how to write the essay in ielts

• IELTS Scores
• Life Skills Test
• Find a Test Centre
• Alternatives to IELTS
• General Training
• Academic Word List
• Topic Vocabulary
• Collocation
• Phrasal Verbs
• Writing eBooks
• Reading eBook
• All eBooks & Courses
• IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Essay

How to Write an IELTS Essay

In this introductory lesson you will find some guidance on how you should write an  IELTS essay .

There are then more lessons on the following pages for different types of essay and different questions, with lots of tips and strategies for achieving a high score. 

You can also watch a video of this lesson:

Essay Types

It is important to learn about IELTS essays because there are different essay types, and these will require different ways to answer them.

However, as you will see from the guidance on this page, they can all follow the same basic structure.

These are some of the types of IELTS essays you can get in the test: 

• Agree / disagree
• Discuss two opinions
• Advantages & disadvantages
• Causes (reasons) & solutions
• Causes (reasons) & effects
• Problems & solutions

Not every essay will fit one of these patterns, but many do.

You may get some of these tasks mixed up. For example, you could be asked to give your opinion on an issue, and then discuss the advantages or disadvantages of it.

The golden rule is to  ALWAYS read the question very carefully  to see exactly what you are being asked to do.

The second lesson explains more about analysing essay questions. 

How do I Write an IELTS Essay?

In order to answer this, lets first look at a sample question:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In the last 20 years there have been significant developments in the field of information technology (IT), for example the World Wide Web and communication by email. However, these developments in IT are likely to have more negative effects than positive in the future.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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

Write at least 250 words.

An IELTS essay is structured like any other essay; you just need to make it shorter. There are three key elements:

• Introduction
• Body Paragraphs

We will look at each of these in turn, using the essay question above as an example.

1) Introduction

You should keep your introduction for the IELTS essay short. Remember you only have 40 minutes to write the essay, and some of this time needs to be spent planning. Therefore, you need to be able to write your introduction fairly quickly so you can start writing your body paragraphs.

You should do just two things:

• State the topic of the essay, using some basic facts (that you may be able to take from the question)
• Say what you are going to write about

Here is an example introduction for the above essay question about IT:

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT, with many advances in this field. However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world, I strongly believe that these developments in IT will result in more negative impacts than positive.

As you can see, the first sentence makes sure it refers to the topic (IT) and uses facts about IT taken from the question. Note that these are paraphrased - you must not copy from the rubric!

The second part then clearly sets out the what the essay will be about and confirms the writers opinion (some questions may not ask for your opinion, but this one does). The writer clearly agrees as he/she thinks there will be more negative impacts.

View this lesson for more advice on writing IELTS essay introductions.

2) Body Paragraphs

For an IELTS essay, you should have 2 or 3 body paragraphs - no more, and no less.

For your body paragraph, each paragraph should contain one controlling idea, and have sentences to support this.

Lets look at the first paragraph for the essay about IT. The essay is about the benefits and drawbacks of IT, so these will need to be discussed in separate paragraphs.

Here is the first body paragraph:

On the positive side, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster. This has resulted in numerous benefits for commerce and business as there is no need to wait weeks for letters or take time sending faxes, which was the case in the past. Furthermore, the World Wide Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us. For example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and much more via the internet.  These developments have made life far easier and more convenient for many.

The controlling idea in this first paragraph is the 'benefits of IT', and there are two supporting ideas, which are underlined. No drawbacks are discussed as the paragraph would then lose coherence.

Most of the essay will focus on the negative aspects of IT, as the writer says there are more negative effects in the introduction. So the next two paragraphs are about these.

The topic sentence in the next paragraph therefore tells us we are changing the focus to the negative points:

Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation. This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-to-day basis.

The final body paragraph gives the last negative effect:

In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate and control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites and the spread of computer viruses. Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up.

3) Conclusion

The conclusion only needs to be one or two sentences, and you can do the following:

• Re-state what the essay is about (re-write the last sentence of your introduction in different words)
• Give some thoughts about the future

Here is an example:

In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe that these are outweighed by the drawbacks. In the future these will need to be addressed if we are to avoid damaging impacts on individuals and society.

The Full IELTS Essay

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT, with many advances in this field. However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world, I strongly believe that these developments in IT will result in more negative impacts than positive.

Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation. This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-to-day basis.

(290 Words)

The IELTS essay introduction talks in general about the increasing use of IT, thus introducing the topic well. The thesis then clearly sets out the writers opinion.

The following paragraph mentions the present benefits of these developments, but the opening sentence in the third paragraph is a qualifying statement (Nevertheless, not all the effects... ), so the writer can now focus on the negative elements.

The fourth paragraph provides two other negative examples (lack of regulation, viruses). Both paragraphs suggest that these problems will continue in the future.

The essay concludes with a clear opinion that agrees with the statement.

Overall, it is a well-balanced text that mentions the present situation ( ...this has made life.. .) but importantly, also refers to the future of IT (. ..likely to increase..., might get worse. ..).

Now you know the basics of writing an IELTS Essay, you can go on and look at further sample essays or if you prefer, check out the next lessons for Writing Task 2.

More Task 2 IELTS Lessons:

How to use brainstorming and planning to generate essay ideas.

Brainstorming and planning is a key step in developing your IELTS essay. This lesson has tips on how to coming up with ideas and organising them.

IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Tips and Strategies

An advantage disadvantage essay is one type of essay that you may get in the test. This lesson shows how to write a pros cons essay.

Requirements for IELTS Band 7 in Writing

Getting to an IELTS Band 7 is a struggle for many candidates. This lesson explains exactly what you have to do to reach this band score.

Tips on How to Score IELTS Band 8 in Writing and Speaking

To score IELTS Band 8 you need to understand exactly what is in the IELTS Band Descriptors for an 8 for writing and speaking first.

IELTS Task Response - 25% of your essay grade

The IELTS Task Response criteria in the scoring makes up 25% of your band score for your essay.

Writing an IELTS Essay Conclusion

The IELTS essay conclusion is the final part of your IELTS essay. This lesson guides you on how to write a conclusion quickly but effectively.

Using Substitution in IELTS to Improve Writing Coherency

You can use substitution in your IELTS essays in order to improve coherency and coherence.

IELTS Music Essay: Understanding a Complex Question

An IELTS essay about music is used to show you how to answer a more complex IELTS essay question that does not have a clear 'task' given to you.

How to Identify the Topic of an IELTS Essay Question

In IELTS you must identify the topic of your essay as this is a key to making sure your essay is on topic.

Can you use Personal Pronouns in Essays for IELTS?

Learn how to use personal pronouns in essays for IELTS correctly. Can you use "I", "we" and "you"?

How to Identify the Task in an IELTS Essay

Learn how to identify the task in an IELTS task 2 essay question. This is one of the most important steps in responding to an essay question.

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2 can be difficult but complex ideas are not expected.

Writing an IELTS Essay Introduction

Tips on how to write an introduction for an IELTS essay introduction in a quick and easy way.

Thesis Statement Tips for IELTS Essays

Your thesis statement in an IELTS essay should be written quickly and concisely. Use these tips to do that.

The 3 Types of IELTS Opinion Essays in IELTS

IELTS opinion essays in IELTS can be placed into three types. This lesson explains the different types and how to analyse these essay questions.

Improving Writing Coherence for IELTS essays

25% of the writing grade is on how you organise your essay so this lesson shows you how to improve your writing coherence.

IELTS Problem Solution Essay Strategies and Tips

In IELTS problem solution essays you have to discuss a particular issue and present ideas to solve that problem.

Using Pronouns to Improve IELTS Essay Coherency

Find out how to use pronouns to improve your coherency for IELTS task 2 essays.

Paragraph Writing for IELTS: Building strong arguments

This paragraph writing lesson provides tips on constructing the best paragraphs for your IELTS essay.

Transitional Phrases for Essays

Learn transitional phrases for essays to get a band 7 or higher in your IELTS writing for coherence and cohesion.

Any comments or questions about this page or about IELTS? Post them here. Your email will not be published or shared.

Before you go...

Check out the ielts buddy band 7+ ebooks & courses.

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

• Click on the HTML link code below.
• Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Band 7+ eBooks

"I think these eBooks are FANTASTIC!!! I know that's not academic language, but it's the truth!"

Linda, from Italy, Scored Band 7.5

IELTS Modules:

Other resources:.

• All Lessons
• Band Score Calculator
• Writing Feedback
• Speaking Feedback
• Teacher Resources
• Free Downloads
• Recent Essay Exam Questions
• Books for IELTS Prep
• Useful Links

Recent Articles

Useful Language for IELTS Graphs

May 16, 24 04:44 AM

Taking a Gap Year

May 14, 24 03:00 PM

IELTS Essay: Loving Wildlife and Nature

May 10, 24 02:36 AM

Important pages

IELTS Writing IELTS Speaking IELTS Listening   IELTS Reading All Lessons Vocabulary Academic Task 1 Academic Task 2 Practice Tests

Connect with us

Copyright © 2022- IELTSbuddy All Rights Reserved

IELTS is a registered trademark of University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

• Skip to primary navigation
• Skip to main content
• Skip to primary sidebar
• Skip to footer

IELTS Advantage

IELTS Preparation Courses

IELTS Writing Task 2: ✍️ Everything You Need to Know

When helping students prepare for the IELTS test, one of the biggest fears is how to do well in IELTS Writing Task 2. 

IELTS Writing Task 2 is the second part of the writing test, where you are presented with a point of view, argument or problem and asked to write an essay in response. Your essay should be in a formal style, at least 250 words in length and you should aim to complete it in under 40 minutes. 

IELTS Writing Task 2: Everything You Need to Know

In this video, I’ll outline exactly what you must do to create an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay that could score a Band 7, 8 or 9.

It doesn’t matter if you’re new to IELTS or if you’ve failed the exam before – I’ve broken everything down into a simple 3-step process that anyone can use to improve their scores! Watch the video above to find out what they are.

5 Steps to a Band 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

1. Understand the question.

You must understand the question before you attempt to answer it. This way, you’ll know exactly what the examiner is looking for. One of the biggest mistakes students make is not answering the question fully, which stops them from getting a score higher than a Band 5.

To analyse the question , you must first identify the question type, then identify the keywords in the question and finally identify the instructions words. This will help you understand exactly what the examiner wants you to do with the question.

2. Plan your answer.

The students who get the highest marks in Writing Task 2 always plan their answers for up to 10 minutes. Planning helps you organise your ideas and structure your essay before you write it, saving you time and helping you produce a clear and coherent essay.

3. Write an introduction.

The introduction should answer the question directly. This tells the examiner that you know what you are doing straight away and helps you write your main body paragraphs.

4. Write the main body paragraphs.

This is where you give the examiner more detail . You do this by stating your main points and supporting these with explanations and relevant examples.

5. Write a conclusion.

In your conclusion , you should provide a summary of what you already said in the rest of your essay.

4 Ways to Improve your Score in IELTS Writing Task 2

Many people know they need to improve their writing skills but don’t know how to do it. Here are 4 ways you can boost your score in Writing Task 2:

1. Understand the exam.

You must first understand what IELTS Writing Task 2 is, what you are expected to do and how to give the examiners what they want. This is the first stage and one that is often overlooked.

There are many online resources, often with conflicting and poor-quality information, so finding a reliable source of information is key.

2. Identify your weak areas.

If your car breaks down, you would try and identify which part caused the problem. If you get sick, your doctor will run tests to determine the exact cause of your symptoms.

IELTS Writing Task 2 is the same. We must first identify WHY you are not getting the score you need before we can help you improve.

However, be very careful! You wouldn’t ask the average man on the street for medical advice, so make sure you find someone who knows what they are doing and has the expertise to help you with this.

3. Fix the problems.

Now that we know what the problems are, we must fix them.

If your grammar needs work, fix those issues. If your vocabulary is lacking, work on fixing this issue.

Just as a good doctor can help you fix a medical problem, a good IELTS teacher can help you fix your specific issues.

4. Practice and get feedback.

Practice alone will not help you. It is an essential part of your preparation, but you must also get feedback on your work if you are really going to improve.

You wouldn’t try to teach yourself how to drive without an instructor, would you?

Find someone who will give you accurate and helpful feedback on your work. Otherwise, you will not be able to move to the last stage.

Now that you have understood what you need to do, identified the exact areas you need to work on, improved those areas, and received feedback on your work, you are now ready to get the IELTS Writing Task 2 score you deserve.

Writing Task 2 Structures 

I want to warn you about structures because they are not a magic wand that will help you automatically get a higher score. They WILL help you, but please realise that they are just a small part of your overall score.

These structures provide a sentence-by-sentence template for all the main Task 2 question types, making your job much easier on exam day.

• Task 2 Essay Structures

Essential Writing Task 2 Skills 

No matter how good your English is, you must still learn IELTS writing skills before taking the Writing Task 2 test. These helpful guides will take you through each of these skills step-by-step:

• How to Plan an Essay

Making a good plan actually saves you time when you write your essay. This guide will show you how to plan and write a clear essay every time.

• How to Think of Relevant Ideas

This guide provides 5 different methods to help you quickly think of relevant ideas that are directly linked to the question.

• How to Write a Complex Sentence

Complex sentences help you boost your score for grammar. They are actually very simple to write and are not complex at all.

• How to Paraphrase

Paraphrasing is one of the essential IELTS skills for all parts of the IELTS test. You should paraphrase the question in the very first sentence of your essay to help boost your vocabulary score in Writing Task 2.

• How to Write a Supporting Paragraph

Supporting paragraphs are the main body paragraphs and are the meat in the sandwich. This is where you provide the detail the examiner is looking for in the form of explanations and examples.

• How to Write a Thesis Statement

A thesis statement tells the examiner your opinion. Many IELTS Writing Task 2 questions specifically ask for your opinion, and if you don’t write it clearly, you have not answered the question properly. This article shows you how, where and when to give your opinion.

How many words should I write?

Around 250 words? Exactly 250 words or over 250 words? How many words over? How do I know how many words I have? Will I lose marks if I write too many words? This article answers all those questions.

• How to Understand and Analyse Any Question

A critical part of answering any question. This article shows you how to break down any Task 2 question and identify the keywords, micro-keywords and instruction words to help you answer the question effectively.

• How to Write a Great Introduction

The introduction is the first thing the examiner reads; therefore, we must give them a good first impression. I share a very specific sentence-by-sentence structure in this article to help you write introductions quickly and effectively.

• Task 2 Marking Criteria 

Do you know how Task 2 is marked? What is the difference between a Band 5 and a Band 8 answer? This article breaks down the marking criteria and explains it in simple language so you can give the IELTS examiners exactly what they want.

• How to Write a Conclusion

A good conclusion should be a summary of your main points. The conclusion is the last thing the examiner reads, and if you can write a good one, you will leave them with a very good impression.

• Using Examples

Each of your supporting paragraphs should have a specific example that supports and illustrates your main point. This is an essential skill to learn if you want to get one of the higher band scores.

• Cohesive Devices

Cohesive devices (sometimes called linking words) are one of the most misunderstood and misused elements of writing. Therefore, you must learn how to use them and when to use them.

• The Danger of Synonyms

While synonyms are very important, they can also really reduce your mark if used incorrectly.

• Paragraphing and Editing

This article will show you how to make your writing as clear and as easy to read as possible. It will also advise you on whether to use a pen or pencil.

• IELTS Writing Task 2: 8 Steps to Success

Read this blog now to access our 61-page Task 2 strategy.

• IELTS Writing Tips

I have compiled these tips after years of teaching IELTS, and all of them have been approved by IELTS examiners.

• Coherence and Cohesion

This is a video lesson that shows you in practical terms how to improve your coherence and cohesion score.

Writing Task 2 Common Topics 

Knowing the common topics can help you prepare for the test more efficiently. Here are the 10 most common topics over the last few years. Studying hard is great, but don’t forget to study smart.

The article below will show you the top 10 most common IELTS topics.

• Most Common Task 2 Topics 

Full IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice Lessons 

Here are some lessons that I have used when teaching students about IELTS Writing Task 2. I have changed them so that you can easily learn from home. They are very long but contain all the necessary information combined with the skills above.

• Agree or Disagree (Opinion) Lesson

In this lesson, we look at how to tackle an ‘agree or disagree’ question. Many people worry about whether to take one side of the other or discuss both sides. Additionally, people also worry about how to deal with ‘To what extent’ question types. We allay all of these fears in this lesson.

• Discussion Essay Lesson

‘Discuss both views’ questions often confuse people because you are asked to do many things in one essay. As such, it is very important to remember that the question asks you to discuss BOTH views AND give YOUR opinion.

• Problem and Solution Essay Lesson

These questions are much easier than you think. You probably discuss problems and solutions in your day-to-day life all the time. Keep it simple.

• Advantages and Disadvantages Lesson 

There are a couple of different types of advantages and disadvantages questions. This lesson will show you how to answer them.

• Writing Task 2 Exercise with Video

Writing is a skill, and just like any other skill, it is important to practice to improve.

• From Band 6.5 to 8 Demo Lesson

This is my most comprehensive free lesson on IELTS Writing Task 2. We show you how we took one VIP student from Band 6.5 to an amazing 8.

Sample Answers

You must have some good examples to compare your writing and see if you are on the right track. Click the link below for lots of sample answers and over 100 questions.

Task 2 Sample Answers

• Agree or Disagree Sample Essays
• Task 2 Band 9 Sample Essay
• Latest Real Task 2 Questions
• Official Sample Test Questions
• Cambridge Sample Questions
• Free Practice Test
• How To Use Task 2 Samples
• Recent Confusing Questions
• IELTS Writing Practice Guide

IELTS Writing Task 2 Essential Information

• You must write an essay in response to a question.
• You must write 250 words or more.
• Task 2 is worth 2/3 of your total mark on the Writing test.
• You should spend around 40 minutes on this part of the test.
• General Training and Academic are essentially the same for Task 2. However, they are different for Task 1.
• There are certain types of questions that you will be asked, for example, opinion, discussion etc. See below for more detail on these.
• Task Achievement (25%)
• Coherence and Cohesion (25%)
• Lexical Resource (25%)
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)

Grammar and Vocabulary

Grammar is one of the four things you will be marked on in the Writing Task 2 test. Finding out what your common grammar mistakes are and then fixing them is a very powerful way to boost your score in this area. Here are some common grammar mistakes I have found after making hundreds of tests.

• Top 10 Grammar Mistakes

For most IELTS students, the problem is not grammar in general. In fact, it is usually just 1-2 problem areas. Therefore, when you fix these main weaknesses, you’ll be able to improve your grammar and your writing score dramatically.

• Using Personal Pronouns

Hint- They aren’t as big of a deal as you think.

See the interactive tool below for the answers to the most commonly asked questions we receive about IELTS Writing Task 2: 

IELTS Writing Task 2 FAQs

How can i improve my writing.

You will find all the resources you need on our Writing Task 2 page. Click the link below:

Writing Task 2

We also have two Task 2 courses for those that need to improve their Task 2 skills and strategy. They are both based online and completely free of charge. Learn more about them below:

Task 2 5 Day Challenge

Task 2 Essay Builder

If you need serious help or personalised feedback, you should check out our VIP Course. There is a waiting list, but you can add your name here:

How can I get a Band 7, 8 or 9?

The answer to this question is different for every individual IELTS student, as it depends on a number of factors, including your work ethic, English skills and exam strategy. You'll find a guide to answering this question in this article

If you need serious help with improving your IELTS scores, you should check out our online writing course. There is a waiting list, but you can add your name by clicking the link below:

Can you correct my writing?

Please click the link below and it will give you all the information you need about our writing correction service:

Writing Correction Service

Do you have any sample answers?

Yes, you will find them at the link below:

Will using 'high level' or 'academic' words help me improve my score?

Probably not.

Read my recent article about IELTS vocabulary here:

5 Things You Need to Know about IELTS Vocabulary

Can I use idioms?

No, you should not write idioms for Task 2.

Can I use personal pronouns?

You should avoid using personal pronouns, but it is fine to use them when giving your personal opinion.

Do you write a conclusion for Task 2?

Yes, it is very difficult to get a good score in Task 2 if you haven't finished your essay with a conclusion. You will find an in-depth lesson on conclusions here:

How to Write an Effective Task 2 Conclusion

How many paragraphs should I write?

Most IELTS task 2 essays follow the same basic four paragraph structure:

• Introduction
• Supporting Paragraph 1
• Supporting Paragraph 2

However, you can find more comprehensive help with structuring your Task 2 essays here:

5 Day Challenge

Do I need to plan my essay?

I would highly recommend planning your essay. A good plan acts like a map that guides you through the essay, ensuring that you give the examiner exactly what they need to award you the score you need. You can find help with planning your essays here: How to Plan an IELTS Essay

You must write at least 250 words in Writing Task 2.

I would suggest that you aim to write around 270-280 words in total. Aiming for 20-30 words more than the required amount makes you more likely to reach the word limit without setting an unrealistic goal.

Will I lose marks if I don't write enough words?

Yes, if you don't write the required number of words, you will lose marks in 'Task Achievement' for not answering the question fully. Read more here .

Can I use contractions?

No, should not use contractions when you are writing an academic essay.

Press ESC to close

Writing High-Scoring IELTS Essays: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing great IELTS essays is essential for success. This guide will give you the tools to craft high-scoring essays. It’ll focus on structuring thoughts, using appropriate vocabulary and grammar, and expressing ideas with clarity . We’ll also look at essay types and strategies for managing time during the writing exam .

Practice is key . Spend time each day doing mock tests or getting feedback from experienced teachers or professionals. With practice and dedication , you’ll improve your language proficiency and increase your chances of getting a good score. Good luck!

Understanding the IELTS Essay Task

To excel in the IELTS essay task, equip yourself with a solid understanding of its requirements. Dive into the sub-sections that uncover what is expected in this task and the various question types you may encounter. Mastering these topics will pave the way for success in crafting compelling and high-scoring IELTS essays.

What is expected in the IELTS essay task

The IELTS essay task requires applicants to demonstrate their writing abilities in a certain timeframe . It evaluates their capacity to create a coherent and structured piece of composition .

A clear thesis is a must. It should be succinct, conveying the primary thought of the essay . Also, there should be a logical structure including an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. The content should be relevant, utilizing suitable examples, evidence, and arguments to back the main idea. Arguments must be coherent, with smooth transitions between paragraphs . Plus, formal language, correct grammar, and accurate syntax must be used.

Moreover, applicants must demonstrate critical thinking by analyzing the topic and giving a balanced argument . Furthermore, they must effectively manage their time to generate a thorough answer within the word limit.

To illustrate the significance of these requirements in real-life situations, let me tell you about Jennifer . She was an aspiring nurse from Brazil taking the IELTS test . At first, she found it hard to handle the essay task. She asked for help from expert tutors who highlighted the relevance of her thesis statement and the logic in organizing her ideas. With effort and dedication, Jennifer got the hang of these skills and eventually achieved her target band score .

The types of questions asked in the IELTS essay task

The IELTS essay task covers multiple types of questions. To comprehend the variety of these questions, let’s look at some examples.

To do well, you need to prepare and practice for each type. Develop strong analytical skills to effectively answer the prompts during the exam.

Pro Tip: Get used to various question types by writing essays on different topics. This will help you adjust and boost your performance.

Descriptive questions

It’s essential to comprehend the IELTS Essay Task. This section focuses on descriptive questions . To illustrate this info effectively, use a table with suitable columns. Unique details enhance our understanding. To sharpen essay writing abilities, certain tips are useful. For instance, practice time management and create a clear structure . These hints are helpful in keeping the writing coherent and providing a logical flow .

Also Read: 10 Must-Follow IELTS Reading Tips and Tricks to Boost Your Band Score

Argumentative questions

Queries that need a thorough analysis and a display of multiple perspectives on a given topic are called argumentative questions .

They come in different types, such as:

• Cause and Effect (e.g. What are the consequences of using social media?)
• Pros and Cons (e.g. Should zoos be forbidden?)
• Agree or Disagree (e.g. Is homework essential for students?).

These questions push candidates to think logically, consider evidence, and construct a convincing argument using the correct order and reasoning methods.

As per the British Council, the IELTS essay task assesses the capability of the applicant to articulate an argument in a clear, understandable, and structured manner.

Advantages and disadvantages questions

Advantages and disadvantages questions require a balanced overview of both the positive and negative perspectives. Here is a summary of these questions:

It is important to note that advantages and disadvantages questions offer the opportunity to show understanding by talking about diverse points of view. Nevertheless, you should be careful when replying to these questions, as they can lead to prejudice if not tackled objectively.

Pro Tip: When responding to an advantages and disadvantages question, try to remain balanced by considering both sides of the problem. This will help you create an in-depth reply.

Problem and solution questions

Problem and solution questions demand the test-taker to figure out a problem and suggest successful solutions. Here are 6 tips to help you excel in this IELTS essay type:

• Name the problem precisely: Start by accurately stating the dilemma you will discuss in your essay.
• Examine the causes: Examine the underlying causes of the problem and consider various points of view.
• Propose multiple solutions: Offer multiple possible solutions, taking into account their practicality and efficiency.
• Evaluate each solution: Analyze the pros and cons of each proposed solution.
• Offer supporting evidence: Back your ideas with real-life cases, data, or professional opinions.
• Recommend the best solution: Based on your assessment, pick one solution as the most appropriate and explain why it is superior.

Also, remember to follow these hints when responding to problem and solution questions:

• Think about short-term and long-term effects of applying each solution.
• Prioritize realistic and feasible solutions over idealistic ones.
• Anticipate potential challenges or disagreements to your suggested solutions and provide counterarguments.

By following these steps, you can successfully respond to problem and solution questions in an IELTS essay.

Analyzing the Essay Question

To analyze the essay question effectively in “Writing High-Scoring IELTS Essays: A Step-by-Step Guide,” focus on breaking it down, identifying key terms and instructions, and formulating a thesis statement. These sub-sections will provide the solution you need to approach the essay question strategically and produce a well-structured and coherent response.

Breaking down the essay question

Let’s break down an essay question with a table. The table has elements, description, topic, scope, task, and subtasks .

We can use this table to plan and structure our response. It helps us address all aspects of the question while staying clear and coherent.

Here are some tips for breaking down an essay question:

• Read and understand it. Look for keywords that give clues.
• Identify the main topic.
• Find out the scope.
• Analyze the task.
• Break down subtasks.

By following these steps, you can break down the essay question and write your response with clarity. Understanding the elements helps you structure your argument and provide a full analysis.

Identifying key terms and instructions

When analyzing an essay, it’s key to recognize key terms and instructions. This allows us to know what is being asked and how to approach the topic. We can do this by:

• Reading the question thoroughly.
• Looking for important words.
• Finding out the meanings of any unfamiliar terms.
• Understanding the instructions.
• Noting limitations or qualifiers.
• Setting boundaries for what should be included or excluded.

Recognizing these terms and instructions is essential for creating a solid basis for the essay. Also, taking into account language nuances like tone, style, and phrasing can raise the quality of the response.

I recall a time when I missed a keyword while answering a prompt in my high school English class. Despite spending hours on my response, I didn’t explicitly address one aspect mentioned in the instruction. That experience taught me the value of closely examining and understanding each part of an essay question before writing it.

Formulating a thesis statement

Creating a thesis statement requires careful thinking and consideration. The purpose of your essay – whether it is to persuade, inform, or analyze – will determine the type of statement you make. For example, if you aim to persuade, your thesis should plainly state your opinion and provide evidence to back it up.

To create an effective thesis statement, it is important to be specific and precise. Avoid making foggy or wide statements that are unclear. Instead, focus on making an exact statement or argument. This will help guide your essay and give it a clear purpose.

When forming your thesis statement, consider counterarguments. Addressing possible objections strengthens your argument and displays critical thinking abilities. By recognizing differing viewpoints and offering replies, you demonstrate that you have studied and viewed all sides of the situation.

In addition, a great thesis statement should be debatable. It should start a conversation and attract the reader. Avoid mentioning facts that everyone agrees with or making general assertions. Instead, take a stance on an issue that may be questionable or open to interpretation.

In conclusion, creating a firm thesis statement requires careful consideration. Take the time to brainstorm, study different angles, and refine your argument. By doing this, you will create an essay that interests readers and accurately expresses your message.

Planning and Organizing the Essay

To plan and organize your IELTS essay effectively, turn to ‘Planning and Organizing the Essay.’ Create an outline, brain dump ideas, and arrange them logically. These steps will provide a clear structure and help you express your thoughts with coherence and coherence, ensuring high scores on your IELTS essays.

Creating an outline

Thesis Statement: Outlining is a valuable writing technique that has been used since ancient times. It provides a roadmap for essays, helps maintain focus, and allows for coherent and persuasive arguments.

Paragraph 1:

• Introduction to outlining as a writing technique
• Definition of outlining and its purpose
• Explanation of how outlining structures thoughts in an organized way
• Importance of outlining in communicating arguments coherently and persuasively

Paragraph 2:

• Historical perspective on the use of outlining
• Mention of Aristotle and his belief in the effectiveness of outlining
• Reference to Leonardo da Vinci’s use of outlines when writing
• Reinforcement of the timeless importance of outlining

Paragraph 3:

• Consideration of the audience when creating an outline
• Importance of tailoring the structure to the audience’s knowledge level
• Inclusion of explanations or background information as necessary
• Discussion of addressing counterarguments or opposing views in the outline

Conclusion:

• Summary of the benefits and significance of outlining
• Reiteration of its role in structuring thoughts, maintaining focus, and presenting persuasive arguments
• Encouragement for writers to utilize outlining as a valuable tool in their writing process

brain dumping ideas

Brain dumping ideas is jotting down all thoughts about a topic or subject quickly. This way you can express without worrying about structure or organization. To make the most of this technique, consider these four points:

• Dedicate time and space to brainstorming. Find a quiet environment with no distractions.
• Grab pen and paper or open a blank document. Write any ideas that come to mind, even small ones.
• Review what you have written. Look for patterns and connections.
• Organize your thoughts into categories or themes.

Remember, brain dumping is not a final product. It’s a tool for creativity. Allow yourself to explore ideas and uncover details that improve the essay. Here are more suggestions:

• Go beyond the obvious ideas. Think outside the box.
• Use mind mapping and visual aids to represent thoughts.
• Discuss ideas with peers or mentors.
• Take breaks if you feel overwhelmed.

Arranging ideas logically

For illustrating the importance of arranging thoughts logically, let’s use a table. It demonstrates multiple organizational patterns:

Now let’s discuss extra details. A good way to enhance logical organization is using clear topic sentences for each paragraph. These sentences act as signposts. They guide readers through the essay’s main idea without giving away too much info upfront.

In addition, supporting evidence in each paragraph strengthens logical progression. This evidence can be examples, statistics, or quotations from reliable sources. These substantiate your statements.

Lastly, transitioning between paragraphs smoothly creates a coherent flow of thoughts. Using transitional words like “however”, “in contrast”, or “similarly” helps establish connections between ideas. This avoids abrupt changes of topics.

Writing the Introduction

To write a high-scoring IELTS essay, start your introduction with a strong hook that grabs the reader’s attention. This section will guide you on the importance of a strong introduction and share techniques on how to engage the reader from the first sentence. Additionally, you’ll learn how to structure the introduction paragraph effectively.

The importance of a strong introduction

Writing a strong introduction is essential. It sets the tone for an article and draws readers in. It acts like a doorway – grabbing the attention of readers and inviting them to explore the content further.

A strong introduction allows readers to quickly grasp the main ideas of an article. It gives an overview of what will be discussed, forming a basis for the article. Without a good introduction, readers may lose interest or have difficulty understanding the purpose of the article.

Furthermore, a well-composed introduction establishes authority and trustworthiness. By showcasing research-backed facts or intriguing insights, an author can show they are knowledgeable on the subject.

In addition, a strong intro evokes emotion in readers by appealing to their curiosity or feelings. It may pose a problem or highlight a fascinating aspect that piques their interest. By making an emotional connection with readers from the start, writers guarantee audience engagement through their piece.

Now let’s look at some unique details about introductions. One effective technique is to grab attention with a shocking fact or stat related to the topic. This not only attracts reader interest but also proves the writer’s knowledge of the subject.

Another technique is to use storytelling elements in introductions. Introducing a relatable anecdote or personal experience that connects with readers’ lives can make the topic more understandable. By adding these personal narratives, writers create empathy and relate to their audience.

Now let’s look at a real example of a powerful introduction – The opening line of Charles Dickens’ novel “A Tale of Two Cities.” His famous line “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times” immediately encapsulates both optimism and despair, captivating readers right away. This shows how a strong introduction can set the stage for an unforgettable journey.

Remember, a powerful introduction can make or break an article. By grabbing attention, providing a clear overview, establishing credibility, and making an emotional connection with readers, writers can make sure their work is both interesting and informative. So, take time to perfect your introductions – they are the key to engaging your audience and leaving a lasting impression.

How to grab the reader’s attention

• Start with an intriguing fact or a thought-provoking question. This will get the reader’s attention.
• Introduce the topic and show why it’s important. Keep it concise and focused.
• State your main point or argument. Give the reader a roadmap.

To make your introduction even better, add a story or an emotional connection. This will create an instant bond and keep them hooked.

Remember: Grab their attention from the start, but don’t give away too much info.

Pro Tip: Get feedback on your intro before finalizing it. Revise it as needed.

Structuring the introduction paragraph

Engage your reader with an interesting story or statistic. Then, outline your main points concisely and without jargon. Use transition phrases such as “building upon this idea” to move smoothly from hook to background. Finish off with a clear thesis statement. This will give readers a good understanding of what to expect in the article.

Developing Body Paragraphs

To develop strong body paragraphs in your IELTS essays, focus on crafting clear topic sentences and providing supporting details. Additionally, learn how to effectively present arguments and examples to strengthen your arguments. Finally, understand how to utilize cohesive devices to seamlessly connect ideas and enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Topic sentences and supporting details

Topic Sentences and Supporting Details

Topic sentences provide the main idea of a paragraph. To explain them, it’s important to include relevant details.

To illustrate this concept, let’s look at a table. It shows how topic sentences and supporting details work together.

This shows that each topic sentence is followed by supporting details which strengthen the message.

Now let’s delve into the details about topic sentences and supporting details. They should be presented in a logical order. The details should also be relevant and specific to the main idea. By following these principles, writers can effectively convey their points while maintaining coherence.

To improve writing further, consider transitional phrases between supporting details. Also, acknowledge counterarguments within the paragraphs. This helps make it more persuasive without compromising its informative nature.

Providing arguments and examples

Let’s explore how to give strong arguments and examples. Imagine a neat table with data that supports our view. There should be columns of factual numbers to back up the argument. This visual aid is a great way to convince readers.

We also need to include details that haven’t been discussed before. These details add more to our writing, so it looks professional. By looking into lesser-known aspects, we can make our arguments better.

So why wait? Using evidence in your writing will make readers emotional. It will also make them feel like they have to join your perspective. Don’t be scared to use persuasive body paragraphs. Use evidence to make your writing stand out – make it specific to your audience’s needs and interests.

Using cohesive devices to link ideas

Cohesive devices like transitional phrases and linking words can make ideas seamlessly flow. This gives the reader a better understanding of the writer’s thoughts.

A unique way of using them is to introduce examples and supporting evidence in a paragraph. This helps arguments by giving more information that reinforces the main point. “For example” or “specifically” are great phrases for linking ideas and bringing clarity.

Pro Tip: Pick the right word or phrase for the intended meaning. Think about the context of the sentence and choose a cohesive device to accurately express your message.

Crafting the Conclusion

To craft a compelling conclusion in your IELTS essays, summarize the main points, restate the thesis statement, and leave a lasting impression. Summarizing the main points helps reinforce your arguments, restating the thesis statement recaps your stance, and leaving a lasting impression ensures your essay lingers in the reader’s mind.

Summarizing the main points

Crafting a powerful conclusion is essential to leave an impression on readers. Here’s how:

• Highlight each point’s importance & impact.
• Show their connection to form a cohesive narrative.
• Explain how they contribute to the overall message.
• End with a call to action or thought-provoking final remark.

When summarizing main points in an article’s conclusion, aim for clarity and brevity while making sure your words stay with the reader even after they finish reading. Remember that readers’ perception of the article is heavily influenced by the conclusion.

Restating the thesis statement

Have you ever wanted to live a crazier life ? Let’s give it a try! Dance ’till you drop, sing at the top of your lungs, and laugh like there’s no tomorrow . Let loose and have some fun! It’ll be an adventure you won’t soon forget.

Have you ever dreamed of living a wilder life ? Let’s do it! Dance ’til you can’t move, belt out your favorite songs, and laugh with joy . Go for it and have a blast! This will be an adventure you won’t forget anytime soon.

Leaving a lasting impression

It is key to craft a lasting impression. Get to the point, use strong words and visuals. End with a call-to-action.

Customize your message to cater to the needs of your audience. Speak with the right tone and style for engagement.

Winston Churchill is a prime example of leaving a lasting impression. His speeches during World War II inspired nations. Even after his death, his words still have an impact.

To leave a lasting impression, be concise. Employ impactful words. Use visual aids. And make a call-to-action. Understand your audience. Draw inspiration from those who have come before. You can make your mark in communication.

Proofreading and Editing

To ensure high-scoring IELTS essays in the section on proofreading and editing, focus on checking for grammar and spelling errors, improving sentence structure and clarity, and ensuring coherence and cohesion. This process will help refine your writing and make it more polished and effective.

Checking for grammar and spelling errors

Proofreading and editing are essential. Checking for grammar and spelling errors boosts professionalism and increases reader comprehension.

Pay attention to sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, punctuation, and verb tenses to identify potential grammar mistakes. Check for run-on sentences and fragments.

For spelling errors, read the document through and use spell-check tools. But, they may not detect homophones or typos.

A great technique is to read the text aloud. It can help spot awkward phrasing and spelling mistakes. It’s a good idea to get another set of eyes to review the work too.

By following these tips, and being careful, writers can deliver accurate and high-quality work. Proofreading ensures clear communication and boosts professional credibility.

Improving sentence structure and clarity

To better your sentence structure & clarity, follow these 6 steps!

• Start with a topic sentence – clearly state the main idea.
• Use active voice instead of passive for concise writing.
• Keep sentences short & simple.
• Use transitions to connect ideas.
• Cut out wordiness.
• Revise & proofread.

Plus, vary sentence length, check subject-verb agreement, adjust tone according to context, & read aloud . Practicing these tips will help you improve your sentences.

In 1928, Virginia Woolf wrote “Orlando,” a modernist masterpiece. She disregarded traditional sentence structures & embraced a fluid style. Her success proved breaking free from conventional sentences could lead to creative & captivating writing.

Ensuring coherence and cohesion

Key aspects for ensuring coherence and cohesion:

• Transition words – help make a smooth transition between ideas and paragraphs.
• Pronouns – like ‘it’, ‘he’, ‘she’ refer back to nouns, creating continuity.
• Repetition – of words or phrases reinforces main ideas.
• Synonyms – introduce different words to avoid repetition and stay clear.
• Logical order – so readers can follow thoughts easily.

To further improve your writing:

• Read out loud – awkward sentences and gaps in flow become clear.
• Use sentence variety – simple, compound and complex sentences.
• Take breaks – get fresh perspectives on improvement areas.
• Get feedback – let peers or professionals help with coherence and cohesion.

These suggestions help readers follow ideas without confusion. They create clear connections and a seamless experience.

Practice and Tips for Success

To improve your performance in IELTS essays, utilize the ‘Practice and Tips for Success’ section. Discover effective strategies to ace the exam by engaging in exercises such as practicing with sample essay questions, managing time effectively, and seeking feedback for continuous improvement.

Practicing with sample essay questions

Analyze the prompt. Read it carefully and identify the key words or phrases that define the topic. Grasping the prompt helps form a focused thesis statement.

Research and gather info. Do thorough research to gather pertinent facts from reliable sources. Make notes and organize them based on arguments or counterarguments.

Plan your essay. Put together an outline or structure before you start writing. This ensures coherence and logical progression of ideas.

Write a draft. Use the notes and outline as a guide and begin writing your essay. Focus on presenting arguments, proving them, and demonstrating analytical skills.

Review and revise. After completing your draft, review it for clarity, coherence, grammar, and punctuation errors. Make the needed changes to strengthen your essay’s content and flow.

Time management is essential when attempting practice essays to prepare for real exams. Practice with sample essay questions to sharpen your writing, build confidence, and improve future performance.

Notable figures like authors, scholars, and professionals have honed their writing skills by regularly engaging in practice with sample essay questions. This has not only boosted their ability to effectively express thoughts, but also has helped them comprehend different perspectives on multiple topics.

Managing time effectively

Don’t let missed opportunities haunt you! Take control of your time and reap the rewards. To maximize your potential for success, start implementing these techniques now:

• Prioritize tasks. Identify most important ones first . This ensures time is spent on activities that have the greatest impact.
• Set goals. Establish clear goals for each day or week . This provides you with a sense of direction and purpose.
• Create a schedule. Develop a daily or weekly outline that blocks off time for different activities. This helps you allocate time efficiently and prevents procrastination.
• Avoid multitasking. Studies show this decreases productivity. Focus on one task at a time to ensure quality work.

Productivity tools such as task management apps or timers can help. Also, practice self-discipline, and eliminate distractions such as notifications or find a quiet workspace. This enhances focus and concentration. Commit to these strategies consistently and experience benefits like more tasks accomplished within deadlines, and reduced stress levels.

Seeking feedback and improvement

Actively search for feedback from mentors, colleagues, and supervisors . Accept criticism as a chance for progress, not personally. Ask for feedback on a project or performance, to get helpful feedback. Take the time to think about feedback and pick out what you can do to improve. Even with positive feedback, keep searching for ways to develop.

Remember, requesting feedback needs openness and humility . Showing you want to learn is a sign of growth.

Pro Tip: Listen closely to feedback, rather than defending yourself. This will help you understand the point of view and make improvements.

We have reached the end of our step-by-step guide for writing high-scoring IELTS essays . Reflecting on the key points covered, we explored strategies and techniques to improve your essay writing. Understanding the marking criteria, managing time, building strong arguments, structuring essays – these are all necessary tools for success. To craft a strong essay, use relevant examples from academic journals, news outlets, and official reports. Demonstrate critical thinking by analyzing perspectives on a topic. Also, ensure that your ideas flow logically, using transition words and phrases. Diverse vocabulary and sentence structures will show off your language proficiency and engage the reader.

It is important to note that practice is key to success in the IELTS exam . Practice planning, drafting, and editing essays within timed conditions to improve your writing. Dedication, practice, and understanding of the strategies discussed in this article will help you to achieve higher scores . According to The British Council (2020) , candidates who implement these techniques are more likely to succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ 1: What is the key to writing high-scoring IELTS essays? The key to writing high-scoring IELTS essays is to clearly understand the essay question, plan your response, and structure your essay effectively. Additionally, make sure to use a wide range of vocabulary, demonstrate strong grammar skills, and provide evidence and examples to support your ideas.

FAQ 2: How can I improve my vocabulary for IELTS essays? You can improve your vocabulary for IELTS essays by reading extensively, especially from reputable sources such as newspapers, books, and academic articles. Make a note of unfamiliar words and their meanings, and try to use them in your own writing. Additionally, using vocabulary learning resources such as flashcards or vocabulary apps can be helpful.

FAQ 3: Are there any specific essay structures I should follow? Yes, there are several essay structures you can follow, depending on the type of essay question. The most common structures include the Introduction-Body-Conclusion structure and the Pros and Cons structure. It is important to choose a structure that suits the essay question and helps you present your ideas logically.

FAQ 4: How can I improve my grammar skills for IELTS essays? To improve your grammar skills for IELTS essays, practice writing regularly and seek feedback from native English speakers or qualified English language teachers. You can also use grammar reference books or online resources to learn about specific grammar rules and common errors. Take note of your frequent errors and work on them systematically.

FAQ 5: How long should an IELTS essay be? An IELTS essay should be between 250 and 300 words long. Writing within this word limit ensures that you have enough time to develop your ideas and demonstrate your English language proficiency. It is important to manage your time effectively during the exam to allocate enough time for planning, writing, and reviewing your essay.

FAQ 6: How can I practice for writing high-scoring IELTS essays? You can practice for writing high-scoring IELTS essays by practicing timed writing tasks using past IELTS essay questions. Familiarize yourself with the assessment criteria, and self-evaluate your essays. Additionally, seek feedback from experienced IELTS instructors or professional essay evaluators to identify areas for improvement and learn effective strategies.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Share Article:

You might also like

Can I Crack IELTS in a Week?: Strategies to Achieve IELTS Score

Does IELTS Coaching Help Truly in Enhancing Performance?

How to Crack IELTS Exam in 14 Days?: Proven Success Strategies

Other stories, ielts speaking test tips and strategies, top online resources for ielts preparation.

The official IELTS by IDP app is here! Download it today.

• IELTS tests IELTS Academic IELTS General Training IELTS UKVI IELTS One Skill Retake LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS Academic? How can I book an IELTS test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find sessions WAYS TO TAKE IELTS ACADEMIC IELTS on paper IELTS on computer IELTS Online LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS General Training? How can I book an IELTS test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find sessions WAYS TO TAKE IELTS GENERAL TRAINING IELTS on paper IELTS on computer LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS UKVI? How can I book an IELTS test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test Find sessions WAYS TO TAKE IELTS UKVI IELTS on paper IELTS on computer LEARN ABOUT THIS TEST What is IELTS One Skill Retake? How can I book an IELTS test? Reschedule or cancel an IELTS test READ MORE ABOUT IELTS ONE SKILL RETAKE Who accepts IELTS One Skill Retake? FIND THE RIGHT TEST IELTS for study IELTS for work IELTS for migration

English self-assessment tool

Check your language level and get personalised suggestions on how to improve your English and prepare for IELTS.

Get your results

Check your provisional IELTS results online and do more.

10 steps to writing high-scoring IELTS essays

Whether you take the general training or academic IELTS test, the second writing task is writing an essay in response to a problem or argument. Here are 10 easy steps, with lots of tips, to guide you on how to write high-scoring essays.

Content Tags

How is the ielts essay component marked.

Fairness and accuracy are critically important when marking IELTS writing tasks . Your essay will be marked by at least two experienced IELTS examiners on the following criteria:

Task response - Whether you answered the question fully and supported your answer well. 

Coherence and cohesion - How well you linked your ideas together. 

Lexical resource - Whether you used a wide range of vocabulary correctly and appropriately. 

Grammatical range and accuracy - How many grammatical structures you used accurately and appropriately. 

Each of these criteria is worth 25% of your total score for the essay writing task. Both of your writing tasks are used to calculate your overall writing band score.

Book IELTS for migration

How to write high-scoring essays in 10 easy steps, step one: plan your time.

The Writing test (consisting of Writing tasks 1 and 2) takes approximately 60 minutes. Plan to spend around 20 minutes on your first task, and 40 minutes on your essay task. A sample plan for your time might be:

5 to 10 minutes reading the essay question and planning your answer

15 to 20 minutes writing your first draft

10 minutes proofreading and editing your essay

How to write a good introduction

Step two: read the question.

While you may be anxious to jump straight into writing, make sure you take the time to carefully read the essay question. If you misunderstand the question, you risk writing an essay that does not address the issues properly which will lower your score.

Top 10 podcasts to help you improve your English

Step three: highlight the issues to address.

There will be multiple issues that you will need to address in your essay. Addressing each issue individually is key to achieving a high essay score. Highlight each individual issue that you will need to address.

The A to Z of IELTS: E is for Essays

Step four: outline your response.

Create an outline of how you will respond to the issues in your essay. This will serve as your ‘blueprint’ when you write your first draft. As a general rule your essay should have:

An introduction stating what you will talk about

Two or three body paragraphs , each addressing one issue or idea

A conclusion summing up what was discussed in the essay

Make sure you note which idea or issue you will address in each paragraph. Check that the issues you highlighted are all accounted for in your outline.

Step five: Expand on your ideas

Write some notes about any key points or ideas you’d like to include in each paragraph. When you’re writing your first draft, these notes will help to make sure you don’t forget any ideas you want to include.

Mind maps to build your vocabulary resource for IELTS

Step six: plan how you will connect your ideas.

Connecting your ideas clearly and correctly is critical to achieving a high essay score. Try to use a range of linking words to make your essay easy to read. You can use connecting devices and phrases to:

List connected ideas

‘Firstly, secondly, thirdly’

‘Furthermore’

Provide more information

Compare ideas.

‘On the other hand’

‘Alternatively’

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to put a linking word in every sentence. Essays will score higher when the writer uses linking words only where necessary and appropriate.

Step seven: Write your first draft

Now that you’ve planned your essay, it’s time to write your first draft. Follow the outline you’ve created and expand on the notes and ideas you included there. 

Avoid informal language unless it is appropriate.

Avoid spelling and grammatical errors where possible.

Use a mix of sentence structures such as simple sentences, complex sentences and compound sentences.

How to boost your IELTS Writing score

Step eight: proofread your essay.

When you have completed the first draft of your essay, it’s important to proofread it. Read your essay from start to finish.

You can read it silently, but it may help to read it out loud if you can do so without disturbing others. Make a mental note or mark your paper anywhere that you may need to fix an issue.

How to access FREE official IELTS mock tests

Step nine: edit your essay.

Carefully go through the issues you noted while proofreading. Edit or rewrite these until they look and sound correct. Examples of issues and how to edit them may include:

The sentence is too long. A sentence is probably too long if you need to take a breath in the middle of reading it. Try splitting this up into smaller sentences.

A sentence sounds strange when you read it out loud. Try using different words or punctuation until it sounds right. It may need to be connected to another sentence.

The same word appears many times. Think about any other words you could use instead.

There is more than one main idea in each paragraph. Move any unrelated sentences to the correct paragraph. Each paragraph should address one issue only.

IELTS Writing: How to organise your responses

Step ten: proofread your essay again.

After your edits and before submitting your essay , give it one final proofread. Make sure you have:

Included all the points you highlighted in step three

Followed your outline from step four

Used good connecting words from step six

Fixed any errors or issues in step nine

IELTS Writing: 8 steps towards a band 8

Why choose ielts.

IELTS is widely recognised by businesses and universities globally, and is the only English language competency test approved by all four of the following countries:

• New Zealand

With convenient computer and paper based test options, your IELTS test can be completed in a way that you’re most comfortable with. If you’re in a hurry, you could even have your test results back within 2 to 5 days!

Also, the IELTS Familiarisation test is designed to give test takers an idea of what to expect on the actual IELTS test. It includes sample questions from different part of the test, such as Listening, Reading, and Writing.  Set yourself up for success and explore our extensive library of preparation materials today.

Share this article

Your pocket guide to IELTS Academic Writing: Know it before you ace it

Gaining your IELTS confidence back, after several tries and failures

Grammar 101: Its vs. It's

Grammar 101: Affect vs. Effect

IELTS on computer - Academic: Your all-in-one guide to unlock study goals

How to improve your spelling for the IELTS Reading, Listening and Writing tests

Vocabulary to help prepare for common IELTS topics

The difference between IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training

Grammar 101: Understanding verb tenses

How to book IELTS One Skill Retake?

• Useful links
• Who accepts IELTS?
• News and articles
• IELTS Masterclass
• Your IELTS results
• IELTS General Training
• IELTS Academic
• IELTS Online
• IELTS by IDP app
• Find sessions
• Check IELTS results
• Middle East
• Netherlands
• New Caledonia
• Papua New Guinea
• Philippines
• Saudi Arabia
• Solomon Islands
• South Korea
• Switzerland
• Legal notices
• Privacy policy
• Cookie policy
• Copyright 2024 IDP IELTS

Free IELTS lessons signup

• Academic practice
• General practice
• Task 1 Academic
• Task 1 General
• Task 2 (essay)

Essay samples with tips and answers

Sample 1 ("Violence in media") Presenting opinion

Sample 2 ("Working students") Suggesting a solution

Sample 3 ("Death penalty") Pros & cons

Sample 4 ("Loss of bio-diversity") Cause/solution

Sample 5 ("Obesity") Causes and effects

Sample 6 ("Salary vs. job satisfaction") Agree/disagree

Sample 7 ("Sedentary lifestyle") Problem/solution

More IELTS Writing task 2 questions >

IELTS Writing task 2 - Essay

Here you can find all the essential information about IELTS Writing essay .

IELTS Writing task 2 (or IELTS essay ) is the same task for Academic and General IELTS . You will be presented with a specific topic and asked to write an 250-word essay about it. You should normally spend 40 minutes on IELTS Writing task 2.

On this page you will see :

IELTS Writing task 2 question sample

• Types of IELTS essay questions
• How to answer these questions
• More IELTS Writing task 2 questions and answers

You can get a lot of different topics for your IELTS Writing task 2. You can be asked to give your opinion, to state solutions to some problem, to describe advantages and disadvantages of something and so on.

Here's an example of how your IELTS Writing task 2 may look like :

Immigration has a major impact on the society.

What are the main reasons of immigration? To what consequences can it lead?

Write at least 250 words.

You can find the band-9 answer here >

More IELTS Writing task 2 questions & topics >

How to write IELTS Essay?

1) Determine your opinion on the topic

• Giving your opinion
• Agree/disagree
• Suggesting a solution
• Pros and cons

Depending on the topic, decide what is your opinion on it and why. Have a clear position, don't hesitate between two opinions! Then find examples you will use for this task. You should spend a few minutes on planning.

2) Write an answer using the following structure:

Note that this description is very general. To learn more specific answering strategies, look at the different question types .

3) Style your essay

Use various words and structures , linking devices and avoid repetition.

Use some words from academic word list .

Do not use informal style and avoid irrelevant information, you will receive less points for your work.

Also, don't forget to write at least 250 words, writing less will affect your mark negatively. You should aim at 260-280 words. You won’t get more points for a longer essay.

Other things that might affect your mark:

• Fluency : if your handwriting is not illegible for the examiner and he/she can’t read it properly, you are likely to lose points.
• Unoriginal answer : if you learnt a topic by heart and wrote it, you might get a low score for your essay. IELTS examiner assesses only your own thoughts and opinions.
• Limited answer : if you only answer half of the question and don’t expand your opinion, you will not get more than a band score 5 for the task.
• Information about IELTS Writing test
• Top 10 IELTS Writing tips
• Writing vocabulary

IELTS essay plan for writing task 2 (7 steps)

Home  »  IELTS academic task 2 » IELTS essay plan for writing task 2

Before starting your essay you need a solid essay plan.

Avoid jumping straight into the introduction, first organise your ideas.

Ametuer tutors will often over simplify this stage, however, it is incredibly important we plan effectively and extensively before starting to write.

A proper plan will prevent you having to rewrite the paragraph if you find yourself off topic later.

Here is a very brief overview of what we teach in our online ielts course.

1. First classify the question. 2. Brainstorm ideas around the idea and clarify your position for each paragraph. 3. Check the ideas correspond to the question (important for task response). 4. Develop the ideas further. Ask yourself WHY? 5. Develop examples that prove your point. 6. Organise your ideas and plan the paragraph. 7. Write your introduction, paragraphs and conclusion.

1. Classify the question

Here you can find the 5 types of IELTS task 2 questions you are likely to see in the exam.

Opinion (Agree or Disagree) Discuss (Both views + Opinion) Problem + Solution Two Part Question Advantages / Disadvantages

Classifying the question correctly will help you later determine what response you will write.

2. Brainstorm ideas and clarify your position for each paragraph.

At this stage we brainstorm possible ideas, from these ideas we can build out our paragraph.

It is important we get a clear plan established.

Our plan needs to reflect the positions we are taking in each of the paragraphs.

Do we agree or disagree? What are the problems? What are the solutions?

If you struggle for ideas this tutorial will help.

Below is a sample question with sample ideas and positions. In this tutorial we have hundreds of essay questions and sample ideas / answers .

Some people think that it is important to use leisure time for activities that improve the mind, such as reading and doing word puzzles. Other people feel that it is important to rest the mind during leisure time. Discuss both views and give your opinion. 

Paragraph 1:

YES USE LEISURE TIME FOR IMPROVING THE MIND Improve the mind through stimulus, make use of idle time, possibly even learn or improve a language with new apps

Paragraph 2:

NO, REST THE MIND .... because work can be stressful, rest can result in better performance at work ....

3. Check your ideas correspond to the question

Double check that your ideas are answering the question.

It is easy to get an idea and develop it extensively, only to find we are not really answering the essay question.

This will negatively affect your Task Response score which is 25% of the band score criteria in the writing section.

It is easier to catch the problem now - before writing the paragraph.

4. Develop the ideas further. Ask yourself why?

This is a fundamental skill for IELTS essay writing and essential for the criteria: Cohesion and Coherence.

We have a detailed tutorial about cause and effect here .

From the earlier question we had this idea:

Now to develop it further we ask ourselves, why?

...possibly even learn or improve a language with new apps

Because this can bring lots of benefits

Because learning a language improves mental agility.

5. Develop examples that prove your point.

Developing examples is an extremely valuable skill to boost your score.

You can think of studies that prove your point or even give hypothetical examples (and pick up points for grammatical range and accuracy).

In this tutorial we explore at length how to give examples that score high for lexical resource.

6. Organise your ideas and plan the paragraph.

Now we have our: - ideas - position - examples

Now we can organise the paragraph, here is a possible structure to follow:

- introduction / topic sentence - our position - explanation (WHY) - example - paragraph close

At IELTSPodcast our online students have the C2 Template , which is a high scoring template of the structure above. It includes sophisticated sentences and naturally links all your ideas together.

Here is a useful video on this topic.

7. Write your introduction, paragraphs and conclusion.

We only start writing after we have completed the plan we just mentioned.

At first formulating plans will take time but the process gets easier the more times you do it.

Ideally it should become an automatic procedure.

Writing the essay is also a challenge and can take a long time to perfect.

A lot of students get stuck at 6.5 because although they can write excellent paragraphs following a basic structure like the one above, it still is not enough to get Band 7.

You can write essays in perfect normal English following the structure above and still get stuck at Band 6.5.

You see, you need a combination of excellent language skills and excellent exam skills.

We offer a trial essay correction for just $5, we can help you improve faster through feedback. This way you can identify the mistakes being made and avoid making them again.

To get the trial essay correction for $5 just sign up to our mailing list here .

Alternatively, if you need to pass fast then have a look at the Jump to Band 7 or it's Free online IELTS course .

For help improving your IELTS writing , take a look at our essay correction service to help you get a high band score!

Audio tutorial

| Direct Download Here | Stitcher | iTunes | Spotify | Soundcloud |

Tutorials and Tips to Prepare for Task 2

• How to Get Ideas for Task 2
• Band 9 Sample Essay
• Extremely Useful Sentences for Task 2
• Five Powerful Sentence Structures to use in your IELTS Writing test
• How to use comparisons in Task 2
• Concession Paragraphs for “do I agree/disagree essays”
• How to write an IELTS Essay Conclusion
• IELTS Cohesion and Coherence
• 3 ways to paraphrase for your Task 2 introduction
• Marking Criteria for IELTS Writing
• Topics Sentences for Your Essays
• 7 Ways to Improve your Sentences in Your IELTS Essays
• Grammar for IELTS Writing
• Academic Collocations for Task 2
• Free Essay Band Score Evaluation
• Sign up to claim your free IELTS materials
• Jump to Band 7 or it’s Free
• IELTS Writing Evaluation
• IELTS Band Score Calculator
• Book Your Online IELTS Test
• Sample Topic Answers
• Useful Sentences
• Sample Task 2 Questions 2022
• Introduction to Paraphrasing
• Model Band 9 Essay
• Five Band 9 Words
• Model Band 7 Essay
• Differences Band 9 vs Band 7 Essay
• Band 6.5 Essay
• Academic Collocations
• Topic Sentences
• Discuss Both Views
• Tutorial: To What Extent Essays
• Paraphrasing Introductions
• Essay Structures
• Essay Plans
• Describe a Pie Chart
• Using Percentages
• Map Vocabulary
• Describe Flow Charts
• Describe a Bar Chart
• How to get Band 9
• AT 1 Sample Questions 2022
• Describe a Graphic
• GT Task 1 Questions 2022
• IELTS Vocabulary
• Google Play / Podcasts
• Apple Podcast
• Android App
• Task 2 Sample Questions
• AT 1 Questions

Company addresses: HK Office: BW ENGLISH SERVICES HK Ltd, Unit 2512, 25/F, Langham Place Office Tower, 8 Argyle Street, Mongkok, Hong Kong UK Office: BW ENGLISH SERVICES, 120 High Road, East Finchley, N29ED, London, England, United Kingdom ​+44 20 3951 8271 ($1/min).

• Ebooks & Courses
• Practice Tests

How to Plan & Write IELTS Opinion Essays

IELTS opinion essays, also known as ‘agree or disagree’ essays, come up frequently in the writing exam. In this lesson, I’m going to show you how to plan and write them step-by-step.

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

• 3 Common mistakes
• Essay structure
• How to plan
• How to write an introduction
• How to write main body paragraphs
• How to write a conclusion

Click the links to see lessons on each of these Task 2 essay writing topics. 

Once you understand the process, practice on past questions. Take your time at first and gradually speed up until you can plan and write an essay of at least 250 words in the 40 minutes allowed in the exam.

The Question

The first part of the question for an IELTS opinion essay will be a statement. You will then be asked to give your own opinion about the statement. Here is some typical wording that might be used:

• What is your opinion?
• Do you agree or disagree?
• To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Want  to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

Here's a question from a past test paper.

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.  

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.

I’ll be using this question to guide you through the process of planning and writing an IELTS opinion essay.

3 Common Mistakes

These three errors are common in IELTS opinion essays.

• Not stating an opinion.
• Giving arguments for both views.
• Not supporting your opinion with clear reasons.

The most common mistake that students make is not giving an opinion. The question will clearly state that you must choose one side of the argument. If you fail to do this, you will get a low score for task achievement.

It doesn’t matter which side of the argument you take or even, that you agree with it. Choose the one you can develop the best argument for.

Make sure that you don’t change your opinion part way through the essay, and don’t give reasons for the opposing view.

Essay Structure

Now let’s look at a simple structure you can use to write opinion essays. It’s not the only possible structure but it’s the one I recommend because it’s easy to learn and will enable you to quickly plan and write a high-level essay.

1)  Introduction

• Paraphrase the question
• Give your opinion
• State two supporting reasons

2)  Main body paragraph 1

• Topic sentence – outline 1st reason for supporting this view
• Explanation – explain this idea
• Example – give an example  or expand the idea

3)  Main body paragraph 2

• Topic sentence – outline 2nd reason for supporting this view
• Example – give an example or expand the idea

4)  Conclusion

• Summarise opinion and key reasons

This structure will give us a well-balanced essay with 4 paragraphs.

We now need some ideas to add into the structure and we’ll have everything we need for our essay.

How To Plan IELTS Opinion Essays

# 1  decide on your opinion.

The question I've chosen to work on is quite straightforward and easy to understand so we don’t need to spend time analysing it. The first task, then, is to decide on our opinion.

Here’s the question again:

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?  

For this essay, I’m going to disagree with the statement and argue that job satisfaction is more important than a big salary.

# 2  Generate ideas

The second task is to generate some ideas to write about.

Since I‘m going to argue that job satisfaction is more important than a large salary, I need ideas to support this view.

There are several different ways to think up ideas. I cover them fully on the  IELTS Essay Planning  page.

With this particular question, I immediately thought of a couple of examples of situations where job satisfaction did prove to be more important than a high salary, so I’m going to use the ‘example method’ of generating ideas.

Once you’ve thought of an example or two, ideas to include in your essay should come to you easily.

You might want to try this yourself before reading on for my ideas.

Here are my examples and some ideas they generated.

Both the examples are partly true but I've adapted them to better fit the essay. It's fine to do this as the examiner won't check your facts.

• Uncle Barry – boasted about high salary but hated his job. Nervous breakdown – lost job & can’t work.
• Me – gave up teaching. Now enjoy my work and am much more relaxed and happy even though I earn much less money.
• High-salary jobs are generally more stressful
• Stress leads to ill health, both mental and physical
• 40 hours a week at work – a third of the day
• Money doesn’t bring happiness
• Better quality of life
• Sense of fulfilment
• Less stressed – healthier and happier

I’ve got more ideas here than I need so I’m going to pick two to develop in the essay – one for each of the main body paragraphs.

Idea 1 – High-salary jobs are generally more stressful and can lead to ill health.

Idea 2 – Job satisfaction gives a sense of fulfilment.

We’re almost ready to start writing our IELTS opinion essay but first, we have one other small task to do.

# 3  Vocabulary

In an IELTS essay, it’s important to be able to say the same things in different ways, either by paraphrasing and/or using synonyms. During the planning stage, quickly jot down a few synonyms of key words you could use to save you having to stop and think of the right language while you’re writing.

For example:

satisfaction – fulfilment, achievement, sense of accomplishment, content, sense of well-being

salary – income, wages, pay, earnings

important – significant, valued, has more meaning

job – work, employment, position

With that done, we can focus on the first paragraph of the essay – the introduction.

How To Write an Introduction

A good introduction has a simple 3 part structure:

1)  Paraphrased question

2)  Thesis statement

3)  outline statement.

An introduction should:

• Have 2-3 sentences
• Be 40-60 words long
• Take 5 minutes to write

1)  Paraphrase the question

Start your introduction by paraphrasing the question.

     Question:  A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

                       Do you agree or disagree?  

Paraphrased question:  

It is argued that earning lots of money has more significance to people than being content in their work.

Note that I’ve used some of the synonyms I listed, although it’s fine to repeat one or two words if you need to. Above all, your language must sound natural.

In IELTS opinion essays, the thesis statement is where you state your opinion. For example,

    Thesis statement:  

    This essay totally disagrees with that statement.

That’s all you need to say.

If you decided to agree with the statement, you would write:

'This essay completely agrees with that statement.'

Finally in the introduction, you must outline the two main points (ideas 1 and 2 above) that you’ll cover in the rest of the essay. Do it in one sentence, or you can add them onto the end of the thesis statement if appropriate.

Outl ine statement:  

I believe that people are increasingly concerned about the risk of stress-related ill-health frequently experienced by people in highly paid positions and they care more about feeling fulfilled at work.

So, let’s bring the three elements of our introduction together.

     Introduction

This introduction achieves three important functions:

• It shows the examiner that you understand the question.
• It acts as a guide to the examiner as to what your essay is about.
• It also helps to keep you focused and on track as you write.

The two ideas in your introduction will become your two main body paragraphs.

Main body paragraph 1  – concerns about the risk of stress-related ill-health

Main body paragraph 2  – a sense of fulfilment at work

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

The structure of a good main body paragraph has 3 parts:

• Topic sentence
• Explanation

If you can’t think of an example, you can add further supporting ideas but we already have our two examples so that’s not an issue here.

A common problem when writing main body paragraphs for IELTS opinion essays is having too many ideas. Again, we have already chosen the two ideas we are going to develop, so we are all set to start writing.

You can see how important the planning stage is and how it makes the actual writing of the essay far quicker and easier.

Main Body Paragraph 1

The  topic sentence  summarises the main idea of the paragraph. That’s all it needs to do so it doesn’t have to be complicated.

It plays an important role in ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one to another. It does this by acting as a signpost for what is to come next, that is, what the paragraph will be about.

If you maintain a clear development of ideas throughout your essay, you will get high marks for task achievement and cohesion and coherence.

We’ll now take the idea for our first main body paragraph and create our topic sentence.

Main idea 1  – concerns about the risk of stress-related ill-health

Topic sentence:  

Employees earning a large income are generally under significant mental and emotional pressure to perform well and achieve targets.

Next, we must write an  explanation sentence . This explains to the examiner what we mean. It expands on our first idea.

Explanation sentence: 

This causes many individuals to suffer high levels of stress which can result in both mental and physical health problems.

Finally, we add an  example  to support our main point. I thought of this in the planning stage so I have it ready to use.

If you can’t think of a real example, it’s fine to make one up, as long as it’s believable. The examiner isn’t going to check your facts.

Example sentence:

This happened to my uncle. He used to boast about his huge salary but the boss kept increasing his sales targets and in the end, the stress became too great and he had a nervous breakdown. Now he regrets being driven by the money.

That’s the 3 parts of our first main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

We now follow the same process for our second main body paragraph.

Main Body Paragraph 2

Main idea 2  – Job satisfaction gives a sense of fulfilment.

First, we write the  topic sentence  to summarise the main idea.

Topic sentence:

Having a job that they enjoy doing, and in which they feel valued, is a major concern for most of the modern workforce.

Now for the  explanation sentence  to explain this idea.

Explanation sentence:

A significant number of people are giving up well-paid positions to do jobs which pay less but that they find more enjoyable and less stressful.

Finally, an  example  to support our main point. As before, I thought of this in the planning stage so just need to form it into a couple of sentences.

I am an example of this myself. A year ago I left the teaching profession because the workload had become too great and I am now a gardener. I feel really fulfilled in this work and I am much more relaxed and happy even though I earn far less money.

That’s the 3 parts of our second main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

Now we need a conclusion and our IELTS opinion essay is done.

How To Write a Conclusion

Conclusions to IELTS opinion essays should do two things:

• Summarise the main points
• State your opinion

This can generally be done in a single sentence.

If you are below the minimum 250 words after you’ve written your conclusion, you can add an additional prediction or recommendation statement.

Our essay currently has 233 words so we’re on target and don’t need this extra sentence but you can learn more about how to write a prediction or recommendation statement for IELTS opinion essays on the Task 2 Conclusions page.

The conclusion is the easiest sentence in the essay to write but one of the most important.

A good conclusion will:

• Neatly end the essay
• Link all your ideas together
• Sum up your argument or opinion
• Answer the question

If you achieve this, you’ll improve your score for both task achievement and cohesion and coherence which together make up 50% of the overall marks. Without a conclusion, you’ll score below band 6 for task achievement.

You can start almost any final paragraph of an IELTS opinion essay with the words:

• In conclusion

        or

• To conclude

Now all you need to do is briefly summarise the main ideas into one sentence.

Here’s a top tip . Go back and read the introduction to the essay because this is also a summary of the essay. It outlines what you are going to write about.

To create a great conclusion, you simply have to paraphrase the introduction. Let’s give it a go.

Introduction:

Here is the same information formed into a conclusion:

That’s it. We’ve completed our essay. Here it is with the 4 paragraphs put together.

    Question:

   A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

   Do you agree or disagree?

Finished IELTS opinion essay.

Go through this lesson as many times as you need to in order to fully understand it and put in lots of practice writing IELTS opinion essays from past exam questions. Practice is the only way to improve your skills.

5 More Model IELTS Opinion Essays

This pack contains another step-by-step lesson and  model essay. P lus 4 additional opinion essay questions with model answers.

Carefully created to help you achieve 7+ in your Writing test.

Would you prefer to share this page with others by linking to it?

• Click on the HTML link code below.
• Copy and paste it, adding a note of your own, into your blog, a Web page, forums, a blog comment, your Facebook account, or anywhere that someone would find this page valuable.

Like this page?

More help with ielts opinion essays & other task 2 essays.

IELTS Writing Task 2  – T he format, the 5 question types, the 5 step essay writing strategy & sample questions. All the key information you need to know.

The 5 Types of Task 2 Essay   – How to recognise the 5 different types of Task 2 essays. 15 sample questions to study and a simple planning structure for each essay type.

Understanding Task 2 Questions  – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 2 Essay  – Discover why essay planning is essential & learn a simple 4 step strategy, the 4 part essay structure & 4 methods of generating ideas.

How To Write a Task 2 Introduction  – Find out why a good introduction is essential. Learn how to write one using a simple 3 part strategy & discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Main Body Paragraphs  – Learn the simple 3 part structure for writing great main body paragraphs and also, 3 common mistakes to avoid. 

How To Write Task 2 Conclusions  – Learn the easy way to write the perfect conclusion for a Task 2 essay. Also discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

Task 2 Marking Criteria  – Find out how to meet the marking criteria in Task 2. See examples of good and poor answers & learn some common mistakes to avoid.

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plan & write high-level essays. Model answers & common mistakes to avoid.

   Opinion Essays

   Discussion Essays

  Problem Solution Essays

  Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

  Double Question Essays

Other Related Pages

IELTS Writing Test  – Understand the format & marking criteria, know what skills are assessed & learn the difference between the Academic & General writing tests.

• IELTS Writing
• Opinion Essays
• Back To Top

 * New * Grammar For IELTS Ebooks

$9.99 each       Full Set   Just   $ 23.97

Find Out More >>

IELTS Courses

Full details...

IELTS Writing Ebook

Discount Offer

$7 each       Full Set Just   $ 21

Find out more >>

Testimonials

“I am very excited to have found such fabulous and detailed content. I commend your good work.”  Jose M.

“Thanks for the amazing videos. These are ‘to the point’, short videos, beautifully explained with practical examples."  Adari J.

"Hi Jacky, I bought a listening book from you this morning. You know what? I’m 100% satisfied. It’s super helpful. If I’d had the chance to read this book 7 years ago, my job would be very different now."  Loi H.

"Hi Jacky, I recently got my IELTS results and I was pleased to discover that I got an 8.5 score. I'm firmly convinced your website and your videos played a strategic role in my preparation. I was able to improve my writing skills thanks to the effective method you provide. I also only relied on your tips regarding the reading section and I was able to get a 9! Thank you very much." Giano

“After listening to your videos, I knew I had to ditch every other IELTS tutor I'd been listening to. Your explanations are clear and easy to understand. Anyways, I took the test a few weeks ago and my result came back: Speaking 7, listening 9, Reading 8.5 and Writing 7 with an average band score of 8. Thanks, IELTS Jacky." Laide Z.

      Contact

      About Me

      Site Map

      Privacy Policy

      Disclaimer

IELTS changes lives.

Let's work together so it changes yours too.

Copyright  © 2024     IELT Jacky     

All Right Reserved

IELTS is a registered trademark of the University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

Top Streams

• Data Science Courses in USA
• Business Analytics Courses in USA
• Engineering Courses in USA
• Tax Courses in USA
• Healthcare Courses in USA
• Language Courses in USA
• Insurance Courses in USA
• Digital Marketing Courses in USA

Top Specialization

• Masters in Data Analytics in USA
• Masters in Mechanical Engineering in USA
• Masters in Supply Chain Management in USA
• Masters in Computer Science in USA
• MBA in Finance in USA
• Masters in Architecture in USA

Top Universities

• Cornell University
• Yale University
• Princeton University
• University of California Los Angeles
• University of Harvard
• Stanford University
• Arizona State University
• Northeastern University
• Project Management Courses in Australia
• Accounting Courses in Australia
• Medical Courses in Australia
• Psychology Courses in Australia
• Interior Designing Courses in Australia
• Pharmacy Courses in Australia
• Social Work Courses in Australia
• MBA in Australia
• Masters in Education in Australia
• Masters in Pharmacy in Australia
• Masters in Information Technology in Australia
• BBA in Australia
• Masters in Teaching in Australia
• Masters in Psychology in Australia
• University of Melbourne
• Deakin University
• Carnegie Mellon University
• Monash University
• University of Sydney
• University of Queensland
• RMIT University
• Macquarie University
• Data Science Courses in Canada
• Business Management Courses in Canada
• Supply Chain Management Courses in Canada
• Project Management Courses in Canada
• Business Analytics Courses in Canada
• Hotel Management Courses in Canada
• MBA in Canada
• MS in Canada
• Masters in Computer Science in Canada
• Masters in Management in Canada
• Masters in Psychology in Canada
• Masters in Education in Canada
• MBA in Finance in Canada
• Masters in Business Analytics in Canada
• University of Toronto
• University of British Columbia
• McGill University
• University of Alberta
• York University
• University of Calgary
• Algoma University
• University Canada West
• Project Management Courses in UK
• Data Science Courses in UK
• Public Health Courses in UK
• Digital Marketing Courses in UK
• Hotel Management Courses in UK
• Nursing Courses in UK
• Medicine Courses in UK
• Interior Designing Courses in UK
• Masters in Computer Science in UK
• Masters in Psychology in UK
• MBA in Finance in UK
• MBA in Healthcare Management in UK
• Masters in Education in UK
• Masters in Marketing in UK
• MBA in HR in UK
• University of Oxford
• University of Cambridge
• Coventry University
• University of East London
• University of Hertfordshire
• University of Birmingham
• Imperial College London
• University of Glasgow

Top Resources

• Universities in Germany
• Study in Germany
• Masters in Germany
• Courses in Germany
• Bachelors in Germany
• Germany Job Seeker Visa
• Cost of Living in Germany
• Best Universities in Germany

Top Courses

• Masters in Data Science in Germany
• MS in Computer Science in Germany
• Marine Engineering in Germany
• MS Courses in Germany
• Masters in Psychology in Germany
• Hotel Management Courses in Germany
• Masters in Economics in Germany
• Paramedical Courses in Germany
• Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
• University of Bonn
• University of Freiburg
• University of Hamburg
• University of Stuttgart
• Saarland University
• Mannheim University
• MBA in Ireland
• Phd in Ireland
• Masters in Computer Science Ireland
• Cyber Security in Ireland
• Masters in Data Analytics Ireland
• Ms in Data Science in Ireland
• Pharmacy courses in ireland
• Business Analytics Course in Ireland
• Universities in Ireland
• Study in Ireland
• Masters in Ireland
• Courses in Ireland
• Bachelors in Ireland
• Cost of Living in Ireland
• Ireland Student Visa
• Part Time Jobs in Ireland
• Trinity College Dublin
• University College Dublin
• Dublin City University
• University of Limerick
• Dublin Business School
• Maynooth University
• University College Cork
• National College of Ireland

Colleges & Courses

• Masters in France
• Phd in France
• Study Medicine in France
• Best Universities in Frankfurt
• Best Architecture Colleges in France
• ESIGELEC France
• Study in France for Indian Students
• Intakes in France
• SOP for France Visa
• Study in France from India
• Reasons to Study in France
• How to Settle in France

More About France

• Cost of Living in France
• France Study Visa
• Cost of Living in Frankfurt
• France Scholarship for Indian Students
• Part Time Jobs in France
• Stay Back in France After Masters

About Finland

• Universities in Finland
• Study in Finland
• Courses in Finland
• Bachelor Courses in Finland
• Masters Courses in Finland
• Cost of Living in Finland
• MS in Finland
• Average Fees in Finland Universities
• PhD in Finland
• Bachelor Degree in Medicine & Surgery
• MBBS Courses in Georgia
• MBBS Courses in Russia
• Alte University
• Caucasus University
• Georgian National University SEU
• David Tvildiani Medical University
• Caspian International School Of Medicine
• Asfendiyarov Kazakh National Medical University
• Kyrgyz State Medical Academy
• Cremeia Federal University
• Bashkir State Medical University
• Kursk State Medical University
• Andijan State Medical Institute
• IELTS Syllabus
• IELTS Prepration
• IELTS Eligibility
• IELTS Test Format
• IELTS Band Descriptors
• IELTS Speaking test
• IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS score validity
• IELTS Cue Card

IELTS Reading Answers Sample

• Animal Camouflage
• Types Of Societies
• Australia Convict Colonies
• A Spark A Flint
• Emigration To The Us
• The History Of Salt
• Zoo Conservation Programmes
• The Robots Are Coming
• The Development Of Plastic

IELTS Speaking Cue Card Sample

• Describe A Puzzle You Have Played
• Describe A Long Walk You Ever Had
• Describe Your Favourite Movie
• Describe A Difficult Thing You did
• Describe A Businessman You Admire
• Memorable Day in My Life
• Describe Your Dream House
• Describe A Bag You Want to Own
• Describe a Famous Athlete You Know
• Aquatic Animal

IELTS Essay Sample Sample

• Best Education System
• IELTS Opinion Essay
• Agree or Disagree Essay
• Problem Solution Essays
• Essay on Space Exploration
• Essay On Historical Places
• Essay Writing Samples
• Tourism Essay
• Global Warming Essay
• GRE Exam Fees
• GRE Exam Syllabus
• GRE Exam Eligibility
• Sections in GRE Exam
• GRE Exam Benefits
• GRE Exam Results
• GRE Cutoff for US Universities
• GRE Preparation
• Send GRE scores to Universities

GRE Exam Study Material

• GRE Verbal Preparation
• GRE Study Material
• GRE AWA Essays
• GRE Sample Issue Essays
• Stanford University GRE Cutoff
• Harvard University GRE Cutoff
• GRE Quantitative Reasoning
• GRE Verbal Reasoning
• GRE Reading Comprehension
• Prepare for GRE in 2 months

Other Resources

• Documents Required For Gre Exam
• GRE Exam Duration
• GRE at Home
• GRE vs GMAT
• Improve GRE Verbal Scores

Free GRE Ebooks

• GRE Preparation Guide (Free PDF)
• GRE Syllabus (Free PDF)
• GMAT Eligibility
• GMAT Syllabus
• GMAT Exam Dates
• GMAT Registration
• GMAT Exam Fees
• GMAT Sections
• GMAT Purpose

GMAT Exam Study Material

• How to prepare for GMAT?
• GMAT Score Validity
• GMAT Preparation Books
• GMAT Preparation
• GMAT Exam Duration
• GMAT Score for Harvard
• GMAT Reading Comprehension
• GMAT Retake Strategy

Free GMAT Ebooks

• GMAT Guide PDF
• Download GMAT Syllabus PDF
• TOEFL Exam Registration
• TOEFL Exam Eligibility
• TOEFL Exam Pattern
• TOEFL Exam Preparation
• TOEFL Exam Tips
• TOEFL Exam Dates
• Documents for TOEFL Exam
• TOEFL Exam Fee

TOEFL Exam Study Material

• TOEFL Preparation Books
• TOEFL Speaking Section
• TOEFL Score and Results
• TOEFL Writing Section
• TOEFL Reading Section
• TOEFL Listening Section
• TOEFL Vocabulary
• Types of Essays in TOEFL

Free TOEFL Ebooks

• TOEFL Exam Guide (Free PDF)
• PTE Exam Dates
• PTE Exam Syllabus
• PTE Exam Eligibility Criteria
• PTE Test Centers in India
• PTE Exam Pattern
• PTE Exam Fees
• PTE Exam Duration
• PTE Exam Registration

PTE Exam Study Material

• PTE Exam Preparation
• PTE Speaking Test
• PTE Reading Test
• PTE Listening Test
• PTE Writing Test
• PTE Essay Writing
• PTE exam for Australia

Free PTE Ebooks

• PTE Syllabus (Free PDF)
• Duolingo Exam
• Duolingo Test Eligibility
• Duolingo Exam Pattern
• Duolingo Exam Fees
• Duolingo Test Validity
• Duolingo Syllabus
• Duolingo Preparation

Duolingo Exam Study Material

• Duolingo Exam Dates
• Duolingo Test Score
• Duolingo Test Results
• Duolingo Test Booking

Free Duolingo Ebooks

• Duolingo Guide (Free PDF)
• Duolingo Test Pattern (Free PDF)

NEET & MCAT Exam

• NEET Study Material
• NEET Preparation
• MCAT Eligibility
• MCAT Preparation

SAT & ACT Exam

• ACT Eligibility
• ACT Exam Dates
• SAT Syllabus
• SAT Exam Pattern
• SAT Exam Eligibility

USMLE & OET Exam

• USMLE Syllabus
• USMLE Preparation
• USMLE Step 1
• OET Syllabus
• OET Eligibility
• OET Prepration

PLAB & LSAT Exam

• PLAB Exam Syllabus
• PLAB Exam Fees
• LSAT Eligibility
• LSAT Registration
• TOEIC Result
• Study Guide

Application Process

• LOR for Masters
• SOP Samples for MS
• LOR for Phd
• SOP for Internship
• SOP for Phd
• Check Visa Status
• Motivation Letter Format
• Motivation Letter for Internship
• F1 Visa Documents Checklist

Career Prospects

• Popular Courses after Bcom in Abroad
• Part Time Jobs in Australia
• Part Time Jobs in USA
• Salary after MS in Germany
• Salary after MBA in Canada
• Average Salary in Singapore
• Higher Studies after MBA in Abroad
• Study in Canada after 12th

Trending Topics

• Best Education System in World
• Best Flying Schools in World
• Top Free Education Countries
• Best Countries to Migrate from India
• 1 Year PG Diploma Courses in Canada
• Canada Vs India
• Germany Post Study Work Visa
• Post Study Visa in USA
• Data Science Vs Data Analytics
• Public Vs Private Universities in Germany
• Universities Vs Colleges
• Difference Between GPA and CGPA
• Undergraduate Vs Graduate
• MBA in UK Vs MBA in USA
• Degree Vs Diploma in Canada
• IELTS vs TOEFL
• Duolingo English Test vs. IELTS
• Why Study in Canada
• Cost of Living in Canada
• Education System in Canada
• SOP for Canada
• Summer Intake in Canada
• Spring Intake in Canada
• Winter Intake in Canada
• Accommodation in Canada for Students
• Average Salary in Canada
• Fully Funded Scholarships in Canada
• Why Study in USA
• Cost of Studying in USA
• Spring Intake in USA
• Winter Intake in USA
• Summer Intake in USA
• STEM Courses in USA
• Scholarships for MS in USA
• Acceptable Study Gap in USA
• Interesting Facts about USA
• Free USA course
• Why Study in UK
• Cost of Living in UK
• Cost of Studying in UK
• Education System in UK
• Summer Intake in UK
• Spring Intake in UK
• Student Visa for UK
• Accommodation in UK for Students
• Scholarships in UK
• Why Study in Germany
• Cost of Studying in Germany
• Education System in Germany
• SOP for Germany
• Summer Intake in Germany
• Winter Intake in Germany
• Study Visa for Germany
• Accommodation in Germany for Students
• Free Education in Germany

Country Guides

• Study in UK
• Study in Canada
• Study in USA
• Study in Australia
• SOP Samples for Canada Student Visa
• US F1 Visa Guide for Aspirants

Exams Guides

• Duolingo Test Pattern

Recommended Reads

• Fully Funded Masters Guide
• SOP Samples For Australia
• Scholarships for Canada
• Data Science Guide
• SOP for MS in Computer Science
• Study Abroad Exams
• Alumni Connect
• Booster Program
• Scholarship

GPA CALCULATOR Convert percentage marks to GPA effortlessly with our calculator!

Expense calculator plan your study abroad expenses with our comprehensive calculator, ielts band calculator estimate your ielts band score with our accurate calculator, education loan calculator discover your eligible loan amount limit with our education calculator, university partner explore growth and opportunities with our university partnership, accommodation discover your perfect study abroad accommodation here, experience-center discover our offline centers for a personalized experience, our offices visit us for expert study abroad counseling..

• 18002102030
• Study Abroad

How to Write an Essay in IELTS – Tips, Patterns, and Samples!

• IELTS Preparation
• IELTS E-Books
• IELTS Registration
• IELTS Exam Fee
• IELTS Exam Dates 2024
• Documents Required
• IELTS Test Centers
• Test Format
• Band Descriptors
• IELTS Speaking Test
• General Reading Test
• General Writing Task
• IELTS Coaching
• Types of Essays
• IELTS for Australia
• IELTS Results
• Generation Gap Essay
• GPA Calculator
• Study Abroad Consultant In India
• Study Visa Consultants in India

Updated on 13 April, 2023

Mrinal Mandal

Study abroad expert.

The International English Language Testing System ( IELTS ) is an English language proficiency test for those who are seeking international education, a job, or migration. Two types of IELTS examination-IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, are carried out to measure English language proficiency and skills that are important to communicate in English-speaking countries. Writing for IELTS Task 2 includes an essay writing task of 250 words in 40 minutes. The essay writing task is designed to understand the writing skills, grammar, vocabulary, ideas, and reasoning capabilities of applicants. Task 2 contributes twice Task 1 to the writing score. Essay writing tests English proficiency in terms of writing skills, and it is one of the most important and compulsory sections. To write a winning essay in IELTS, applicants must follow the below-mentioned tips and band 8 essay samples. Let’s learn – how to write an essay in IELTS.

Download E-Books for IELTS Preparation

Tips and patterns for writing a band 8 essay

1. Lexical resources should be appropriate while writing the task 2 essay. Applicants should use a broad spectrum of vocabulary with zero errors and complete accuracy. The lexical terms should be used and demonstrated in a sophisticated manner throughout the essay. 

2. Stick to the word limit. The word limit for task 2 essay writing is 250 words. Make sure you write a maximum of 260-280 words and not any extra. Quality over quantity will matter in writing a winning essay. Don’t waste time on writing extra; instead, take time to draft a brilliant introduction and conclusion. 

3. The essay should be coherent and cohesive. The ideas and information should match with one another throughout the essay. Compose the ideas and details in an organized manner following the instructed format. The essay writing should be cohesive. When the information is cohesive, you will not require too many connectors or linking words to connect sentences. 

4. Increase the readability of the essay by organizing the entire 250-word essay into small paragraphs. It will attract attention and increase readability. Avoid writing a 100-word-long paragraph at a stretch. Short paragraphs and sentences are good and crisp. 

5. Read the question well, to understand the expectations of the examiner and maintain a unique and ideal write-up. Choose the right words to draft a 250-word length descriptive essay that meets the relevancy and purpose of the question.

6. Use positive words. Even if you don’t support the question and speak against the statement, you cannot use negative words or disrespect the opinion of anyone else. It will be a neutral statement where you just need to talk about your opinion and support your statement with enough ideas, justification and add on some real-life experiences to make it a winning essay. 

7. An accurate and rich vocabulary is important to write a winning IELTS essay that can give a band 8. Read and listen to magazines, newspapers, articles, and journals to get some good words that you can use in the write-up. Do not use common and daily used words. The way you talk randomly with your friends is not the way that you draft your IELTS task 2. It needs good words to increase the quality of the essay. 

8. Follow the format. The essay has three main parts: introduction, body, and conclusion. The introduction and conclusion are very important. The examiner should be able to figure out the entire content and purpose of the essay by reading the starting lines of the introduction. Effectively close your essay. The conclusion is an important part of the essay.

9. Work on grammar. The essay should be grammatically correct. Don’t make major grammatical mistakes. Read your essay once after completing it. You will be able to scan various minor and major errors that can bring down your band. Always set aside some time to read before submitting the essay.

Learn More About IELTS

Check eligibility for ielts.

Check your eligibility and learn more about the IELTS exam

Get Free IELTS Consultation

Want to get a free consultation on the IELTS exam? Fill the form.

Talk to Our Counselor Today

Talk to our counsellor & clear your doubts about the IELTS exam

Sample IELTS Essay Writing Task 2

Crime is a big problem in the world. Many people think that nothing can be done about crime to prevent it. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give your own opinion. Ever-increasing crime is irrefutably one of the most overarching and major issues every country is facing in recent times. Although many people believe that nothing can be done to prevent crime, I believe that crime can be controlled by treating it as the main issue and executing the measures differently. 

While many people believe that common crimes such as robbery, theft, murder, hate crimes, and others cannot be regulated, I think that Government can control it up to a great extent by making strict rules. Making strict rules and compelling citizens to religiously abide by them will instill the fear of punishment in people.  Also, severe punishments like longer imprisonment will discourage people to indulge in common crimes and thus it will reduce crime significantly. For instance-lifetime imprisonment for murders or sexual assault will make people think twice before committing such crimes, which will ensure less crime in society. 

The second major change the Government of every country needs to ensure is the basic rights of health, housing, and education to reduce the crime rate. Substandard living conditions are the main reason why many people gravitate toward committing various crimes and hence ensuring basic facilities for everyone will reduce the crime considerably. 

To conclude, I feel that the only logical solution to preventing criminal activities is through appropriate action taken by the government and society.

The English language is the medium of communication in English-speaking countries. The IELTS Writing section focuses on the skills required for writing, in terms of vocabulary, grammar, and writing style. Writing task 2 is an essay. It is a descriptive essay that evaluates grammar, ideas, opinion, format, fluency, and structure. To write a winning essay, refer to the sample and tips provided above.

Download IELTS Preparation Guide For Free

Get to know about the latest updates on the IELTS Exam, Eligibility, Preparation Tips, Test procedure,  Exam Pattern, Syllabus, Registration Process, Important Exam Dates, and much more!! This guide is a one-stop solution for every IELTS Aspirant who aims to crack the exam with an impressive band score.

Important Exams

Important resources for ielts, free study abroad counselling, trending searches, ielts sample essay, ielts reading answer.

• Art is Considered an Important Part of a Society
• When a Country Develops its Technology
• Easiest Way Of Communication
• Capital Punishment
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Fast Food
• Modern Technology
• Nowadays the Way Many People Interact
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Tourism
• Business and Money
• Double Question
• Causes And Effects Of Obesity
• Environmental Problems And Solution
• Prevention is Better than Cure
• Individual Greed and Selfishness
• Government and Society
• Art and Culture
• Should Smoking Be Banned In Public Places
• Describe an Event You Attended in Which You Didn�t Like the Music Played
• Describe an Occasion When Many People Were Smiling
• Describe A Dinner You Really Enjoyed
• Describe a Difficult Decision that You Once Made
• Describe a Film that Made You Laugh
• Describe A Time When You First Talked in A Foreign Language
• Describe a Time When You Told Your Friend an Important Truth
• Describe an Expensive Activity that You Enjoy Doing Occasionally
• Describe A Live Sports Match That You Watched
• Describe a Famous Person You Are Interested In
• Describe A Street Market In Your City
• Describe A Time When Your Computer Broke Down
• Describe A Time When You Felt Bored
• Describe A Time When You Helped A Friend
• Talk About A Time When You Gave Advice to Someone
• Describe a Person Who Impressed You in Primary School
• Describe A Person Who Wears Unusual Clothes
• Describe an Art Exhibition that You Visited
• Eco Tourism
• Biological Control Of Pests
• The Development Of Museums
• Collecting As A Hobby
• The Birth Of Scientific English
• The Meaning And Power Of Smell
• Moles Happy As Homes Go Underground
• An Introduction To Film Sound
• This Marvelous Invention
• The Psychology Of Innovation
• The Benefits Of Being Bilingual
• Crop Growing Skyscrapers
• Reducing The Effects Of Climate Change
• Green Wave Washes Over Mainstream Shopping
• The History Of Glass
• The Story Of Silk
• Mental Gymnastics
• IELTS Preparation Books
• IELTS score chart
• IELTS Validity
• Australia Band Requirements
• IELTS Full Form
• CEFR level IELTS
• IELTS Certificate

The above tips are the Author's experiences. upGrad does not guarantee scores or admissions.

Call us to clear your doubts at:

Download our App

• Grievance Redressal
• Experience Centers
• Terms of Use
• Privacy Policy
• University Partner
• Accommodation
• IELTS Band Calculator
• Download Study Abroad App
• Education Loan Calculator
• upGrad Abroad Office
• Expense Calculator
• Knowledge Base
• Business Partner

Top Destinations

Masters programs.

• MBA in Germany, IU
• MIM in Germany, IU
• MS in CS in Germany, IU
• MS in Data Analytics in USA, Clark University
• MS in Project Management in USA, Clark University
• MS in IT in USA, Clark University
• MS in Data Analytics & Visualization in USA, Yeshiva University
• MS in Artificial Intelligence in USA, Yeshiva University
• MS in Cybersecurity, Yeshiva University

Study Abroad Important Blogs

• Cost of Study:
• Cost of Studying in Canada
• Cost of Studying in Ireland
• Cost of Studying in Australia
• Cost of living:
• Cost of living in UK
• Cost of living in Australia
• Cost of living in Germany
• Cost of living in Ireland
• Cost of living in Canada
• Career Opportunities:
• Career Opportunities in Australia
• Career Opportunities in Germany
• Job Opportunities in After MS in Canada
• Job Opportunities After MBA in Australia
• Job Opportunities After MS in UK
• IELTS Exam Resources:
• Academic IELTS
• IELTS Band Score
• IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Slot Booking
• IELTS Band Score Chart
• IELTS Score for UK
• IELTS Score for USA
• Validity of IELTS Score
• IELTS Speaking Topics
• IELTS Reading Tips
• How to Prepare for IELTS at Home Without Coaching
• Types of IELTS Exam
• IELTS Academic vs General
• IELTS Exam Pattern
• IELTS Essay
• IELTS Exam Dates
• Top Streams:
• Fashion Designing Courses in Australia
• Accounting Courses in Canada
• Management Courses in Canada

• A Beginner’s Guide to IELTS
• Common Grammar Mistakes [for IELTS Writing Candidates]

Writing Correction Service

• Free IELTS Resources
• Practice Speaking Test

Select Page

How to Write an Essay Outline [IELTS Writing]

Posted by David S. Wills | Jun 6, 2022 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

In IELTS writing task 2, you will need to write a clear and coherent introduction . This should be comprised of several parts, one of which is a sentence that tells the reader what your essay will say or do. This is often called an essay outline , although you may hear it referred to by other names, such as “thesis statement.”

What your essay outline should say will depend upon the exact essay that you have to write, so it is a complicated issue, but this article will tell you everything you need to know.

What is an Essay Outline?

First of all, let’s briefly discuss what an essay outline is because it’s not 100% clear to everyone. The word “outline” means:

a general description or plan showing the essential features of something but not the detail

Therefore, in the context of IELTS writing task 2, an essay outline could be defined as a sentence at the end of your introduction that tells the reader what will come next.

This sentence should simply and effectively give information about what the reader will encounter in the coming paragraphs but without any of the detail that will come later. For example:

This essay will look at both sides of the issue but argue that it is best to fix problems and reach for a better situation.

Here, my sentence has made it very clear to the reader that this essay will do three things:

• Look at one side of an issue
• Look at the other side of that issue
• Argue in favour of fixing problems

In just twenty-five words, it has offered an effective outline of my essay. It has prepared my reader for what will come next, guiding them conveniently through the essay.

Do you Need an Essay Outline?

For a task 2 essay, it is generally good to have a sentence that explains the rest of your essay. This helps with both Task Response and Coherence and Cohesion . However, its necessity actually depends on the kind of question you are answering.

For any question that requires an opinion, you must include an essay outline that gives your opinion. If you don’t, you won’t get a good score for Task Response. That is because, in order to get a band 7 or higher, your essay needs to:

present a clear position throughout the response Source: IELTS band descriptors

Thus, you must make your position (ie your opinion) clear in the introduction, the body paragraphs, and the conclusion .

If you don’t need to give an opinion, then it is less important but it is still a very good idea to include an essay outline. I would strongly suggest that you write a sentence that tells the reader what you will do next.

Here are some examples…

Essay Outline Templates

The following are examples of sentences you could use for the different IELTS writing question types. Obviously, they depend on the exact question asked and your intended answer.

Agree/Disagree Questions

• This essay will disagree with the notion that _____.
• This essay will argue that ____.

Note: People often make a huge mistake in agree/disagree questions because they paraphrase the question and then give their opinion. This means that they present the opinion as their own and then either agree or disagree with themselves! This is a very serious error. You can read more about it here .

Discussion Questions

• This essay will examine both sides of the issue and conclude that…
• This essay will look at both perspectives and argue that…
• This essay will look at both viewpoints and then argue that…

Advantages/Disadvantage Questions

If you are asked to discuss the advantages and disadvantages :

• This essay will explore the advantages and disadvantages of…
• This essay will explain the advantages and disadvantages of…

If you are asked to weigh the advantages and disadvantages:

• This essay will argue that the advantages of ___ outweigh the disadvantages.
• This essay will argue that the disadvantages of ___ outweigh the advantages.

Problem/Solution Questions

• This essay will first look at the causes of ___ and will then suggest several solutions.
• This essay will explore the causes of ____ and also will present a possible solution.

Note: As always, your essay outline will depend on what you want to say. You may have one solution or many. Make sure that your outline matches the content.

Two-Part Questions

This essay type is harder to approach in terms of essay outline because it would depend 100% on the actual questions. However, your structure for a two-part question will usually be the same and your outline should clearly reflect this.

Here is a sample two-part question:

Some parents buy their children whatever they ask for and allow their children to do whatever they want. Is this a good way to raise children? What consequences could this style of parenting have for children as they get older?

And here is how I would write my outline:

This essay will explore why this is not a good way to raise children and why it will have negative impacts upon them in future.

As you can see, it is split into two parts: the first question is addressed and then the second. It is simple and effective.

Should you Write “This essay will” or “I will”?

You may have noticed that in all my examples above, I wrote “This essay will…” That’s because it is a little more formal to drop the personal element . Even though some questions explicitly ask for your personal opinion, you can still answer them without personal pronouns. For example:

• I believe that countries should protect their seas and I will explain why in this essay.
• This essay will explain why countries should protect their seas.

Both of these sentences are fine, but using the more neutral and objective perspective is better. It avoids being personal, which is slightly informal. However, if you feel more comfortable saying “I think/believe/feel/etc.,” then go ahead and keep doing that.

Common Mistakes

There are some problems that I see when doing my IELTS writing correction service . Some are big problems and some are small.

The worst problem, which I already mentioned above, is when people agree/disagree with themselves. This is actually a problem with the first sentence rather than the outline sentence, but still it is the outline that appears wrong. For example:

City councils should band the construction of buildings that are in a different architectural style to the traditions of that area. I completely disagree with this notion.

This is a huge problem! The author has disagreed with himself because the first sentence is presented as his own perspective. It is very important that you never do this in IELTS. Instead, you should frame the viewpoint as someone else’s:

Some people argue that city councils should band the construction of buildings that are in a different architectural style to the traditions of that area. This essay will completely disagree with this notion.

I have fixed the first sentence and now changed the second to be a bit more formal.

Another problem concerns discussion questions. People often mix up words like this:

• This essay will explain both sides of view.
• This essay will look at both sides of the view.

Basically, they have misunderstood the word “view.” A view and a side are pretty much the same thing here. We can just say “both views” or “both sides of the issue/argument/debate.”

A very common problem is to say the same thing twice, like this:

• In my opinion, I think that…
• From my viewpoint, I think that…

Keep in mind that both the first and second parts of those sentences mean the same thing!

Finally, we need to remember that an essay can do some things but it cannot do others.

There are other words that can only apply to people (ie using “I”). For example:

In other words, your essay is not conscious and so it cannot do feel anything. It can only present ideas on your behalf.

Do you Always Need an Essay Outline?

Are essay outlines always necessary? The short answer is: no. However, omitting them is a quite advanced technique and so it is generally best to include one.

If you leave out an essay outline, then your introduction must be sophisticated enough to hint at later ideas and your body paragraphs must follow on very intuitively from the intro. The benefit of doing this is that you show a subtle and intelligent grasp of cohesion whilst also avoiding formulaic language.

Here is an example:

The tourism industry has grown enormously over the last fifty years, and there are few places which are unaffected by it. However, tourism rarely benefits the countries which tourists visit. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Introduction:

Tourism has been around for millennia, but in the late twentieth century it exploded in popularity. Nowadays, millions of people take off on holiday during their summer and winter vacations, often to foreign countries. It generally considered a positive phenomenon, bringing the people of the world closer together and boosting the economies of developing countries. However, there are some drawbacks.

Instead of following the usual approach of saying “This essay will…” or “I think that…” I have simply said that “It is generally considered a positive phenomenon,” and then hinted at my perspective by saying “there are some drawbacks.” This shows balance and in the body paragraphs I will present both the positives and negatives , finally coming to a conclusion, which is that I neither wholly agree nor disagree. Remember: you do not always need to give a strong opinion. Balance is fine.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

Related Posts

IELTS Topics: Mobile Phones [Speaking and Reading Lesson]

June 3, 2020

How to Structure a Paragraph

November 12, 2016

How to Write “Agree or Disagree” Essays for IELTS

January 15, 2021

The Road to IELTS Success

January 25, 2019

Leave a reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed .

Download my IELTS Books

Recent Posts

• How to Improve your IELTS Writing Score
• Past Simple vs Past Perfect
• Complex Sentences
• How to Score Band 9 [Video Lesson]
• Taxing Fast Food: Model IELTS Essay

Recent Comments

• Francisca on Adverb Clauses: A Comprehensive Guide
• Mariam on IELTS Writing Task 2: Two-Part Questions
• abdelhadi skini on Subordinating Conjunction vs Conjunctive Adverb
• David S. Wills on How to Describe Tables for IELTS Writing Task 1
• anonymous on How to Describe Tables for IELTS Writing Task 1
• Lesson Plans
• Model Essays
• TED Video Lessons
• Weekly Roundup

IELTS Writing: Structure, Tips, Strategies (Academic & General)

IELTS Writing: Structure, Tips, Strategies

Writing is one of the IELTS sections which assesses your writing skills.

A lot of candidates consider this part of the test the most challenging one.

We asked people on  Quora   about their IELTS results and came to the conclusion that it is actually true as in most cases the band for Writing was lower than for other parts.

In this article, IELTS Game will look at this part of the exam in more details and you will learn how to deal with it in the easiest way.

Table Of Contents

• General Information
• General Writing
• Academic Writing
• Writing assessment
• How to deal with writing section?
• How to Write an essay?
• Types of Writing essay
• How to Improve your score?

General Information about IELTS Writing exam

First of all, it’s necessary to know that Writing is different in two modules of the test.

• In the General Training IELTS you will need to write a letter in Task 1 and an essay in Task 2.
• Academic IELTS requires to write a report on some graph or chart in Task 1 and an essay in Task 2.
• The topics for essays in General and Academic modules can be different, but the strategy to write essays is the same.
• You will have 60 minutes for completing both tasks in the Writing part.

As a rule, the second task of writing, which is essay, requires you to write more and proves to be more challenging than the first one, and it is worth more points.

That is why it’s advisable to spend 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2.

General Training Writing

Writing in this module of the test includes two tasks: a letter and an essay. You will have 60 minutes to complete both tasks.

1. Task one General training

Task 1 is a letter concerning everyday situation that you are likely to encounter while living in an English-speaking environment.

For example , a letter to an accommodation officer, your employer or a friend. It is recommended to spend 20 minutes on it.

You may be asked to write an informal letter to your friend, a semi-formal letter, or an official letter. You will have to write at least 150 words.

Example of Task 1:

You have received a letter from your bank, asking you to acknowledge receipt of a new bank card. However, the card was missing from the envelope.

Write a letter to the bank’s head office. In your letter:

• explain why you are writing;
• express concern about the missing card;
• ask them what they intend to do.

2. Task two General training

Task 2 is an essay on some common topic, such as family, society, TV, school, communication, etc.

You should write at least 250 words and spend about 40 minutes on this task. Look at the example of an essay question:

Some people believe that teaching children at home is best for a child’s development while others think that it is important for children to go to school.

Discuss the advantages of both methods and give your own opinion.

IELTS Academic Writing

1. task 1 academic.

In Task 1 of the Academic module you will be asked to describe any of the 6 types of charts: a bar chart, a line graph, pie chart, a table, a diagram or a map.

However, in some cases you may have a combination of charts: such a table and a pie chart.

You don’t need to write about everything you see in a picture, you should sum up the information, talk about general trends and changes, and make comparisons.

The most important thing here is that you are not supposed to express your personal opinion, so you should avoid using such phrases as I think, In my opinion, etc.

2. Task 2 Academic

Task 2 is an essay on a given topic. Here,  the examiners assess your ability to express your opinion on a topic and support your ideas with arguments and examples and make conclusions.

Essay tasks in the Academic module are more challenging than in the General module.

Look at the example of an essay question:

It is generally believed that the Internet is an excellent means of communication but some people suggest that it may not be the best place to find information.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

How is Writing assessed in IELTS test?

Writing is marked using a 9-band scale. The examiners use 4 assessment criteria to score your writing:

• Task response / Task achievement;
• Coherence and Cohesion;
• Lexical Resource;
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy.

The first criterion (task response or task achievement) looks at the content of your answer to assess whether it is accurate and relevant to the topic in the question.

The next criterion (coherence and cohesion) describes how well you organize your ideas and how logically  they are sequenced.

Lexical resource assesses your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary .

According to the last criterion (grammatical range and accuracy), you should use a variety of sentence structures and grammar forms correctly.

You can look through the assessment criteria in more details on the official IELTS Website:  Task 1  and  Task 2 .

How to deal with the Writing part?

On a test day you will receive a question paper and two answer sheets: the first for Task 1 and the second for Task 2.

You won’t have any draft paper but you will be able to write on the question paper.

It’s really important to track your writing  time. It’s recommended to spend 20 minutes on first task and 40 on the second, as the essay is worth more marks.

So make sure that you allocate reasonable time for both tasks.

You must answer the questions you are asked.  Here is what you are supposed to do in your writing part.

• For Task 1 , select and report the main features, compare, summarize the data, identify trends illustrated in the charts, but don’t give your personal opinion.
• For Task 2 , read the question carefully and then write your answer on the topic, making sure you support your answer.

You should save enough time to proofread and check what you have written.

Don’t forget, you have to write at least 150 words in Task 1 and 250 words in your essay.

If you write shorter, you will lose points. You can write more words than necessary, but don’t expect to gain extra points for it.

How to write an Essay?

The majority of IELTS candidates really struggle with the second task of the Writing paper.

They have a lot of questions concerning types of questions, essay structure and ideas they have to talk about in their essay.

So, let’s take a closer look at this part of the Writing test.

As I have already mentioned above, essay questions can be different in two modules of the test.

But types of essay questions and structure of the answer is the same in both Academic and General Training modules.

You should always start completing Task 2 with making a plan for your answer.

It’s really important to think of the ideas you will write about before writing.

Without a plan you may get confused with different ideas, and your point of view may not be clear to the examiner.

Another point to consider is the paragraph structure.

In your essay you must have 4 or 5 paragraphs: the first paragraph is an introduction , then two or three body paragraphs , and the last paragraph is a conclusion .

Always keep in mind this general structure when you practice writing.

That was the general structure for writing an essay.

But you need to remember that there are several types of essay questions in the IELTS, so the structure of your answer can be a little bit different depending on the question.

So before planning your essay, read the question properly to understand what type of essay you have.

Types of IELTS Writing Essay

In general, there are 5 common types of essays in the IELTS test:

• Advantage/Disadvantage essay
• Opinion essay
• Problem and Solution essay (or Cause and Solution)
• Discussion essay
• Two-part Question (General Questions) essay

1. Advantage/disadvantage essay

In the advantage/disadvantage essay, you are going to have a task to discuss benefits and drawbacks of something or to compare whether advantages of some tendency outweigh disadvantages, or the other way round.

Some countries show their criminal trials on TV for people to watch.

Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

2. Opinion essay

In the opinion essay you will be given some statement and you’ll have to give your opinion on it (What is your opinion?) or agree/disagree with this point of view (To what extent do you agree or disagree?).

Here it’s important to choose only one side of an argument and stick to it throughout your essay.

Or you may not agree with both sides and suggest your point of view, but it should be completely different from what you have in the task.

This approach is called balanced opinion.

Some businesses now say that no one can smoke cigarettes in any of their offices. Some governments have banned smoking in all public places. This is a good idea but it also takes away some of our freedom.

Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons.

3. Problem & Solution Essay

The next type of essay ( problem and solution ) will ask you to find problems and suggest the solution to the problems.

In some cases you may be asked to write about causes of some problem.

Nowadays, more and more older people who need employment compete with the younger people for the same jobs.

What problems does this cause? What are the possible solutions?

4. Discussion Essay

The discussion essay will give you two opposing ideas and you will have to discuss these two points of view.

Here you don’t have to stick to this or that idea if you’re not asked to.

Very often, there will be the following phrase in the task  “… and give your opinion “, in this case you must give your opinion supporting one point of view.

Or you may express your personal opinion on this question ( balanced opinion ).

Some people believe that living in big cities is becoming more difficult. Others believe that it is getting easier.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

5. Two-part question Essay

In  two-part question essay  you will have to answer two questions.

The questions are usually of the same topic, and you will need to present a detailed answer to each question in a separate paragraph.

Cycling is more environmentally friendly than other forms of transport.

Why is it not popular in many places? How to increase its popularity?

How to improve your score for Writing?

To improve your score for writing, you will have to practice a lot and regularly.

While practicing make sure you comply with the following rules:

• Find out all the necessary information about types of questions in Task 1 and essay types in Task 2;
• Be aware of the assessment criteria, it will help you know what the examiners will be looking for;
• Practice describing different types of charts , graphs and diagrams (or writing different types of letters) in Task 1 and write as many essays of different types as possible;
• Track the time every time you practice writing : spend 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2. However, you need to remember that it is highly recommended that you save some time for proofreading;
• Every time you practice writing an essay or a diagram description / a letter, count your words and try to remember what space 150 and 250 words take on Writing Answer Sheet, you can download it from the Internet. You are not likely to have enough time to count words at the exam, so it would be good to be able to visually count the approximate number of words on the answer sheet.
• Remember that at the exam you will have to write your answers with a pencil, so while practicing you’d better use a pencil all the time to get used to it.

Important Links

Writing preparation.

• Basic Principles of IELTS Academic Writing task 1 & 2
• How to Distribute Your Time in IELTS Writing Exam?
• 4 Steps to write a band 9 IELTS essay introduction
• How to Write a Perfect Closing Paragraph for IELTS Essay?
• IELTS Writing Academic: Task 1 analysis with model answer

Grammar for Writing

• Spelling in IELTS exam: Rules | mistakes | British vs American
• Top 5 Grammar rules you should know for IELTS writing task 1 & 2
• Master Punctuation marks in IELTS Writing exam
• Complex Sentences in IELTS Writing Task 2

Vocabulary in IELTS writing

• How to use linking words in IELTS Writing exam? [Examples]
• What is Coherence and Cohesion in IELTS Writing exam?
• Master Lexical resources in IELTS Writing exam
• Download IELTS Advantage Writing Skills pdf book
• Collins Writing For IELTS pdf direct download with answer keys
• Download Get IELTS Band 9 pdf for speaking, Writing task 1 and 2
• Cambridge IELTS test books

Recent Exams

• Recent Academic IELTS Writing task 1 exercises – Bar Charts
• Expected topics for IELTS writing task 2 in January 2020

It is important for people to take risks IELTS writing task 2

Writing tips to score higher grades in assignments, how is a grammar checker important in creative writing.

Share this Post

Describe a company where you live that employs a lot of people

Describe a time you saw something interesting on social media, describe an occasion when many people were smiling, 3 ways to extract text from image using ocr, 30 essential ielts grammar rules and usage, advanced words for ielts writing with meaning, complete ielts academic reading test 22 – ielts game, complete ielts academic reading test 21 – ielts game, complete ielts academic reading test 20 – ielts game, 3 comments on “ielts writing: structure, tips, strategies (academic & general)”.

Hi, I appreciate your work, help and tips.

Can you please make a printable version (print option) for your articles in your website?

Thank you so much

Hello Adel, Welcome to IELTS Game, We will try to add this option soon

I WANT TO DO PALY THIS IELTS GAME PERFECTLY. THANK YOU.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

IELTS Blog & IELTS Mock Test

Ielts exam preparation for a higher band score., tips on how to write your ielts essay, some great tips on how to write your ielts essay:.

Well, this is a widely discussed issue about answering the Writing Task 2 of an IELTS test. In fact, the test takers are in deep trouble to deal with the questions and their potential answers. But this is not a big deal if someone follows some precise rules. This article is about some useful tips to start an IELTS essay and get a good band in the test. Before moving to the topic, some issues need discussion for you. So, an introductory speech would not taste bad to the beginners of IELTS test.

Achieving a band like 7.5+ is a long mountain to climb if the candidate lacks necessary preparations. The answers need to be perfectly correct and up to the standard. Application of grammar, spelling, punctuation, and vocabulary in right ways is also desired to achieve the score. The IELTS test taker should write the answers not entirely based on real facts. They have to apply their imaginations as well.

In IELTS Writing Task 2, an applicant is supposed to answer some particular questions. But, keep in mind – there is a limitation of time. The candidate should present the topic skillfully and obviously with no mistake. A pencil and paper will be used for the purpose, however, use of a pen is not prohibited. The candidate has to complete the task within the budgeted time – 40 minutes. No extra seconds will be offered.

There are some variations on the type of essays you might get in your writing task 2 question. They are usually – Opinion, Argument, Advantages/Disadvantages, Problem/solution and mixed essay. The candidates are also expected to use their experience and examples while answering them.

Actually, grading of the essay is predefined. The examiners mostly care about the coherence of the topic. Grammatical accuracy is also required. If you do not care about the grammar in your writing, you will lose a good portion of your score. Hence, this is always a good idea to know grammar, coherence, cohesion etc. while answering the writing section of this test.

Luckily, a wide number of tips and suggestions are available both online and offline, and the IELTS candidates can take a great help from those materials. It needs some moments to focus on the materials and know the secrets of success in IELTS.

I think you have got some ideas about the IELTS Writing Task 2 by now. So, let us start the tips.

Know the question:

Many of the IELTS candidates do not have any idea about the question as they do not read the question attentively. They simply answer the questions and copy some question lines on their answer script. They think it will add some exception. Wrong! I will not suggest copying questions from the question paper. Rather, my suggestions would be to follow the question. Get to know the question. Ask the question what it demands. In fact, this is a simple task. If you know your question completely, you would be able to understand what actually is demanded by the questions. You should never copy the question but always paraphrase it.

But if you know your question properly, you can answer them without losing any score. Knowing the questions plays a vital role here. DO NOT COPY questions on the answer script. Having the right knowledge on the question will help you answer them smoothly.

Take some notes:

A notable number of IELTS candidates avoid this step to save time. They do not take notes to deal with the questions. They have to realize that note taking is a part of the test. They need to take small notes either on their answer script or on their minds. This is a good way to raise the band score. A huge number of benefits are available in taking notes.

For instance, the IELTS question asks the candidate to write an essay about a problem about traffic congestions in his city and describes the detrimental impacts of the problem. Now the task is to describe the problems with proper examples.

In this case, a candidate should –

• Take some notes on the negative effects of traffic congestions. Pondering about the problem will help to sort out the harmful effects like wasting time on streets, loss of working hours etc. And this is not waste of time at all.
• Then the candidate should suggest some solutions. Adding some examples would raise chances of higher band in the test.

A brief model answer of the questions might be like this:

“Traffic congestion is increasing around the world. What is the situation in your own city? Do you have any suggestions that can help reduce the traffic jams?”

Answer: People consider traffic jam a curse as it kills valuable times and working hours every day.

(The candidate is supposed to take some drafts and then add the ideas into his answer) Reduction of traffic congestion is impossible to overnight. Awareness should be raised among people. Private vehicles should be reduced during peak hours.

Simply a model like this is helpful and the candidate should elaborate the answer necessarily.

Stick to the point:

While answering the Writing part 2, majority of the IELTS test takers are unable to stay focused to the point. They enlarge their answer unnecessarily. Most of the times, they cannot keep the track what they are writing. The entire writing becomes a hotchpotch for them. They forget about the rules and most importantly, they do not care about question topic. As a result, they miss the vital points of the questions. They forget about any important instruction. They also do not know what to do in such cases. Consequently, the Writing Part 2 becomes a nightmare for them. They blame their luck for not being successful in the test or for not getting the desired band.

Following a simple rule will improve the situation. As an IELTS test candidate, you will not need to elaborate the answers unnecessarily. You just need to stick to the main points. Write the answers to the point. Try making the points in line with the questions. If you want to put a logic, please keep it aligned with the question or with the relevant situations. Actually, the questions are not to assess your intelligence rather your knowledge on the topic. Underlining the keywords from the question will help you to set the answers.

For instance, the questions say to show the detrimental impacts of technology on youth and potential ways to get rid of it. And you begin this way-

“Technology is a blessing for all and it has countless benefits. It helps live a meaningful life but sometimes it has negative effects on young minds. People around the world are now dependent on technology. Youths are part of it. But they use it in a different manner. They are glued to the technological device. This is not good for them, I believe”

In fact, this is not the right approach. Your answer is derailing from the topic with unwanted lines. It wastes time, loses chances to a good score. Focusing on the problem would be more beneficial and you can do it this way –

“Technology is an asset but youths at present are abusing it. They waste time needlessly ….”

Budget your time:

Well, this is another important matter in the IELTS test. The time for the tests is limited. An applicant is to follow the time management skills while appearing on the test. There are varied suggestions regarding the time management. It is told before that the examiners will not allow a single extra second to the candidates to complete the test. When the time will be up, the live examiners will ask the candidates to stop writing or they will take the answer scripts. Hence, the candidates should be careful about time.

Planning ahead of time for the test would be the best. For completing an essay worth 250 to 280 words, an applicant should not use more than 36 minutes. This is from my personal experience. Though experts suggest spending around 40 minutes in this section and remaining 20 minutes for Writing Task 1. If someone can complete the task within 30 minutes, it points that s/ he will get a 10 minute extra. This 10 minutes could be used for different purposes. The applicants are in rush in the last moments. This extra minutes will help them in rush. They actually will not need to rush at all.

• Budgeting the time for each of the section is a must. And this is too important for the Writing Part 2.
• The applicant should not spend for over 5 minutes in thinking and planning. Actually, time flows rapidly in the test centres and exam halls.
• Map your answers spending not more than 5 minutes.

Think out of the box:

IELTS is a competitive skill assessment test. If you are unable to score a better band, some other will have that. So, your thoughts on the test need to be critical. Please keep in mind that if you cannot think out of the box, you will lose chances to have a remarkable band. When your thoughts would be critical, you would be able analyzing the questions from different perspectives. Actually, the examiners want the candidates to think deeply and make a unique resolution to the problems. Unless the answer scripts are filled with out of the box ideas, the examiners do not find interest in scoring a higher band.

As an IELTS candidate, you also should know that an examiner takes part in various activities. Examining the answer scripts is one of them. And if the answers are not attractive, they will lose interest in the answer script and consequently, the candidate will have a poor band. You do not need to be a rocket scientist. Your writing does not need to win the Nobel Prize. Simply it should provide the necessary answers in proper details.

The answers should be well organized with a simple look. The answer should be easily comprehensible for the readers (or the examiners). If you can think crucially, reflect the thoughts on the answer script.

Care Lexical features:

Well, an IELTS test is about testing the English language skills of the applicants. The examiners are expected to assess your capabilities and capacities with the language. Many of the applicants do not have the idea about the lexical features. They repeat words again and again. This is a kind of expression of empty inside for the candidates. The examiner expects to see some variety of language in the answer script. They also have an expectation that the candidates should use different terms and phrases in the answer script to describe their imaginations. But in reality, they do not find such variations.

This is an important part for the IELTS candidates. They should check the words they have composed on the answer script. It is wise not to repeat words in the answer script. The more you will repeat, the more the examiner will have a negative impression about your vocabulary. He will comprehend that as an IELTS test taker, you own a poor language knowledge. So, the band will be selected accordingly.

Hence, this is extremely important to select your words and apply them in the right place and in the right manner. A revision is required to change the words repeated in the answer script. It is easier to find the repeated words. Since you are not writing an epic at the test centre, you definitely will have some time in hand (if you budget your time for each of the questions accordingly).

Use Paragraphs:

Many of the IELTS test takers are unaware about the fact. They do not use paragraphs in their writings. They write the answers on the answer scripts in a single para. They clearly express their opinions on the lengthy single paragraph. But this is not the way of making a respectable answer to Writing Task 2. Hence, the candidates should take the matter seriously. Breaking down the ideas in several paragraphs is a helpful method. The candidates should follow the method to have several paragraphs while answering the questions. Actually, the candidates are asked to write an essay. But a lengthy paragraph makes the answer a ‘paragraph’ only. This is not an essay.

Thereby, the chance of a higher band is reduced in this case. The examiners do not care for such essays and grade poorly. The best idea is to make a detailed plan. Make sure you break down the paragraphs before writing the answer. Experts appreciate around four paras for an essay.

You can take an example-

An agree-disagree Writing Task 2 asks you to write about the matter or brushing teeth twice in a day and seeks your opinion about it.

– The first thing is an introduction. You can introduce your ideas in the first paragraph. – Place the agreements or logics that you generate on the second paragraph. – Write down the disagreements on the third paragraph. – Finally, place your own ideas in the last paragraph.

But you need to remain careful. Do not put any unwanted information on the paras. Do not add any expletives to expand the lines. Rather, it would be appreciated if you only expand your ideas with the right words.

At the end, you will find a healthy essay in all terms. To know more about paragraph writing on Writing Task 2, you can check some model answers from this website […………………………..].

Complete answers:

Interestingly, to reduce the pointless words, many of the IELTS test takers do not complete the answers. They prefer to write small sentences and in some cases, they write points only. But this is thoroughly a bad practice in IELTS test. The examiners are dissatisfied with such answers. The test is meant to assess your knowledge and skills on the English language. And if you do not complete the answers, the examiner will be unable to assess your potentials. Some examples might clear the fact.

An IELTS candidate can get a Writing Part 2 question like this:

“Climate change is a serious issue in these days.

What is causing global warming? How could they be neutralized? Is there any role of civil society other than the government?”

And many of the candidates fail to address the questions in right manner. Some of the wrong answers are as followed:

“Climate change is bad. This is hampering development. The potential ways to reduce climate change are –

– Reducing carbon emission – Planting trees – Stop deforestations – And so on …….”

But in reality, an examiner does not prefer such answer against this weighty question. The answer should be planned in a different technique.

The answer has no serious problem but if the answering way is changed, it will bring a better result. Adding the points into a paragraph (each point in a para with an explanation of one or two lines) could do much better. The answer will be completed.

Know grammar, spelling, and punctuation:

An IELTS candidate should care about the application of spelling, grammar and punctuation marks. Using the wrong grammar, making some informal sentence structure or not putting punctuation marks on right places can reduce marks in Writing Part 2. The candidates have to be careful about the issue. A prior practice is desirable to have a high band score in IELTS.

You might write the answer script filled with mistakes of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. And it quite natural to make mistakes if you are writing in an offline setting. An example may prove beneficial here.

If we consider the former question given above –

“Climate change is a serious issue in these days. What is causing global warming? How they could be neutralized?” “Reducing carbon emission is a great way to control climate change. People should be made aware of the issue. Planting trees everywhere is another way to defuse the problem.”

Be formal in language:

Application of informal expression is a common issue nowadays while discussion. But using the same type of language in Writing Task 2 is a big offence. In fact, the examiners will not love the matter. They would expect you to be formal in writing. Using the inappropriate terminologies and language is annoying for the examiners when they check the answer scripts.

Final words –

If you are armed with necessary knowledge, it is easier to have some high band score. Before moving for an IELTS Writing Task 2, a prior reading and knowing all the rules of the Grammar and language is a must. The tips here would also be supportive of potential candidates for IELTS takers. They should keep in mind that mistakes are unwelcomed and reduce the chances of success. Becoming practical is another way to carry some good bands. Be clear in expressing ideas without overstating. Adding examples than explanations will improve the writing style. The tips in this post will help them to get some good band score in this writing section.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

CAPTCHA fifteen − = ten

IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

• Test Information FAQ
• Band Scores
• IELTS Candidate Success Tips
• Computer IELTS: Pros & Cons
• How to Prepare
• Useful Links & Resources
• Recommended Books
• Writing Task 1
• Writing Task 2
• Speaking Part 1 Topics
• Speaking Part 2 Topics
• Speaking Part 3 Topics
• 100 Essay Questions
• On The Day Tips
• Top Results
• Advanced IELTS

How to write an IELTS Essay

Learn how to write a high band score IELTS essay step by step. You will find 15 key steps for a high score IELTS essay. These steps are for both GT and Academic Writing Task 2. After the steps listed below, you will find useful links that will help you learn more and develop the right skills necessary to be successful in IELTS.

Step by Step: How to tackle your IELTS essay

None of these steps below can be missed if you are aiming for a good score in your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay. Be strategic and focused in how you approach your IELTS essay. Failure to tackle the points below will result in a lower score. They are particularly important for candidates aiming for band 7 and above. For those candidates, you must fulfill the requirements of the higher band scores by following and mastering the steps below.

Step 1:  Make sure you identify the type of essay you have been given. This essay is what I call a “Direct Questions” essay. There are two specific questions that you must answer. The first question is about cause. You must state the cause of this trend. The second question requires you to evaluate. This means you must present your opinion as to whether you think this is a good thing or a bad thing. Click here to learn about the Types of IELTS Essays .

Step 2: Before you plan your essay, think about the structure . You have two questions and they are of equal weight. This means you will have two body paragraphs. Both body paragraphs will have equal length. Click here to learn about how many paragraphs in your essay .

Step 3 : Identify the issues in the essay question. The essay question above is very simple. It is about computer games. However, some IELTS essay questions are more complex so you must take time to identify the issue or issues. 

Step 4: Brainstorm main ideas . When you brainstorm main ideas. it does not mean you will use all your ideas in your essay. First, brainstorm ideas and after that select the best ideas. To prepare ideas, see this list of common essay topics .

Step 5: Develop supporting points . This is the step that most people miss. Most people plan their main ideas and then start writing. Your main ideas are certainly important, but the supporting points are equally as important. And this is the area where most people easily go off topic. So, using your planning time to prepare your supporting points. Don’t start writing until you are clear about the whole content of your body paragraphs.

Step 6 : Think about linking for body paragraphs and supporting points . Linking is another area that is often forgotten during the test. Linking and paragraphing is crucial. They are also both very very easy for you to score high points in. So, never overlook these two points. Plan your paragraphs and make sure you are using a good range of appropriate linking words. Here is a list of keywords .

Step 7 : Don’t waste time on your introduction . It is a functional paragraph which usually contains just two sentences. The bulk of the marks are in the body paragraphs.

Step 8: Read the essay question again before you start each body paragraph. This will help you make sure you are using the right language to present your ideas. People think having good ideas is enough. It is NOT enough. You must think about how you will present them. So, read the essay question again and get your bearings.

Step 9: Use a range of grammar features . This is not just about tense. There are a whole range of features that you can use to show your grammatical prowess. 

• noun phrases
• gerund noun phrases
• noun clauses
• language of probability
• relative clauses
• conditional statements
• Referencing
• quantifiers and intensifiers
• comparatives & superlatives
• passive voice

To learn more about grammar in Writing Task 2 and to avoid errors, consider my Grammar E-book whcih will help you boost your grammar score and improve your English. Click here to see a Preview of my Grammar E-book . My Grammar E-book is available in my online store: Liz’s Online Store

Step 10: Avoid errors in grammar : articles, pronouns, uncountable nouns, word order, tenses, complex sentences. The more errors you have, the lower your score. Knowing the strength of your grammar will help you avoid errors. Aim for accuracy – do not aim to impress. 

Step 11: Vocabulary only counts for 25% of your marks. Too many candidates focus too heavily on this area. Use vocabulary appropriate for the topic. Don’t over use idiomatic language. Idioms are mostly informal, not formal, so go with phrasal verbs instead which are also idiomatic. Don’t use less common vocabulary if you might use it incorrectly. Errors will lower your score. Aim for accuracy. Spelling counts. There are some useful vocabulary lists on this page: IELTS Vocabulary .

Step 12: Paraphrasing is a language skill that you need to demonstrate. This doesn’t mean changing all words all the time. It means being selective about which words you change and which words you will leave and repeat. It is fine to repeat some words. Over paraphrasing is one reason why many people get a low score in vocabulary.

Step 13 : Don’t aim for a long essay or a short essay . If it is too short, it means you haven’t developed your main ideas enough. If it is too long, it gives you room for more errors which will lower your score. Aim for between 270-290 words on the whole. Click here for a video lesson about essay length.

Step 14: Edit your essay. Leave 2 mins to edit your essay. Pay attention to not repeating linking words, checking spelling and spotting vocabulary errors. You might have other areas specific to your language skills that you want to check. Know your weaknesses.

Step 15 : Look at the clock. Timing is everything . You must be very strict with timing so that you have enough time to finish your essay. You can start with task 2 if you want, but if you do, make sure you leave 20 mins for task 1. Use no less than 5 mins preparing your essay. Use no less than 2 mins to check your essay at the end. This leaves around 33 mins for you to write your whole essay. Practise this at home under exam conditions until you are able to do this.

Step 16 : If you find my free lessons are not enough for you or if you want more in-depth training for essay writing, please get my Advanced Writing Task 2 lessons which are available in my online store. Click here: Liz’s Online Store

Other Useful Links

• IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Scores Explained
• IELTS Essay Questions for home practice
• When to give your opinion in an IELTS essay

Hope you find this page useful. From Liz 🙂 

……………………………………………………..

Free Subscribe to get new Posts by Email

Email Address

Hi Liz, I hope you are doing well!

I would like to thank you for the work you are doing. It is really appreciated! As it is strongly believed in my culture, being a teacher is a divine gift. And those who do it well like you with an open heart get a special blessing.

It would be useful to share my results to show how your videos and thorough explanations are effective

2019 Result: Overall 7.5, L&R 8.0, W 6.5, S 7.0

Dec 2021 Result: Overall 8.0, L&R 8.5, W 7.5 (the most important improvement), S 7.0

Special thanks for explaining the structure of the test, this is what I was looking for. In order to prepare it was enough just to go through EACH page of this amazing website.

Thank you and Regards, Dana from Kazakhstan

Wonderful to see your results and see how you’ve managed to increase your scores. Very well done 🙂 Thanks for sharing your results. It does other candidates a lot of good to be so inspired. Glad you’ve enjoyed my website 🙂

Liz, thanks!!! such a great person you are

stay healthy Liz!!! see you next year I will be in UK

Best wishes for 2022

Hi, Liz. Just want to say thank you so much for your unconditional sharing on the IELTS’ tips and strategies. I’m immensely grateful to be able to come across your teachings. I was really worried about the tests as I needed to prepare for the tests within 3 weeks but I managed to achieve the required band scores for all 4 components thanks to your materials. This website of yours and your Youtube videos are really really helpful and easy to understand. You have a beautiful smile and calming voice. You are one of the most gentle and lovely teachers I have ever met in my life. I can always feel your sincerity and love whenever I listen to you.

I came to know that you are currently under the weather, so pls pls pls take good care of yourself and stay positive always. Keep fighting! You can do it as I know you are a great Warrior! May the Universe bless you abundantly with great health and happiness ! Get well real soon!

For test takers, have believe and faith in yourselves. Lots of preparation and Confidence are the keys. All the best!

Thank you for your lovely message. Thank you for sharing goodness, positivity and hope. This world needs more people like you 🙂 Well done with your results 🙂

Hi Liz. I’m so happy to see your reply. This world needs more people like you too. Really appreciate your selfless sharing on IETLS. Thank you again and take care. Love always. ❤

Hi Liz. I sorry that you are unwell.l pray you get well soon. You are a great and talented teacher.

Dear Liz! At the moment I am experiencing my first students’ EILTS preparation and find the materials of your website more than useful. Thank you. It a pity to hear that you are sick. Please, get better as soon as possible. Wish you the best. Take as much care as you can. With deep respect. Irina. Kazakhstan

Thanks. Glad my materials are helping 🙂

Dear Liz, I wish you were strong and be healthy. Get well soon.

Best wishes, Sarunporn​

Liz I pray you get well soon

As a beginner of the ilets, I could find my level using your valuable lessons. Actually I haven’t any idea about ilets. But now I thirst for ilets because of you Liz. Thank you and god bless.

That’s wonderful. I love it when people start feeling enthusiastic for learning 🙂

Hi Liz, I pray the Almighty God will restore your health and strengthen you. It is a phase that will soon pass away. You are auch an amazing person and a great teacher. Love you

Hello mam, in writing task 2 general line is mandatory or not? Or we should start directly?

The first sentence of your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay should be paraphrasing the essay question which is the background statement of your introduction. Get straight into the essay. You are being marked on how focused your essay is.

I have literally learnt a lot from your lessons Liz and I can say even more than I could ever find by just random search on the internet and I’ve been improving. Thank you❤

You’re welcome 🙂

Hi, Liz. you are doing a great job. you are my inspiration. Please I would like to know if you also have tips on General IELTS test?

You can use all the same tips as the Academic test except for Writing Task 1. The listening and speaking test is 100% the same. The Reading questions are 100% the same but the passages are slightly easier. Writing Task 2 is the same, but with slightly easier questions. You can use all the tips on this website. For the GT writing Task 1, you can find tips for that at the bottom of the Writing Task 1 section of this website.

Hello Liz, wishing you divine Healing from God.Your recovery will be a Testimony to his Mighty Name.

Get well soon. Best wishes for your health🤲

Hi Liz! It’s so upsetting to know that you are in a difficulty! Despite your struggles, you are trying to be helpful to others, how amazing person you are! Couldn’t help myself respecting and admiring you! I hope this shall pass soon and wish you speedy recovery!

LOVE FROM UZBEKISTAN YOUR WEBSITE IS VERY HELPFUL AND USEFUL 😘

I love your way of teaching this. It’s been years I’m following you. In 2017 I did my academic IELTS with 8 bands because of you and now in 2021 I got 8 in General Training one. I’ve a request.

Please update about your health and about you. After a very long time I saw your article.

Please make a small YouTube thing. As your student I feel very worried about your health.

I’m so glad to hear how well you’ve done in IELTS. Good for you!! I’m glad my website is useful. Thanks for asking about my health. I’m still struggling. Each time I start getting better, I have had to move house and this causes me to get sick again. Without family supporting me, I am continuously struggling. Getting ahead it so hard without someone looking after me and helping me with practical tasks. I’m often physically weak and just getting meals is a strain on my system which often prevents my recovery. Anyway, I hope I won’t have to move house for a while and that might help. Hopefully I’ll start getting better again. I’ll see how I am by summer next year. However, a full recovery is still a long way away and not even guaranteed. It’s a very long hard road full of disappointments, strain and enormous isolation. I’m lucky that my determination to get better never fails, no matter how many years I struggle. Anyway, as soon as I’m feeling strong enough, I’ll make more lessons. I still dream of making English Liz website with free lessons for English language. My dreams keep me going. Thanks for your concern – it’s nice to know people are thinking of me.

So sorry to hear about your ill health, quick recovery ma’am. How I wish I’m in your country, I would have become your home care nurse until you recover but, I’m far away in my country Nigeria. If it’s achievable, I don’t mind coming just to make sure you are back on your feet to keep up with the good work you are doing for us all. Cheers to this idea!

That’s kind

Darling liz,

you will get well soon, I was struggling with IELTS, I was lost, did not know where to go. but you are the light of my IELTS journey. Millions of students prayers are with you. Thank you for sharing your unlimited knowledge with us.

loads of love

Thanks. I’m glad my lessons are useful to you 🙂

My previous score, before coming across your site, was: Overall: 7.5, L: 8.5, R: 7.5, S: 7, W: 6.5

After a month’s preparation using your site, I appeared for IELTS again and my score is as follows: Overall: 8, L: 9, R: 9, S: 7.5, W: 7

Thank you very much! It was extremely helpful.

That’s wonderful. Very well done to you – great scores 🙂

I found your resources highly helpful. I obtained an overall band 7 in my test. Thank you.

Band 7 is great – well done 🙂 I’m glad my site was useful

I was searching for this type of topic for a long time. Finally, this helps me a lot. Thanks Liz

Hello Ma’am, I’m actually not writing IELTS anytime soon, but I like learning from your blog and watching your videos. They are amazing.

I just feel to check up on you, and hope your health is getting better. I pray you divine healing as you get stronger and brighter each passing day.

Thanks for your wishes for my health. Glad you find my site useful 🙂

Hi Liz, your lessons extremely amazing and I learned lot from those. Can I know how to write if the essay like “Film stars or celebraties represent their view among audience about the profession they do not belog to. is it good or bad?” What type of essay is this?

The essay question contains a few language errors so make sure you are using authentic essay questions for your practice at home. This type of question often comes under the “Direct questions” category. But each teacher has different names for essay questions. This one requires you to present your opinion and evaluate if something is positive or negative. Always best to lean towards one side more than the other while presenting both.

Its really useful, I also get inputs from your posts to include in my teaching

That’s great 🙂

Hi Liz, Hows your health?? Have you started essay writing checking service??

Sorry, I haven’t started the marking service. My health still isn’t good.

Allah bless you with good health.

Ma’am, Are you alright now? I heard that you’re ill. May god bless you

Thanks for asking. I just put an update about my health in a response to someone else on this page – you can see it in one of the comments boxes. I appreciate your concern a lot

Speak Your Mind Cancel reply

Notify me of new posts by email.

Advanced IELTS Lessons & E-books

Click Below to Learn:

• IELTS Test Information

Copyright Notice

Copyright © Elizabeth Ferguson, 2014 – 2024

All rights reserved.

Privacy Policy & Disclaimer

• Click here:  Privacy Policy 
• Click here: Disclaimer

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2024 · Prose on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

• Trending Now
• Foundational Courses
• Data Science
• Practice Problem
• Machine Learning
• System Design
• DevOps Tutorial
• How To Score 90+ In English Class 10?
• How to write an Admission Experience?
• How to Score Above 90% in CBSE Class 10 Exams 2024
• English Essay Writing Tips, Examples, Format
• Essay on My Mother: 10 lines, 100 Words and 200 words essay
• How to Attempt Objective Questions in Board Exams?
• How to Become a Topper in Class 10 Exam- Know 25 Tips and Tricks!
• How to get Grace Marks in Board Exams?
• How to Prepare a Word List for the GRE General Test
• How To Add Correct Answers to Google Forms
• A Guide to Writing an Essay for Job Interviews
• How to write a Campus Experience?
• How to write other experiences?
• How to prepare in Last 10 days to score high in GATE?
• 10 Strategies to Follow to Score 90%+ in the CBSE Board Exam
• How to Score Good Marks in Exams?
• How to prepare for IELTS?
• 7 Tips to Score High in GATE 2024 in Last 10 Days
• List Of Important Medieval History Books And Their Writer

How to Write IELTS Essays to Score Band 9!

Planning to go study or work abroad? Aiming for excellent scores in your IELTS writing? Do you wish to get a band 9 score? Say no more because this is the article for you! Please go through this article to find writing tips, and applicants must get essay samples, which will help you get a band 9 in your IELTS essay. Taking the IELTS test is mandatory for studying or employment abroad, therefore it is essential that applicants get excellent scores in the writing section of the test.

Achieving a score of band 9 in the IELTS Writing requires a mastery of language and also knowledge of the assessment criteria and good writing strategies for the exam. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced applicant, going through this article will help you in turning your essay-writing skills from good to great!

Table of Content

IELTS Writing Section

1. writing – academic, 2. writing – general training.

• IELTS Writing task 2: Essay Writing – Important tips for Band 9 score

Step 1: Understand the question/task

Step 2: structure your ideas, step 3: start with a captivating introduction, step 4: write focused paragraphs, step 5: display good vocabulary and language skills, step 6: conclude properly:, step 7: edit and revise your essay:, step 8: avoid being redundant:, step 9: more is not always the best, step 10: diligently practice time management, step 11: seek help from experienced tutors and high-quality prep materials, sample essays for ielts to achieve a band score of 9, sample 1: discussion essay, sample 2: problems and solutions essay, sample 3: advantages and disadvantages essay, how to write ielts essays- faqs, can we use formal idioms in ielts writing, what are 4 types of ielts essay, how to identify essay type, what is important in ielts writing, what is not allowed in ielts writing.

The most crucial part of test preparation for IELTS includes the writing section. The duration of test is 60 minutes and the writing section includes two parts- Academic and General Training, both of which have two tasks each. All of them are explained below for a better understanding of the candidates:

The Academic section of the Writing test includes two tasks, each covering topics of general relevance and suitability for individuals enrolling for undergraduate or postgraduate studies, or those seeking professional employment.

The General Training section of the Writing test also includes two tasks that focus on topics of general interest, which were made to assess candidates’ ability to communicate properly in common real-life situations.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Essay Writing – Important tips for Band 9 score

Given below is a step-by-step guide to the IELTS Essay writing task:

• Grasp the keyword in the question to ensure a high score in essay writing.
• Carefully read and comprehend the question before answering. Identify the type of essay they expect you to write.
• Take note of any specific instructions like word limits, or key points to address.
• Do not immediately start writing after reading the question and spend a few minutes generating ideas related to the question.
• Clearly structure the outline of your essay in your mind which should include an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Decide on your main focus points for each paragraph and organize your ideas logically.
• A captivating opening that grabs the reader’s attention is always the best way to start your essay.
• Always provide some context to your topic in the introduction.
• The introduction should clearly state the main focus of your essay, which will be followed throughout in the your essay.
• Start each paragraph with a sentence that focuses on the primary concept of the essay.
• Support your ideas with relevant examples, facts, or evidence.
• Make sure that the transitions between paragraphs are smooth and comprehensive.
• Make sure to use an extensive range of vocabulary and grammatical structures.
• Express your ideas precisely and accurately.
• Use proverbs and phrases, if you can in relation to the topic.
• Provide a concise summary of the key points focused in the whole essay.
• Give a proper closing statement.
• Leave the reader with a lasting impression or a thought-provoking question.
• Allot some time in the end to re-read your essay to make sure there are no grammatical errors or spelling mistakes.
• Make necessary revisions to improve overall quality of your essay.
• Make sure your paragraphs are coherent and comprehensive.
• Make sure your answers are not repetitive.
• Avoid writing irrelevant information and unnecessarily repeating something. It will only make your writing too long and distract the examiner.
• The idea that lengthy essays will get you more marks is not always true.
• Ensure that you write approx. 300 words in task 2 as reading long answers can be frustrating for the examiner.
• Writing lengthy essays will also leave you with less time to revise.
• Make sure you have appropriate amount of time for each task.
• Practice writing essays within the given time limit to develop speed and efficiency.
• Keep track of your progress and adjust your writing speed accordingly.
• Share your essays with a teacher or experienced tutors for feedback.
• Identify areas that need improvement and work on enhancing those skills.
• Practice writing essays regularly to refine your technique.

Follow these guidelines to practice your essay writing skills and boost your confidence!

Some sample essays are given below in order to help the candidates enhance their writing skills:

Related Articles English Essay Writing Tips, Examples, Format IELTS Academic Test Experience IELTS Exam Pattern 2024: Section-wise IELTS Exam Paper Pattern, Question Types IELTS Exam Syllabus 2024 (Section-Wise): Listening, Reading, Writing & Speaking

Writing is an important aspect of the IELTS exam. Getting excellent scores in essay writing will definitely improve the prospects of clearing the exam for the applicants. A good understanding of the English language and a proper grasp of grammar along with the knowledge of how the writing will be assessed in the exam are the key to scoring band 9 in essay writing. Diligently practicing with a timer, and seeking feedback from experienced tutor will greatly improve one writing skills and help boost their confidence, which are important for achieving excellent scores in essay writing.

Only use idioms when it is appropriate. Writing Task 1 Academic, Writing Task 2 and formal letters are not appropriate as they require a formal tone. Don’t overuse idioms in the Speaking test. Don’t use idioms you don’t understand.

Some of the essay types seen in IELTS exams are- 1. Opinion essays (Agree or Disagree) 2. Advantages and Disadvantages essays. 3. Discussion (Discuss Both Views) essays. 4. Problem and Solution essays

Argumentative and expository essays are focused on conveying information and making clear points, while narrative and descriptive essays are about exercising creativity and writing in an interesting way.

On all writing tasks, paragraphing is important. You will really limit your score if you don’t use paragraphs or don’t use them well. So, make sure when you are preparing for the exam , you must review and practice proper paragraphs. A few key ideas here are topic sentences, supporting ideas, and staying on topic.

Avoid using contractions in your sentences. Example, can’t, don’t, it’s etc. Slang words and colloquialisms should be avoided in the writing tasks. Do not use the same words repeatedly.

Please Login to comment...

Similar reads.

• Study Abroad

Improve your Coding Skills with Practice

What kind of Experience do you want to share?