IELTS Writing Task 2 1/5

IELTS Task 2

1/5 General information and introduction

Task 2

In IELTS Writing Task 2, you have to write an opinion essay on a topic of general interest, the tasks may very in type.

The five most common IELTS Writing Task 2 questions are:

• Opinion (Agree or Disagree)

• Advantages and Disadvantages

• Problem and Solution

• Discussion (Discuss both views)

• Two-part Question (In education and employment, some people work harder than others. Why do some people work harder? Is it always a good thing to work hard?)

What we should remember about task 2.

• numer of words = 250 words or more?

• assessment criteria

• language, style

• cliches, sayings

• points

• 40 minutes

https://takeielts.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/ielts_task_2_writing_band_descriptors.pdf

Before you start writing

• Understand your topic

• Plan your paragraphs

Structure: agree / disagree essay

• Introduction

• Body para 1

• Body para 2

• (Body para 3)

• Conclusion

First paragraph (usually three sentences = 50 words)

• General statement

• Question the statement - introduce a problem

• Give your opinion

General statement

The very first sentence of any Task 2 Essay, should be a general statement that provides an overview of the topic. This is essential because it tells the reader, what the essay is about and tells the examiner that you have understood the question topic.

https://ieltswizard.com/task-2-essay-general-statements/

examples of general statements: 

- The role of school education is a much-discussed topic these days.

- The question of whether high-school children should have to do unpaid work in school has been the cause of much debate recently.

- The issue of how children get to school has become a subject of much discussion recently.

- The increasing amount of violence that is shown regularly in films has been a cause of concern for some time.

-The popularity of online shopping continues to increase at an alarming rate.

Example task

Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programmers (for example working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children).To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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

Write at least 250 words.

Example introduction

1. Community service is generally seen as worthwhile.

2. However, whether such service should consume high school curriculum time may be more controversial.

3. In my opinion, schools should foster not only academic skills but also those which prepare students to live as decent citizens in society, and therefore I will argue that there is a place for such activities.

1. The role of school education is a much-discussed topic these days.

2. Some people believe that schools should focus on traditional subjects such as Maths and English, while others see the school as

providing a more holistic education.

3. In this essay I will argue that children need to learn how society

works and the responsibilities of its citizens, and that by participating in community service schemes,

important lessons can be learned.

Write your introduction

‘It is cruel to keep animals in zoos’

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

- General statement

- Question the statement - introduce a problem

- Give your opinion

Task

There is a good deal of evidence that increasing car use is contributing to global warming and having other undesirable effects on people’s health and well-being.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Rising global temperatures and human health and fitness issues are often viewed as being caused by the expanding use of automobiles.

This essay agrees that increasing use of motor vehicles is contributing to rising global temperatures and certain health issues. Firstly, this essay will discuss the production of greenhouse gases by vehicles and secondly, it will discuss other toxic chemicals released by internal combustion engines.