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Lesson notes for an IELTS Task 2 discussion essay

Task 2
You should spend 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:

Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the
number of sports facilities. Others, however, say this would have little effect on public
health and that other measures are required.
Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words. 

Ideas for essay

More sports facilities means:
● They will be cheaper (as there will be less competition)
● More people will use them

More sports facilities will have little effect because:

● There are already plenty of sports facilities
● They are already cheap
● The real problem is not the number of facilities; it is that people don’t have the
time, energy or motivation to use them
● Need to educate people on the value of exercise
 
Structure of a Task 2 discussion essay

Introduction

● Paraphrase the question

● Thesis statement (be very clear what your opinion is here)

First body paragraph

● Discuss the side of the argument you disagree with

Second body paragraph

● Discuss the side of the argument you agree with

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Conclusion

● Restate your opinion

Introduction
Paraphrase the question:

The declining level of health of the general population is of concern to many

people.

There are those who believe that​ the way to fix this problem is to open more
sports centres, ​whereas others claim that​ this would be ineffectual.

Thesis statement:
State your opinion clearly!
In my opinion, I believe that​ there are more than enough sports clubs; the
problem is that most people do not have the time or energy to take advantage
of them.

First body paragraph ​(parents should discipline instead of teachers)

Phrases to use to introduce the side you disagree with in a general way:
Some people have suggested that…
It is often claimed that…
Many/some people believe/feel/think that…
It has been claimed/suggested…
It is often discussed in the media how…

Topic sentence (introduce side you disagree with in a general way):

Some people have suggested that​ having more sporting facilities available to the
public would ameliorate people’s health.

Supporting evidence:
In their view,...
They believe/feel/argue/claim that…
The argument is that….

In their view​, if there were more facilities with a greater variety of options,
more people would access them allowing a greater proportion of the population
to lead active lives. The end result would be a fitter population with fewer
health problems.

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Second body paragraph ​(teachers should be able to discipline students)

Use a contrasting phrase to introduce the second body paragraph such as:
● On the other hand, others argue, and I agree that….
● However, others argue, and I agree that….
● Nevertheless, others argue, and I agree that….
● Nonetheless, others argue, and I agree that….

Topic sentence:
On the other hand, others argue, and I agree that​ the number of sports
facilities is not the problem.

Supporting evidence:
There are more than enough sporting complexes and options for everyone. The
main issue is that most people are overcommitted and overworked and just do
not have time or energy to go to a gym or sports club.

Suggest some other measures​:

What the general public really needs is education; education about the mental,
emotional and physical benefits of exercise. They also need to be taught about
how to simplify their lives so they have more time for exercise.

Conclusion
Restate opinion using the following sentence structure:

To conclude/In conclusion/To summarize/In summary, I believe that/ it is my belief

that…

To conclude​, I believe that increasing the number of sports facilities would not
improve people’s health as there are more than enough gyms around. Instead
teaching people about the myriad benefits of exercise and helping them to free
up time in their schedule would be a more effective solution to the current
public health crisis.

Sample Essay

Copyright 2018 Natasha Gwilliam All Rights Reserved.

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Task 2
Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the
number of sports facilities. Others, however, say this would have little effect on public
health and that other measures are required.

Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

The declining level of health of the general population is of concern to many

people. There are those who believe that the way to fix this problem is to open
more sports centres, whereas others claim that this would be ineffectual. In
my opinion, I believe that there are more than enough sports clubs; the problem
is that most people do not have the time or energy to take advantage of them..

Some people have suggested that having more sporting facilities available to the
public would ameliorate people’s health. In their view, if there were more
facilities with a greater variety of options, more people would access them
allowing a greater proportion of the population to lead active lives. The end
result would be a fitter population with fewer health problems.

On the other hand, others argue, and I agree, that the number of sports
facilities is not the problem. There are more than enough sporting complexes
and options for everyone. The main issue is that most people are
overcommitted and overworked and just do not have time or energy to go to a
gym or sports club. What the general public really needs is education; education
about the mental, emotional and physical benefits of exercise. They also need to
be taught about how to simplify their lives so they have more time for exercise.

To conclude, I believe that increasing the number of sports facilities would not
improve people’s health as there are more than enough gyms around. Instead
teaching people about the myriad benefits of exercise and helping them to free
up time in their schedule would be a more effective solution to the current
public health crisis.

(280 words)

Copyright 2018 Natasha Gwilliam All Rights Reserved.

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Your turn to practice!

You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In some countries, a few people earn extremely high salaries. Some people think
that this is good for a country, while others believe that the government should
control salaries and limit the amount people can earn.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Copyright 2018 Natasha Gwilliam All Rights Reserved.