IELTS Writing Task 2 questions come in six types, named by what the last sentence asks: an opinion question (to what extent do you agree?), a discussion of two views, advantages and disadvantages, problems and solutions, two direct questions, and whether a trend is a positive or negative development. Each needs a different plan, and all of them need at least 250 words, about 40 minutes and a clear position.
250
words at least, in about 40 minutes
2/3
of the Writing band comes from Task 2
6
question types, named by the last sentence
1
clear position, from introduction to conclusion
What are the Task 2 essay types?
The six types are opinion, discussion, advantages and disadvantages, problem and solution, two-part questions, and positive or negative development. IELTS itself does not publish a list of types: it describes Task 2 as a point of view, argument or problem for you to discuss, in at least 250 words and about 40 minutes. The types are the way teachers group the questions, by the instruction that ends them.
The instruction is what you are marked against. Task Response, a quarter of every Task 2 score, asks whether "the main parts of the prompt are appropriately addressed", so the type tells you what the main parts are.
| Type | The question usually ends | What a full answer needs |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion | To what extent do you agree or disagree? | One position, held throughout, with reasons |
| Discussion | Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. | Both views with their reasons, and your own opinion |
| Advantages and disadvantages | What are the advantages and disadvantages? or Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? | Both sides, and a verdict when it says outweigh |
| Problem and solution | What are the causes, and what can be done? | Causes or problems, and a solution for each |
| Two-part question | Two direct questions | A direct answer to each, at similar length |
| Positive or negative development | Is this a positive or negative development? | A verdict, argued from the effects of the trend |
Task 2 is the same task in both modules. Academic and General Training candidates see the same kinds of question, and IELTS asks for a semi-formal or neutral style in both.
How do you tell which type of question it is?
Read the last sentence of the prompt first: it is the instruction, and it names the type. The statement before it only gives the topic. Five questions, asked in this order, sort every Task 2 prompt:
Which Task 2 question is this?
Every answer at a glance
Opinion essay
State your position in the introduction and hold it to the end. Agreeing in part is a position too, as long as you say which part and why.
Some people say that newspapers should not report on the private lives of famous people. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Discussion essay
Discuss both views, each with its reasons, whichever one you hold, and then give your own opinion in so many words.
Some people think the best way to reduce crime is longer prison sentences. Others believe there are better ways. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Advantages and disadvantages essay
Cover both sides. If the question asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, you must also say which side is greater.
In many countries, young adults now live with their parents for longer than in the past. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
Problem and solution essay
Answer every part: the causes or problems, and a solution for each one you raise. Causes without solutions is half an answer.
Many adults today sleep fewer hours than they need. What are the causes of this, and what measures could be taken to solve the problem?
Positive or negative development
Give a verdict: positive, negative, or one side outweighing the other, and argue it from the effects of the trend, not from a description of it.
More and more people now repair their old phones and laptops instead of buying new ones. Is this a positive or negative development?
Two-part question
Answer each question directly and at similar length. The two questions usually become your two body paragraphs.
More adults than ever are learning a second language. Why do adults decide to learn a new language? What is the best way for them to do it?
The order matters for one common case. A prompt that asks "Why is this happening? Is it a positive or negative development?" contains a development question, but it also asks a second question. Answer both, as a two-part question, or half the prompt goes unanswered.
Try the method on six questions written for this guide:
Check yourselfName the type of question
6 questions1Some people believe that the best way to reduce crime is to give longer prison sentences. Others think there are better ways of reducing crime. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
The answer is Discussion. Two opposing views and the instruction to discuss both. It also asks for your opinion, so an essay that only reports the two views has not answered it.
2In many countries, young adults are living with their parents for longer than in the past. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
The answer is Advantages and disadvantages. It asks about advantages and disadvantages. The word outweigh means you must also say which side is greater, so this one needs a verdict.
3More and more people are buying second-hand clothes instead of new ones. Why is this happening? Is it a positive or negative development?
The answer is Two-part question. There are two direct questions and each needs its own answer. The second asks for a verdict on the trend, but the first asks why it is happening, so treat it as a two-part question.
4Many adults today sleep fewer hours than they need. What are the causes of this, and what measures could be taken to solve the problem?
The answer is Problem and solution. Causes and measures to solve the problem. It has two questions, but they are the two halves of a problem and solution essay, and each solution should answer a cause.
5Some people say that newspapers and television should not report on the private lives of famous people. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
The answer is Opinion. To what extent do you agree or disagree is the opinion question. You can agree, disagree or agree in part, but the essay needs one clear position.
6In some cities, people increasingly work from cafés and shared offices rather than from home or a company office. Is this a positive or negative development?
The answer is Positive or negative development. A trend and the single question whether it is positive or negative. Unlike an advantages and disadvantages question, it always needs a verdict.
How should each type of essay be planned?
Every Task 2 essay has the same frame of an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion, but each type fills the body paragraphs differently. Plan which job each paragraph does before you write a word.
| Type | Introduction | Body paragraph 1 | Body paragraph 2 | Conclusion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Opinion | The topic and your position | The main reason for your view | A second reason, or the part you disagree with | Your position, restated |
| Discussion | The two views and your opinion | The first view and its reasons | The second view and its reasons | Your opinion, with the reason it wins |
| Advantages and disadvantages | The topic, and your verdict if asked | The advantages | The disadvantages | Which side is greater, if asked |
| Problem and solution | The topic and what you will cover | The causes or problems | A solution for each | A summary of both |
| Two-part question | The topic and a short answer to each | The answer to the first question | The answer to the second | Both answers, in a sentence |
| Positive or negative development | The trend and your verdict | The effects that support your verdict | The other side, and why it weighs less | Your verdict, restated |
Two body paragraphs is enough for most essays at 250 to 300 words. A third is fine if each one still has a single, developed idea; three thin paragraphs score worse than two full ones, because Task Response at Band 6 already notes main ideas that "may be insufficiently developed".
How do you write the introduction and the conclusion?
The introduction does two jobs in two sentences: it restates the topic in your own words and it answers the question, by giving your position or saying what the essay will cover. The conclusion repeats that answer in new words. Neither needs a hook, a quotation or a definition.
Restating means changing the structure, not swapping one word. Words copied from the question earn nothing, because the descriptors state that "any copied rubric must be discounted".
Copied
Some people think that every child should learn to play a musical instrument at school. In this essay I will discuss this topic and give my opinion.
The first sentence is the question itself, and the second promises an answer without giving one.
Restated and answered
Some argue that schools should teach every pupil an instrument. I largely agree, although the aim should be confidence with music rather than mastery.
The topic is restated in new words, and the reader knows the writer's position before the first body paragraph.
A conclusion that works the same way: "In conclusion, I largely agree that every child should learn an instrument at school, because it builds discipline and gives everyone a fair chance to discover a talent." It adds no new idea, because a new idea in the last paragraph is one the essay never develops.
What does a Band 8 essay look like?
A Band 8 essay states a clear position, develops each idea with specific support, and moves from point to point without the joins showing. It is not long or ornate. Here is an opinion essay written for this guide, with the features that earn the band marked in place:
Some people think that every child should learn to play a musical instrument at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Music lessons are often the first subject to be cut when school budgets are tight, yet some people argue that the opposite should happen and that every child should be taught an instrument. I largely agree with this view, although I think the aim should be confidence with music rather than mastery of an instrument.1
The strongest case for these lessons is that2 learning an instrument builds habits that carry over into other subjects. A child who practises the recorder for ten minutes a day is learning that small, regular effort produces visible progress, which is exactly the attitude needed to master fractions or a foreign language3. Moreover, for children whose families could never afford private lessons, school is the only place where they will ever hold a violin or sit at a piano. Leaving music to choice would, in practice, leave it to the children whose parents already value it.4
That said,5 insisting that every child become a competent player is unrealistic. Some pupils find the physical coordination genuinely difficult, and forcing them through years of lessons they dread may turn them against music altogether. A more sensible approach would be to give every child a year or two of lessons in primary school6, followed by the freedom to continue or to move to other musical activities, such as singing in a choir or composing on a computer.
In conclusion, I largely agree that every child should learn an instrument at school, because it builds discipline and gives everyone a fair chance to discover a talent. However, the goal should be a genuine opportunity for every child, not a requirement that every child succeed7.
- 1“I largely agree with this view, although I think the aim should be confidence with music rather than mastery of an instrument.” The position, in the introduction, with its limit stated. Agreeing in part is a clear position because it says which part.
- 2“The strongest case for these lessons is that” A topic sentence: the paragraph's one idea, stated first.
- 3“which is exactly the attitude needed to master fractions or a foreign language” The idea is extended with a concrete link, not left as a claim. This is what well extended and supported looks like.
- 4“Leaving music to choice would, in practice, leave it to the children whose parents already value it.” A precise final point that answers the obvious objection (why not let children choose?).
- 5“That said,” The essay turns to the limit of its position, which is the reason for the second body paragraph.
- 6“A more sensible approach would be to give every child a year or two of lessons in primary school” A specific alternative instead of a vague middle ground.
- 7“the goal should be a genuine opportunity for every child, not a requirement that every child succeed” The conclusion restates the same position in new words. It does not introduce a new idea or change its mind.
Look at the shape rather than the words. The introduction gives a qualified position. Each body paragraph has one idea, stated in its first sentence and supported with a concrete example. The second paragraph exists because the position has a limit. The conclusion says the same thing as the introduction, in different words. That shape works for any opinion question.
How do you write a clear position?
A clear position is one sentence, usually at the end of the introduction, that says what you think in answer to the question, and then every paragraph supports it. The descriptors make it the dividing line: at Band 7 "a clear and developed position is presented"; at Band 6 the conclusions drawn "may be unclear, unjustified or repetitive".
Three habits keep a position clear:
- Answer the question that was asked. To what extent do you agree is answered with how far you agree: completely, largely, partly, not at all.
- Say it in the introduction. The examiner should know your view before the first body paragraph begins.
- Do not change your mind. An essay that agrees in the introduction and disagrees in the conclusion has two positions, which is the same as none.
Sitting on the fence is not the same as agreeing in part. "There are good arguments on both sides" is not a position. "I agree that X, but only when Y" is one.
What separates a Band 6 body paragraph from a Band 7 one?
A Band 7 body paragraph makes one point and develops it, while a Band 6 paragraph tends to list several points with little support and lean on linking words. Here is the first body paragraph of the essay above, as a Band 6 and a Band 7 candidate might write it:
Band 6
Firstly, learning music is very important for children because it can improve their skills. For example, when children practise an instrument every day, they will become more discipline and this is also useful in other subjects. Secondly, many families are poor and they cannot pay for private lessons, so school is the only chance for them. Therefore, music should be compulsory for all children in every school.
Two ideas, each mentioned and dropped. "Improve their skills" says nothing specific, "more discipline" should be "more disciplined", and Firstly, Secondly and Therefore do the work that the ideas should.
Band 7
One good reason for teaching every child an instrument is that it builds discipline. Children who practise for a few minutes every day learn that regular effort leads to progress, and this attitude is useful in subjects such as mathematics. In addition, school may be the only place where children from poorer families can learn an instrument, because private lessons are expensive. For these children, compulsory lessons would offer an opportunity they would otherwise never have.
Each idea is explained, "this attitude" and "these children" link the sentences, and the grammar is controlled. It is less precise than the Band 8 version, which is the distance between 7 and 8.
How should you use the 40 minutes?
Spend about five minutes planning, thirty writing and five checking. The plan is where the type, the position and the two body-paragraph ideas are decided; writing without one is how essays end up answering half the question.
To scale
Forty minutes for Task 2
- Plan · 5 minDecide the type, your position and one idea per body paragraph
- Introduction · 3 minRestate the question and give your position
- Body paragraph 1 · 12 minOne idea, explained and supported
- Body paragraph 2 · 12 minThe second idea, or the other side
- Conclusion · 3 minYour position again, in new words
- Check · 5 minEvery part of the question answered; errors you know you make
In the checking minutes, look for two things only: that every part of the question has been answered, and the errors you know you tend to make. There is no time to rewrite a paragraph, but there is time to add a missing verdict or fix a tense.
What are the most common Task 2 mistakes?
Most lost marks in Task 2 come from answering only part of the question, an unclear position, or ideas that are listed but never developed. The descriptors name each of them:
- Half an answer. Causes without solutions, or one of two questions answered. At Band 6 "some may be more fully covered than others"; at Band 5 "the main parts of the prompt are incompletely addressed".
- No clear position, or one that changes. The step from Band 6 to Band 7 in Task Response.
- Listing instead of developing. Four reasons in a sentence each score less than two reasons explained.
- Memorised paragraphs. Formulaic language is a weakness the vocabulary descriptors name at Band 4, and a wholly memorised answer can be given Band 0.
- Copying the question. "Any copied rubric must be discounted": restate the topic in your own words.
- Running out of time for Task 2 after a long Task 1. Task 2 counts twice as much, so it gets twice the time.
For what each criterion asks for at each band, read the Writing band descriptors in plain English. For Task 1, see how to describe any chart, map or process.
Try it on a full paper
Writing · 60 minutes
A band for each task, your own sentences corrected, a Band 8 sample.
The Writing test library sorts every Task 2 question by type, so you can practise the ones you find hardest: opinion essays, discussion essays or two-part questions. To have an essay you have already written marked on the four criteria, use the Task 2 checker.
Where to check this
Every rule in this guide comes from these official pages. Test centres can differ on dates and arrangements, so check yours too.
Questions people ask next
How many types of IELTS Writing Task 2 essay are there?
IELTS does not publish a list. Teachers usually group the questions into five or six types by what the last sentence asks: opinion, discussion, advantages and disadvantages, problem and solution, two-part questions, and positive or negative development. The labels matter less than answering every part of the question.
Can I partly agree in an opinion essay?
Yes. Agreeing in part is a position, as long as you say which part you agree with and why, and keep the same position from the introduction to the conclusion. What lowers Task Response is a position that is unclear, or one that changes halfway through.
Do I have to give my opinion in an advantages and disadvantages essay?
Only when the question asks for one. If it asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, you must say which side is greater. If it simply asks what the advantages and disadvantages are, cover both fairly; a short view in the conclusion does no harm.
How many paragraphs should a Task 2 essay have?
Usually four or five: an introduction, two or three body paragraphs and a conclusion. IELTS sets no number, but paragraphing is assessed under Coherence and Cohesion, and the Band 5 descriptor notes that paragraphing may be inadequate or missing.
Is it better to write more than 250 words in Task 2?
Write at least 250. Most strong essays are between 260 and 320 words, which is what 40 minutes allows with time to plan and check. Nothing in the band descriptors rewards length beyond the minimum, and a longer essay simply gives the examiner more to mark.
Written by SpeakMetry Team
The team that builds SpeakMetry's mock tests writes these guides. Every rule is checked against the official IELTS, British Council and IDP pages listed in the guide, and every example question, passage and sample answer was written for the guide it appears in.
