IELTS Writing Task 2

Essay Structures
The four most common IELTS writing Task 2
questions are: Opinion, Advantages and
Disadvantages, Problem and Solution Discussion

Home » IELTS Blog » IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Structures

IELTS Task 2 Essay

Structures
Knowing how to structure your IELTS Writing
Task 2 essay is an essential skill that can
make the difference between getting and not
getting the band score you deserve. With
that in mind, we have outlined the most
common IELTS Writing Task 2 structures
below.

Nearly all of my Task 2 essays follow this

basic structure:

The sentences you put in each paragraph will

depend on what type of question you get.

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

Below I will outline examples and a structure

approved by experienced IELTS teachers and
examiners for each type of question. This will
help you write a clear, coherent answer and
hopefully boost your IELTS band score. I also
include an example answer for each type of
question so you can see the structure in a
real essay.

Please note that these are general

structures and may vary slightly
depending on the question.

Please also note that no ‘one’ Task 2 essay

structure will get you a high score. There are
many types of structures that can get you
a high score. These are just some I think are
effective and easy to learn.

Please visit the lessons below for more

detailed guidance on each type of
question. I have provided a link at the end
of each section.

Opinion Questions
(Agree or Disagree)
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

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

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

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