IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

The five most common IELTS Writing Task 2

questions are:

1. Opinion (Agree or Disagree)

2. Advantages and Disadvantages

3. Problem and Solution

4. Discussion (Discuss both views)

 5. Two-part Question

Opinion Questions (Agree or

Disagree) 100
Typical Question Words–

What is your opinion?

Do you agree or disagree?

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Direct question.

Example Question–

Some people believe that unpaid community service

should be compulsory in high school programmes
(for example, working for a charity, improving the
neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger
children).

Do you agree or disagree?

Essay Structure
Introduction

1- Paraphrase Question

2- Give your opinion and outline the main ideas.

Main Body Paragraph 1

1- Topic Sentence

2- Explain Topic Sentence

3- Example

Main Body Paragraph 2

1- Topic Sentence

2- Explain Topic Sentence

3- Example

Conclusion

1- Summary of main points and opinion

Student Sample Answer

Some people believe that unpaid community service
should be compulsory in high school programmes
(for example, working for a charity, improving the
neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger
children).

Introduction:

It is argued that volunteering should be made part of

the school curriculum. This essay agrees with that
suggestion completely because it help pupils
develop soft skills and helps them gain much-needed
work experience.
Education should not be limited to strictly academic
pursuits, and those in education should also develop
life skills, such as teamwork, empathy and self-
discipline, and one of the best ways to hone these
aptitudes is through community service. Serving
those less fortunate than ourselves teaches us many
lessons, including how to work with people from
other backgrounds and the value of hard work, thus
enabling us to hone these skills before becoming an
adult. For example, many young people from
wealthier countries take a gap year and help those
less fortunate than themselves to increase their
gratitude for what they have and improve their work
ethic.

Many colleges and companies are also increasingly

looking for this type of experience. Most school
leavers have the same grades, and charitable work
can help set you apart from other students when
making college applications. For example,
Cambridge and Oxford receive thousands of
applications from straight-A students yearly and can
only accept a small percentage of applicants. What
you have done outside the classroom often
differentiates you from everyone else and gets you
that coveted spot.

In conclusion, teenagers should be made to partake

in unpaid work as part of their schooling because it
will help them learn things they wouldn’t ordinarily
learn from their teachers, and it will also boost their
chances of getting into third-level education.
For more detail on how to answer agree or disagree
questions, please visit our opinion essay lesson.

Need help writing essays like this? Check out

our ESSAY CORRECTION SERVICE.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Questions

Typical Question Words

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Example Question

Technology is being used more and more in

education.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

Essay Structure
Introduction

1- Paraphrase Question

2- Outline Main Points

Main Body Paragraph 1

1- State Two Advantages

2- Expand/Explain First Advantage

3- Expand/Explain Second Advantage

3- Example

To conclude e

Main Body Paragraph 2

1- State Two Disadvantages

2- Expand/Explain First Disadvantage

3- Expand/Explain Second Disadvantage

3- Example

Conclusion

1- Summary of Main Points

Student Sample Answer

Technology is being used more and more in
education.

It is argued that technology plays an ever-increasing

role in schools and universities. Increased access to
information and student freedom are the main
advantages, whereas dependency on technology and
decreasing levels of face-to-face contact are the
main disadvantages.

Access to more information and student autonomy

are the principal advantages of increasing the use of
electronic devices in education. With the internet,
students can access all the information available
about any topic, regardless of what books and other
resources are available in the school. Furthermore,
students can focus on whatever topic or subject
they want and study it in depth. A prime example of
this is the number of online university courses
available to students, covering a myriad of subjects
that, up until recently, were unavailable to most
learners. This has resulted in more people studying
third-level degrees than ever before at a pace and
schedule that suits them.

The main disadvantages associated with the

increasing use of technology in education are the
dependency on this technology and the decrease in
face-to-face interaction between students. With
many students now using the internet as their
primary source of information, they often struggle to
use other academic resources to find what they’re
looking for. As well as this, students spend more
time looking at computer screens by themselves
than interacting with each other, which is thought to
lead to lower levels of emotional intelligence. For
instance, the recent explosion in smartphone use
has been at the expense of genuine human
interaction. This results in soft skills, such as verbal
communication and empathy, being affected.

In conclusion, the benefits technology brings to

education, such as unrestricted access to
information and student autonomy, must be weighed
against the drawbacks, such as dependency on this
technology and the negative effects on human
interaction.

For more detail on how to answer advantage and

disadvantage questions, please visit our advantage
and disadvantage lesson.

Discuss Both Views Question

(Discussion Essay)

Typical Question Words

Discuss both points of view and give your opinion.

Example Question

Technology is being used more and more in

education. Some people say that this is a positive
trend, while others argue that it is leading to
negative consequences.

Discuss both sides of this argument and then give

your own opinion.

Essay Structure
Introduction

1- Paraphrase Question and/or state both viewpoints.

2- Thesis Statement

3- Outline Sentence
Main Body Paragraph 1

1- State first viewpoint

2- Discuss first viewpoint

3- Reason why you agree or disagree with viewpoint

4- Example to support your view

Main Body Paragraph 2

1- State second viewpoint

2- Discuss second viewpoint

3- Reason why you agree or disagree with viewpoint

4- Example to support your view

Conclusion

Sentence 1- Summary

Sentence 2- State which one is better or more

important

Student Sample Answer

There is an ever-increasing use of technology, such
as tablets and laptops, in the classroom. It is often
argued that this is a positive development, whilst
others disagree and think it will lead to adverse
ramifications. This essay agrees that an increase in
technology is beneficial to students and teachers.
The Internet has provided students with access to
more information than ever before. This has allowed
learners to research and learn about any subject at
the touch of a button. It is therefore agreed that
technology is a very worthwhile tool for education.
Wikipedia is a prime example, where students can
type in any keyword and gain access to in-depth
knowledge quickly and easily.

However, many disagree and feel that technology

deprives people of real human interaction. Human
interaction teaches people valuable skills such as
discourse, debate and empathy. Without these soft
skills, many people find it difficult to become
successful in work and their personal lives. Despite
this, human interaction is still possible through the
internet, and this essay disagrees that technology
should be dismissed for this reason. For instance,
Skype and Facebook allow people to interact in
ways that were never before possible.

While the benefits of technology, particularly the

internet, allow students to tap into limitless sources
of information, some still feel that people should be
wary of this new phenomenon and not allow it to
curb face-to-face interaction. However, as long as
we carefully consider the importance of human
interaction in education, the educational benefits
are clearly positive.

For more detail on how to answer

discussion questions please visit our discussion
essay lesson.
Problem and Solution Questions

Typical Question Words

Problem and solution.

Cause and solution.

Example Question

Students are becoming more and more reliant on

technology.

What are some of the problems associated with

reliance on computers, and what are some of the
possible solutions?

Essay Structure
Introduction

1- Paraphrase Question

2- Outline Sentence

Main Body Paragraph 1

1- State Problems

2- Explain First Problem

3- Explain Second Problem

4- Example of Second Problem

Main Body Paragraph 2

1- State Solutions

2- Explain First Solution

3- Explain Second Solution

4- Example of Second Solution

Conclusion

1- Summary

Student Sample Answer

Learners are becoming increasingly dependent on
technology, such as the Internet and mobile devices.
This essay believes the main problems associated
with dependence on computers are the lack of
original thought and copying original work from
others and suggests critical thinking classes and
writing analysis software as the most viable
solutions.

The principal problems with over-reliance on

technology are people being unable to think for
themselves and plagiarism. With access to so much
information, students often rely on other people’s
opinions instead of forming their own. As well as
this, they often use search engines to answer a
question and copy the text from a website rather
than thinking about the question. This practice is
prohibited in schools and universities and stunts
students’ intellectual development because they will
never truly think for themselves, which is what
university is supposed to be for. For example, many
teachers complain that students copy web pages
straight from Wikipedia word for word rather than
giving a reasoned answer to their questions.

Solutions to these worrying problems are special

classes to focus on critical thinking and teachers
using anti-plagiarism software to detect copying. If
teachers create situations where students have to
infer meaning and express opinions based on a small
amount of information, this will ensure that students
have an opportunity to develop these skills. Also, if
students know that their assignments are being
checked for plagiarism, this will be enough to deter
them from doing so. For instance, many universities
already use this kind of software to scan coursework
for plagiarism, and it could be extended to include
all homework by learners in both secondary and
tertiary education.

In conclusion, the main problems with the overuse of

technology in education are the lack of original
thought and plagiarism. These can be solved through
special classes that teach students analytical skills
and plagiarism detection software.

For more detail on how to answer problem and

solution questions please visit our problem and
solution lesson.

Two-Part Questions

Typical Question Words

There will normally be a statement, and they will
then ask you to answer separate questions.

Example Question

As most people spend a major part of their adult life

at work, job satisfaction is an important element of
individual wellbeing.

What factor contributes to job satisfaction?

How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction

for all workers?

Essay Structure
Introduction

1- Paraphrase Question

2- Outline Sentence (mention both questions)

Main Body Paragraph 1

1- Answer first question directly

2- Explain why

3- Further explain

4- Example

Main Body Paragraph 2

1- Answer second question directly

2- Explain why

3- Further explain

4- Example

Conclusion

1- Summary

Student Sample Answer

As most adults spend most of their time at work,
being content with your career is a crucial part of a
person’s health and happiness. This essay will first
suggest fair pay as a key element leading to job
satisfaction, and it will then state that it is not very
likely that everyone can be happy with their job.

The most important thing that satisfies someone at

work is being compensated fairly. If those more
senior than you respect you as a person and the job
you are doing, then you feel like you are valued. A
fair salary and benefits are important marks of
respect, and if you feel you are being underpaid, you
will either resent your bosses or look for another job.
These two factors came top of a recent job
satisfaction survey conducted by Monster.com,
which found that 72% of people were pleased with
their current role if their superiors regularly told
them they were appreciated.

With regard to the question of happiness for all

workers, I think this is and always will be highly
unlikely. The vast majority of people fail to reach
their goals and end up working in a post they don’t
really care about in return for a salary. This money is
just enough to pay their living expenses which often
means they are trapped in a cycle of
disenchantment. For example, The Times recently
reported that 89% of office workers would leave
their jobs if they did not need the money.

In conclusion, being satisfied with your trade or

profession is an important part of one’s well-being,
and respect from one’s colleagues and fair pay can
improve your level of happiness; however, job
satisfaction for all workers is an unrealistic
prospect.