IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Structures

Follow this basic structure

 INTRODUCTION
 MAIN BODY PARAGRAPH 1
 MAIN BODY PARAGRAPH 2
 CONCLUSION
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:

 Opinion (Agree or Disagree)

 Advantages and Disadvantages
 Problem and Solution
 Discussion (Discuss both views)
 Two-part Question

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?

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.

(Word Count: 258)

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
4- Example

Main Body Paragraph 2

1- State Two Disadvantages
2- Expand/Explain First Disadvantage
3- Expand/Explain Second Disadvantage
4- 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.

(Word count: 297)

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.

(Word count: 252)

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.

(Word count: 310)

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.

(Word count: 290)

NOTES:
Your score is dependent on how good your grammar and vocabulary are and how well you
answer the question.
A good structure will help you answer the question to some extent and boost your score for
coherence and cohesion, but you must use relevant ideas and use these ideas well to answer
the question.