares and as a result,
many countries are now profiting from tourism. However, tourism can also
create some problems. This essay will discuss some of the advantages and
disadvantages.
One major benefit of tourism is that it can develop an awareness and
understanding of other cultures. Tourists can experience a way of life different from their
own and when they return home, they often share their knowledge and experiences of
these cultures, customs and foods with family and friends.
Another advantage of tourism is the income it creates. Large hotels and resorts often
employ local people. In addition, small businesses such as cafes and shops sell locally
manufactured products such as souvenirs. In this way, the tourist industry can play a
major role in providing employment to locals, thus improving a countrys economy.
However, the disadvantages of tourism should not be overlooked. One serious risk of
international travel is the possibility of spreading dangerous diseases. A foreign tourist who
has become infected with a disease may start an epidemic when returning home or
travelling to other countries. The HIV virus is one example of a disease that has now
become a worldwide epidemic.
Another negative aspect of tourism is the increase in the number of locals who steal from
tourists. Tourists carrying visible items of value such as cameras, jewellery or cash are
particularly at risk and become easy targets.
To sum up, tourism clearly has many cultural and economic benefits, yet also brings risks
that could threaten health and safety. Despite these risks, I believe that tourism gives
people valuable opportunities to learn about different cultures and should therefore be
encouraged.

Look at the conclusion from this essay again. It has been divided into two parts.

To sum up, tourism clearly has many cultural and Summarising the
economic benefits, yet also brings risks that could main ideas
threaten health and safety.
Despite these risks, I believe that tourism gives people Stating a
valuable opportunities to learn about different cultures viewpoint
and should therefore be encouraged.

Now lets look at each part of the conclusion in detail.

Summarising the main ideas

In any Task 2 conclusion, you should summarise the main ideas in your essay. This part of
Krystynas conclusion is highlighted below.

To sum up, tourism clearly has many cultural and economic benefits, yet also brings risks that
could threaten health and safety. Despite these risks, I believe that tourism gives people
valuable opportunities to learn about different cultures and should therefore be encouraged.
To summarise, you will need to recap the main ideas that you have presented in your essay.
Lets identify the main idea of each paragraph in the body of this essay.

Activity 1 - Identifying the main ideas in an essay

Read the essay on tourism again and identify the main idea of each paragraph in the body of the
essay. The first one has been done for you as an example.

An increasing number of people are choosing to travel overseas for their

holidays. They are taking advantage of cheaper airfares and as a result, many
countries are now profiting from tourism. However, tourism can also create
some problems. This essay will discuss some of the advantages and
disadvantages.

One major benefit of tourism is that it can develop an awareness and

understanding of other cultures. Tourists can experience a way of life different from their own
and when they return home, they often share their knowledge and experiences of these cultures,
customs and foods with family and friends.

Another advantage of tourism is the income it creates. Large hotels and resorts often employ
local people. In addition, small businesses such as cafes and shops sell locally manufactured
products such as souvenirs. In this way, the tourist industry can play a major role in providing
employment to locals, thus improving a countrys economy.

However, the disadvantages of tourism should not be overlooked. One serious risk of
international travel is the possibility of spreading dangerous diseases. A foreign tourist who has
become infected with a disease may start an epidemic when returning home or travelling to
other countries. The HIV virus is one example of a disease that has now become a worldwide
epidemic.

Another negative aspect of tourism is the increase in the number of locals who steal from
tourists. Tourists carrying visible items of value such as cameras, jewellery or cash are
particularly at risk and become easy targets.

To sum up, tourism clearly has many cultural and economic benefits, yet also brings risks that
could threaten health and safety. Despite these risks, I believe that tourism gives people
valuable opportunities to learn about different cultures and should therefore be encouraged.

Paragraph 2 (advantages)

tourists share their experiences with family and friends

tourism increases cultural awareness

Now you try!

Paragraph 3 (advantages)

tourism benefits a countrys economy

tourism is good for small and large businesses

Paragraph 4 (disadvantages)

tourists are likely to catch the HIV virus

tourism could encourage the spread of dangerous diseases

Paragraph 5 (disadvantages)

some locals steal from tourists

tourists should not carry cameras, jewellery or cash

Below are the main ideas that Krystyna presented in her essay. Lets look at how she has
summarised them.

Tourism increases cultural awareness - cultural benefits

Tourism benefits a countrys economy - economic benefits
Tourism could encourage the spread of dangerous diseases - health risks
Tourists are often victims of crime - safety risks

In her conclusion Krystyna has summarised these ideas by writing:

To sum up, tourism clearly has many cultural and economic benefits, yet also brings risks that
could threaten health and safety.

Now lets look at the second part of Krystynas conclusion - stating her viewpoint.
Stating a viewpoint
In the conclusion of a Discussion essay you should state your viewpoint. This part of Krystynas
conclusion is highlighted below.

To sum up, tourism clearly has many cultural and economic

benefits, yet also brings risks that could threaten health and
safety. Despite these risks, I believe that tourism gives people
valuable opportunities to learn about different cultures and should
therefore be encouraged.

In this example, Krystyna has stated her viewpoint by saying that she believes the advantages of
tourism are more important than the disadvantages. She also gives a reason for her viewpoint
(tourism gives people valuable opportunities to learn about different cultures).

Now look at the following phrases you can use to present your viewpoint.

I believe that
Despite these risks, tourism gives people
I think that
valuable opportunities to
I feel that learn about different
it is my opinion that cultures and should
in my opinion therefore be encouraged.

Now lets look at an Argument essay question and the essay that Paola has written for this
question.

Example Argument question

Governments spend large amounts of money on art that not all people enjoy. This money
could be better spent on things that benefit the majority of the population.
Do you agree?

This question asks you to argue FOR or AGAINST government spending on art.

Paola's Argument essay

Some people believe that art plays an important role in maintaining

and developing a countrys culture. Although this may be true,
others argue that governments should spend money on more
important areas that benefit the majority of the population. I agree
with this statement to a certain extent.
Maintaining and developing art is important because in many
 countries, art is a significant aspect of culture. Therefore, governments should
allocate money to maintain artwork and assist new artists. For example, Indigenous
Australians are famous for their styles of painting. If they are given financial support
from the government, this part of Australian culture can be kept alive for future
generations to appreciate, not just in Australia, but in art galleries around the world.
However, the majority of the population is more concerned with services that are
basic to their survival. They believe that education is one important area that is
often under-funded by governments. As a result, some schools may be forced to
close because there is not enough money to pay teachers or buy resources. Another
important area that deserves more funding is health care. Much of the population is
unable to afford private health care and therefore uses public hospitals. However,
lack of financial support from governments could cause these hospitals to become
overcrowded and less able to offer quality health care to their patients.
In conclusion, government spending on art can improve our culture, yet basic needs
such as education and health care are also important. Although governments should
continue to fund art, I believe that priority should be given to services that assist
the majority of people.

Lets look at Paolas conclusion again. It has been divided into two parts.

In conclusion, government spending on art can improve our Summarising the

culture, yet basic needs such as education and health care are main ideas
also important.
Although governments should continue to fund art, I believe that Restating a
priority should be given to services that assist the majority of viewpoint
people.

Now lets look at each part of the conclusion in detail.

Summarising the main ideas

In the first part of her conclusion, Paola has summarised the main ideas from her essay.
Remember, you should always summarise your main ideas in a Task 2 essay.

In conclusion, government spending on art can improve our culture, yet basic needs such as
education and health care are also important. Although governments should continue to fund
art, I believe that priority should be given to services that assist the majority of people.

Lets look at how Paola has done this.

Activity 2 - Identifying the main ideas in an essay

Lets look at the paragraphs in the body of Paolas essay and identify the main idea of each. The
first one has been done for you as an example.

Maintaining and developing art is important because in many countries, art

is a significant aspect of culture. Therefore, governments should allocate
money to maintain artwork and assist new artists. For example, Indigenous
Australians are famous for their styles of painting. If they are given
financial support from the government, this part of Australian culture can
be kept alive for future generations to appreciate, not just in Australia, but
in art galleries around the world.

The main idea is located in the topic sentence, which is also the first sentence of this paragraph
(Maintaining and developing art is important because in many countries, art is a significant
aspect of culture).

Now you try!

Identify the main idea in the following paragraph from Paolas essay.

However, the majority of the population is more concerned

with services that are basic to their survival. They believe
that education is one important area that is often under-
funded by governments. As a result, some schools may be
forced to close because there is not enough money to pay
teachers or buy resources. Another important area that
deserves more funding is health care. Much of the
population is unable to afford private health care and
therefore uses public hospitals. However, lack of financial
support from governments could cause these hospitals to become overcrowded and
less able to offer quality health care to their patients.

The main idea in this paragraph is:

A most of the population is concerned about survival needs

B education does not receive enough financial support
C health care needs more financial support

From this we can see that Paola argues that art is an important part of our culture (main
idea in first body paragraph) but that survival needs (main idea in second body paragraph)
such as education andhealth care (supporting ideas) are more important than art.

Now look at how Paola has summarised these ideas in the conclusion of her essay.

In conclusion, government spending on art can improve our culture, yet basic needs such as
education and health care are also important.
Now lets look at the second part of Paolas conclusion - restating a viewpoint.

Restating a viewpoint
In an Argument essay, you should already have stated your viewpoint in the introduction.
However, you should also state your viewpoint again in the conclusion. Lets look at how
Paola has done this.

Here is the introduction to Paolas essay again. We can see that she has already presented her
viewpoint in the introduction. This is highlighted below.

Some people believe that art plays an important role in maintaining and
developing a countrys culture. Although this may be true, others argue
that governments should spend money on more important areas that
benefit the majority of the population. I partially agree with this
statement.

Now look at how Paola has restated her viewpoint in the conclusion. This is highlighted below.

In conclusion, government spending on art can improve our culture, yet basic needs such as
education and health care are also important. Although governments should continue to fund
art, I believe that priority should be given to services that assist the majority of people.

In the last part of her conclusion, Paola has restated the viewpoint she presented in the
introduction.

Finally, lets look at a Problem-Solution essay question and the essay that Judy has written for
this question.

Example Problem-Solution question

Cars have become a convenient and economical form of transport and as a result, the use of
cars has increased dramatically during the last century.
Discuss the problems this increase has created, and offer some practical solutions.
This question asks you to discuss some of the problems caused by the overuse of cars, and
suggest ways to overcome these problems.

Judy's Problem-Solution essay

Most people now use cars as their main form of transport. An

increase in this trend during the last century has contributed to
major traffic congestion in cities, and to a decline in the quality of
our environment. This essay will look at how this is occurring and
what can be done to address this problem.
For many people, cars are seen as an economical and easy method
of transport, and this has led to many families now owning more than one car.
However, the growing number of cars on our streets has created traffic jams that
occur in most major cities on a daily basis. Drivers have no choice but to wait in
traffic and as a result, the use of cars, especially in highly populated areas, is
neither convenient nor economical. An increase in the use of cars has also had a
negative impact on our natural environment. Pollution from toxic car fumes has led
to a rapid decline in the quality of air we breathe and has also been a major
contributing factor in creating the hole in our ozone layer.
One practical way of solving these problems is to encourage people to use public
transport. One way to do this is to improve transport systems by making services
cheaper and more frequent. Another way is to introduce or extend underground
transport systems so traffic congestion can be avoided. In addition, councils could
increase parking fees or charge people to drive into city areas. This is being done in
some cities in England where drivers must display a special ticket to show that they
have paid to enter a city area.
To sum up, the growing use of cars is creating an enormous amount of traffic and is
damaging to our environment. In order to reduce these problems, citizens could be
encouraged to use alternative methods of transport.

Lets look at the conclusion of Judys essay again.

To sum up, the growing use of cars is creating an enormous Summary of the
amount of traffic and is damaging to our environment. problems

In order to reduce these problems, citizens could be encouraged to Summary of the

use alternative methods of transport. solutions

In her conclusion, Judy has summarised the main ideas (i.e., the problems and solutions) that
she presented in her essay.

Lets identify the main ideas that Judy used in the conclusion of her essay.

Activity - Identifying main ideas

In her essay, Judy discusses two problems caused by the overuse of cars. Read the following
paragraph from her essay and identify these problems.

For many people, cars are seen as an economical and easy method of
transport, and this has led to many families now owning more than one
car. However, the growing number of cars on our streets has created
traffic jams that occur in almost every city on a daily basis. Drivers have
no choice but to wait in traffic and as a result, the use of cars, especially
in highly populated areas, is neither convenient nor economical. An
increase in the use of cars has also had a negative impact on our natural
environment. Pollution from toxic car fumes has led to a rapid decline in the quality of air
we breathe and has also been a major contributing factor in creating the hole in our ozone
layer.

Type the two problems (i.e. the two main ideas) in this paragraph into the text boxes below.

and

Suggested answers

The overuse of cars

creates traffic congestion

has a negative effect on our natural environment.

Now look at how Judy has summarised these problems in her conclusion.

To sum up, the growing use of cars is creating an enormous amount of traffic and is damaging
to our environment. In order to reduce these problems, citizens could be encouraged to use
alternative methods of transport.

In her essay Judy gives one main solution to these problems. Read the following paragraph and
identify the main solution.

One practical way of solving these problems is to encourage people to use public transport.
One way to do this is to improve transport systems by making services cheaper and more
frequent. Another way is to introduce or extend underground transport systems so traffic
 congestion can be avoided. In addition, councils could increase parking fees or charge people
to drive into city areas. This is being done in some cities in England where drivers must
display a special ticket to show that they have paid to enter a city area.

Type the solution (i.e. the main idea) in this paragraph into the text box below.

Suggested answer

people could be encouraged to use public transport.

Now look at how Judy has summarised this solution in her conclusion.

To sum up, the growing use of cars is creating an enormous amount of traffic and is damaging
to our environment. In order to reduce these problems, citizens could be encouraged to use
alternative methods of transport.

Note that in a Problem-Solution essay, you are not required to state your viewpoint.

Using concluding signposts

All of the conclusions we have looked at have used concluding signposts. Lets look at two
examples.

1. To sum up, tourism clearly has many cultural and economic benefits, yet also brings risks
that could threaten health and safety.
2. In conclusion, government spending on art can improve our culture, yet basic needs such
as education and health care are also important.

Using a concluding signpost is important because it shows the reader that it is the last
paragraph of your essay.

Below is a list of other concluding signposts that can be used at the beginning of a conclusion.

Concluding Summary of main ideas

signpost

To sum up,... ...the growing use of cars is creating an enormous

To conclude,... amount of traffic and is damaging to our environment.
In short,...
 In brief...
In summary,...

Now that we have looked at how to write a Task 2 conclusion, lets identify the most effective
conclusion for the following essay.

Activity - Identifying an effective conclusion

Read the following Argument essay question and the essay that Jin Tao has written for this
question. Then decide which conclusion is the most effective.

Due to the influence of world-wide media such as television and

computers, the gap between cultures is decreasing. The introduction of
this global culture is of great benefit to the world.
To what extent do you agree with this viewpoint?

Jin Tao's Argument essay

The international mass media has for the first time

resulted in the majority of people sharing the same
experiences. I agree that this is closing the gap
between cultures and is bringing many benefits
worldwide.
One advantage of world-wide media is that films and plays, as well
as famous musicians and sports people can be appreciated and
celebrated around the world. Many people believe that sharing
these aspects will create a global culture that brings people closer
together.
Another advantage is that issues such as human rights become
internationally recognised. The media draws attention to countries
that try to keep these crimes hidden. As a result, global culture
can help to raise peoples awareness of human rights and this may
help to reduce or even eliminate these crimes in the future.
In addition, the international media has provided a valuable
educational tool for children and adults alike. Foreign television
teams keep the public up-to-date with news and images of
different cultures and ways of life. Thus, people can educate
themselves about these cultures not just by reading books but by
watching news programs anddocumentaries. In this way, global
 culture will bring valuable educational benefits.

Now decide which one of the following conclusions for Jin Taos essay is the most effective.

In conclusion, the international media serves to educate and

involve people in cultural and political issues. It also encourages
communication between countries and promotes freedom of
information. Therefore, I believe that a global culture has many
benefits.

To sum up, the international media serves to educate and involve

people in cultural and political issues. However, the negative
aspects of global culture created by this international media should
not be overlooked.

To conclude, the international media plays an important role in

raising peoples awareness of important political issues such as
human rights. I therefore believe the global culture that the media
creates has many advantages.

In conclusion, the international media serves to educate and

involve people in cultural and political issues. I therefore believe
that the global culture created by this media has brought and will
continue to bring many benefits worldwide.

The last conclusion is effective because Jin Tao has:

summarised all the main ideas from the essay

In conclusion, the international media serves to educate and

involve people in cultural and political issues. I therefore believe
that the global culture created by this media has brought many
benefits worldwide.

restated his viewpoint (which supports the viewpoint he gave in his introduction).

In conclusion, the international media serves to educate and

involve people in cultural and political issues. I therefore believe
that the global culture created by this media has brought many
benefits worldwide.
Activity - True or False quiz

Decide if the following are True or False.

True False

In the first part of the conclusion you

should summarise the main ideas from your
essay.

You should use a concluding signpost at the

beginning of your conclusion.

You shouldnt include new ideas in the

conclusion.

You must always state your viewpoint in

the conclusion.

In your conclusion, you can summarise the

main ideas from your essay by repeating
them word for word.

Activity - Writing a conclusion

Write a conclusion for the following Task 2 Argument essay that Eva has written.

Over the past fifty years, international sports events such as the Olympic Games and world
cup competitions have played an increasingly important role in our society. However, many
people think such events are an enormous waste of money, time and effort.
Do you agree?

Eva's essay

Since ancient times, sport has played an important role in our lives.
Today, international sports events such as The Olympic Games and
the World Cup are popular. Some people argue that these
international sports events are an enormous waste of time and
money. However, I strongly disagree.
 Firstly, international sports events encourage people to be more accepting of
different nationalities. All athletes, regardless of race or colour, have the opportunity
to compete for their country. As a result, international sports events develop
equality and friendships between people and countries.
Another positive aspect of international sports is that competitors have the chance
to learn different techniques to improve their own skills. For example, some
countries may have different training methods. However, during international sports
competitions, individual competitors or teams are able to study different or more
advanced training skills from other countries.
In addition, international sports events can improve the host nations economic
development. The large number of athletes, reporters and sports fans from around
the world would undoubtedly bring considerable profits to service and trade
industries of thehost nation.
However, some people argue that it is expensive and time consuming to build
stadiums for international sports events. Yet, these sports areas can also be used
for national and local sports in the future. Therefore, these facilities benefit the
community for many years.

Now type a conclusion for Eva s essay in the text box. Then, click on the Check button to
compare your conclusion to Eva's.

Summary
This brings us to the end of Step 8.

In Step 8, you have learnt how to:

recognise and write an effective conclusion for an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay.

In Step 9, we will focus on reviewing and editing Task 2 essays.

Step 9: Reviewing your essay

Introduction
Welcome to Step 9!

In Step 8, we looked at writing conclusions for IELTS Writing Task 2 essays. In Step 9, we will
concentrate on reviewing your essay.
Outcomes
By the end of Step 9, you will be able to:

review the presentation, content and language of your Task 2 essay

edit your writing for accuracy of grammar, vocabulary, punctuation and spelling.

Reviewing
Reviewing is an important part of the writing process. You
should do this after you have planned and written your essay.

Remember, this should not take longer than five (5) minutes.

When you review an essay, you need to re-examine the:

presentation
content
language.

Lets look at these in more detail.

Reviewing for presentation

Presentation is important. To check your presentation you need to check that:

you have divided your essay into paragraphs

your handwriting is neat and easy to read
you have made corrections neatly
you have added words or sentences in the correct format.

Paragraphs
You should make sure that each paragraph can be clearly identified. The best way to do this is to
leave a line between each paragraph. Look at the two examples of a sample essay below. The
essay on the left is clearly divided into four distinct paragraphs. This is the way you should
present your essay.

The use of computers in modern life has The use of computers in modern life has
resulted in changes in society. Some of these resulted in changes in society. Some of these
 changes have been to the advantage of changes have been to the advantage of
society and others have not. This essay will society and others have not. This essay will
outline both sides of the issue. outline both sides of the issue. On the one
hand, computers are useful tools offering
On the one hand, computers are useful tools
several benefits to people. Firstly, they
offering several benefits to people. Firstly,
enable machines to do dangerous work
they enable machines to do dangerous work
instead of humans. For example, in
instead of humans. For example, in
computerised car assembly factories, robots
computerised car assembly factories, robots
can do hard and dangerous work without
can do hard and dangerous work without
stopping. In addition, computers have
stopping. In addition, computers have
improved the speed of data processing
improved the speed of data processing
helping scientists to further develop modern
helping scientists to further develop modern
technology. People can go to the moon using
technology. People can go to the moon using
computers to control the orbit of the
computers to control the orbit of the
spaceship, the timing of fuel injection and
spaceship, the timing of fuel injection and
other vital calculations. Moreover, people can
other vital calculations. Moreover, people can
shop and book aeroplane or theatre tickets
shop and book aeroplane or theatre tickets
without leaving home. However, computers
without leaving home.
can be used in many harmful ways. For
However, computers can be used in many example, computers can be used to steal
harmful ways. For example, computers can peoples private personal information. Also,
be used to steal peoples private personal with the development of the Internet,
information. Also, with the development of previously controlled material such as
the Internet, previously controlled material pornography has become more widespread
such as pornography has become more making it easier for children to access it.
widespread making it easier for children to Furthermore, many people have lost their
access it. Furthermore, many people have jobs because computers can shorten some
lost their jobs because computers can processes in factories, resulting in fewer
shorten some processes in factories, workers being required. To conclude,
resulting in fewer workers being required. computers are being used in more areas of
life such as communication in the workplace
To conclude, computers are being used in
and at home. The result is that people are
more areas of life such as communication in
relying more on computers in their daily
the workplace and at home. The result is
lives. Despite the disadvantages, it is highly
that people are relying more on computers in
likely that the use of computers will increase
their daily lives. Despite the disadvantages,
due to the various benefits computers have
it is highly likely that the use of computers
to offer.
will increase due to the various benefits
computers have to offer.

Handwriting
During the test, aim to write as clearly as possible. Untidy handwriting or handwriting that is
difficult to understand will affect the examiners ability to assess your essay.

You can help the examiner by:

printing your letters if your 'joined-up' or 'running' writing is difficult to read

using large letters if your writing is usually small
always writing on the line
 ensuring all the English letters that go above the line ('b' is an example) or below the line
('p' is an example) actually reach some way above or below the line.

Making corrections
Don't waste time rubbing out mistakes made in pencil with an eraser, or using liquid paper if
you're writing in pen. When you make a mistake, or if you find a word that is difficult to read,
simply cross it out as in the example below.

Example
The colonisation of space will should be a high prore priority for all governments.

The words 'will' and 'prore' in the above sentence have been crossed out, but we can still see the
original word underneath.

Adding information
If you only need to add one or two words you can place a at the point where you would like to
add the word.

If you need to add sentences, the best way is to draw an asterisk (*) at the point where you
would like to add information. Then at the bottom of that page or at the end of the essay, draw
the asterisk again and next to it write the words, sentence or paragraph you want to include.
This is usually neater than adding the extra information to the body of the essay.

Lets look at how Jurgen did this.

Example question
There are too many people on this planet, so it is logical to look for other planets to colonise.
Is the colonisation of space the answer to overpopulation?

Main text of Jurgens answer with the correction at the bottom of the
page

Colonisation of space may be an answer to overpopulation. However,

there could be some problems living on other planets. Firstly, it would be
difficult to establish farms and other forms of agriculture on other
planets*. Secondly, not many people would want to live in such places...

* because most of the planets close to earth cannot support any form of
 animal or plant life

Reviewing for content

There are three questions to ask yourself about the content of your essay:

1. Have I written enough words?

2. Are my ideas clear and relevant to the topic?
3. Have I supported my ideas with evidence and examples?

1 Word length
You must write at least 250 words so your review should include a quick word count.

2 Clear and relevant points

You need to ensure that the reader can understand your ideas. During the review process, you
may wish to add signposts or other cohesive devices to your writing to make your meaning
clearer.

If you find you have included any irrelevant ideas in your essay, now is the time to omit these
sentences. You should do this by neatly crossing out the irrelevant idea or sentence. Make sure
that by doing this, you are not reducing your word count to less than 250 words.

Lets practise identifying relevant and irrelevant sentences in a sample essay.

Activity - Deciding on relevance

Read the following Task 2 question and the sentences written in response to it. Decide whether
the sentences are relevant to the topic or not. The first one has been done for you as an
example.

There are too many people on this planet, so it is logical to look for other planets to colonise.
Is the colonisation of space the answer to overpopulation?

Yes No
 1 People have always been fascinated by
the idea of colonising space.

2 On the moon, astronauts explored the

landscape and conducted scientific
experiments.

3 The question of whether other planets

could be home to humans is becoming
more urgent as the population continues to
explode on Earth.

4 In the 1970s countries such as India tried

and failed to restrain massive population
growth.

3 Evidence and examples

When you review your essay, you should ensure that you have included examples and/or
evidence. If you haven't, you should quickly add the information using the asterisk (*) method.

Many students say they can't think of examples and evidence for their ideas. However, examples
and evidence provide vital support to your argument, so you need to include them. Even a weak
example is better than no example at all.

Let's consider an example from Pierre's essay that answers the question on space colonisation.

Question
There are too many people on this planet, so it is logical to look for other planets to colonise.
Is the colonisation of space the answer to overpopulation?

Paragraph without examples/evidence

Everyone agrees that the world is overpopulated and that something

has to be done about this problem. However, this problem is rarely
addressed by national governments. International organisations
urgently need to discuss this problem.

Pierre's response could be improved by adding some examples which have been highlighted in
the paragraph below.
Paragraph with examples/evidence
Everyone agrees that the world is overpopulated and that something has to be done.
However, apart from a few countries such as China and India, overpopulation has rarely been
addressed by national governments. International organisations, in particular the United
Nations and the G8 group of developed countries, urgently need to discuss this problem.

Look at how Pierre added this information at the bottom of the page.

Everyone agrees that the world is overpopulated and that something

has to be done about this problem. However, * this problem is rarely
addressed by national governments. International organisations, **
urgently need to discuss this problem.

* apart from a few countries such as China and India

** in particular the United Nations and the G8 group of developed
countries,

Activity - Adding evidence and examples

Add some examples to the following paragraph on the topic of studying at university.

For this activity you should use your own ideas, so there is a variety of possible answers. When
you have finished, click on the Check button to compare your answer.

There has been increased competition to enter university

during the last few decades. For example, courses such
as and have become popular
because people believe that they offer good job prospects
for students when they graduate. Other courses in subjects
such as have become less popular as job
opportunities in these areas slowly disappear. Similarly,
certain universities remain popular while others fall behind.
In my country, the University of is always a
popular choice for students, while the University
of has difficulty attracting students.

Here is one possible answer:

There has been increased competition to enter university during the last few decades. For
example, courses such as business and accounting have become popular because people
believe that they offer good job prospects for students when they graduate. Other courses in
subjects such as sociology have become less popular as job opportunities in these areas slowly
disappear. Similarly, certain universities remain popular while others fall behind. In my country,
the University of London is always a popular choice for students, while the University
of Nottingham has difficulty attracting students.

Reviewing the
language
When reviewing the language, you should concentrate on these
main areas:

grammar
vocabulary
punctuation and spelling
style.

Below is a checklist for each category. For more information about these, see the Focus on
Language section.

Grammar
During a grammar edit, you should check such common problem areas as:

articles
agreement (subject-verb, modifier/quantifier + noun)
verb tense
signpost words
pronoun referencing
modals
quantifiers.

If you need to review any of these grammar points, you should go to the relevant section in the
Focus on Language - Improving your accuracy: vocabulary and sentence structure.

Vocabulary
While reviewing the vocabulary, ask yourself the following questions.

Have I used the correct word and the correct part of speech?
Have I varied my vocabulary as much as possible?
 Have I over-used signpost words? For example, some signposts such as, however and
because are often over-used?
Have I used modifiers?

If you need to review any of these points, you should go to the relevant section in the Focus on
Language - Improving your range: vocabulary and sentence structure and Expressing your ideas
effectively.

Punctuation and spelling

Ask yourself the following questions to check your punctuation and spelling.

Have I used commas, full stops, colons correctly?

Have I put capital letters on the right words?
Is my spelling accurate? Sometimes when we are writing quickly we make silly mistakes
that can be picked up in the edit.

Style
You need to ensure that your style is formal and academic, so ask yourself the following
questions when you are reviewing.

Have I used academic vocabulary?

Have I used the passive voice where appropriate?
Have I only used first person personal pronouns to express an opinion?

If you need to review any of these points, you should look for the relevant section in the Focus
on Language - Using an academic style.

Activity - Reviewing an essay

You should be writing a Task 2 essay every day. When you finish check it for
presentation, content and language.

Summary
This brings us to the end of Step 9.

In Step 9, you have learnt how to:

identify what to look for when reviewing your Task 2 essay.

In Step 10, you will learn how your Task 2 essay is assessed.

Step 10: Understanding the

assessment criteria
Introduction
Welcome to Step 10!

In Step 9, we talked about revising and editing your essay. In Step 10, we will discover how the
IELTS examiner assesses your Task 2 essay. Then we will look at some extracts from learners
essays and assess them together.

Outcomes
At the end of Step 10, you will be able to:

understand how the examiner assesses your essay

examine and analyse extracts from essays using IELTS Writing Task 2 assessment
criteria.

How your essay is assessed

In Task 2 of the IELTS Writing test you will be presented with an essay question. As you have
learnt in Step 3, there are three types of essays you may be asked to write:

Problem-Solution
Argument
Dicussion

Lets start with the most important question about writing for IELTS - what are the examiners
looking for?

Your IELTS Writing Task 2 is assessed according to four assessment criteria:

Assessment Criteria

Task Response
Coherence and Cohesion
Lexical Resource
 Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Now let's examine these four criteria in more detail.

Task Response
Task Response assesses two main aspects of your writing:

the formulation and development of a position that is relevant in answer to a given

question
the effectiveness of the evidence used to support your ideas and/or examples given.

Lets look at how these criteria are used to assess an IELTS Task 2 essay. Look at the following
Task 2 question.

Life has become much more stressful compared to our parents generation. As a result, stress-
related illnesses are on the increase around the world.
Why is stress such a problem in the modern world and what do you think can be done to
overcome the problems caused by stress?

Now look at Sawakos Task 2 essay answering this question. First, lets read it to see how she
has formulated and developed her position.

Formulating and developing a position

Consider the structure of Sawako's essay. By looking at her introduction, topic sentences and
conclusion, we can determine how well she has formulated and developed her position in relation
to the essay question.

Sawakos essay Structure

A Stress is a harmful phenomenon that can Introduction:

cause various kinds of problems in our society.
Stress-related problems such as stomach
ulcers, suicide and violence are good Reference to the specific
examples. This essay will describe the reasons question (Position)
for the presence of stress in our society and will
explain how this problem can be overcome.

B There are different causes of stress. At school Topic Sentence 1:

and in the office, people are faced with various Reasons for the problem
 stressful competitive situations. From their early Supporting idea 1
schooling years to their professional life, people (Reason 1)
spend a lot of time trying to be successful either
by achieving high grades or by moving up the
work ladder. Moreover, even at home, people Supporting idea 2
might feel stress when they watch too many (Reason 2)
advertisements on television. They might find it
difficult to cope with the pressure of wanting to
buy different products and their inability to do
so. Mobile phone companies, for example,
persuade young people to change their phones
regularly to keep up with the new technology.
As a result, they start spending a lot of money
on their phones and may even find themselves
in a debt crisis that causes more stress.

C In order to overcome this problem, relaxation Topic Sentence 2:

and less exposure to stressful situations need to Solutions to the problem
be considered. It is effective to try to release as
much stress as you can from time to time. For Supporting idea 1 (Solution 1)
example, sleeping for a long time on the
weekend or spending time doing your favourite
hobby is relaxing and therefore reduces Supporting idea 2 (Solution 2)
stress. In addition, people should try to avoid
situations that may become a source of stress
later. One way to do this would be to pay less
attention to TV commercials and have more
realistic expectations of the products they can
afford.

D In conclusion, it can be seen that people can Conclusion

suffer stress for different reasons like Re-stating the position
competition and the negative influence of TV
advertisements. Therefore, people need to be
aware of this issue and try to overcome the
problem. Unless people start avoiding and
releasing stress, the problems that this
phenomenon creates will continue to grow.

Teachers Comments
In this essay Sawako has decided to structure her essay as follows:

Paragraph A - Introduction

Paragraph B - Reasons for the problems

Paragraph C - Solutions to the problem

Paragraph D - Conclusion

The structure of Sawako's essay shows that she has responded to the question appropriately.
She has referred to the specific question by explaining why stress has become a problem and
how to overcome it. This has been formulated in the introduction, developed in the body and
finally reinforced in the conclusion.

Ideas, Evidence and Examples

Now let's consider how the ideas, evidence and examples are assessed in a Task 2 essay.

The ideas you use in your essay are important because each idea helps to develop
your position. Your ideas must be relevant to the question and be supported
by evidence. Examples can also be used to give more support and to clarify your ideas.

If you need to review the concepts of evidence and examples, go to Step 7.

Let's look at Sawako's essay again and read the comments made by Sue, an IELTS teacher
regarding her use of ideas, evidence and examples.

Paragraph A - Introduction

Stress is a harmful phenomenon that can cause various kinds of problems in our society. Stress-
related problems such as stomach ulcers, suicide and violence are good examples. This essay will
describe the reasons for the presence of stress in our society and will explain how this problem
can be overcome.

"This is a good introduction as Sawako states her idea clearly, that

is, thatstress is a harmful phenomenon. This idea is directly linked
to the topic of the question so it is relevant. She then gives three
examples of how stress is harmful (stomach ulcers, suicide and
violence). This gives the reader a better idea of the types of
problems that stress causes. Finally, she refers to the specific
question by stating the purpose of the essay."

Paragraph B - Reasons for the problems

There are different causes of stress. At school and in the office, people are faced with various
stressful competitive situations. From their early schooling years to their professional life, people
spend a lot of time trying to be successful either by achieving high grades or by moving up the
work ladder. Moreover, even at home, people might feel stress when they watch too many
advertisements on television. They might find it difficult to cope with the pressure of wanting to
buy different products and their inability to do so. Mobile phone companies, for example,
persuade young people to change their phones regularly to keep up with the new technology. As
a result, they start spending a lot of money on their phones and may even find themselves in a
debt crisis that causes more stress.

"Sawako presents two supporting ideas that develop her topic sentence, that
is, reasons for the problem. The first supporting idea is that at school and in
the office, people are faced with various stressful competitive situations. She
supports this with evidence: ...people spend a lot of time trying to be successful
either by achieving high grades or by moving up the work ladder. The second
supporting idea is that at home, people might feel stress when they watch too
many advertisements on television. She supports this with evidence(...the pressure
of wanting to buy different products and their inability to do so) and
anexample about mobile phone companies."
"Sawako has supported her topic sentence (main idea) with relevant evidence and
examples. This makes her paragraph effective and develops her position."

Paragraph C - Solution to the problem

In order to overcome this problem, relaxation and less exposure to stressful situations need to
be considered. It is effective to try to release as much stress as you can from time to time. For
example, sleeping for a long time on the weekend or spending time doing your favourite hobby
without thinking of stressful things is helpful to reduce stress. In addition, people should try to
avoid situations that may become a source of stress later. They need to pay less attention to TV
commercials and have more realistic expectations of the products they can afford.

"In this paragraph, Sawako presents two supporting ideas that develop her second
topic sentence, that is, solutions to overcome the problem. The first
supporting idea or solution is that people should try to release stress. She gives
the examples of sleeping ordoing your favourite hobby. The second supporting
idea or solution is that people should try to avoid stressful situations. For this idea,
she provides evidence: ...pay less attention to to TV commercials and have more
realistic expectations of the products they can afford. The support given is all
relevant and therefore makes Paragraph C effective. "

Paragraph D - Conclusion

In conclusion, it can be seen that people can suffer stress for different reasons like competition
and the negative influence of TV advertisements. Therefore, people need to be aware of this
issue and try to overcome the problem. Unless people start avoiding and releasing stress, the
problems that this phenomenon creates will continue to grow.
 "In the conclusion, Sawako summarises the main ideas of her essay (reasons for
and solutions to the problem). She also states her viewpoint in the last sentence.
This makes her conclusion effective and relevant to the essay question."

You can see how the use of evidence and examples gives your ideas more power. It connects
ideas to the real world. Evidence and examples support and give strength to ideas.

Activity - Formulating and developing a position

Let's look at another students answer for the same question on stress. As you read, outline the
overall structure of Mustaphas essay by choosing from the components below. For this activity,
focus only on the highlighted sections. After completing the text boxes, answer the questions
below.

Supporting idea Introduction

Reference to Specific Summary of Main
Question Ideas
Topic Sentence Conclusion

If you would like to see the essay question again, click on the button below.

Life has become much more stressful compared to our parents generation. As a result, stress-
related illnesses are on the increase around the world.

Why is stress such a problem in the modern world and what do you think can be done to
overcome the problems caused by stress?

Mustaphas
Structure
essay
 In
rece 1.
select...
nt
tim
es,
life has become
more stressful
than it has ever
been. People
encounter a
great deal of
pressure both in
the workplace
and in the family
because they
need to face far
more problems
than before.

In the first place, 2.

select...
people have to
endure more
stress in their select...
working lives 3.
because of the
lack of job
opportunities and
increasing levels
of
unemployment. T
hey have to
improve their
skills and
upgrade their
knowledge in
order to keep up
with new
technology and
face new
challenges in the
workplace. Other
wise, they may
not meet the
requirements of
their job and
may eventually
be fired from
their company.

In the second 4.
select...
place, people
who establish a 5.
family are also select...

suffering from
stress. Because
select...
6.
of the rapid
improvement in
living standards,
the cost of living
has also
increased. This
means that
everyday
expenses, such
as food and
household bills,
are more
expensive. Supp
orting the family
on one salary
has become
increasingly
difficult. As a
result, in most
western societies
both parents
have to go out to
work in order to
support their
family.
Consequently,
many children do
not spend much
 time with their
parents and this
causes strain in
their
relationship.

In brief, people 7.
select...
are leading more
stressful lives
than in the past,
which deeply
affects their
family life.

1. Introduction. Reference to only one part of the question (problems related to stress)
2. Topic Sentence. Reasons for Problem 1
3. Supporting Idea
4. Topic Sentence. Reasons for Problem 2
5. Supporting Idea
6. Supporting Idea
7. Conclusion. Reference to only one main idea (pressure in the family)

1 Has Mustapha formulated a position that is relevant to the question given?

Yes

No

2 Has he developed his position effectively?

Yes

No

3 Why / Why not?

Mustapha has formulated a position which does not refer to all the specific question. He needs to
address both the reasons for the problems and the solutions to overcome those problems.
Therefore, this essay should provide a reference to the complete question in the introduction and
solutions to the problems in the body. This could be done in two ways:

1. by adding another paragraph to the body

For example:
o Introduction
o Reasons for Problem 1
o Reasons for Problem 2
o Solutions to both problems
o Conclusion
2. by including solutions to each problem to both Paragraphs 2 and 3
For example:
o Introduction
o Reasons for and solutions to Problem 1
o Reasons for and solutions to Problem 2
o Conclusion

Mustapha's conclusion is not effective as he has only addressed the effect of stress on family life.
A good conclusion, however, summarises all main ideas and states your viewpoint.

Therefore, Mustapha has not developed a position that is relevant in answer to the essay
question given.

Activity - Identifying the ideas, evidence and examples

Here is Mustaphas essay again. As you read, look at each sentence in the body section and
decide whether these sentences are showing supporting ideas, evidence, or examples. Note
down this information in the text boxes and then answer the questions below. Click here to see
the structure of his essay again.

If you would like to see the essay question again, click on the button below.

Life has become much more stressful compared to our parents generation. As a result, stress-
related illnesses are on the increase around the world.

Why is stress such a problem in the modern world and what do you think can be done to
overcome the problems caused by stress?
 Mustaphas essay Ideas,
Evidence,
Examples

In recent times, life has become

more stressful than it has ever
been. People encounter a great
deal of pressure both in the
workplace and in the family
because they need to face far
more problems than before.

In the first place, people have to endure more

stress in their working lives because of the lack
of job opportunities and increasing levels of
unemployment. They have to improve their
skills and upgrade their knowledge in order to
keep up with new technology and face new
challenges in the workplace. Otherwise, they
may not meet the requirements of their job
and may eventually be fired from their
company.

In the second place, people who establish a

family are also suffering from stress. Because
of the rapid improvement in living standards,
the cost of living has also increased. This
means that everyday expenses, such as food
and household bills, are more expensive.
Supporting the family on one salary has
become increasingly difficult. As a result, in
most western societies both parents have to go
out to work in order to support their family.
Consequently, many children do not spend
much time with their parents and this causes
strain in their relationship.

In brief, people are leading more stressful lives

than in the past, which deeply affects their
family life.
1 Do Mustapha's evidence and examples provide good support for his paragraphs?

Yes

No

2 Do the ideas, evidence and examples help him answer the question properly?

Yes

No

3 Why / Why not?

Sues comment
"As we have already seen, Mustapha has formulated and developed a position
that does not answer the question appropriately. He has, however, provided
good evidence and examples to support the ideas he has given."

Paragraph 1 - Introduction

Idea 1 (Problem 1) - pressure in the workplace

Idea 2 (Problem 2) - presure in the family

Note that Mustapha's introduction answers only part of the question, the solutions to the
problems are not addressed.

Paragraph 2 - Reasons for Problem 1

Stress in the workplace due to lack of job opportunities and increasing levels of stress:
o Supporting idea: need to improve their skills and knowledge.
Evidence: a lack of skills and knowledge may lead to you losing your job.

Mustapha has provided good support for this paragraph.

Paragraph 3 - Reasons for Problem 2

Stress in the family:

o Supporting idea 1: the improvement in living standards has led to the increase in
the cost of living
 Evidence and example: an increase in everyday expenses (e.g. food and
household bills)
o Supporting idea 2: a single income cannot support the family
Evidence: both parents need to work to support their families
Evidence: children spend less time with their parents leading to stress and
strain in the family

Mustapha's evidence and examples support his topic sentence appropriately.

Paragraph 4 - Conclusion

Even though Mustapha has created a conclusion relevant to the essay he has written, this does
not include any reference to the solutions to the problems related to stress. Therefore, it is not a
suitable conclusion.

Activity - Assessing Task Response

Let's look at another essay question and answer. This time you will need to assess how well
Pierre has formulated and developed his position and also how effective
his ideas, evidence and examples are. First you will need to look at each sentence and
complete the text boxes by choosing from the components below. After completing the text
boxes, answer the questions that follow.

Supporting idea Introduction

Reference to Specific Summary of Main Ideas
Question Conclusion
Topic Sentence Evidence
Example

Look at the following Task 2 question:

Teenage offenders should be treated in the same way as adult criminals.

Do you agree?

Pierre's essay Structure

The teenage years can be a

difficult and challenge time for
young people. Yet, if during
this years, teenagers commit a
crime, i believe they should not
have specially treatment
because of their age. This
 essay will outline the reasons for treating
teenage offenders in the same way as adult
criminals.

Firstly all the criminals deserve to be punished.

we cannot make allowances for age because the
result of crime is the same, whether the
criminal is fifteen or fifty. For example, if a
teenager murders someone, the victim is still
dead, no matter who did it or why it was done.
If all criminals was punished equally, our society
would be a safer place to live.

Unfortunately, there have been significant

increase in the number of young people
committing crimes in recent years. We cannot
ignore the fact that a person who breaks the
law as a teenager will probably continue to
commit crimes as an adult if they are not
stopped and punished. If they are punished
appropriately at this early stage, there is better
chance they will be rehabilitated and avoid a life
of crime.

lastly it is easier and less expensive to treat all

criminals equally, regardless of age. The
government would save money by being able to
abolish special court systems for younger
people such as the Children's court.

In conclusion I would again like to state my

strong opposition to the system of treating
teenage offenders different from adult criminals.
Crime is unacceptable and require strong
punishment regardless of age.

1 Has Pierre formulated and developed a position that is relevant to the question given?

Yes

No
2 Do his evidence and examples provide good support for his paragraphs and help him answer
the question appropriately?

Yes

No

3 Why / Why not?

Tutor's comments on Pierre's Task Response:

Structure
Pierre's essay

The teenage years can be a difficult and Introduction:

challenge time for young people. Yet, if General Statement
during this years, teenagers commit a Reference to specific
crime,i believe they should not have question
specially treatment because of their age.
This essay will outline the reasons for
treating teenage offenders in the same
way as adult criminals.

"This is an effective introduction. It provides a general statement about the topic of the question
and it also refers to the specific question by formulating a position that is relevant to the
question given."

Firstly all the criminals deserve to be Topic Sentence: Reason

punished. we cannot make allowances 1
for age because the result of crime is the Supporting idea
same, whether the criminal is fifteen or Example
fifty. For example, if a teenager murders
someone, the victim is still dead, no Pierre's opinion
matter who did it or why it was done. If
all criminals was punished equally, our
society would be a safer place to live.

"This paragraph includes a topic sentence (reason 1) which helps to develop his position and
summarises the main idea of the paragraph. In addition, Pierre has added a supporting idea and
an example that clarifies that idea. This provides good support to his topic sentence. As well,
Pierre has inserted his opinion in relation to this first reason."
 Unfortunately, there have been No topic Sentence:
significant increase in the number of Reason 2
young people committing crimes in Supporting idea
recent years. We cannot ignore the fact
that a person who breaks the law as a
teenager will probably continue to Evidence
commit crimes as an adult if they are
not stopped and punished. If they are
punished appropriately at this early
stage, there is better chance they will be
rehabilitated and avoid a life of crime.

"There is no topic sentence for this paragraph. The first sentence cannot act as a topic sentence
because it does not summarise the main idea of the paragraph. A good topic sentence could
be In addition, criminals tend to keep commiting crimes until they are caught. The rest of the
paragraph provides a supporting idea and adds evidence to this idea."

lastly it is easier and less expensive to Topic Sentence: Reason

treat all criminals equally, regardless of 3
age. The government would save money Supporting idea
by being able to abolish special court
systems for younger people such as the Example
Children's court.

"This paragraph has a good topic sentence and a relevant supporting idea which also provides an
example. However, it would be more effective to include more evidence to support this idea."

In conclusion I would again like to state Conclusion:

my strong opposition to the system of Statement of Pierre's
treating teenage offenders different from viewpoint
adult criminals. Crime is unacceptable Comment on his
and require strong punishment viewpoint
regardless of age.

"The conclusion does not summarise the main ideas included in the essay. An effective
conclusion generally starts with a summary of ideas and then states the viewpoint of the essay's
writer. As seen in Step 8, a conlusion could end with a comment about that viewpoint, a
recommendation or a prediction."

"Overall, Pierre's Task Response is adequate. He has responded to all parts of the question. His
ideas are relevant to this question and help to develop his position. He has also supported each
of his ideas with evidence and examples. However, he would need to improve Paragraph 3 of his
essay by adding a topic sentence which summarises the second reason he gives."
Coherence and Cohesion
Your writing is assessed on the criteria cohesion and coherence. Cohesion involves connecting
sentences and ideas using techniques such as pronoun referencing and
signposts. Coherence involves organising information logically and in paragraphs so that it is
easy for the reader to follow.

Therefore, cohesion and coherence refer to :

how well your writing flows

how well your writing is organised
how easy it is for your reader to understand your ideas.

This criterion can be summarised as how clearly your writing communicates its ideas. You
can communicate better by making sure your ideas follow a clear, step-by-step pattern both in a
paragraph and when linking ideas between paragraphs.

Lets look at another extract answering the question about stress. The paragraph discusses
solutions to stress-related problems. It contains a number of ideas supported by examples of
activities that will help relieve stress. Lets look at how well the paragraph communicates its
ideas.

Extract from Jin Taos essay

To overcome the problem of stress, it is important to learn everything

you can about it. One way of finding how to combat it could be reading
widely about the problem. Another way to fight stress is to take
vitamins, although expensive vitamin supplements may be a waste of
time. Finally, talking about stressful things to those closest to you may
help get rid of stress. This could mean sharing with family, friends or
even your dog or cat.

The paragraph uses pronoun referencing to connect sentences smoothly with each other. The
pronoun itrefers back to the problem of stress and the pronoun this refers back to talking about
stressful things to those closest to you. The use of pronoun referencing makes Jin Tao's ideas
flow and therefore makes his paragraph fluent.

The paragraph also uses signpost words to guide the reader. These words and expressions
prepare the reader for one solution, then another solution and finally the last solution. The
signpost words are: one way, another way, finally The use of signposts helps to link ideas
logically.
You can use these techniques to make your writing fluent.

Pronoun referencing uses pronouns (e.g. it) and demonstrative pronouns (e.g. this)
to refer backwards or forwards to ideas in a text. This helps the reader to follow an idea
throughout the text.
Signposts are words or phrases to show you the relationship between parts of the text.
In the sample above the signposts lead us through a number of solutions in a logical
sequence.

Activity - Pronoun referencing and Signposts

Read the following extract. It also suggests solutions to stress-related problems. Lets look at
how well the paragraph communicates its ideas by using pronoun referencing and signposts.

Extract from Jane s essay

Is there any escape from the problems of modern

stress? Finding your own way of releasing stress is
recommended. Any leisure activities, such as a hobby,
dining out and even screaming, will help you to get rid of
stress. Trying to be optimistic is always recommended.
One of the most important things is to have good
friends, comrades etc. Telling your family or teachers is
another way of getting rid of stress. Pets, such as a dog
or cat, can also reduce stress.

1. Can you find any examples of pronoun referencing in this extract?

Yes

No

2. Can you find any examples of signposts in this extract?

Yes

No
3. Is this paragraph cohesive and coherent?

Yes

No

1. There is no use of pronoun referencing to refer back to an idea.

2. There is only one signpost word.

One of the most important things.... It appears in the middle of the paragraph instead of
at the beginning where you would expect to find it.
Also and another way are examples of signpost words, but they are not at the
beginning of the sentence, which would help to organise the ideas better.

3. This paragraph is not coherent and cohesive. It has good ideas and suggests a number of
solutions to the problem of stress. However, it does not communicate its message very well.

Ideas jump from one to another so the writing does not flow and meaning is not
communicated smoothly to the reader.
The paragraph also reads like a list. The use of etc. reinforces the idea of a list and
should be avoided in academic writing.

Now lets look at a different version of Jane s paragraph. There are three examples of pronoun
referencing and five signpost words. Type them in the box below.

There are a number of solutions to the problems of stress in

modern day life. First of all, it is recommended that you find your
own way of fighting stress. One of the most important methods of
dealing with stress is to have good friends and colleagues. This
means that you can confide in family and friends when you are
feeling under pressure. Furthermore, studies have shown that
pets, such as a dog or a cat, can help alleviate the problem. Being
physically active and participating in leisure activities, such as
hobbies and dining out, also help reduce stress. Another solution is
to have a positive mental attitude and be optimistic.
4. What are the examples of pronoun referencing and signposts in this extract?

Jane communicates her message very well.

There are three examples of pronoun referencing:

this refers back to having good friends and colleagues

them refers to good friends and colleagues
they refers to pets.

There are five examples of signpost words:

first of all
one of the most important
furthermore
also
another solution.

There are a number of solutions to the problems of stress in modern day life. First of all, it is
recommended that you find your own way of fighting stress. One of the most important methods
of dealing with stress is to have good friends and colleagues. Thismeans that you can confide
in them when you are feeling under pressure.Furthermore, studies have shown that pets, such
as a dog or a cat, can help alleviate the problem because they help you take your mind off your
problems. Being physically active and participating in leisure activities, such as hobbies and
dining out, also help reduce stress. Another solution is to have a positive mental attitude and be
optimistic.

Activity - Assessing Coherence and Cohesion

Now let's analyse a complete essay for coherence and cohesion. Lets look at how well the
essaycommunicates its ideas.

First, look at the following Task 2 question.

Teenage offenders should be treated in the same way as adult criminals.

Do you agree?

Pierre's essay
 The teenage years can be a difficult and challenge time for young
people. Yet, if during this years, teenagers commit a crime, i
believe they should not have specially treatment because of their
age. This essay will outline the reasons for treating teenage
offenders in the same way as adult criminals. Firstly all the
criminals deserve to be punished. we cannot make allowances for
age because the result of crime is the same, whether the criminal is
fifteen or fifty. For example, if a teenager murders someone, the victim is still dead,
no matter who did it or why it was done. If all criminals was punished equally, our
society would be a safer place to live. Unfortunately, there have been significant
increase in the number of young people committing crimes in recent years. We
cannot ignore the fact that a person who breaks the law as a teenager will probably
continue to commit crimes as an adult if they are not stopped and punished. If they
are punished appropriately at this early stage, there is better chance they will be
rehabilitated and avoid a life of crime. lastly it is easier and less expensive to treat
all criminals equally, regardless of age. The government would save money by being
able to abolish special court systems for younger people such as the Children's
court. In conclusion I would again like to state my strong opposition to the system
of treating teenage offenders different from adult criminals. Crime is unacceptable
and require strong punishment regardless of age.

1 Has Pierre used paragraphs?

Yes

No

2 Has Pierre used pronoun referencing to make his writing fluent?

Yes

No

3 Has Pierre linked his ideas using signposts?

Yes

No

4 Is Pierre's essay coherent and cohesive?

Yes
 No

Look at Pierre's essay again, this time with paragraphs, signposts, academic phrases and the
pronoun referencing identified. The pronoun is highlighted in light pink and the word it refers to
is in dark pink. The signposts and academic phrases have been underlined

Pierre's Essay
The teenage years can be a difficult and challenge time for young
people. Yet, if during this years, teenagers commit a crime, i
believe they should not have specially treatment because
of their age. This essay will outline the reasons for treating
teenage offenders in the same way as adult criminals.
Firstly all the criminals deserve to be punished. we cannot make
allowances for age because the result of crime is the same,
whether the criminal is fifteen or fifty.For example, if a
teenager murders someone, the victim is still dead, no matter who
did it or why it was done. If all criminals was punished equally, our
society would be a safer place to live.
In addition, criminals tend to keep committing crimes until they
are caught We cannot ignore the fact that a person who breaks the
law as a teenager will probably continue to commit crimes as an
adult if they are not stopped and punished. Ifthey are punished
appropriately at this early stage, there is better chance they will be
rehabilitated and avoid a life of crime.
Lastly it is easier and less expensive to treat all criminals equally,
regardless of age. The government would save money by being
able to abolish special court systems for younger people such as
the Children's court.
In conclusion I would again like to state my strong opposition
to the system of treating teenage offenders different from adult
criminals. Crime is unacceptable and require strong punishment
regardless of age.

Lexical Resource
For this criterion, you are assessed on:

the range of your vocabulary

the accuracy and appropriacy of the words you use in terms of the specific task.


Lets examine the vocabulary in the following paragraph which describes how the workplace has
become more stressful.

Extract from Jurgens essay

First of all, work today is more demanding than it used to be

because of the development of science and technology. This
development affects all areas of our lives, especially in the
requirements of employers who are demanding greater flexibility
from their employees. For instance, university graduates have to
master English, computers and other skills if they want to secure
decent jobs. They must continually spend more time acquiring new
techniques and skills in order that they progress in the workplace.

Sue's comment
Look at Sue's assessment of the lexical resource in Jurgen's extract.

1 Has Jurgen used a wide range of vocabulary?

"In this extract, Jurgen has used a wide variety of vocabulary."

For example:

synonyms: 'growth' is used as a synonym for 'development'

modifiers:

decent jobs
greater flexibility
continually spend
new techniques

2 Has Jurgen used appropriate vocabulary?

"Jurgen has used formal, academic vocabulary."

For example:

to master English (less formal - to learn, to study)

to secure decent jobs (less formal - to get a decent job)
to progress in the workplace (less formal - to get a good job)

3 Has Jurgen used accurate vocabulary?

"The words chosen are related to the topic and fit the context of each sentence."

For example:

word form:

development (n) - not developing, developed (adj)

continually (adv) - not continue (v)

collocation: to master English

word choice:

words are relevant to the topic, for example for workplace: work, employer,
employee, jobs; and for stressful: demanding, affects.
the correct choice of words is used.

Remember that in the academic module of the IELTS Writing test you should use a more formal
level of vocabulary and avoid informal language or slang.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

For this criterion, you are assessed on the range and accuracy of your sentences. The range of
your grammar refers to the variety of the sentence structures you use. The accuracy, on the
other hand, refers to how correct your grammar is.

Lets look at the extract from Jurgens work again.

First of all, work today is more demanding than it used to be

because of the development of science and technology. This
development affects all the areas of our lives, especially in the
requirements of employers who are demanding greater flexibility
from their employees. For instance, university graduates have to
master English, computers and other skills if they want to secure
decent jobs. They must continually spend more time acquiring new
techniques and skills in order that they progress in the workplace.

Sue's comment
Look at Sue's assessment of the grammatical range and accuracy in Jurgen's extract.

Grammatical Range

1 Has Jurgen used complex sentences?

"In this extract, Jurgen has used a variety of complex sentences, which include,
for example, conditional and relative clauses."

For example:

First of all, work today is more demanding than it used to be ...

This development affects all areas of our lives, especially in the requirements of
employers who are demanding greater flexibility ...
... university graduates have to master English, computers and other skills if they want to
secure decent jobs.
They must continually spend more time acquiring new techniques and skills in order that
they progress in the workplace.

2 Has Jurgen used nominalisation?

"Yes. Some good examples of nominalisation are present in his extract."

For example:

the development of science and technology

the requirements of employees

3 Has Jurgen used modals?

"Jurgen has not used a range of modals in this extract. The only modal present is: must.
However, this is only a short extract and the main idea of the paragraph does not lend itself to
the use of modals."

Grammatical Accuracy

1 Has Jurgen shown an accurate use of verb tense?

"Three different tenses have been used in this extract: simple present, present continuous and
simple past. All of these tenses have been used correctly."

For example: ... work today is more demanding than it used to be ... (a comparison between the
present and the past)

2 Has Jurgen shown an accurate use of agreement?

"Agreement has been used appropriately."

For example:

Subject-verb agreement:

This development affects ...

...university graduates have to ...
...employers who are...

Modifier/quantifier-noun agreement:

this development
our lives.

3 Has Jurgen shown an accurate use of articles?

"Jurgen has used articles accurately."

For example:

the development of
the requirements of
in the workplace.

4 Has Jurgen shown an accurate use of punctuation?

"Commas and capital letters have been used correctly."

5 Has Jurgen shown an accurate use of complex sentences?

"All the complex sentences that Jurgen uses are accurate."

For example:
 ...employers who... (relative pronoun for people)
...in order that... (clause that expresses purpose).

6 Has Jurgen shown an accurate use of modals?

"The modal 'must' has been used appropriately to show obligation in the sentence:
They must continually spend more time acquiring new techniques and skills..."

Activity 1 - Assessing Lexical Resource and Grammtical Range and

Accuracy

Read the following paragraph and consider the lexical resource and grammatical range and
accuracy of Hisako's extract. Answer the questions below by clicking on the Yes or No button. For
feedback on the 'Grammatical Accuracy' section, click on the Check button.

Extract from Hisakos essay

First of all, students are put pressure by their parents. They have
to study hardly which cause the stress-related problem. For
example, some parents want their children to enter the
university and intimidate to them because they dont want to be
embarrassed by society. Thus, students could suffer from stress-
related problem since they were young. Also, in working life,
people want to be number one, so they have a way to attack
their competitors fiercely. This also cause much stress.

Lexical Resource

Has Hisako used:

1 a wide range of vocabulary? Yes No

2 appropriate vocabulary? Yes No

3 accurate vocabulary? Yes No

Grammatical Range

Has Hisako used:

 1 complex sentences? Yes No

2 nominalisation? Yes No

3 modals? Yes No

Grammatical Accuracy

Has Hisako shown an accurate use of:

1 verb tense? Yes No

2 agreement? Yes No

3 articles? Yes No

4 punctuation? Yes No

5 complex sentences? Yes No

6 modals? Yes No

1 Verb tense:

"Hisako generally uses the correct tense, that is, the simple present (are,
have to, want, cause). There is only one mistake with tense - in the sentence
'Thus, students could suffer from stress related problem since they were young.'
Hisako should have used thepresent perfect tense, 'Thus, students could have
suffered from stress- related problems since they were young .' Or Hisako could have changed
the clause 'since they were young' into a phrase 'from quite a young age'."

2 Agreement:

"Hisako has made a few mistakes with agreement.

These problems include lack of agreement between subject and
verb andmodifier/quantifier-noun."

For example:

'This also cause much stress.' Should be: ' This also causes much stress.'
'They have to study hardly which cause the stress-related problem.' Should be 'They
have to study hard which causes the stress-related problems.'
'Thus, students could suffer from stress-related problem.' Should be: ' Thus, students
could suffer from stress-related problems.

3 Articles:
"Hisako generally uses the correct articles. She made one mistake, '...to enter the university',
should be '...to enter university'."

4 Punctuation:

"Hisako has no problems with punctuation. She uses capital letters, full stops and commas
correctly."

5 Complex sentences:

"Hisako uses complex sentences accurately. However, these sentences often have problems
with agreement or tense."

6 Modals:

"Hisako has used the correct modal ' could suffer', but she has used the incorrect tense after
the modal."

Another version of Hisakos extract

Here is an improved version of Hisako's extract. Read Hisakos new version, then click on the
button below to see the teacher's comments.

First of all, students are pressured by their parents to succeed at

school. They are required to study hard and this can lead to stress-
related problems. For example, some parents want their children to
enter university and consequently force them to study long hours.
They do this because they believe that if their children gain entry to
university the social status of the family will improve.
Consequently, students could suffer from stress-related problems
from quite a young age. In addition, the workplace can be a source of stress,
particularly when people are ambitious and seek promotion. This competitiveness
with work colleagues together with the need to succeed often leads to high levels of
stress.

Lexical resource

"In this extract, the writer has used a wide range of accurate and
appropriate vocabulary."

For example:

The phrase '... gain entry to university ...' acts as a synonym of '...enter university...'
The phrase '... force them to ...' is similar in meaning to 'students are pressured by their
parents'
"As well, there are examples of academic verbs used in formal writing."

For example:

to gain entry
to be pressured
to seek promotion.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

"There is a variety of both complex and simple sentences."

"There are also examples of nominalisation."

For example:

competitiveness with work colleagues

the need to succeed.

"The sentences in Hisako's extract are all grammatically correct."

For example:

The present tense has been used correctly throughout this extract.
Both subject-verb agreement and modifier/quantifier-noun agreement are correct. For
example, 'This competitiveness ... leads to ...'
Good use of articles and punctuation is present in Hisako's extract.
Complex sentences and modal verbs have been used accurately.

Activity 2 - Assessing Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Now let's look at a complete essay. You will need to assess Pierre's lexical
resource and grammatical range and accuracy. After reading the essay, answer the
questions below.

Look at the following Task 2 question:

Teenage offenders should be treated in the same way as adult criminals.

Do you agree?

Pierre's essay
 The teenage years can be a difficult and challenge
time for young people. Yet, if during this years,
teenagers commit a crime, i believe they should not
have specially treatment because of their age. This
essay will outline the reasons for treating teenage
offenders in the same way as adult criminals.
Firstly all the criminals deserve to be punished. we cannot make
allowances for age because the result of crime is the same,
whether the criminal is fifteen or fifty. For example, if a teenager
murders someone, the victim is still dead, no matter who did it or
why it was done. If all criminals was punished equally, our society
would be a safer place to live.
Unfortunately, there have been significant increase in the number
of young people committing crimes in recent years. We cannot
ignore the fact that a person who breaks the law as a teenager will
probably continue to commit crimes as an adult if they are not
stopped and punished. If they are punished appropriately at this
early stage, there is better chance they will be rehabilitated and
avoid a life of crime.
lastly it is easier and less expensive to treat all criminals equally,
regardless of age. The government would save money by being
able to abolish special court systems for younger people such as
the Children's court.
In conclusion I would again like to state my strong opposition to
the system of treating teenage offenders different from adult
criminals. Crime is unacceptable and require strong punishment
regardless of age.

Lexical Resource

Has Pierre used:

Yes No
1 a wide range of
vocabulary?

Yes No
2 appropriate vocabulary?

3 accurate vocabulary? Yes No

Grammatical Range

Has Pierre used:

Yes No
1 complex sentences?

Yes No
2 nominalisation?

Yes No
3 modals?

Grammatical Accuracy

Has Pierre shown an accurate use of:

Yes No
1 verb tense?

Yes No
2 agreement?

Yes No
3 articles?

Yes No
4 punctuation?

Yes No
5 complex sentences?

Yes No
6 modals?

1 Verb tense:

"Pierre has used correct verb tenses in this essay."

He uses 'will' in the first paragraph to explain the purpose of his essay:
'This essay will outline ...'
The present tense is used correctly to talk about the present: 'Firstly, all the criminals
deserve to be punished.'
The tenses in the first type conditional sentences are correct: 'If they are punished
appropriately at this early stage, there is ...'
The tenses in the second type conditional sentence have been used accurately: 'If all
criminals was punished equally, our society would be a safer place to live.'

2 Agreement:

"Pierre's essay does not show an accurate use of agreement. "

There are three instances of incorrect use of Subject-verb agreement:

 'If all criminals was punished equally, ...' The correct verb form should be wereas
'criminals' is a plural word.
'There have been significant increase ...' The correct verb form should be hasas there
has been only one increase.
'Crime is unacceptable and require strong punishment regardless of age.' The correct
verb form should be requires as 'crime' is a singular word.

There is one instance of incorrect use of Modifier/quantifier-noun agreement:

'Yet, if during this years, ...' The word 'years' (a plural word) has to agree with the
modifier. Therefore, it should be these years (both plural forms are used).

3 Articles:

"Some articles have not been used appropriately."

Pierre should not have used an article in the topic sentence of the second paragraph
because he is talking about 'criminals' in a general way. The correct sentence should be
'Firstly, all criminals deserve to be punished.'
The sentence 'Unfortunately, there have been significant increase in the ...' needs the
indefinite article 'a' before the noun phrase 'significant increase' as 'increase' is a singular
noun.
Also, the sentence 'If they are punished appropriately at this early stage, there is better
chance they ...' should have the indefinite article 'a' before the noun phrase 'better
chance' ('chance' is a singular noun).

4 Punctuation:

"Problems with punctuation are present in this essay: some capital letters and commas need to
be added."

Capital letters

The personal pronoun 'I' is always capitalised, thus '... i believe...'

should become 'I believe'.
At the beginning of a sentence, the first letter needs to be
capitalised. In the second paragraph, the sentence 'we cannot make
allowances ...' should start with a capital letter (We). Likewise, the
topic sentence of the fourth paragraph should also be capitalised
(Lastly).

Commas

Signposts are generally followed by a comma. In this essay, 'firstly',

'lastly' and 'in conclusion' should be followed by a comma.

5 Complex sentences:
"Most complex sentences have been used accurately. Some of them have problems with subject-
verb agreement or missing articles, but in general, these sentences have been used correctly."

For example, the correct relative pronoun has been used in the third paragraph: '... a
person who breaks the law ...'. In this sentence,'who' refers to the noun 'person'. Pierre has
made the correct choice.

6 Modals:

"This essay shows an accurate use of modal verbs."

Summary
This brings us to the end of the Step 10 Writing Task 2.

In Step 10, you have learnt how to:

understand how the examiner assesses your essay

examine and analyse extracts from essays using IELTS Writing Task 2 assessment
criteria.

Well done! You have completed all the steps (1-10) of the course materials for Writing Task 2. If
you have not completed the Language Focus for Writing Task 2, you may want to do this now
by clicking on one of the sections below:

Improving your range - Grammar and Vocabulary

Improving your accuracy - Grammar and Vocabulary
Using an academic style
Writing coherently and cohesively
Expressing your ideas effectively

If you have completed the Language Focus, you can click here to view the Question Bank or
you can use the skills and strategies you have learnt to do four practice Writing Task 2 tests.