In IELTS Writing task 2, candidate needs to write an essay in at least 250 words wherein there could be a variety of essays that you can get. Be it any type of essay, you are scored on 4 parameters: Task response, coherence and cohesion, grammatical range and accuracy and lexical resource. While writing the essay, ensure you follow these guidelines to make it easier for you to score high

As per the IELTS exam criteria, test takers taking up Task 1 will be marked as per the four criteria including:

In order to get a good score in IELTS Writing Task 2, it is crucial to prepare a framework in mind and think about the answer before starting to write them. With planning, you can better organize your ideas and structure the essay, which eventually helps save much time.

It is rightly said, that the first impression marks a long-lasting impression on others. The introduction gives an idea to the examiner about the rest of the essay and also answers the question directly. Make the introduction clear and straight away, so that it helps write the main body paragraphs.

Also, while writing the main body, start with the main points and support your answer with relevant explanations and examples.

While writing the conclusion, summarize what you have already said in the rest of your essay.

Some other tricks to get a good score:

• First of all, you need to understand what IELTS Writing Task 2 is all about and most importantly what you are expected to write.
• Focus on your weaker areas and look for solutions. It is important to first identify WHY you are not able to get the scores you require before you start improving it.
• Practice is a very important and crucial part. But along with that, you need to get feedback as well so that you can know whether you are really improving or not.
• Take the help of your IELTS teacher who can provide accurate feedback on your work.

The above mentioned are a few of the templates for major and common kinds of essay questions that the test takers are supposed to write in IELTS writing Task-2.

For more practice, students are advised to enroll in Study Smart IELTS Preparation Course today where they can get access to IELTS classes, with video lectures, sample papers, mock tests, live classes, and much more.

Type 1: Opinion Essays

Opinion Essays are also referred to as ‘agree or disagree’/argumentative essays and they are the most common kind of IELTS Task 2 question. In this kind of essay, the first part of the question will be a statement and test takers will be asked to give their own suggestions about the facts.

Some of the common wording that is used in these essays includes what is your idea? And what is the reason for you to agree or disagree?

The test takers must give suitable reasons for agreeing or disagreeing with a particular opinion on the question. It is crucial to present both the views, from agreeing and disagreeing points of view, and then close the essay by presenting your own opinion.

Example: (minimum 250 words)

Topic – A big company is much more important than a good company. Do you agree or disagree? What’s your opinion?
So, make sure you present your thoughts in a clear way and understand the question first before penning down the answer.

Fresh job applicants these days are found discussing if a big company is much more important than a good company. Some believe a big company is of more importance and others feel a good company keep great value. The argument seems unending and is discussed further in the following paragraphs. I believe ‘a good company is better than a big company.’

Firstly, the important thing for a job aspirant is to find a suitable employment opportunity. The size of a company does not matter. The essential thing is the work atmosphere, facilities, and work culture. Above all, the job profile and the reward are decision-making factors there.

Most importantly, a job applicant needs to consider the need for a job and other essentials that also include learning at work. Many good companies facilitate learning at work and provide the option to choose from a pool of short-term, long-term courses, and training opportunities. These courses can help one fulfill one’s unfulfilled dream of higher or professional studies. The learning and training at a good company will help you expand your knowledge, enhance your skills, and increase your work efficiency. Moreover, the earned degrees can add value to your profile and make you stand out in the crowd.

Finally, what matter more for an employee is the employee-friendly atmosphere, amenities, remuneration, and perks. The free of cost or company sponsored learning facilities at work can prove to be like an icing on the cake.

To conclude, I would like to say that the great learning and growth opportunities in a small but good company are far better than a big company.

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In these kinds of essays, the test takers need to discuss both cons and pros of an argument. Usually, the exam taker is asked to present opinion. The most common way to use this kind of IELTS Task 2 question is to choose one point of view to agree with while another side to disagree with.

The easiest way to do so is to develop an understanding of both sides of the argument and discuss the view you do not agree with first. Many students develop just one point of view, which results in an unbalanced essay and a low score on IELTS.

It is quite easy to start discussing the opinion first on the topic you agree with before presenting the reasons for opposing the same.

To score a good score in this, understand the question asked completely, take up some time to plan the essay, and then start writing the same.

Sample Topic

Many people think that technology is good for students, while some think it’s having a bad impact on them.
Here, you have to speak on both sides before writing your opinion.

Many people think that technology is good for students, while some think it’s having a bad impact on them. The following paragraphs will discuss the pros and cons of technology.

To begin with, technology no doubt has made the living in the modern time more comfortable. For students, technology has proved to be a boon. For a student, the whole world today is in a Smartphone, computer working on internet-enabled technology. Students can have access to an ample amount of information in seconds. Now, there is no need to carry heavy bags to college. The syllabus and course curriculum of different programs is available in digital form. You have e-books as an alternate of heavy physical books. Internet supported search engines like Google, Yahoo, and others are the ocean of knowledge.

Moreover, you get the answer to your questions in a fraction of seconds. The Smartphone is a mobile technology easy to carry, store, and use. It has easy navigation, irresistible features including audio calling, video calling, SMS, MMS, and much more. Students can apply for the desired study program in a university located in any part of the world sitting back at any comfortable location. The admission process and other formalities can be completed using online facilities. Thus, technology has a host of advantages for students.

On the other hand, if considering cons of technologies in case of students, there is a lot of wrong or fake information online that becomes the cause for a wrong decision. These wrong decisions related to educational career, financial problem, misguidance, etc. can result in unexpected incidents. The easy and some time free access to information makes students avoid doing hard work. The long and continued usage of Technology- based devices like Smartphone, Laptop, Tablets becomes the major cause of weak eye-sight, hearing problem, and other health problems. The unethical usages of technologies have turned talented students to criminal minds. Thus, there are many cons of using technologies for students.

I personally feel technology is good for students. The pros and cons detailed above conclude that the pros of technologies over cons are more. Millions of students are taking unlimited advantage of the modern and latest technologies and excelling in their career. In my opinion, the good or bad impact depends on the intention with which a student uses a technology.

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This kind of essay is also known as ‘causes and solutions’ or ‘problems and solution essays. This type of IELTS Task 2 question begins with a statement, where the test takers are asked to discuss the problems or causes and the solutions.

One of the most common mistakes made by the candidates is that they face difficulty while listing all the problems/causes and solutions they can think to have, and do not link them together. Also in many cases, they fail to explain any of them in detail and don’t add relevant examples.

The topics asked in problem essays are very common and of general interest so that the test takers can present their thoughts in an impressive way. The applicants must be creative and innovative while presenting their thoughts.

For instance,

Problem Essay Topic

Traffic congestion has become an important issue in every country and due to this people face a lot of problems.

Here the test takers are supposed to discuss the possible outcomes to overcome it. The more unique, innovative, and cohesive you write, the better you will get a good score.

The first part of the question would be a statement and the test takers are supposed to write about both the advantages and disadvantages of the idea stated. Some of the most common wording used includes – What are the advantages and disadvantages of a particular ….? Present your opinion and advantages/ disadvantages about the same.

For example,

Topics like – “Some people think it is good to study aboard.”

Write your opinion mentioning the advantages/ disadvantages of this statement.

Post understanding the statement, the test takers must write down the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad. Make sure that all the points are valid for both sides.

An IELTS two-part essay is one that has two questions. In favor of one sentence, there are two different questions. It is important to clearly answer both questions in your essay. In case a student has not answered one question, they will not be able to get a good score even in case they have written 250 words. The applicants can make their essays unique by including some facts and figures, their opinions, ideas, and descriptions.

For example –

Many students have started excessive usage of mobile applications day and night. What is the reason for doing so? What as a parent you can do to avoid this situation from getting worse?

Since there are two questions for the particular statement, one has to answer both questions in the best possible way within the desired word limit. A minimum of 250 words is required.

Sample Model Answer

In a compare and contrast type essay, the test takers are supposed to distinguish between two items by mentioning their similarities & differences. There will be two items, like any event, element, or thing where you need to compare and contrast both things.

A compare and contrast essay is the best essay type where students have to use their vocabulary and defining abilities. They can mention and outline all the similarities and dissimilarities among the two things asked in the question.

For example,

Many people choose to live in apartments while others believe that villas are the preferable option.

You need to compare and contrast the advantages and drawbacks of living in apartments versus villas.

At least 250 words

Broadly, the essays can be structured in 4 paragraphs as follows:

• Paragraph 1: Introduction
• Paragraph 2: Benefits of living in a house/apartment
• Paragraph 3: Issues of living in a house/apartment
• Paragraph 4: Conclusion

The details related to the same are discussed here:

Paragraph 1- Introduction

Sentence 1- Paraphrase the Question

Sentence 2-Outline the sentence

Paragraph 2- Body Paragraph 1 (Apartment)

Sentence 1- State the benefit

Sentence 2- Explain how it will be beneficial.

Sentence 4- Write an example

Paragraph 3 – Body Paragraph 2 (House)

Sentence 1- State the issue

Sentence 2- Explain how it results in the occurrence of this issue

Sentence 3- Write an example

Paragraph 4- Conclusion

Sentence 1- Summary of the main point to bring to a conclusion with reasons

Introduction

The significance of……………………….. That was always reasons for debate has now become easy or controversial with more people claiming that it is purposeful however others are not in favor. The major influence of this trend has boosted the disagreement over the possible impact in recent years. In my view, this kind of proposition looks more rational. This section will further explain my thoughts on favoring the good and bad consequences and thus, will lead to a logical conclusion.

Body paragraph 1

Analyzing the statement and explaining further, the first and the most important reason behind this is that________________. Another striking advantage regarding this is that________________. Categorically discussing, it cannot be ignored that the main cause behind this is that___________.

Body paragraph 2

Moving to the next, one of the main and significant reason stems from the topic is that____________________. Moving further, it is relevant to put that_________________. Moreover, __________. Apart from the points discussed in the above section, it is clearly mentioned why most of the people are against/in favor of this point.

Conclusion

In this part to the arguments mentioned above, one can conclude that the advantages /disadvantages of _______________ are indeed too great or difficult to ignore.

In most cases, four paragraphs are enough to explain your point of view. The test takers can use different other structures they are comfortable with, but this structure has received approval from the IELTS examiners to assist students in writing effectively.

The test takers must understand the question first before starting to write the answer. This way, they can understand the examiner’s point of view. Many times, students don’t read the question completely and end up writing something else than expected. Thus, it is important to first analyze the question, look at the question type, then look at the keywords in the question and then finally start writing the answer. This helps understand exactly what the examiner expects the test takers to write in the question.

The below detailed information will help you understand better the ways the score calculation is done to award the deserved Band used to represent score in the IELTS.

IELTS Writing Marking Criteria

The IELTS writing band marks is decided based on 4 important criteria. The details mentioned below explain the marking criteria:

IELTS Writing Score Task 1	IELTS Writing Score Task 2
Task Achievement- Score 7	Task Achievement: Score 6
Coherence & Cohesion: Score 6	Coherence & Cohesion: Score 7
Lexical Resource: Score 8	Lexical Resource: Score 8
Grammar: Score 7	Grammar: Score 6

By calculating the addition of all of them it will be 82. To get a mean score, 82 needs must be done with division by 12. So, 82÷ 12 would be equal to 6.83. Therefore, 6.83 will be the total writing marks of the candidate.

How is IELTS Writing Task 2 Marked?

In each assessment in IELTS academic and IELTS general, candidates will get equally marked based on 4 assessment criteria:

For IELTS Academic Writing Task 2

Task Response	This is regarding how the candidates are able to construct the essay by following all the instructions, word limit, and relevance. To ensure a high IELTS score, the candidates must: Focus on writing good ideas; Structuring the essay by focusing on main & supporting ideas.
Coherence and Cohesion	Uses cohesion in an attractive way and smartly manages to write a paragraph
Lexical Resource	Uses different vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control of lexical features

For IELTS General Writing Task 2

Task Achievement	Task achievement is an individual’s ability to answer all the given questions properly. To score well for task achievement, one must do the following 3 things: Answer the actual question asked; answer all parts of the question; and clearly present your opinion & support it with well-structured ideas.
Cohesion and Coherence	Cohesion & Coherence are an individual’s ability to smartly organize and present their ideas so that the essay writing by them can be understood by the examiner. To get a good score well in Cohesion and Coherence, do the following things: Write an essay with clear thoughts, which can be understood clearly; organize ideas & information in a logical manner; progress clearly from one idea to another; adopt cohesive to establish connections between thoughts, sentences, and paras.
Lexical Resource	It means vocabulary so means words & phrases one use in essays. To get good score for Lexical Resource one must use a different style of vocabulary; use it smartly and appropriately, and use topic-specific vocabulary

Some people assume that wild animals must not be kept in zoos. While others believe that there are good reasons for keeping them in zoos.

You are supposed to present your views and give your own opinion.

A wide category of animals and birds live in wildlife sanctuaries today. Presently, wildlife sanctuaries are a key tourist attraction in many countries along with being a natural habitat for animals. I strongly believe that visitors must not be allowed to visit wildlife sanctuaries as they disturb the animals there and make them feel insecure.

 (Viewpoint 1)

To begin with, there are various reasons for establishing sanctuaries in major cities since they gather tourist attention and earn public revenues. At sanctuaries, visitors get an opportunity to see numerous wild animals living in their natural habitat. Even they can see rare endangered species such as the Bengal tiger, Chinese panda, etc. in wildlife sanctuaries, which they might not see somewhere else.

(Viewpoint 2)

Many people believe that animals are safe and free in sanctuaries but in reality, they are not. Though they are not kept inside cages their movement gets affected after seeing so many tourist vehicles and crowds. To save themselves from getting hurt, animals in some conditions attack visitors, which later becomes the top headline in a newspaper. The animals like lions, bears, monkeys, deer, etc. also feel insecure seeing a lot of visitors. Due to this, animals sometimes remain unhappy and are not able to move freely.

 (Your Opinion)

I strongly believe that wildlife sanctuaries must remain the natural habitat of animals and they must not be disturbed there. The governments of all countries must take initiatives to safeguard animals by stopping the entry of visitors into wildlife sanctuaries, which now has become a way to earn profit for them.

FAQs

1. Can I complete the IELTS test in a day?
   • Yes, the test takers have to complete the Listening, Reading, and Writing components of the test in a single day only.
2. What do I need to carry while going for the exam?
   • The test takers are allowed to bring only pens, pencils, and erasers. Make sure you switch off your mobile phones and keep the same in your bags.
3. Can I take longer than 20 minutes to complete Task 1?
   • No, an extension in time will not be given. The test takers are provided with 20 minutes time limit and they must follow the same. If they use more time than the allotted time, then they might not be able to complete Task 2 successfully.
4. Will I lose some marks if I write fewer words than expected?
   • Yes, the test takers will be penalized in case they write fewer words than the minimum requirement.
5. How the IELTS Writing test is getting assessed?
   • The writing tasks will be assessed based on the four criteria including task achievement/response; coherence and cohesion; lexical resource; grammatical range and accuracy.

The writing tasks will be assessed based on the four criteria including task achievement/response; coherence and cohesion; lexical resource; grammatical range and accuracy.

Thus, IELTS Writing preparation unlike other modules wants you to invest your time, stay confident, and prepare under the guidance of an expert IELTS trainer to achieve the desired band in the exam. Also, your seriousness about your preparation, focus on your study, and passion for excellence can help you pass the exam with flying colours.

Enroll for the professional IELTS training at Study Smart Overseas Education. Rush to book your seat today!