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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.

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IELTS Writing Task 2: How to write an introduction

Learn how to write an introduction for IELTS writing task 2 essays. This page explains the content and technique for writing an high score introduction without wasting precious time in the test. The video tutorial takes you through each statement in your introduction paragraph. This lesson is for academic and GT IELTS essays.

This lesson will teach you:

• The content of an IELTS introduction
• How to write the background statement
• How to write the thesis statement
• How to paraphrase effectively
• How long your introduction should be

The same technique is used for a band score 6 as for a band score 9. So, this lesson is for students of all band scores. The only difference will be that a band score 9 student will use richer and more complex English language.

What does the Introduction Paragraph Contain?

An introduction paragraph for an IELTS writing task 2 essay requires only two statements. A Background Statement – This is a paraphrase of the essay question. All essays must have this statement. A Thesis Statement – A direct answer to the essay question and task. An IELTS introduction paragraph does not require anything more to fulfil the requirements of the marking criteria for writing task 2.

How to Write the Introduction of an IELTS Essay

This video lesson will take you through both statements to create a time efficient introduction paragraph. It will show you:

• How to paragraph correctly for the background statement.
• How to write a clear thesis statement.
• What information you do not need based on the IELTS marking criteria and band score requirements.

Summary: The Introduction Paragraph

1. analysing the essay question.

Now this is the essay title we’re going to look at. “The best way to improve health is to do regular exercise. To what extent do you agree?” Well let’s first look at the statement. IELTS have given us the best way – it’s a method, it’s a solution and it’s a solution to improving health. So our essay is all about improving health and possible solutions. IELTS suggest that exercise is the best solution – you might agree, not agree or partially agree.

What does this mean “ to what extent “? Well that means how much do you agree. You don’t need to agree or disagree. You need to think about it and think do you agree with all the sentence, is there something that you don’t agree with? Do you agree with most of it? So that’s how you analyse it.

Let’s have a look at what information we need to put in our introduction. Now for many academic essays there are three parts to the introduction: the hook, a background statement and a thesis statement.  We use the hook in many essays but …. do we use the hook for IELTS essays? The answer is no. We don’t need it. A hook is there to create interest, but that is not part of the marking criteria for IELTS. Interest is NOT marked and does not improve your score.

3. Background Statements

The next thing is the background statement. What is the background statement? The function of this statement is to present the issues in the essay question. You do this by paraphrasing the question. This means you rewrite the essay question your way. We do this because these are the issues your whole essay will be addressing. It is the only way that your essay (your answer) will make sense. You can see various ways of paraphrasing a background statement on this page: Introduction Background Statement Practice

4. Thesis Statements

The second and final statement is the thesis statement. This is your answer / your opinion. It provides the reader with a clear answer to the task. Your body paragraphs will then explain your answer by presenting ideas which are developed and supported.You need to learn all the different ways to write this statement depending on the type of essay you will get in your IELTS test.

5. Length of Introduction

Most introductions will be between 45 and 60 words in length. They certainly do not need to be longer. The introduction is a functional paragraph and when you have completed its function, move quickly on to the body paragraphs. The main proportion of your marks come from your body paragraphs.

Recommended Lessons

• Band Score 9 Model Opinion Essay
• Opinion Essay Introduction Practice

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Hello Miss Liz! Hopefully you are doing great..

I had 2 enquiries. Am I free to mix up the American and British spellings? Sometimes, in the same sentence, I may spell a word in the American way, only to spell the very next word in the British system? Will I get penalized (or penalised) for this? Should I be strict and only use one way of spelling?

My second question has to do with ideas. I may get the other aspects of the writing in order, but my ideas can get straight up bizarre and uncreative at times. Many people have said this when they went through my writing. Will the quality of my ideas be assessed in the exam?

I eagerly await your reply

Thanking you, Yours sincerely, Rayhan

For the writing test, you should not mix your spelling. You need to choose either US or UK spelling. Ideas are marked on: – how they are presented and explained – their connection to the task – whether they are 100% relevant or not (this includes all details, even phrases and short sentences must be 100% relevant) – whether they are well developed or not

Hope you are doing great

I have one question. I have written an introduction for one of the Cambridge Tests. Would you please tell me your opinion about my answer. I want to present a balanced opinion. Can I argue two sides (positive and negative development) and finally give a balanced approach? Is it correct or not?

Question: Countries are becoming more and more similar because people are able to buy the same products anywhere in the world. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

My answer: The question of whether the easy availability of goods made abroad is a significant advancement is a topic of ongoing debate. While some argue that this is an impressive achievement, others advocate for a more pragmatic and realistic approach. This essay will crucially expound both perspectives prior to articulating a comprehensive and balanced assessment.

Best regards, Mohammad

You have misunderstood what a balanced approach is and you’ve turned it into a discussion essay. This isn’t a discussion essay. It is an essay that asks specifically what you think. If you don’t have a position, you will get a low score.

There is one issue to tackle in this essay – growing similarity because of global sales of products. You must show the reader if you think it is more positive or more negative. This doesn’t mean 50/50 because that has no position and is a discussion essay without an opinion. It means if you think the issue in the question is mostly positive (because there is equality in the world), but only slightly negative (because it might make the world a less interesting place), then you need to make this clear or you will get a lower score.

My advice to you is NEVER aim for a balanced approach unless you have received training on how to do it. Otherwise you will go wrong. Also never use the statement “this essay will” – this is a redundant statement in IELTS.

Please watch my video again about the content of an introduction. Then get my advanced lessons if you need training: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Dear Liz thank you so much for your videos and all the materials that you’ve provided for us. I’d like to ask a question in this video you said that the length of the introduction should be 35-50 but here you’ve written 45-60, I ‘d like to know has it changed which one would be better? Thank you

The advice is general advice, not fixed rules. As your introduction will be most usually 2 sentences, it will probably work out at around 40-50 words. But it might be slightly below or slightly above. The key thing to get right is the content of the introduction, and to remember that the main points for your writing task 2 are in the body paragraphs so a long introduction isn’t necessary. See the model essays on this page to see the variation in introductions: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hi Mam, Can I rephrase the question in the video as [To maintain a good healthy life style, workout is important in day to day life.] So I want to ask a question should we omit all the words and paraphrase it. Or should only change the specific word in question.

Paraphrasing does not necessarily mean changing all words. You choose which words to change and which could stay the same. Paraphrasing can also involve changing the word order rather than just changing words. My video explains this. The word “workout” is not a paraphrase for “exercise”. So, this would be an incorrect paraphrase. A workout means using your muscles with weights, usually in a gym. It might also mean fitness training. Workout does not include walking but exercise does include walking and other very gentle activities where the body is moving, such as taichi and yoga. So, changing exercise to workout will change the entire meaning of the essay and would be incorrect. Another mistake is to paraphrase “health” as “healthy life style”. These are not the same thing either and you’ve just changed the entire essay again by poor paraphrasing. “life style is only about the way you live, not your blood pressure or blood sugar levels etc. So, by paraphrasing two words, you have completely altered the essay and this will significantly lower your score.

If you can’t find a suitable paraphrase for “health” or for “exercise”, just change the word order: “It is thought that exercise is important in day to day life as a way to enhance health.”

Hi dear Liz. could you please give me some suggestions about my introduction ? the question is: Out of a country’s health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and preventive measures. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

One of the major parts of any country’s income are invested on health issue expenditures. In recent years, much attention is paid to awareness of the society about the impressive role of preventive activities. I believe that the society is becoming aware, therefore, it’s valuable to spend more money on preventions rather than treatments.

I suggest you watch the video on the page above again so that you produce two statements: a background statement which is a direct paraphrase of the essay statement and a thesis statement which produces an answer. Don’t be indirect. Don’t have a hook.

Hi mam, this is Surya and I have trouble with the introduction part. please have a look at this introduction part and give me your feedback. question:- Some government are motivating industries and business to move from cities to regional areas. Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages. Answer:- with the pollution and population increasing in cities due to industries and people crowded for employment, I think the government persuading the industries and business to shift from cities to rural areas is a great benefit to the people,environment and economy as well though it has certain negligible demerits.

As explained in the video on the page above, first you paraphrase the question directly and accurately. Then you present your position in the thesis. Two separate statements in one paragraph.

Hi, Liz how are you. I wanted to ask that can we induce certain conclusion after observing the trends of a pie chart or any graph in writing task 1. For example, in one Cambridge test, the pie chart shows the usage of water across different areas of world for agriculture, industry and household. In America industry uses most water, while in asia agriculture uses most. Can I write in the explanation paragraphs that america is more industrialized so they spend most water in industry and vice versa. Or I should just present the data available on pie chart in my own words without deducing any conclusions from the trends. Thankyou

Your task is to report what is shown on the graph or chart etc – it is a factual report. It is not to give opinions, predictions or evaluations.

Thankyou so much Liz

Hello Liz , I want to ask something. I recently sat for academic ielts and I did a mistake on writing task 2 . My introduction disagreed but I went on to agree throughout the essay up to the conclusion , will this affect me adversely if other band descriptors are good.

Unfortunately, it will affect your score for task response because you did not maintain a clear position throughout the whole essay. But it won’t affect your score for the other criteria.

Thank you so much .

All type of writing task 2 questions would have “Thesis Statement” or only certain types of questions.

All introduction paragraphs for all Writing Task 2 essays should have a background statement and a thesis statement.

Do we need to mentioned like: “This essay will discuss this and that and later on that” in introduction ?

No. That statement is not required. It doesn’t harm your score, but it is not at all necessary and not part of the band score requirements in IELTS Writing Task 2.

Please tell me the best way to going partially with any statement,can I use structure “even though” if yes that how?

I suggest you get my advanced lessons and learn properly: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hello Liz, I just paused my video to commend your teaching methodology. It is simple and precise. Thanks.

Hello Liz. Thanks for all your lessons and video. I wish I had discovered it when I took my first ilets exams , any ways I’m going for a second attempt and I know I,ll do better with your tutelage. You’re the best and God bless.

How can we write down an essay if we do not know something well?we have to collect information to put in our essay?Am I correct?

As you prepare for IELTS, you should be preparing ideas for topics as well. I also have an e-book called “Ideas for IELTS Essay Topics” which you can purchase in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hi Liz wish you had an easier way of making payments like mobile money transfer ,we want to buy those e-books but it’s a little of a challenge

I wish you could change things but I don’t own or have any control over the store platform because it is managed and owned by another company. At present, the only payment method is Paypal but one day I hope to take card payments s well.

Hi Liz, I just tried and found that it’s OK to use card payments.

This is a link to my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . Don’t use any other store. There are no card payment options at present. But you can use your card as long as you pay through Paypal. Hopefully, in the future, I’ll have more options.

Thank you for all that you do. Much love and appreciation. My test is tomorrow and Please I would like to know if I can type in Capital letters for my Computer based IELTS writing test.

Do you mean “Can I write using all capital letters in my writing test?” The answer to that question is “Don’t do it”. It isn’t a fixed rule, but IELTS is testing your grammar which includes the correct use of capital letters – using capital letters at the start of a sentence or for proper nouns etc. So, please write as normal and use capital letters when it is grammatically correct to do so for the Writing Test. Good luck tomorrow!

Hi Liz, Would I penalized if I were to introduce my ideas in summary in the introduction paragraph, as part of the thesis statement? Or is it best to leave it for the topic sentences in each body paragraph solely?

For instance, Nowadays more people move away from from their friends and families for work. Does this have more advantages or disadvantages? After paraphrasing the background statement… “…In this essay I will argue why In spite of one having benefits like making new friends and gaining a great employment opportunity that come with moving abroad, the huge disadvantage of separation anxiety from one’s family members outweighs them all.”

It’s a long thesis statement. Take out so much detail: In my opinion, in spite of benefits such as making friends and employment opportunities, the issue of separation anxiety outweighs them all.

That is a clear thesis statement which introduces main points without giving detail. The detail will come in the body paragraphs. Learn to write each sentences in a punchy, focused manner without extra padding. However, your main ideas are not particularly strong. If someone is making new friends, separation anxiety is often lessened. This negates your argument that the disadvantages outweigh. Remember, your ideas must make sense. Therefore, it would be better to have the benefits as – becoming more independent and better work opportunities (such as higher salary or promotion). The disadvantages ought to be lack of support (particularly when sick or if children are involved) and separation anxiety (leading to mental health issues such as depression). You can now argue the case that the disadvantages are more serious.

Also try to avoid “like” instead of “such as”. The word “like” as a linking word is informal and not suitable for Writing Task 2. Hope you found this useful 🙂

Can you please check the below sample essay written by me and advise whether it is sufficient to serve the purpose or if there is any improvement points you can suggest.

The best way to improve health is to do regular exercise. To what extent you agree or disagree?

Consistent physical training is one of the ideal methods to boost fitness. This essay strongly agrees with this statement because it not only stimulates metabolism but also helps in improving mental health. In today’s modern lifestyle where we spent major portion of our life sitting long hours at office and in home, exercising daily is the necessity to activate our metabolism to prevent variety of lifestyle diseases such as Blood Pressure/Sugar et al. It is considered to be the most effective way to deal obesity which is considered to be mother of all disease. A recently concluded study in UK concluded that by 2025 there will be 48% of the population in UK suffering from obesity which can be prevented by daily physical exercise. In addition to the physical fitness one of the major challenges of the new era is to balance mental health. To achieve maximum output at work as well as to get succeed in life we have to deal with varied amount of physiological pressure. Exercising is the finest way to divert all the negative energy and channelizing them into concentrated productive outcome. A clear example of this is the recent advisory issued by WHO to all the institutions dealing with desk jobs to mandatorily have the gym/fitness centre at the work place to develop the healthy lifestyle and to reduce the risk of various diseases. In conclusion, daily exercise is one of the finest ways to keep health in the best shape because it helps in building the stamina to prevent the deadly disease at bay and balance mental well being to deal with varied life problems. Total Word Count = 271

Dear Mr.Pell I saw the videos of two Australian teachers stating that when the question says ” what are advantages and disadvantages’ (because they have “s” at the end which means plural) we have to write two double idea paragraphs. I am confused with it. When each body paragraph needs to include one idea and when two ideas? Could you please share a lesson or video that clarifies this point?

Best wishes Dr.Reza

The band score requirements for paragraphs don’t actually say “one idea per paragraph”. They state that each paragraph should have a “central theme”. This means all advantages in one paragraph – logical organisation. However, for opinion essays, each idea is a separate idea and should be written in individual paragraphs. This means your paragraphing should be logical and will depend on the type of essay you get.

Dear liz, I recently gave my IELTS ACADEMIC test. I do not remember the exact phrasing of the question, but it was along the lines saying “in many parts of the world, children and teenagers are involved in many crimes.” what are the reasons and how they should be punished? I was in hurry and i might have missed “in many parts of the world” to paraphrase (I am not sure if i mentioned it or not) but my rest of the essay is relevant. So basically, my thesis might have missed a part. I wrote ” nowadays, it is seen that many young children and teens are getting involved in crimes” and i added next statement but nowhere it involves the “manu parts of the world” would this affect my score significantly? I am confident about my lexical resources and grammar. But i fear this one mistake might lead to low score. please let me know. 🙂

All fine. That isn’t a vital piece of information for the introduction given that topic. Good luck with your results 🙂

Hi Liz, I have purchased your advanced lesson of opinion essay and was wondering it is necessary to write a balanced approach essay for a higher band score or we can get a good score with a one-sided approach as well.

The position you take isn’t marked – one sided or balanced view are both good. However, make sure you cover all issues in the question, keep the same stance throughout and have relevant points. I teach both approaches because some essay questions are more suited to one approach than the other. So, don’t decide which approach you will take until you read the question.

Question:–Many people like to go on holiday abroad, while others believe it is better to visit places within their own country. Discuss both the views and give your opinion. Intro:—A lot of individuals want to go out of country for vacation. However, others argue that it is good to visit their home nation. This essay agrees that go out for holiday is give idea about new culture and learn new language. Can i write in this way in opinion essay type question and also plz tell me 1. Is it is necessary to use background Statment? 2. How to write thesis statement and outline statement.

The instructions ask for your own opinion. This essay agrees” cannot be used. An essay is not a person and it is not you. Give your opinion clearly and directly. For your background statement, try to write it as one sentence, rather than two as you have done.

Hi Liz, You clearly say that there is no need to add more than the background sentence/s and the thesis statement in the introduction. But, I have found others who suggest to write ‘outline statements’ to make it better. What do you think?

It does not at all affect your score. You won’t get a higher score to have more than a background and thesis statement. The main points in an IELTS essay are in the body paragraphs. While the conclusion and introduction are essential, they serve only a functional purpose.

Hey liz 🙂 I have a question if you dont mind For the 3rd paragraph of advantage/disadvantage question..I want to check if this sentence is formal or not

However, every coin has two sides and despite all the advantages mentioned above, there are some disadvantages too.

It looks like a memorised sentence and that isn’t going to help your score. Each sentence should be uniquely created by yourself and connect to the specific topic given. That is a general statement which doesn’t connect to any topic. Be specific and don’t memorise whole sentences.

you said this is a band 9 essay. i am confused as you did not use a gerund in the introduction or even anywhere in it. also, your transition words look quite mechanical. please kindly respond.

I don’t understand your comment. There is no essay on this page. There is a video lesson which explains the techniques and content for an introduction. You do NOT need to write a gerund in the introduction at all – this is not an IELTS rule. Linking words are mainly used in the body paragraphs, not the introduction.

Thesis statement While it is true that regular physical exercise is key to health, I disagree that this method is the most effective since rational nutrition and avoiding bad habits are equally important.

The following thesis statement is taken from the author: Jasur Abidov.

While it is true that regular exercise is key to health, I disagree that this method is the most effective since rational nutrition and avoiding bad habits are equally important.

My question is: Is it fine or necessary to mention the reasons in the thesis statement when you disagree with something? Is it more appropriate to mention the reasons for disagreement in the body paragraphs or is it just fine to mention in both thesis statement and body paragraphs?

It is completely fine to introduce your main points in the introduction. I sometimes do this in my essays. However, you can’t add any detail. All detail is left to the body paragraphs. Introducing the main points introduces the reader to the main contents and probable paragraphs. As you see from the example introduction written by Jasur, the essay would contain three paragraphs – one about exercise, one about nutrition and one about bad habits. It’s a logical and good way to tackle an opinion essay. But if the main points are too lengthy to add or can’t be written in a short thesis statement, it is possible to only state the position that you will take.

Is it compulsory to write the general line in the starting of introduction.

If you watch the video lesson above, you will see the two statements which are required in an IELTS essay for task 2. Nothing else is required.

Hi Liz, I have just started following you for preparing ILETS and have tried my first writing task 2. I have tried to write an introduction according to your tips. Question: Some people think that the government is wasting money on the arts and that this money could be better spent elsewhere. To what extent do you agree with this view. My Essay While there are people who believe that the government has been venturing most of the monetary funds in developing arts in the country and such act may not prove to be beneficial. Moreover, they think that instead of squandering excess of money on arts and literature, this could be utilized in better ways. In my opinion, I agree that Government should invest money in community services first rather in arts. However, I believe improving arts may also add to a country’s economy and restoring heritage. Primarily, a government functions for the welfare of the citizens of the country. In the view of this, for development of a country, effective strategies must be formulated in the benefit of the countrymen. It is advisable that government should spend on services centering the society’s welfare. Government should use the national funds in improving civic amenities such as building schools, advanced and fully equipped hospitals, community centres and parks. In doing so, the citizen of the country feels proud of their governance and return back with paying taxes further strengthening the economy. However, completely neglecting art and literature may not be desirable. Since, developing arts in the form of music, theatre and artistic infrastructure may invite tourism internationally as well as nationally. Large scale music concerts and plays may attract millions of art lovers from different corners of the world. Moreover, construction of art specific museums and exhibition centres can impress the crowd. This may further boost a country’s economy and allows amalgamation of varied cultures. To conclude, I would agree that taking care of the basic needs of the society and working primarily for their welfare is the need of the hour. However, developing fields like arts may also be essential for strengthening the economy.

Hi, Can we say/ write ‘to developing’ or shall we say for developing/ to develop? Regards, Amit

– I look forward to seeing you. – I hope to see you. – Only one person is responsible for developing this vaccine. – We are close to developing a vaccine. As you can see, it depends on the structure of the sentence and the way words are used.

I have been following your page for three months and I have improved a lot. I really Want to ask that can I use word ‘ought to’ in the introduction part of writing task 2 as my instructor here in Baroda has instructed me not to use it instead of should. I am really confuse.

Thanks Anurag patel

Of course you can use “ought to” as a paraphrase the “should”.

Hi Liz, Can I start with this… In the salad days of millennium, many people believe that doing daily exercise is the most significant method to become healthy is convincing. I think in a reverse manner and strongly agree to the given statement. My inclination is justified in the ensuring paragraphs. And after that BP1, BP2 and conclusion.

Try writing more naturally without filling your writing with inappropriate, descriptive language. Just write normally.

I think ur giving the best way which can helps all the students thanks for it, i really like ur lesson 🙏😎🥳😍

Very well done! Thank you for this lesson.

Would this one be better? Advertising, which is considered to have a strong impact on people’s lives, is virtually everywhere these days. In my opinion, this profusion of commercials has more negative effects than positive ones because it promotes consumerism and causes frustration.

Now you are going in the right direction. This is what IELTS is all about. The introduction serves only two purposes – to paraphrase the essay question because your whole essay will address it and secondly to present your answer.

Hello Liz! Could you have a look at my introduction, please. Thanks The question: People are surrounded by advertising which has an increasing effect on our lives. Do you think the positive effects of this outweigh the negative effects. Introduction: Advertising seems to have occupied our world completely. It is in streets, public transports, at our homes, in our gadgets – virtually everywhere, so it is needless to say that this constant presence affects our lives in one way or the other. But is this impact a positive one or are its drawbacks more significant? This essay aims to a dress this question and reach a concluding view.

Your background statement includes unnecessary information and is not a direct paraphrase of the question. Your thesis statement fails to answer the question. I highly recommend you learn the right way to write an IELTS essay. This isn’t something you can guess at or collect a few tips about. You need to learn what IELTS want. See my Advanced Lessons: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Apologies Liz,thanks for all your good works. Please kindly grade this essay of mine. An assessor graded it 6.5,i dont know what else to do differently. Thank you NEWS ABOUT PROBLEMS AND EMERGENCIES IS HARMFUL TO INDIVIDUALS AND SOCIETY. DO YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE?

Many people believe that reporting issues-arising and latest unpalatable events cause unrest and panic to all and sundry. In my opinion, I disagree with this because breaking news keeps us abreast of need-to -know information about our environment and also enable us to avoid falling victims to threats. The main purpose of reporting news is to render information to the public about recent events. Information on the news comes in two forms; good and bad, and the reason why these reports are put out is to educate people about these occurrences so that the society becomes aware of them. We only know what we have heard about. A good example is the recent outbreak of Coronavirus, which was firstly reported in Wuhan, China in November 2019, and by December the whole world had been notified about the outbreak. Without news reporting, we would have been left unaware of and exposed to this deadly disease. Reporting latest events prevents us from falling victims to these problems. People tend to steer clear of harmful situations that pose fatal risks of physical injuries, incapacitations or even death. Take the terrorist groups invasion of certain parts of Nigeria for example, news updates on happenings in these areas enable people to keep away from these locations to avoid being kidnapped or killed. Another example is the recent messages on the news globally on how handwashing and the use of face-masks can help to control infections. Majority of people have adopted these personal hygiene practices because it has been repeated severally on news outlets. To conclude, even though breaking news on outlets like the television, radio and Facebook has had its fair share of creating panicky situations among the public, it is the best way to learn about new events so as to protect us from being victims of these mishaps. However, government should legislate about dissemination of information and individuals of groups should be severely punished if found to have shared false news.

Unfortunately, I don’t offer marking of feedback. But I will say this essay does not conform to the requirements of IELTS based on the marking criteria. For example, you can’t have only one body paragraph in an IELTS essay without it having a negative impact on your score for Coherence and Cohesion. Your conclusion shouldn’t be longer than your introduction – it’s a waste of words and doesn’t help your score. The reason you are struggling to understand what you are doing wrong is because you haven’t learned about IELTS essays. You clearly have great English, but this is all about what IELTS want. See my Advanced Lessons to learn the right techniques based on the official band score requirements. https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ One final tip: don’t use informal language in your essay (all and sundry) – use that language in your speaking test instead.

Thank you for you response Liz, still on the above essay,it has 2 clear body paragraphs not 1.. Please which of your online course will I benefit from the most?Thanks once again

Sorry, I didn’t see that. Leave an empty line between paragraphs to make them clear. If the examiner can’t easily see them , you’ll get a lower mark. Also pay attention to your topic sentences (the first sentence of each body paragraph) – they need to be written more fully and in a more connected way. Don’t use referencing in the topic sentences. My Advanced Lessons each cover one type of essay. You posted an Opinion Essay – start with that one and see what you learn 🙂

Thanks a lot..

hey liz , thanks for providing us these valuable guidance , however; is the type question like : to what extant do you agree .? is not the same of : to what extant do you agree or disagree ! because i have seen your example and you provide the another reason to get healthy which is diet and if you added to our essay i guess thats mean we do not totally agree! i heard some teachers telling that you have take one position agree or disagree and write you controlling ideas with specific details ,, i really got confused about the question that ask and thanks in advance

Teachers teach that you can only agree with one side because it is a safe approach, particularly with low level English users. However, having a partial agreement is possible with any essay that asks for your opinion, regardless of how the instructions are written. See my Advanced Lessons for different approaches if you want more in-depth training: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hey Liz, Thanks a bunch for such a helpful content, really appreciated! 😊 Before watching this video,i had written my own version of introductory paragraph’s statements, could you please confirm if it will be okay too? “There is no doubt that exercise,when done regularly, is a method that has excellent effects on health improvement. Perhaps, in my opinion, if combined with a diet that ia full of nutritious elements, it produces the best results.”

It’s fine, but don’t use the word “perhaps”. Either you believe in your own opinion or you don’t.

Dear Liz, task 2 question on 14-3-20 was: It is argued that parents of children who break laws should also be punished as they are some way responsible. To what extent do you agree or disagree. First two line of my introduction was “In recent years the number of children committing unlawful activities have increased unprecedentedly. Hence, many people opine that parents of children who do not abide by laws ……” But now I feel the first line including the linking word in the second sentence were irrelevant and unnecessary… I don’t know why I wrote…will I get very poor mark for this?

You have made up information that is not part of the question in your first line. This essay is not about the increase in crime at all. So, it will affect your score for Task Response which is 25% of your marks. There are no rules for marking as to how much it will affect your score. As with all errors, they affect the score, but in no particular amount. At least, you know your error and won’t make the same mistake again. You don’t need a hook to start your introduction in IELTS. Just paraphrase the essay question exactly as it is.

Your website is very much helpful and like the way you teach every minute details about all the aspects in IELTS. I actually have a doubt regarding the use of pen or pencil in the exam? Can we use a pencil or we have to use pen for all the 3 modules?

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-help-faq/

Hi! I wanted to know if it’s possible to completely agree with the statement or even completely disagree with it. For example, I saw a topic that said the Government should take measures to restrict ownership of mobile phones and asked to what extent do I agree or disagree with it. Personally, I completely disagree with that idea, but I’m wondering if I can actually write my essay in that view.

You can choose to agree, disagree or partial agree/disagree. The choice of opinion is yours and is not marked. What is marked is your ability to present the position and explain it.

So, if I write my entire essay from the perspective of disagreeing without any point of agreeing to the idea, it’s still ok? They wouldn’t state that there’s no balance?

Your whole essay explains your view covering the single issue or two issues raised in the question. If you disagree, how can you write suddenly that you agree? If you disagree, you disagree. It is not a discussion essay. However, not all questions are suited to a one sided view. You should decide your stance after you read the question and think about ideas.

Hello For the thesis statement can I use “This essay will discuss……” or “In this essay…. will be discussed.”

If the instructions ask for YOUR opinion, those words do not directly give YOUR opinion. So, if you use them as a way to express your own personal opinion, it will mean you failed to give your opinion and that would be a problem for Task Response which is 25% of your marks. So, be careful how you use such a phrase in IELTS.

Hi Liz, some teachers say that you should also include an outline in your introduction saying what you are planning to do in the essay, for example writing something like: “in this essay, first I will discuss the advantages, and then I will analyze the disadvantages”. I don’t think this is a good idea, but wanted to have your opinion about this? Thanks!

Firstly, it is a learned phrase – a memorised sentence. IELTS do not accept memorised language as an example of your own level of English. Secondly, the examiner has the instructions which are “discuss the advantages and disadvantages” – it is not important for you to repeat that. Lastly, it is actually a sentence that isn’t required in any IELTS essay – it won’t influence your score for the better or for the worse – it has no impact. So, don’t waste your time. Two statements for the introduction and then straight into the body paragraphs which is where the high scores are.

QQ: Is it ok to write questioning statements in writing task 2 of general module?

Ex:- Topic :- Some people believe that retirement age should not be fixed to 65 years. Do you agree?

Essay:- after writing intro and somewhere in 2nd para , if I want to write “If the age for starting work is not fixed and neither is the work tenure, then why should retirement age be?” Is this ok ?

You should be aiming to write statements that support your main point, not opening up questions.

Thanks for all the lessons in this blog. I have a doubt in paraphrasing the below question. Could you please take a look and help me out?

Food travels a thousands of miles from farmers to consumers. Some people think that it would be better to our environment and local businesses if we only purchase locally produced products. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

The question has a general statement and background statement. Do I have to paraphrase everything in the question for my introduction?

Thanks, Suganya

“Due to the distance food travels, it is commonly thought that people should only buy local products from local businesses to protect the environment.” As you see, you can just merge information to create one background statement.

Hello ma’am can i use “heated debate” in my introduction about any global problem? Thanks in advance

Those are some of the most overused words in IELTS writing task 2 – they won’t impress the examiner.

Hi Liz, I am writing 100 words of body paragraphs. I am including general idea in the beginning. After this, I write two sub-ideas with one supporting example (for any one idea). At last, I conclude my idea. But by using this approach, my essay becomes too lengthy. Sometimes it’s about of 300 words and sometimes it’s about of 330 words. I am seriously confused. Is it correct way to BP? I need your help.

You are trying to fix a formula for the content of your body paragraphs – don’t do that. You need to show flexibility when it comes to body paragraphs. For example, you do not actually need to conclude a body paragraph. That is not a requirement of IELTS so there is no point fixing that as part of your body paragraph. Just state your main idea and then explain it – you decide how to explain it depending on the idea and the topic – you do not plan this before hand. Start being more flexible in your approach. See my Advanced Writing Task 2 Lessons if you need more help: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hello liz I have a confusion in which essay should i give opinion starting from intro please guide .

Go to the Writing Section of this site for your answer. Use the RED MENU BAR at the top of the site.

Mam please let me know which one method is correct to use in thesis for giving opinion 1. (This essay will or it is agreed) or 2. ( In my opinion , i believe , i completely agree ). I m really confused about that part. Pls help me.

See the writing section of this website – click on the RED MENU BAR at the top of the website.

Hello mam. Your lessons are extremely helpful for the students like me to get a good band score. Please answer my doubt regarding introduction paragraph in WT2. I have read a lot of band score 9 and 8.5 essays and almost most of them have included a hook in their introduction but you stated that hook is not necessary. Please solve the dilemma going on in my head as I believe that you will give me correct advice.

I do not know what else to say. A hook does not help your score at all. It is a sentence that does not relate to the band score requirements. If you put it, it is just padding. It doesn’t cause your score to go down, but it is a waste of time. You have a limited amount of time and each sentence should be 100% focused and essential to the essay. A hook is to “hook the reader” – it’s about interest – that isn’t a band score requirement for IELTS. This is explained in the video on the page above.

Thanks a lot mam for replying and giving a helpful advice

is your GT writing task 2 or 1 available for purchase?

Thanks Anjali

I have Advanced lessons for writing task 2 which are for both GT and Academic writing. I also have an e-book of ideas for topics which is also suitable for both tests. See this page: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

just get to know about your health. Please take care and get well soon :). May God Bless you.

Regards Anjali

If the topic is not a question like ”The importance of video games for the children”. Should we discuss or give our opinion about that?

If there is no direct question, there will be instructions such as “Discuss both views and give your opinion”. You will always get instructions or a clear question. Use the IELTS Cambridge Test papers to prepare – or my essay questions.

Hie Liz i would like to be enrolled in your paid up courses,in the four catergories how much is it?

Hello Liz, You are doing great works for us. Congratulations on your initiatives. Then I have a doubt regarding writing task 2, that is can I use this word “their ” to explain something about a group of people. Is it will reduce my score.

Of course it is fine. I don’t understand your worry about it.

Respected Mam,

I have a question that is there any word limit in IELTS writing task 1 / 2, as it is written in cambridge books for task 2 (250 words) and for task 1 (150 words).

Thanks a lot.

The instructions tell you to write AT LEAST 250 words for task 2 and AT LEAST 150 words for task 1. The words “at least” mean “not less than”.

Hie Liz How many body paragraphs can one write

You should have either two or three body paragraphs. See this page for model essays: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hi Elizabeth,I took the subscription for the essays. I just have one doubt,I read somewhere that there are 5 types of essay formats but I can see only three types in your subscription; Adv. & Disadv. , Discussion and Opinion. Can you tell me if there are any other formats?

I haven’t made the other lessons yet. You can use my free lessons and tips for the other two types of essays. Click on the RED BAR at the top of the website and select “writing task 2”.

Wish you the best!

Hi, can we use : This essay will … ?

You can use any sentence you want. The question is not “can I use it”. The question is “Will it help my band score?” or “Is it a requirement of IELTS?” or “Can I use this instead of writing my opinion?” – answer to all = No.

I just love your answers!

Thank you Liz, You are very kind to share your knowledge with so many of us .

As regards the Essay, how do go about the body… does an Essay just end in 50-60 words?

I suppose we have to discuss in details about what exercises entails and also dieting as have introduced it in your thesis.

I have never sat for the exams and I am just studying in preparation to enrolling

There are over 300 pages of lessons and tips on this site for IELTS preparation – all free. Go to the RED BAR and click “Writing Task 2” to see full essays, lessons, more videos, tips etc.

I would like to ask about the essay question I have taken before. It is about people eating fast food and healthy foods. In my conclusion, I have not chosen any of these options rather, I have opted to mention that moderation is the key.

The score I received for the essay is quite low and I needed to receive a higher mark. So I would like to check if I would have to agree to one of the statement in order to receive a good score?

Your score is based on a lot more than deciding your opinion. I also cannot judge the opinion you chose without seeing how you presented it, how you explained it, how you linked it to the question, whether you covered all issue in the question and what other issues you covered in your essay. All those points connect to the score for Task Response.

Hi mam You said in video that this is for Academic essay. So can’t we follow this in general essay?? Reply pls Thanks

All my writing task 2 lessons are for GT and Academic essays – there is no difference between them in how you write your essays.

Hi Liz, your blog is of immense help in preparation. Small confusion, I learned from you that, you don’t need to discuss both the sides in essay. In the IDP official website the sample task for CBT is this In Britain,when someone gets old they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them, Who do you think should pay for it, the government or the family? Now in my essay I think that the government should pay for it ,so I dont need to write about the consequences where family pays for it, right? https://www.cambridgeenglish.org/images/ielts-general-writing-task-2.pdf They recommended arguments for both the solution in body paragraph. So now I am little confused.

Your opinion MUST address all issues. You need to look at the essay question and see how many issues it has. If it has one issue (compulsory parent courses), then you choose one side only and write about one side only (if you choose that opinion). You would not write about pros and cons of compulsory parent courses – you don’t have two equal sides to one coin. But if it has two issues (government or family), you can’t ignore 50% of the essay question. If you agree with one side, then your view is “I agree with the government and I do not agree with the family”. Then your essay explains your opinion. This means you are given two coins and your opinion addressed both. So look at the question and address what you are presented with. When you prepare for IELTS avoiding thinking in black and white rules. If you want a high score, adapt your skills and be flexible.

Woow thank you for this Liz. I have been thinking bout the same concern.

Physical activities on a daily basis is a necessary step for the betterment of health.

Writing task 2 essay topic ” companies should provide sports and social facilities for local community to what extent do you agree or disagree??

My background statement companies need to make available for use physical recreation and public amenities for neighbourhood populace. in my opinion I agree with the above statement but they shouldn’t stop at that they should build schools colleges and institution for higher education too.

Did I get it right?

Hi, I am not sure if this is the right place to ask but I am using a book to improve my writing and one of the advices is to add in the introduction paragraph a sentence explaining your intention such as : ” In this essay, I will discuss some of the reasons why moving abroad is so popular and some of the challenges to overcome” but I have read in some sites that these type of sentences are not really necessary… any comment on this?

Those sentences are common in academic writing, but not needed in I£LTS. The examiner has the instructions – you don’t need to repeat them.

Thanks a lot, it is very clear

thanks alot for the for our great efforts

im in a dilemma i have gone through many ielts essays sample book one thing i have figured out from those is they start their introduction with a nice HOOK or BACKGROUND idea and then paraphrasing and thesis statement also my teacher suggested the same though, i prefer your way of writing the introduction but now im worried whivh is the correct way maam please help me out

thank you!!!!!

IELTS is a short essay which is all about focus and relevancy. A hook is used to capture the readers attention -this is 100% irrelevant for IELTS. You are being marked on 1) how relevant (not interesting) your ideas are 2) focus 3) expanding ideas (in the body). The introduction only contains the essay question paraphrased and your answer (the main points you will cover in brief). It has no other purpose in IELTS. You must then get to the body paragraphs where the real points are scored. Having a longer intro will not boost your score. You will not be marked down for a hook, but it is a waste of time and will not help you. I am stating this as someone who has completed the IELTS examiner training – not just as a teacher.

One quick question.

Is it grammatically correct to write “In my opinion, I agree (or I believe)”? I personally feel that it is a repetitive statement, as, we make an opinion because we agree with the statement, and vice versa.

Please correct me if I am wrong. Thank you.

Best, Shailesh

It is optional. You certainly don’t need to use them both.

Hi Liz, Thanks for being humble and helping the test takers with your teaching.

I have a question regarding the opinion essay. When the question is “To what extent do you agree?” we can either completely or partly agree/disagree. But when the question is “Do you agree/disagree?”, can we Partly agree/disagree? Thanks

There is no difference between the instructions. Your view can be any view you want. Your position is what you choose it to be.

Hi First of all, thank you so much for such a platform, its really helful I would like to know that can we use carbon pencil to perform writing task 1,2 in ILETS test ? thanks

Hi I watch your video today and i think there is a mistake as my teacher told me that “To what extent”? the answer is I totally agree or disagree with the statement. Not just only that I agree or disagree with the statement. please inform me if there is a difference?

There is no such rule in IELTS writing task 2. Your teacher is offering you advice. It is not a rule.

Human activity has had a negative impact on plants and animals around the world. Some people think that this cannot be changed, while others believe actions can be taken to bring about a change.

People’s deeds have had a deteriorating effect on the ecosystem of this planet, while a segment of the population thinks this damage is permanent the others trust that there are various ways to improve the situation. However, in my opinion, with a positive mind set towards sustainable development this damage caused can be reversed.

Please let me know if this introduction para correct. Thank you

Please l need your assistant on writing task 2.

Sorry, I do not offer that service.

Hello Liz, I will like to purchase you advance writing task 2 but i dont have a paypal account. I will like to know if there is any other way that i can have it purchased. Thanks

It is also possible to ask a friend to buy the lessons for you.

Although, it is sometimes thought that big international companies ought to nuture the economy of these developing countries through the establishment of offices and factories, other people believe that countries should keep large forieign countries away.

Somebody said 50 words are essential for introduction and now u said only 2 statements .. I am confused because according to me format is 1)general line 2)rephrasing the given statement 3) thesis And plz tell me if this line is correct This essay attempts to elaborate both the views in subsequent fragments.

There is NO rule in IELTS about the length of the introduction. IELTS examiner certainly do NOT count the number of words for each paragraph and mark accordingly. They count the full essay word length and check that it is 250 plus words – that’s all. The higher band scores are mainly based on well developed main ideas which means your focus should be in the body paragraphs. It is your choice if you follow the advice I have given you in this video lessons or not.

Hi Liz, Thanks for sharing the useful videos. I will be writing the IELTS for the General training module and not the Academic one. So, I wanted to know whether the Introduction part for General training is different from the Academic one? The way in which you described the Introduction part, will it differ ?

All my writing task 2 lessons are for the GT and Academic essays.

can you guide me with my writing?

See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ and also consider purchasing my Advanced Writing Task 2 lessons: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hello liz I would like to ask you about the idea of adding another idea in the thesis statement which was not given in the statement of the questions. In this lesson you have added applying a diet. Do not you think that we should stick on the essay’s question and we should explain all what is related to exercise and not a diet which is a system of choosing the right food on the right time

This is an Opinion Essay based on a solution to the problem. You can give your opinion of the solution they offer and then offer your preferred solution.

Hello everybody.

I am writing to ask if for introduction we should avoid phrases like: It is undeniable that ____________ is one of the most challenging issues these days. Or: This increasing _________has been a significant feature of modern life in developed countries. Or: One of the most significant advances in civilization is the development of…. There are a number of reasons for believing that… Some people have predicted….

Some of them sound to me useful for introducing some types of essays, but I am afraid that could be pre-prepared for the examiner in some way, especially if they include things like: “modern life, civilization…

Thanks in advance!

IELTS is an English language test. It is a test to check your level of English – not your memory. Each sentence you use should be uniquely created by yourself in the test room. You can learn linking words, but not phrases or sentences. Memorising chunks of language is NOT accepted by IELTS.

Hi Liz, Can I write (In my opinion,I partially agree and partially disagree with the statement….)

Wonderful job done 🙂 for this blog and all videos. I have seen the one with explanation on how to write an introduction and i was shocked to learn new things 😛 I got 7 in academic writing module, back in Nov 2017. However, I need a lot of improvement cause i am scared about my general attempt that is going to happen very soon. I am so happy to have your support freely available, which is terrific !

I need help specifically in longer complex sentence structures. Is there any way to have a piece of advice on just ONE essay, please ?

Thank you !

Sorry, I don’t offer that service. I am working on an e-book which is a list of sentence structures and grammar tenses for writing task 2. Would you be interested in that when it’s ready?

Hi Liz, Hope you are doing well. I am a bit confused with the structure of introduction, I read on the internet, wherein it is that for a good introduction you “must” include the following: 1 Paraphrase the question 2 Thesis Statement 3 Outline Statement (e.g. The essay will first look at how voluntary work can help students develop soft skills and then discuss how these extracurricular activities are valued by universities and employers) Whereas in your video you don’t talk about an outline statement. could you please clarify the importance of outline statement and really we need to add in the essay or not. I am stuck at 6.5 in writing, consecutively 2 times got 6.5. For the second time, I bought your advanced video also but unfortunately again got 6.5. Please let me know, is this because I have not included an outline statement in my introduction to the essay. Thanks in advance for your reply.

IELTS do not require an outline statement at all for an introduction. Your score is not based only on technique, it is also your English language. To hit band 7, you must produce complex English with few errors – it is probable that your English contains too many errors for band 7. Errors also include unsuitable word choice, paraphrasing at the wrong time, spelling, punctuation. You must also showcase a range of sentence structures which are accurate. Making sure all sentences are 100% relevant and fully connected is also essential. All issues in the essay question must also be fully addressed. Also review your task 1 techniques, this accounts for 33% of your marks in writing. So, there are a numerous reasons for not hitting band 7. You must review your writing and try your best to improve.

I am interested in your e-book… when do you think it will be ready?

I really have no idea. I hoped to get it done this summer, but my health took a downward turn again. As soon as I have a reasonable prediction on the date, I will post a notice on this website 🙂

Get well soon Liz!

I am from India. I have tried purchasing your advanced writing lesson using both master card and visa,however, the site says not able to add the card. Something is not right.

This will be a local problem with Paypal. You can try again OR set up a paypal account OR ask a friend to buy the lessons for you.

Hi Liz, may I allow to use question in my essay to make it more attractive? e.g. what is the best way to flee?

Why do you want to make it attractive? Do you think it will gain you higher marks? Whether your essay is interesting or not, has NO impact on your score – absolutely zero impact. It is not a marking criteria for IELTS.

Hi Mrs.Liz . thank you for this wonderful lesson my British teacher have said that to me: I should write what i will write in the full essay in the introduction after background. For example, the most effective etc,,,, This essay will discuss this issue then will set out my personal conclusion. is that true and beneficial ??

This is not an academic essay – it an academic essay for IELTS which is a language test. IELTS do not accept memorised sentences or language. That sentence is a fixed sentences which is memorised and used by many many students – it does not contain examples of your own English and won’t help your score.

Hlo ma’am , you are doing a great job and deserve to be applauded . My question is , how many typical Vocabulary words should I use in My Writing Task 2 . I have penchant for using vocab . But one thing I’m afraid of is tgat the examiner might not get the exact meaning of yhe message I want to convey or what is my frame of mind . In place of put forward my ideas I write Propound my viwpoint . Similarly , for motive I use Incentive . For harmless I use Innocuous . And so on , there is profusion of words I use to put a better impression on the examiner . And same is in the case of speaking as well . Should I continue doing so or decrease it to some extent .

Your aim should not be to impress. It should be accuracy and clear meaning at all times. Poorly chosen words or even little mistakes all count and will lower your score.

Hi can u give ssuggestions for my introduction. Question is Children should not be educated at home by their parents.do u agree or not? My intro … Young generations must be restricted to home tuition given by their fathers and mothers.In my opinion ,mentors play vital role for students in gaining good academic scores in latter life however neglegence of parents is considered to be worse towards their kid’s future. Waiting for response

Sorry I don’t actually understand your opinion. What do you mean by “mentors”? Are you referring to teachers? Because a mentor and a teacher are not the same at all. Why are you talking about negligence? Your whole opinion is very confusing. This is about home-schooling or school education. This is a typical example of poor vocabulary choices. Just write your opinion so that it is 100% easy to understand. Your thesis is vital to be fully understood.

Yeah exactly thank you so much ..now is it correct? Young learners should not be taught by their fathers and mothers . In my opinion , I believe that School educations or educational institutions are better for children and home schooling is not ideal for kids to develop abilitis in facing different chalenges.

Yeah exactly thank you so much ..now is it correct? Young learners should not be taught by their fathers and mothers . In my opinion , I believe that School educations or educational institutions are better for children and home schooling is not ideal for kids in developing abilities to face different chalenges. .. I’m really appreciated for giving ur precious time .

Now your opinion is easy to understand, but your vocabulary is still a problem. “fathers and mothers” – do you think it is a great paraphrase – does it improve the sentence? No. Parents are parents – you do not paraphrase that word. Your choice shows a lack of awareness of paraphrasing. Paraphrasing is about which words to change and also which words to keep the same. Also “kids” is informal and unsuitable for essay writing. And “developing abilities to face” – what does this mean? It actually has no meaning and no relation to education and school subjects etc. So, your problems are: a) learning more about the right techniques b) making better choices with your vocabulary. I don’t usually comment so much for students, but this is a lesson that all students can benefit from when they read it.

Thank u so much for ur explanations. The reason for writing this sentence I thought when children get school education they interact with different students so that they face different challenges which make them easy to achieve goals.

Now I can understand you perfectly – you should write this way in your essay. Be clear, be direct, write normally. But this is only one main point, not all your main points. You should plan all your main points before you start writing your introduction. Plan the whole essay first. So, you believe home schooling is bad because: a) children lack interaction with others b) they lack the range of subjects offered by schools c) they lack equipment and facilities offered by schools Get all your main points planned, then write your introduction. So, your thesis statement will say that you think school education is better than home school due to student interaction, subject range and facilities. – now you have a clear introduction!!

Thank u so much liz now I understand . Have a good day

Again school education is not about facing challenges. This is about the range of subjects offered, social interaction, extra curricular activities, professional teaching etc. Also, as I already said, “fathers and mothers” is not a good paraphrase. Parents are parents – don’t change the word. Sorry I won’t be able to offer you further help.

Thank you liz

Hi Liz, Your video is so helpful and I’m able for doing lots of practices after watching it. Thanks.

Hii Liz.. Thanks for your valuable support to all.. My exam is on 1st feb. Just want your quick opinion on following introduction.

Topic: Children in some parts of the world have less responsibility compared to children in the past. Some people think this as a positive change, however others think of it as as negative change. What do you think?

Introduction: Children in a few regions of the world don’t have much responsibilities in comparison to little ones in earlier times. It is argued by some to be a positive development while other consider it detrimental for society. In my opinion, it certainly has a negative impact on the world because children with decreased responsibility tend to become more reckless regarding their future.

Hello Liz! Could you answer my question, please?

The essay question is “Universities should accept equal numbers male and female students in every subject. To what extent do you agree or disagree?”

Do I HAVE TO use the words Agree or Disagree in my thesis?

For example, would the following thesis be wrong or confusing? “In my view, gender should play no role in the decision-making process when university places are allocated and entry to higher education ought to be granted purely on merit.”

Is this thesis statement appropriate when the essay question is worded like that? I would greatly appreciate your response!

Of course, it’s fine 🙂 You do NOT need to use the words “agree” or “disagree”. You need to express your opinion and you did that clearly. Well done 🙂

Thank you very much Liz!

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How to write IELTS writing task 2

Home  »  IELTS academic task 2 » How to write IELTS writing task 2

The key to writing a good  IELTS essay  for task 2 is to use a process or system. For a writing task 2 IELTS academic essay that will bring you success in the  IELTS exam , you need to think, not just about the result, but consider the process too. An essay is the product of a process and if you leave out just one step in the process the result may be less than ideal.

Writing a good  IELTS Writing Task 2  starts with understanding the steps in the process and what the outcomes should be. Remember, you are recommended to spend 40 minutes on this task and you should write at least 250 words.

In this article, you’ll learn the following.

Why using a system or process is essential to the success of your writing task

A recommended process with suggestions on how you should handle each step in the process

How an explanation of what can go wrong and what mistakes you’re likely to make if you skip that step in the process

There is no magic formula to writing an excellent  IELTS essay  but the secret is to have a system and to adapt that system to one that gives you the best results.

Let’s look at the IELTS essentials for task 2

Step 1 – read the question and understand what the examiner is asking.

Make sure that you understand what question is being asked. One of the worst mistakes you can make is to go off on a tangent and fail to answer the question. IELTS questions are precisely worded and they require a specific answer. Time spent reading the question and understanding the requirements is time well spent. It is the surest way to ensure that you answer the question well.

IELTS is very specific and it is not okay to write about the general topic. Instead, the answer must be very specific and pointed.

Common errors

You completely misunderstand the question

The question looks like one that you have written in the past. You rewrite the same answer only to find that the question was not the same.

Your essay is too general and doesn’t answer the question that was asked. For example, the question asks whether you agree or disagree but you don’t give a clear answer.

Step 2 – think about what you’re going to write for task 2

This is the stage at which you plan the essay, but you can’t just plan. You must think. Don’t just react with a ready-made essay which may or may not answer the question asked. You need to carefully read the question and decide how you can answer it using your language skills, your experience, and your knowledge.

Of course, the essay that you have previously written may offer you some insights, vocabulary and even ideas, but make sure that what you use applies without doubt to the question which has been asked in the exam. It is as important that you consider parts of previous essays to include in the answer as it is to know what parts to exclude.

You set off to write the exam without putting in enough thought and part way through you realize that you haven’t answered the question, or the essay is incoherent. Now it is too late to start again.

You fail to answer the question asked.

Writing the essay

Every essay should have three parts, so it is useful to consider each part of the essay as a step in the process of essay writing.

Step 3 – writing the introduction

The introduction is an important step in the writing process. It sets the tone and gives the examiner the first impression of your skills and abilities, so if you get the introduction wrong you could start off on the wrong foot.

In IELTS writing task 2, the introduction should link your answer to the question. You should, therefore, write the introduction considering both the question at hand and the body of the essay that you plan to write.

For a top score, you need to ‘set out a position’ – in other words, if you are asked whether you agree or disagree with a statement, you should make it clear in the introduction which one you are going to be doing in the essay. This is because the task achievement score depends on you setting out a position and maintaining this throughout the essay. It shouldn’t be a surprise to the examiner at the end of the essay to find out whether you agree or disagree!

On the other hand, most task 2 questions do not require you to give an opinion. If you are required to discuss both sides or talk about the advantages and disadvantages of something, make it clear in the introduction that this is what you will be doing.

Having favourite phrases to write most essays is a huge help here. Practically any essay you can think of can start with ‘many people believe that…’ because as we know, ‘many’ does not mean ‘most’. ‘Some people think that’ or ‘some people believe that’ followed up by ‘while others are of the opinion that…’ is also useful when summarising the question and introducing new ideas.

You don’t link the question properly and identify its contents

Your position in answering the question is unclear.

Step 4 – developing the essay ideas, your approach, and your explanations

In approaching the main body of the essay, you must ensure that answer that you give is not only clear, and accurately answers the question, it must also be coherent and well-structured. Divide your essay up into paragraphs that explain just one idea per paragraph. Ensure that you explain how your ideas relate to the question.

Common errors found in task 2

Your ideas don’t adequately answer the question

You have not supported your ideas with examples or reasons

You have given plenty of detail but not make it clear how the details relate to the question.

Step 5 – conclude your essay with a summary that completes the circle

Before you write your conclusion, you need to read through your essay and make sure that it is complete and coherent. Your conclusion should round off your essay and complete it. It should summarise the main points in the body and reflect the connection between the introduction and the question.

A good conclusion summarises the contents of the essay in as few words as possible.

You fail to write a conclusion at all. An essay without a conclusion is, in fact, not an essay

The conclusion doesn’t summarise the essay or it fails to answer the question.

The conclusion recaps the question but doesn’t mention the main points (topic sentences) in the body of the essay.

Step 6 – re-read your essay

Unlike research papers or essays written as homework, you only get one chance at writing the exam essay. It’s a good idea to read your essay through at various intervals during the exam. Leaving this to the end may be too late. You should also read it once more when you get to the end to ensure that it makes sense and is a coherent whole. Your essay needs to be clear – and give your opinion only when toy are asked for it.

Stick to a process and you’ll avoid two serious problems

 What are the problems?

Incoherence – disjointed essays that cause confusion

You have a much better chance of ensuring that your essay is coherent if you use a set method to write it,. This is because with a method you would have gone through all the steps necessary to ensure coherence, moving from step 1 to step 2 to step 3 and so on. This means that you have given each part of the essay an equal level of importance. If you start with the end in mind without considering each step along the way, you may miss out on an essential stage of the process and end up with an essay which lacks coherence.

Answering the question with the wrong essay

Many students write essays in preparation for the exam. The problem with this is that, in your eagerness to answer with a carefully prepared essay, you may not answer the test question as it has been asked. This is especially true for ‘what do you think’ essays.

It may also happen that the essay question that you are faced with may not fit any of the pre-planned essays that you had in mind for your answer and you panic. In this case it is useful to have a reliable process to help you to write that winning essay. If you have a process you should not be worried and can enter the exam room with confidence, knowing that you have a system that will allow you to answer almost any question that’s thrown at you. When you have learnt the process of answering IELTS exams it all gets a lot easier.

Giving a list of reasons rather than a clear argument and supporting arguments for each paragraph.

 This can be challenging for a lot of students. Many IELTS students think that the more ideas mentioned the better in writing task 2 questions, but that isn’t usually true. When talking about the advantages and disadvantages of solar power, for example, many students would be tempted to mention as many ideas as possible in the ‘advantages’ paragraph in order to maximise their score – reliance on sunshine, cost, challenges of setting it up and repairs in remote regions of the world… but you will score more by focusing on one strong argument in your answer and include examples from your own experience and more information.

Now for some practice

Take an essay that you have previously written and rewrite it. This is not an exercise in correcting errors in the prior essay, but rather an opportunity to take note of the process of writing an essay. The reason we use an old essay is that the ideas and vocabulary already exist. So, you can pay attention to the process, or the how of writing rather than the what.

Don’t worry too much about how long its takes, but pay attention to each phrase and ask yourself what you are trying to do all along the way

Take a look at some  sample task 2 essays to help you prepare. We also have an IELTS  writing evaluation service  that will help you improve your band score!

Here’s another example.

Where it says ‘do you agree or disagree’, that means you MUST make it clear what you think. Although it’s fine to say there are arguments for both sides it’s easier to come down firmly on one side or the other. Similarly, ‘is this a positive or negative development’ questions are easier to answer by choosing one or the other UNLESS the IELTS question specifically says ‘discuss both views and give your own opinion’. Here is an example:

‘To what extent do you agree or disagree’ questions or ‘discuss both views and give your opinions’ are better for looking at both sides. For an agree or disagree question, it’s fine to focus on just one.

TOP TIP – write a concession!

A concession phrase is a high-level skill that will boost your task achievement score if done correctly. The idea is to use an OPPOSITE argument to show that you understand another perspective. For example, if you were writing two body paragraphs agreeing with the statement in the question above, you could also write:

Although some people may be concerned about the cost of replacing plastic goods with glass, it could be argued that our first responsibility is to the environment.

You’ve shown you understand another view (it’s expensive to change current production methods) but made a new point (the environment is more important).

However, if you’re going to do this, remember that a concession statement can ONLY be half a sentence. Any more and you’ve gone off topic and your paragraph will not match your topic sentence. Look for examples of strong concession statements in example essays and only attempt it if you’re feeling very confident.

Keep practising!!

It is important to practice as many questions as you can, and many people say that they improved their score by focusing on planning as much as writing full writing task 2 questions. Keep these tips and ideas in front of you to check your planning and writing strategies.

It’s also useful to keep a list of relevant examples from your own life to mention in the test. These can include large companies you know about, local businesses you are aware of, and even government policies for your region (and whether they are a positive or negative development and whether you agree or disagree with them!)

Audio tutorial

We also have audio tutorials available.

You can download or listen to the audio version here:

| Direct Download Here  |  Stitcher  |  iTunes  |  Spotify  |  Transcript

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

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

• 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.

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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.

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10 TIPS FOR WRITING PERFECT IELTS ESSAYS

22nd August 2019 By Alex Markham 9 Comments

Students often feel that writing near perfect IELTS essays are the most difficult part of the exam.

However, there are several strategies and techniques you can use to help you to to write a great Academic IELTS Task 1 and Task 2 essay.

HOW TO WRITE A PERFECT IELTS ESSAYS

Task 1 requires you to distill and report the information from a graph or table and for Task 2, you are expected to develop and support an opinion based on a question or point of view. And all this in your 2nd or 3rd language.

However, once you understand how to respond to the questions and what the IELTS examiners are looking for, then things become a little more straightforward.

Follow these 10 tips below and you’ll be on your way to a better mark. Maybe even the perfect IELTS essay .

TIP 1: REMEMBER HOW THE IELTS WRITING IS ASSESSED

Each of the two IELTS writing tasks are marked using 4 criteria. Each one of the criteria is worth 25% of the total mark for that task. Only two of the criteria cover grammar and vocabulary so you need to also focus on how you answer and structure your essays.

These are the criteria that the examiner will use with a brief explanation of what you need to do:

Task Response: You need to address every part of the question. You need to demonstrate a clear opinion. Your points need to be developed and supported.

Coherence and Cohesion: Your essay is structured logically. You have used appropriate paraphrasing and synonyms. You have used linking and connecting words and phrases correctly.

Lexical Resource: Wide range of vocabulary and phrases. Good use of less-common vocabulary. No or few spelling mistakes.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Uses a wide range of advanced grammar structures. Sentences contain no or few errors.

TIP 2: DON’T START WRITING IMMEDIATELY. THINK AND PLAN

You will have one hour to write two IELTS essays. You should allocate 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for Task 2. Use the question paper to make some notes before you start to write the report/essay.

• Allocate 2 to 3 of your 20 minutes of task 1 for planning. Finish after 20 minutes. Do not eat into your Task 2 time.
• Allocate around 4 or 5 minutes of your 40 minutes for Task 2 to planning.
• Allow a minute or 2  at the end of each of the tasks to check for errors.

TIP 3: MAKE SURE YOU ANSWER EXACTLY WHAT THE QUESTION ASKED FOR

Read the question carefully and underline all the information you need to include . Plan your response and only then begin to answer the question  exactly as it asks for.  

For example, if the Task 2 question asks for your opinion on university education, stick to university education. Do not stray into other types of education as the examiner will probably ignore it.

25% of your mark is on Task Achievement. You are required to address every part of the question. Re-read the question to make sure you have answered everything asked for.

For Task 1 , all the information you need to include is in the chart/graph/table/diagram. Identify the key points before you start writing.

It is a good idea to mark them on the question paper. Look for the main trends and comparisons. Do not describe the detail but the key points and main trends. Give a fully developed response.

Do not use the data to give opinions or develop ideas. Report the data as it is presented only.

For Task 2 , you will need to develop your own position and opinions based on the question. You should support this with background information on your own experiences and knowledge.

TIP 4. USE CLEAR PARAGRAPHS AND SPACING

The examiner will be looking at the organisation and structure of your work. Remember, 25% of the marks are for coherence and cohesion.  This means clear and obvious paragraphs and logical sequencing of the information.

Leave white space between each paragraph. The examiner will expect to see clearly separated paragraphs with paragraph one as the introduction and the last paragraph a conclusion or summary.

For Task 1 use three paragraphs as a rule, maybe four. Paragraphs two and three will be the description of the chart/graph/table.

For Task 2 use four paragraphs as a rule but five may at times be required. paragraphs two to four will be your main arguments.

For more details on how to structure and organise your IELTS Task 2 essay click on this link: How to Structure IELTS Writing Task 2

TIP 5: WRITE AT LEAST THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF WORDS ASKED FOR

Task 1 requires a MINIMUM of 150 words. Ideally aim for 170 to 190.

Task 2 requires a MINIMUM of 250 words. Ideally aim for around 270 to 290.

If you don’t write enough words, you could lose up to 25% of your mark. Ensure you don’t write too many words as this is just a waste of your time.

Make sure you know what 150+ and 250+ words looks on the pages. Do not waste your time counting them in the exam.

TIP 6. DO NOT COPY AND PHRASES FROM THE QUESTION

Remember coherence and cohesion. You need to demonstrate an ability to paraphrase and use synonyms.

You will receive no marks for any phrases copied from the question; the examiner will ignore this text. The copied text will be deducted from the word count and may leave you with fewer words than the minimum required meaning you haven’t achieved the task.

TIP 7. USE FORMAL LANGUAGE

You must use formal language for tasks 1 and 2 in the Academic IELTS. However, this does not mean you should try to use overly complex language.

What is means is do not use contractions and try to use Latin-based verbs over phrasal verbs where possible. For example use continue rather than carry on or enter rather than go in . Never use slang or colloquial idioms.

To see a simple technique for making your essay more formal click on this link: Nominalisation – A Simple Technique for Formal Essays

TIP 8. PAY CLOSE ATTENTION TO YOUR GRAMMAR, VOCABULARY, COLLOCATIONS AND SPELLING

Ensure you use a wide range of grammar structures. Practice the use of grammar such as 1st and 2nd conditionals, inversions and perfect tenses, for example, before your exam.

Use sophisticated vocabulary and lexis (common word chunks). You will lose marks for incorrect spelling, punctuation or word order.

Remember to use collocations, for example: a fundamental problem, a complex issue, addressing the problem, experiencing difficulties, significant improvements, gradual decline/increase, extensive research and so on.

TIP 9. SIGNPOST YOUR ESSAYS WITH LINKING WORDS

Remember that you need to demonstrate coherence and cohesion with linking words for a perfect IELTS essay.

Task 1: use linking words such as respectivel y to show a sequence, whereas to show a contrast, furthermore to give more information or since to give a reason.

Finish with a summary paragraph signposted with in summary or overall .

Task 2 : For the introduction paragraph it’s a good idea to signpost your opinion with linking phrases such as: In my opinion…. or I (strongly) believe (that)…

Sequence your essay with firstly, secondly, finally, to begin with, as a consequence, in addition, as a result, however, nonetheles s etc.

Show that the last paragraph is your conclusion. Start it with phrases such as: In conclusion…  or In summary…

TIP 10. REMEMBER THAT THE IELTS IS A LANGUAGE EXAM

The point of the IELTS writing task exercise is to for you to show the examiner your abilities in the English language in grammar, lexis, structure, and task achievement.

You will receive no marks for original ideas or for demonstrating an extensive knowledge of the subject area. Your opinions can be dull and obvious but that is unimportant as long as you have an opinion and are able to support it with good English.

WRITING THE PERFECT IELTS ESSAY

Remember the four areas that the examiner will be marking your essays and you will be able to write an essay much closer to the perfect IELTS essay.

I can correct your IELTS essays for €15 for each essay and provide full explanations and suggestions for writing the perfect IELTS essay.

If you would like to use this service then get in touch with me by clicking on contact me and completing the form.

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28th January 2020 at 17:07

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14th November 2020 at 12:46

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14th November 2020 at 14:50

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20th April 2021 at 15:17

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21st May 2021 at 12:13

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Writing an IELTS Essay Introduction

In the writing for task 2, you must write an IELTS essay introduction , but you only have 40 minutes.

In this time you need to analyze the question, brainstorm ideas to write about, formulate an essay plan, and then write your response. Even for a native writer of English, this is a lot to do in 40 minutes!

So you need to use your time carefully . You need a good IELTS essay introduction, but one thing you do not want to do is spend too long writing it so that you end up rushing your paragraphs. Your paragraphs are the most important thing as they contain all your supporting arguments and demonstrate how good you are at organizing your ideas.

The Two Elements of an IELTS Essay Introduction

You therefore need a method to write your IELTS essay introduction fairly quickly. When you write an introduction, you should make sure you do two things:

• Write a sentence (or two) introducing the topic and giving some background facts about it 
• Tell the reader what you are going to be writing about (thesis statement)

How you do this will vary depending on the question, but here is an example:

Blood sports  have become a hot topic for debate in recent years. As society develops it is increasingly seen as an uncivilized activity and cruel to the helpless animals that are killed. Blood sports should be banned.

To what extent to you agree or disagree?

Sample IELTS essay introduction:

Despite the fact that killing animals for sport is popular in modern society, it remains a contentious issue. I believe that blood sports are cruel and uncivilized and so should be banned as soon as possible.

This does the following things:

• First sentence: consists of the topic plus some background facts on the topic which have been taken from the rubric.
• Second sentence: gives the writers opinion and tells us that in the essay the writer will be arguing the reasons why it is cruel.

The topic does not have to be in the first sentence, but it should be made clear somewhere in the introduction. You must always have a thesis.

Paraphrasing

Another important point - don't copy from the question! You must paraphrase (put it in your own words). To do this you can use synonyms and move the order of the sentence around.

Using some of the same words is acceptable, but don't copy whole phrases .

You can see how the question above has been paraphrased. All the information is from the question, but it has been written in a different way and has not been copied.

You can also check out a short video on this lesson:

Further IELTS Introduction Examples

Science and technology have helped the world make many advances. The Arts, such as painting, theatre and dance, to name just three examples, however, are also valuable.

What things do the Arts provide to the world that Science and Technology do not?

Societies have developed rapidly over time due to the many advances in science and technology. However, the arts are also very important and provide our world with many things that science and technology cannot.

According to a recent study, the more time people use the Internet, the less time they spend with real human beings. Some people say that instead of seeing the Internet as a way of opening up new communication possibilities world wide, we should be concerned about the effect this is having on social interaction.

How far do you agree with this opinion?

A recent study has shown that as people use the Internet more, they are spending less time with human beings. I believe that although this has increased the communication around the world in positive ways, it has also led to negative effects on the day-to-day social interaction of human beings.

Unemployment has become an increasing problem in the recent past.

What factors contribute to an increase in unemployment and what steps can be taken to solve the problem?

Over recent years, the level of unemployment has been increasing at an alarming rate in many countries around the world. This essay will discuss the reasons for this increase and consider what practical solutions are available.

Some people think children in secondary school should study international news as part of the curriculum. Others think that this would be a waste of time as there are already too many subjects for children to concentrate on.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

While some people are of the opinion that it would be useful to include international news as a subject in the school curriculum, others believe that this is a waste of students time because they are already overloaded with subjects to study. This essay will examine both sides of the issue.

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How to Put Examples in an IELTS Essay

Posted by David S. Wills | Feb 12, 2024 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 0

Today, you are going to learn how to put examples in an IELTS essay . Specifically, this will be a task 2 essay because you won’t need examples in a task 1 report or letter.

We will cover a few things here. Firstly, I will explain why you ought to include examples. Then, I’ll talk about picking appropriate examples. Finally, we will look at the language used for giving examples in an essay.

Table of Contents

Why do we need examples, what makes a good example for an ielts essay, can you make up examples, can i use personal examples, what language is used for giving examples, common mistakes.

In an IELTS essay, you might want to include examples as a way of better explaining something. Whether you are giving your opinion or discussing an idea, examples are often a handy way of showing development, which is critical for a good Task Response score.

Let’s say you have to write an essay about animal experimentation . You might want to explain that animal testing cannot be justified, so one of your paragraphs might be structured this way:

Look at sentence #7.

Why did I add this?

Well, I had previously explained my perspective in a clear way, but to make it even easier for the reader to understand (as well as making a more convincing argument), I can add an example.

Examples often illuminate a concept in a clear way. They help people to understand abstract or challenging ideas better. In the above case, I had explained my opinion logically but by giving a concrete idea – something that the reader could imagine – I have made it more likely that they will understand and agree with me.

(You can read the full essay and an explanation here .)

Also, let’s consider what the examiners actually want. Note the highlighted part of this sample question from IDP :

This quite clearly shows that you are meant to provide examples. The band descriptors provided by the British Council also show that it is necessary for a candidate to “support” their ideas in order to get a good score. To get band 8, a candidate’s ideas must be:

relevant, well extended and supported.

A good example in an IELTS essay should be:

• Intelligent
• Carefully placed

Those are the most important facts. Let’s look at each.

• Relevant . Above, I gave an example that illuminated my main point. I wanted to show why animal testing can be flawed, so I created a hypothetical mouse being subjected to testing for diabetes drugs. This perfectly illustrated the point, so it is relevant.
• Realistic . A lot of people make up examples because of course you cannot do research in the middle of the IELTS exam. This is fine but please keep it realistic . For example, you may be asked about climate change. If you said “a recent study shows that 90% of the world will be underwater in 10 years,” then it is not very credible.
• Intelligent . Although your answers for IELTS writing do not need to display any sort of technical expertise, you do need to display some sort of critical thinking ability. Thus, whilst you don’t need to have an in-depth knowledge of history or technology , you should be able to draw upon some reasonable examples or invent one that sounds believable. These should be logically tied to your main idea and fit nicely into your essay.
• Carefully placed . Your example should come at just the right point in your essay. Where is that? Well, it depends on your essay. Each one is different. Typically, you would state a main point, explain it, and then add an example but there are other ways to do this. Just be logical and use an example for a sensible purpose. This will help you get a better score for Coherence and Cohesion .

Here, we can see the two body paragraphs of an essay about reliance on technology .

You can see that both paragraphs include an example but they are included differently. The first does not use the words “For example” or “To illustrate.” It just gives the example subtly. The second uses more formulaic language but it introduces the example in a more interesting place. This is because I wanted to incorporate the example in my explanation rather than illustrate the explanation entirely by following it with an example.

As you can see, there are various ways to do this effectively!

Yes, you can use invented examples but keep in mind that they must be realistic. There are two ways to do this:

• Make up an example that is easily within the realm of possibility. For example, you might cite a study that does not exist but as long as your claims are realistic, it doesn’t matter. No one is going to check.
• State clearly that it is a hypothetical example. Again, you can use my mouse/diabetes example from the above table. I used the word “if” to show that it was an imagined example situation.

Try to avoid saying anything that is obviously fake or unbelievable. This would reduce the credibility of your argument.

You can use personal examples in an IELTS essay, but these tend to be more common in lower-scoring essays. Of course, for these you could easily make up an imaginary brother or friend to illustrate a situation.

It all depends on the situation, of course. If you are asked about a broad societal question, an example such as “my brother thinks…” does not really demonstrate any sort of capacity for serious thinking. Thus, you can do it but it’s not a great idea.

On the other hand, if you are asked about families or other daily or personal topics, you could definitely give your relatives as examples.

There are different ways to introduce an example. The most common one is to say “For example…” and then state the example. Many people think this is “too basic,” but there’s no such thing. As long as you don’t use it repeatedly, you’re fine.

Other phrases to introduce examples include:

• To give an example
• For instance
• To give but one example (=this implies that you are giving one but that there are many other possible examples)
• As an illustration
• To illustrate

It’s also quite possible to just subtly weave an example into the passage without this sort of formulaic language. Let’s take a sample passage:

• There are many everyday items that are used once and then thrown away, adding to the pollution in our seas. For example, plastic bags and soda bottles routinely end up flowing from rivers into the oceans.

This passage used “for example.” We could also have just said:

• There are many everyday items that are used once and then thrown away, adding to the pollution in our seas. Plastic bags and soda bottles routinely end up flowing from rivers into the oceans.

Now I have included an example but without saying “For example…”

Note that I could also use “such as…” This requires slightly different grammar, though:

• There are many everyday items, such as plastic bottles and bags, that are used once and then thrown away, adding to the pollution in our seas.

A final note is that the phrase “For example” can be placed at different points in a sentence:

• For example, plastic bags and soda bottles routinely end up flowing from rivers into the oceans.
• Plastic bags and soda bottles, for example, routinely end up flowing from rivers into the oceans.
• Plastic bags and soda bottles routinely end up flowing from rivers into the oceans, for example.

Let’s now look at a few common mistakes people make when putting examples into their IELTS essays:

• Too many examples . Having one or two examples in an essay is fine but you definitely don’t want to include many more than that. Remember that an example is used to illuminate a point but it should not be used as a shortcut. Learn how to explain an idea and then back it up with an example rather than using examples in lieu of a thorough explanation.
• Irrelevant examples . I quite often see irrelevant examples in IELTS essays when doing my writing correction service . Basically, there is a logical disconnect between the previous statement and the given example.
• Unclear examples . Sometimes people just don’t explain things clearly, so the example given may seem irrelevant or confusing. This is often not because it’s a bad example but rather the example or the previous point had been poorly explained.
• Poor grammar . People sometimes make grammatical mistakes when adding an example. This happens because they do not understand the part of speech used to introduce the example or they forget that the example may have to be a full clause.

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.

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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.

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Writing examples in IELTS essays.

How to write examples in ielts essay body paragraphs..

Updated: April 2024

In IELTS writing task 2 it is very important to extend your ideas and support your main idea in the body paragraphs. This can be done with supporting points and specific examples. This is necessary to get a good band score in task response and helps with the overall cohesion of the essay.

By using examples the examiner can see how you are developing your main idea in the main body paragraphs. However, the examples given must be specific to the task question and your main idea, and they should also be clear, easy to follow, concise, and realistic looking, but never include statistics.

They do not have to be real but they must look plausible. This is different from an essay you would write at University where you need true factual information and citations. IELTS essays are not the same as University essays.

1. What does the marking criteria say?

In the IELTS marking criteria, there is no mention of giving examples but in task response it says:

Band 8 task response: ‘presents a well-developed response to the question with relevant, extended, and supported ideas.’ Band 7 task response: ‘ presents, extends and supports main ideas , but there may be a tendency to overgeneralise and/or supporting ideas may lack focus.’ Band 6 Task response: ‘presents relevant main ideas but some may be inadequately developed/unclear.’

So, if your main idea is not explained and supported then you will end up with a lower band score in task response.

2. Where is the best place to put the example?

When giving examples it is best to put them after your main idea or topic sentence. They can be used in the middle of supporting sentences or they can be used to start a new sentence. There is no rule for where exactly to give examples in essays. Logically they should come just after a supporting sentence. In many of my model answers, they are near the end of the main body paragraph.

For instance here is a paragraph from an essay based on this task question:

Students today can easily access information online, so libraries are no longer necessary. Do you agree or disagree? Even though it is true that students find it much easier to get specific academic information connected to their studies on the internet, I believe that libraries are still essential in schools and universities as well as public library facilities. One reason for this is that some types of specialised information cannot be found on the internet. For instance , most well-known academic authors do not immediately publish their recent work online, instead, they publish books explaining their analyses and results . Therefore these books are usually found in university or school libraries before they appear on the world wide web.

The example is introduced with ‘For instance’. The example supports my main opinion here, although it is not entirely true it looks realistic.

3. What kind of example should it be?

Personal examples should be avoided if possible as they look informal. You can quote a newspaper report, a government report, a survey, a poll, a magazine article, a research project but be careful as this can sometimes make the example look like a cliche. You can make examples up but they must look realistic and should not have percentages or data as the examiner has no way to check this.

The prevention of health problems and illness is more important than treatment and medicine. Government funding should reflect this. To what extent do you agree or disagree? In many nations, there is a desperate need for government investment in healthcare, especially for research into new types of medicine to combat serious conditions such as Parkinson’s disease. If governments around the world had funding for cures and drugs at the top of their agenda, then I believe that many more terrible illnesses could be cured with cutting-edge medicine within the next decade. For example, research has shown that in the USA there have been huge advances in the treatment of Parkinson’s with new types of medicine, which was the result of many years of investment by successive administrations.

In the example above I have not quoted any years or statistics. It looks plausible and most importantly it connects directly to my main idea.

4. Useful language when referring to research

If possible try giving an example that does not use fake research or a government survey as this can look memorised and cliched. However, if you cannot think of a good example you could reference a research project or a study that seems plausible. In that case, it is a good idea to use this kind of language below.

A study carried out showed that…

Research conducted recently indicated that…, there is evidence to suggest that…, according to a recent poll…, according to a recent research project, it emerged that…, an extensive survey conducted by the government proved that….

Example sentences: For instance, there is evidence to suggest that eating fast foods and a high sugar intake causes obesity. For example, according to a recent poll by the government, an increasing number of people are working from home now. To illustrate this, research conducted recently stated that more and more companies are looking at reducing the workforce in favour of Ai and robots.

5. What should be in the example?

In the example, you can use a business name, a university name, a newspaper name, a place (country, city) and a phrase that shows a trend. Do not use statistics and numbers in examples . See two examples below I took from an essay.

1.  For instance, a recent report in Business weekly magazine indicated that the number of shoppers making purchases online has risen considerably due to low costs and free delivery. 2.  For instance, a recent report in Business weekly magazine indicated that the number of shoppers making purchases online has risen by 61% due to low costs and free delivery.

The first one is much better as it uses language rather than a statistic . In the example I used a magazine name (business weekly)  This example is not true but it looks believable.

Here are other examples, which one is better?

1.  To illustrate this, a UK government report in April 2017 showed that over 59% of criminals reoffended within 2 years of being released from prison. 2. To illustrate this, a UK government report in April 2017 showed that a large proportion of criminals reoffended within 2 years of being released from prison. 3. To illustrate this, a recent UK government report showed that a large proportion of criminals reoffended soon after being released from prison.

In the third example above I have not used any numbers, years or statistics. I have used language instead. The first two examples should be avoided as the examiner cannot check this data and it looks fake to the examiner.

Using statistics and data in examples is only for when you are writing a university essay/thesis not an IELTS essay.

6. Can you give an example of a “bad example” and a good one?

Take a look at two example body paragraphs below…which one is better?

An increasing number of people are buying what they need online. 
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? 1. One main advantage of purchasing online is that it is much cheaper than buying from a high street shop. This means that buying items such as books, clothes and household goods is much more cost-effective if consumers get them on the internet because of the wide range of shopping sites. For instance, transport is expensive as gasoline prices are increasing. Most people do not have cars in my town so we have to take a train 10 kilometres to the nearest department store, so it is better to buy online. 2 . One main advantage of purchasing online is that it is much cheaper than buying from a high street shop. This means that buying items such as books, clothes and household goods is much more cost-effective if consumers get them on the internet because of the wide range of shopping sites. To illustrate this, there is evidence to suggest  that the number of shoppers making purchases on Amazon has risen considerably due to low costs and free delivery.

The 2nd paragraph above is better. The first paragraph example is too general and even seems informal. The 2nd paragraph example is much clearer, more specific, and concise while supporting my main idea.

7. What should I do if I have no idea of an example?

In this case, you can make up an example. Invent a government poll, a newspaper report, a university study, or just explain your main idea clearly. There is no rule in the IELTS marking criteria about how to give examples, only that you can explain and support your ideas. Remember the marking criteria state:

presents a well-developed response to the question with relevant, extended, and supported ideas’

Take a look at this paragraph below:

Some people think that violent sports such as martial arts or boxing should be banned from international competitions. To what extent do you agree or disagree? I agree that worldwide martial arts or combat events should be banned is that many competitors in these kinds of sports retire with long-lasting health issues. Boxing, in particular, has many instances of great boxers who became brain damaged and had to stop boxing at a relatively young age. For example, Mohamed Ali, who was an Olympic and world champion, developed brain damage from years of high-profile international fights and developed serious health problems such as Parkinson’s disease. There are many other cases similar to this in world combat sports events.

The example does not include any newspaper report or university study or government poll etc… there are no statistics, no business name, no dates but it still clearly supports my main opinion that combat sports should be banned.

To Summarise.

Stick to one main idea in each paragraph and explain it without going off-topic, the main idea must be relevant and specific to the task question. Keep it simple and concise too and avoid statistics or data that the examiner cannot verify.

Any Questions? Leave a comment below…

Leave a comment cancel reply.

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IELTS Writing Task 1: Everything You Need to Know

Ielts writing task 1 in 6 simple steps.

Academic Writing Task 1 Strategy

• Understand how the test is marked. Knowing the marking criteria will allow you to give the examiner exactly what they need.
• Paraphrase the question. It is best to paraphrase the question in the first paragraph. You can do this by using synonyms.
• Write the overview. To write your overview , pick 3 or 4 of the main features and write about them generally without referencing any data.
• Support the main features. In a new paragraph, support the key features with the data in the information given to you.
• Check your work. Check your report for spelling and grammar mistakes. Make sure that the data you mentioned is also accurate!

Essential Writing Task 1 Skills

• How to Write an Overview Paragraph 
• How to Paraphrase 
• How to Write a Complex Sentence
• How Many Words? 
• Task 1 Charts Checklist
• Task 1 Tips
• The Danger of Synonyms
• 6 Common Mistakes
• Paragraphing and Editing

Writing Task 1 Full Lessons

• Writing Academic Task 1 in 5 Easy Steps 
• Charts Lesson
• Maps Lesson
• Multiple Charts/Graphs 
• Process Lesson

Academic Task 1 Sample Answers

• Bar Chart Sample Essay (Cars in Asia) 
• Process- Cement and Concrete Production
• Pie Chart (Italy and Yemen Populations) 
• Process Question
• Bar Chart Question (UK Telephone Usage) 
• Line Graph (US Consumption of Energy)
• Bar Chart Sample Answer (International Students)

General Training Writing Task 1

General Training Writing Task 1 in 5 Simple Steps

• Understand how the test is marked. Knowing the marking criteria is the best way of giving the examiner exactly what they need and nothing else.
• Decide whether the letter is formal or informal. This part is easy. If the question asks you to write to a ‘friend’, it should be an informal letter. If the question asks you to write to anyone else, it should be a formal letter. It is that simple!
• Discuss each bullet point from the question. Make sure to take a new paragraph for each bullet point. This will make your letter easy to read and understand.
• Sign off your letter. Don’t overcomplicate this part. Include a sign-off suitable to your letter’s tone and write your name beneath.
• Check your work. Make sure your letter doesn’t contain any grammar or vocabulary mistakes.
• Letter Writing Tips
• How to Write an Informal Letter
• How to Write a Formal Letter

General Training Essential Writing Task 1 Skills

• Task 1 General Training Writing Strategy
• Task 1 General Training Writing Guide

Sample Answers

• Formal and informal sample letters.

Writing Task 1 Essential Information

• People doing the Academic test will write a report on a data set, map, or process. People doing General Training will write a letter.
• You must write 150 words or more.
• You should spend around 20 minutes on this part of the test.
• Task 1 is worth 1/3 of your total mark on the Writing test.
• You will be assessed in four areas: Task Achievement (25%) Coherence and Cohesion (25%) Lexical Resource (25%) Grammatical Range and Accuracy (25%)
• The most important thing is that you can demonstrate that you can clearly communicate in English.
• The key to doing well is to know exactly what the examiners want and give it to them.
• Grammar and Vocabulary Guide

• Top 10 Grammar Mistakes

IELTS Writing Task 1 FAQs

How can i improve my writing.

You will find all the resources you need on our Writing Task 1 page. Click the link below:

Writing Task 1

If you need serious help or personalised feedback, you should check out our online 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:

Task 1 Sample Answers

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

How many paragraphs should I write?

Introduction

You can put the overview at the end if you'd like.

Can I use idioms?

No, you should typically avoid using idioms in Writing Task 1.

The only time this is acceptable is if you are taking the General Training test and must write an informal letter.

Should I write a conclusion for Task 1 Academic?

No. A conclusion is a summary of YOUR ideas and your opinion. Task 1 is simply reporting what you see, so there shouldn't be any of your ideas or your opinion.

Instead of a conclusion, you should write an overview.

The reason lots of people get confused about this is that some teachers, books and even one British Council website call the overview a 'conclusion'. It's not a conclusion, it's an overview.

Finally, it does not matter where you put the overview paragraph. We teach our students to put it after the introduction, but it is also fine to have it as your final paragraph.

How many words should I write?

You must write at least 150 words in Writing Task 1 (yes, the examiners will count them!)

I would suggest that you aim to write around 160-170 words for Task 1. 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 or formal letter. However, it is fine to use contractions in an informal letter.

When should I write formally?

There are a few signposts that indicate when you should write formally or informally. Watch our video lesson to find out what they are:

IELTS Writing Task 1 General Training: Formal or Informal Letters?

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IELTS Writing Task 2: How to write a good conclusion

The conclusion is an important part of your IELTS Writing Task 2 response. A good conclusion is not just a summary of information presented in your essay, but also helps emphasise the importance of the main points or opinions in your essay and gives the reader a sense of closure.

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When writing a conclusion (closing paragraph) in Writing Task 2, there are a few things that you should do (or avoid) in order to make your conclusion a more effective one. Knowing what to include or avoid in your closing paragraph can help you get a higher band score in IELTS Writing. So, let’s look at some tips you can practice and implement in your response.  

Tip 1: Refer back to your introductory paragraph

You may want to think of your introduction and conclusion as two pieces of the same puzzle because they should be closely linked. Make sure you: 

Return to the idea(s) that you presented in your introduction  

And add further insight obtained after writing the body of your essay. 

Tip 2: Summarise your essay’s main arguments

It is very important to provide a summary of your essay’s main points in your conclusion. But make sure you avoid repeating things. Instead, show the examiner how the arguments you made and the supporting details you used all fit together. 

Tip 3: Avoid repetition

When summarising the main points in your essay, don’t repeat the language you use in your body paragraphs. Vary your language so that you don’t repeat the same words and sentence structures again and again. This will show the examiner that you can use a wider range of vocabulary and grammatical structures. 

Tip 4: Give your own opinion

In Writing Task 2, you will always be asked to give your opinion in essay form. If you get to your final paragraph and realise that you haven’t given your opinion, make sure you include it in your conclusion so your opinion is clear. 

Tip 5: Don’t introduce a new argument

Make sure you do not raise new points in your conclusion. Remember that your closing paragraph is where you bring closure to your essay and not where you introduce new ideas. 

How to put these tips into action

Now that we have looked at strategies for writing an effective conclusion, let’s see how these strategies work together to bring an essay to a cohesive end. 

Take a look at the sample question, sample introductory paragraph and conclusion below. And see how this test taker has put the 5 tips mentioned into action to write a cohesive conclusion.

Example - Writing Task 2 question

The threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace. Nuclear power provides cheap and clean energy. 

The benefits of nuclear technology far outweigh the disadvantages. 

To what extent 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. 

Writing Task 2: Sample introduction

Nuclear technology has been around for many years. Whether this technology is used for weapons of mass destruction or as a source of energy, many are of the belief that the use of nuclear energy has more advantages than disadvantages. In my opinion, nuclear technology can indeed be a very efficient energy source. However, nuclear weapons possess such enormous destructive power that any benefits that this technology may offer to humankind are not enough to counter its potentially devastating effects. This essay will address why the drawbacks of nuclear technology outweigh the benefits and will include relevant examples to support this position. 

Writing Task 2: Sample conclusion

Nuclear technology is extremely dangerous. Even though nuclear weapons have only been used twice, on the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, evidence from these actions, as well as from nuclear accidents such as the Chernobyl disaster, are irrefutable proof of the disastrous effects of nuclear technology. Even in the absence of nuclear accidents, nuclear power inevitably produces radioactive waste, which is severely damaging to our bodies. Our best protection against these dangers is to simply not use nuclear technology. Instead, we should look for alternative ways to produce sustainable energy and to achieve world peace through spreading a message of tolerance, kindness and non-violence. 

If you review the main points in the example conclusion above: 

The destructive power of nuclear weapons 

The disastrous consequences of nuclear disasters 

The harmful effects of radioactive waste. 

You will see the writer reminds the examiner (reader) the strength and importance of their main ideas, while summarising how this point fit well with the examples provided in the body of the essay.  

To finish, you can see the writer highlights their proposed course of action, which helps end the essay on a more positive note.

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IELTS Writing Task 2: Format, Sample, Tips

The IELTS Writing Task 2: The second portion of the writing test, known as IELTS Writing Task 2, asks you to produce an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem. Your essay should be written in a formal tone, be at least 250 words long, and take no more than 40 minutes to finish.

Table of Content

IELTS Writing Task 2- Format

1. task question, 2. word limit, 4. response structure, 5. evaluation criteria, difference between ielts writing task 2- academic vs general, understanding the evaluation criteria, common ielts writing task 2 topics, band descriptors ielts writing task 2, ielts essay types for writing task 2, ielts writing task 2 preparation tips, ielts writing task 2 sample, ielts writing task 2- faqs, what are indigenous cultures and languages, why is it important to protect indigenous cultures and languages, what are some challenges in protecting indigenous cultures and languages, what role can governments play in protecting indigenous cultures and languages, are there any potential drawbacks to prioritizing the protection of indigenous cultures and languages.

• You will be presented with a topic or statement related to a contemporary issue or problem.
• The task question may ask you to discuss a particular problem, present a solution, evaluate a situation, or provide your opinion on a given topic.
• You are expected to write at least 250 words for the IELTS Writing Task 2.
• It is advisable to write within the range of 250300 words, as responses shorter than 250 words are penalized, and longer responses do not necessarily receive higher scores.
• 3. Time Allotment:
• You have 40 minutes to complete the IELTS Writing Task 2.
• Your response should be structured as an essay with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• The introduction should provide an overview of the topic and outline the main points you will discuss.
• The body paragraphs should develop your ideas and arguments, with one main idea per paragraph supported by relevant examples or evidence.
• The conclusion should summarize your main points and provide a final perspective on the topic.
• Your response will be evaluated based on four criteria: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource (vocabulary), and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
• You should aim to address all parts of the task question, present a clear and coherent argument, use a wide range of vocabulary accurately, and demonstrate a good command of grammar and sentence structures.

Must Read: IELTS Academic vs General Tests – What’s the Difference?

The IELTS Writing Task 2 covers a wide range of topics related to contemporary issues and problems. Here are some common topics that frequently appear in the IELTS Writing Task 2:

1. Education:

• The role of technology in education
• The importance of extracurricular activities
• The advantages and disadvantages of single gender schools

2. Environment:

• Climate change and its impacts
• Sustainable development and environmental conservation
• The use of renewable energy sources
• The impact of lifestyle choices on health
• The role of government in promoting public health
• The advantages and disadvantages of alternative medicine

4. Society and Culture:

• The effects of globalization on local cultures
• The impact of social media on human interactions
• The role of religion in modern society

5. Technology:

• The advantages and disadvantages of artificial intelligence
• The impact of technology on employment and job markets
• The role of technology in communication and information sharing

6. Urbanization and Transportation:

• The challenges of urban growth and city planning
• The benefits and drawbacks of public transportation
• The impact of transportation on the environment

7. Crime and Justice:

• The causes and prevention of crime
• The effectiveness of different types of punishment
• The role of the criminal justice system in society

8. Economics and Business:

• The impact of globalization on international trade
• The role of advertising in influencing consumer behavior
• The advantages and disadvantages of outsourcing

9. Government and Politics:

• The importance of freedom of speech and press
• The role of government in regulating the economy
• The impact of immigration on societies

10. Arts and Culture:

• The importance of preserving cultural heritage
• The role of art in society
• The impact of censorship on artistic expression

In the IELTS Writing Task 2, candidates are required to write an essay in response to a prompt or question. There are several common types of essays that may appear in Task 2:

1. Argumentative/Opinion Essays: These essays require candidates to express their opinion on a given topic and support it with reasons and examples. They often involve discussing both sides of an issue and presenting a clear argument in favor of one viewpoint.

2. Discussion/Two-sided Essays: Similar to argumentative essays, discussion essays require candidates to discuss both sides of an issue before expressing their opinion or preference. They need to provide balanced arguments and consider opposing viewpoints.

3. Advantages and Disadvantages Essays : In these essays, candidates need to discuss the pros and cons of a particular issue, situation, or trend. They should provide examples to illustrate each point and offer a balanced analysis.

4. Problem-Solution Essays: These essays involve identifying a problem or issue, discussing its causes and effects, and proposing possible solutions or measures to address it. Candidates need to present logical arguments and support their solutions with evidence.

5. Cause and Effect Essays: Cause and effect essays focus on analyzing the reasons behind a specific phenomenon or event and its subsequent effects. Candidates should clearly outline the causal relationships and provide relevant examples.

6. Comparison/Contrast Essays: These essays require candidates to compare and contrast two or more ideas, concepts, or approaches. They should highlight similarities and differences and draw conclusions based on their analysis.

7. Process Essays: Process essays explain a sequence of steps or actions involved in a particular process, such as how to do something or how something works. Candidates need to provide clear explanations and use appropriate transition words to guide the reader through each step.

8. Agree/Disagree Essays: In these essays, candidates are given a statement or opinion, and they need to express whether they agree or disagree with it. They should support their stance with reasons and examples.

IELTS Writing Task 2 preparation tips to help you improve your performance:

1. Understand the Task Question

• Read the task question carefully and identify the key components, such as the topic, the instructions (e.g., discuss, evaluate, give your opinion), and any specific aspects to be addressed.
• Underline or highlight the essential elements to ensure you address all parts of the question.

2. Plan Your Essay

• Spend a few minutes planning your essay before you start writing.
• Brainstorm ideas and organize them into an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Develop a clear thesis statement and main points to guide your essay.

3. Manage Your Time

• Allocate your time wisely, allowing enough time for planning, writing, and reviewing.
• Aim to spend around 510 minutes planning, 2530 minutes writing, and 5 minutes reviewing and making corrections.

4. Use Appropriate Structure and Paragraphing

• Follow a standard essay structure with an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Each body paragraph should focus on one main idea and include supporting details, examples, or evidence.
• Use clear topic sentences and logical transitions between paragraphs.

5. Develop Your Ideas

• Provide relevant and welldeveloped ideas to support your main points.
• Use examples, personal experiences, facts, or hypothetical situations to illustrate your arguments.
• Show critical thinking by analyzing different perspectives and addressing counterarguments.

6. Use Appropriate Language and Vocabulary

• Use a range of appropriate vocabulary related to the topic.
• Vary your sentence structures and avoid repetition.
• Demonstrate your ability to use idiomatic expressions and collocations accurately.

7. Pay Attention to Grammar and Accuracy

• Review and proofread your essay for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, and punctuation issues.
• Ensure subjectverb agreement, correct tense usage, and appropriate word forms.
• Avoid overly complex sentences that may increase the risk of errors.

8. Practice with Sample Questions

• Familiarize yourself with different types of IELTS Writing Task 2 questions by practicing with sample prompts.
• Set a timer and practice writing complete essays under timed conditions.
• Seek feedback from experienced IELTS teachers or online resources to identify areas for improvement.

9. Learn from Model Answers

• Study highscoring model answers to understand the expected level of writing and the organization of ideas.
• Analyze the structure, language use, and development of arguments in these model answers.
• Incorporate effective strategies and techniques into your own writing practice.

10. Stay UptoDate with Current Affairs

• Stay informed about current events, global issues, and debates related to various topics.
• Read reputable news sources, magazines, or online articles to broaden your knowledge and enhance your ability to discuss contemporary topics.

Here is a practice IELTS Writing Task 2 topic for you: Topic: Some people believe that governments should make more efforts to protect indigenous cultures and languages from disappearing. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write at least 250 words discussing both viewpoints and giving your opinion.

• Make a plan before you start writing. Outline your introduction, body paragraphs and conclusion.
• The introduction should paraphrase the topic and outline what will be discussed.
• Discuss both sides of the argument in the body paragraphs. One paragraph arguing for protecting indigenous cultures/languages, one paragraph arguing against or giving the opposite view.
• Use examples, data or personal experiences to support your arguments.
• The conclusion should summarize your main points and give a clear opinion.
• Use a range of vocabulary and sentence structures. Avoid repetition.
• Check for grammar, spelling and punctuation errors.

In conclusion, while protecting indigenous cultures and languages is undoubtedly important for preserving human diversity and heritage, it should be balanced with practical considerations and the interests of the wider community. A nuanced approach that promotes understanding and appreciation while accommodating evolving societal needs is ideal.

Also Read: IELTS Full Form: Check Its Significance IELTS Average Score: Across Worldwide and India IELTS Minimum Score for Top Universities in 2024 IELTS Exam Pattern 2024: Section-wise IELTS Exam Paper Pattern, Question Types

Indigenous cultures and languages refer to the traditional practices, belief systems, and modes of expression of ethnic groups native to a particular region or country.

Protecting indigenous cultures and languages helps preserve unique identities, traditional knowledge, and cultural diversity, which are valuable aspects of human heritage and can contribute to our understanding of history, societies, and the environment.

Challenges include globalization, urbanization, lack of resources, and a shift towards more dominant cultures and languages, which can lead to the erosion of indigenous practices and languages over time.

Governments can implement policies to support the use and teaching of indigenous languages, provide funding for cultural preservation efforts, and promote awareness and appreciation of indigenous cultures through education and media.

Potential drawbacks include the allocation of limited resources towards this effort at the expense of other priorities, the potential for cultural stagnation or resistance to cultural evolution, and the risk of creating divisions or conflicts within diverse societies.

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Tips for managing stress during IELTS test preparation

By ielts expert, 14 may 2024 - 13:00.

It’s normal to feel anxious when you’re taking an important test even if you’re prepared. A few nerves can even motivate you to study harder. The problem is that some people struggle to concentrate and become paralysed when they’re too stressed.

Feeling supported and well-prepared can significantly reduce stress on test day. That’s why we provide a comprehensive suite of preparation resources to ensure that your test experience is both smooth and relaxing.

Learn more about the benefits of taking IELTS with the British Council

To help you stay focused and perform your best, here are our top five tips for managing stress during your IELTS test preparation. 

Tips for managing stress in IELTS test preparation

Language tests like the IELTS are often key to achieving professional, academic, or personal goals. That’s why test preparation can cause a lot of stress. Different strategies can help you feel confident and remain relaxed. Here are some ideas: 

1. Learn the best IELTS strategies

Even if you’re fluent in English, you still need to prepare yourself for the specific tasks in IELTS. Learning the test format and task types is key to getting the score you need.

Here are some good IELTS test preparation strategies:

• Decide how much time you need for each IELTS test section so you know what pace you need to take.
• Start with the easier questions first. That way you can finish them and save your remaining time for the most challenging parts of the test.
• Don’t experiment with new or unusual structures in the Speaking or Writing sections on the day. You may confuse your ideas - and communication is key to a good IELTS score.
• Make the most of different tools and resources to improve your skills. For example, you can listen to a podcast, read a book, and take an online course to ensure you get enough varied practice. 

2. Create a study schedule and try different techniques

You’ll feel more stressed if you leave all your test preparation to the last minute and overload yourself with information. Create a study schedule in advance. Finding methods that best suit your needs helps you stay efficient when you have other demands on your time.

Here are some different studying techniques you can try:

• Create flashcards for quick practice sessions with language you want to learn.
• Get practice in real life scenarios and don’t just stick to theory. That means reading English newspapers and having conversations with others.
• Create rhymes or catchy sayings to help you remember rules. For example, you could try, “I before e except after c” to help you with spelling.
• Think of associations with challenging words. Perhaps you could picture the word ‘humongous’ as being a very big person so you remember it means ‘very big’. 

3. Keep yourself rested and refreshed

 Did you know that getting enough rest can help you reduce stress? You can also improve your ability to concentrate and retain information so you can get better results on the IELTS test.

Make sure you take regular study breaks and avoid late-night revision sessions as you’ll overload yourself with information and make yourself more stressed.

It’s a good idea to study in a separate room from where you normally relax. That way you won’t associate the space with stress and find it harder to unwind.

Try adapting the place where you relax to encourage rest. You can keep your laptop and study materials out of your bedroom and living room, or pack them away immediately in a box or drawer once you’ve finished your test preparation for the day.

4. Learn techniques to stay calm in the IELTS test

Stress is a natural reaction to situations that make us feel uncomfortable or scared. Many get nervous about tests because they’re worried about their results. 

People have lots of different responses to stress. For example, some people freeze and find their mind goes blank. Others may have a physical reaction like sweating or shaking. In very stressful situations, we might begin to feel sick.

When you feel agitated or upset, you don’t perform as well. So, an important part of test preparation is learning ways to keep yourself calm during your test. Mindfulness techniques can make a huge difference to your stress levels. There are thousands of quick ideas you can try to help you relax and concentrate on the questions again.

• Accept that you will make mistakes, but remind yourself of all the effort you’ve made.
• Count from one to ten in your head as you breathe in and out.
• Imagine all the positive experiences you’ll have because you’ve worked hard and deserve them.
• Focus on different areas of your body, in turn, starting at your feet and going upwards. 

Feel prepared for your IELTS test

Studying isn’t everything. Managing stress and ensuring you’re well prepared for the test can be just as important for good performance in IELTS. If you get too overwhelmed, you may not achieve the results you deserve.

Make sure you have all the support you need to feel confident about IELTS. The British Council offers a wide range of resources to help you prepare and be as ready as you can be on test day.

IELTS Ready is the British Council’s comprehensive IELTS preparation platform that has all you need to get well prepared for your test. IELTS Ready Member includes six practice tests, tips and videos to help you improve your score, recorded webinars and tips from previous test takers. All these resources are free for anyone. 

When you book IELTS with the British Council you get access to IELTS Ready Premium which has much more resources including more practice tests, personalised study plan, preparation webinars and more, all free for British Council IELTS test takers. 

You recently did a short cookery course. The cookery school has asked for your feedback on this course. Write a letter to the course director at the cookery school. In your letter •Describe what you enjoyed about the course. •Say how much cooking you've done since the course. •Suggest another cookery course you'd like the school to offer.

Unauthorized use and/or duplication of this material without express and written permission from this site’s author and/or owner is strictly prohibited. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to Writing9 with appropriate and specific direction to the original content.

Use a variety of complex and simple sentences

You should use complex sentences in your writing, but it does not mean that you should try to make all of our sentences complex.

‘Complex’ sentences are not actually very complex; they are just two or more simple sentences put together. Putting them together makes the essay more coherent and cohesive.

I really want to study but I’m too tired.

I wore a warm coat because the weather was cold.

If action is not taken soon on climate change , global warming will get worse.

Discover more tips in The Ultimate Guide to Get a Target Band Score of 7+ » — a book that's free for 🚀 Premium users.

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The company you work has decided to close the cafeteria, as the staff is not using it much. You are not happy with the decision. Write a letter to the director. -Give reason of low usage -How will it affect the staff -Suggest ways to improve it

A lot of money is spent nowadays searching for oil. as the world's oil resources will eventually run out, it would be more logical to spend some of this money on developing new sources of power, such as wind and solar. to what extent do you agree or disagree give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience., some people believe that students should acquire working experience during their gap year instead of travelling. do you agree or disagree with this statement give your opinion and include relevant examples, people today move to new cities or new countries more than ever before. what challenges do the experience what strategies are there to meet these challenges, some people think it is better for people to change their career at least once in their life and do different kinds of jobs. do you agree or disagree with this opinion.

35 episodios

Welcome to the internet's #1 online resource for personalised lessons by a trained, qualified and experienced teacher on how to score an 8777 on the IELTS or a band 9 on the CELPIP exam! I'm Shrishti, your IELTS and CELPIP instructor, and I'll be showing you exactly how you can improve your scores for Writing and Speaking. I go upload thrice a week, so don't forget to tune in!

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• 21 DIC 2023

IELTS Writing Band 9 Discussion Essay - Public Transport

For just ₹89 a month, you can get Vocab Booster versions of a new essay like this one each week. You get vocabulary exercises, explanations for the words I used, and grammar references for the kind of grammar I use in these essays as well. Sign up here: https://rzp.io/l/8777IELTS-youtube ✏️ Get access to my FREE Writing Masterclass (seats limited!) 👉 https://8777ielts.com/writing-masterc... Question: Some believe governments should spend more money on improving roads and highways, while some think money should be spent improving public transportation, such as buses, trains, and subways. Discuss both points of view and give your opinion. WANT REGULAR TIPS? Follow me on Facebook: / 8777ielts​ Read my blog: https://www.8777ielts.com​ I'm on Instagram! / 8777ielts​ Want to have a chat? Email me at [email protected] Prefer podcasts on Google or Spotify? I've got you covered! https://anchor.fm/8777IELTS

• 18 DIC 2023

IELTS Speaking Saturday - Episode 29 [Restaurant & Crowds]

✏️ Get access to my FREE Writing Masterclass (seats limited!) 👉 https://8777ielts.com/writing-masterc... Here's a set of questions from December 2023: Part 1 Do you enjoy dining out at restaurants? What are some factors that you consider when choosing a restaurant to dine at? Can you describe a memorable dining experience you’ve had at a restaurant? In your opinion, what makes a restaurant stand out? Part 2 Describe a crowded place you’ve been to. You should say: when you went there where the place is (or, was) who you went therewith and explain how you felt about the place. Part 3 Why do a lot of people enjoy going to crowded places? Where (or what) would you say is the most crowded place in your city? Would you say it’s important for a city to have amusement (and/or recreational) facilities? Why do you think people choose to live in big cities (despite certain problems)? --- Every Saturday, my goal is to record ideal, band-9-level responses to a brand new, full IELTS speaking test so that you can have a good idea of what to say in response to these questions. Regardless of whether you're aiming for a 6.5 or a 9, these videos will be helpful for you. Please keep in mind that some of these responses will be much longer than the amount of time for which you'd need to speak, but I'm doing this so that you have an idea of all the kinds of things you can say and HOW to say them in your test. WANT REGULAR TIPS? Follow me on Facebook: / 8777ielts Read my blog: https://www.8777ielts.com I'm on Instagram! / 8777ielts Want to have a chat? Email me at [email protected] Prefer podcasts on Google or Spotify? I've got you covered! https://anchor.fm/8777IELTS

• 11 DIC 2023

IELTS Speaking Saturday - Episode 28 [Dream & Sport]

✏️ Get access to my FREE Writing Masterclass (seats limited!) 👉 https://8777ielts.com/writing-masterc... Here's a set of questions from December 2023: Part 1 What did you dream about as a child? What kind of ambitions do young people in your country have? What do you do when you have a day off? What did you do as a child when you had a day off from school? Part 2 Describe a sport you like to watch. You should say What it is When you watch it Who you watch it with And explain why you like watching it Part 3 What sport do people in your country like to watch? What is the most popular sport in your country that people play? Do you think it is important for children to play sports at school? What sport should schools in your country introduce? --- Every Saturday, my goal is to record ideal, band-9-level responses to a brand new, full IELTS speaking test so that you can have a good idea of what to say in response to these questions. Regardless of whether you're aiming for a 6.5 or a 9, these videos will be helpful for you. Please keep in mind that some of these responses will be much longer than the amount of time for which you'd need to speak, but I'm doing this so that you have an idea of all the kinds of things you can say and HOW to say them in your test. WANT REGULAR TIPS? Follow me on Facebook: / 8777ielts Read my blog: https://www.8777ielts.com I'm on Instagram! / 8777ielts Want to have a chat? Email me at [email protected] Prefer podcasts on Google or Spotify? I've got you covered! https://anchor.fm/8777IELTS

• 13 NOV 2023

IELTS Speaking Saturday - Episode 27 [Rain & History]

✏️ Get access to my FREE Writing Masterclass (seats limited!) 👉 https://8777ielts.com/writing-masterc... Here's a set of questions from November 2023: Part 1 Do you like rainy days? Why? Does it rain much in your city? Would you like to live in a dry or wet place? Would you change your plan if it rained? Part 2 Describe a historical period you would like to know more You should say: when it was what you are interested in what you have known and why you would like to know more. Part 3 Should everyone know history? In what ways can people learn history? How can technology make learning history more interesting? Are history museums useful? --- Every Saturday, my goal is to record ideal, band-9-level responses to a brand new, full IELTS speaking test so that you can have a good idea of what to say in response to these questions. Regardless of whether you're aiming for a 6.5 or a 9, these videos will be helpful for you. Please keep in mind that some of these responses will be much longer than the amount of time for which you'd need to speak, but I'm doing this so that you have an idea of all the kinds of things you can say and HOW to say them in your test. WANT REGULAR TIPS? Follow me on Facebook: / 8777ielts Read my blog: https://www.8777ielts.com I'm on Instagram! / 8777ielts Want to have a chat? Email me at [email protected] Prefer podcasts on Google or Spotify? I've got you covered! https://anchor.fm/8777IELTS

IELTS Writing Band 9 Discussion Essay - Technology

For just ₹89 a month, you can get Vocab Booster versions of a new essay like this one each week. You get vocabulary exercises, explanations for the words I used, and grammar references for the kind of grammar I use in these essays as well. Sign up here: https://rzp.io/l/8777IELTS-youtube ✏️ Get access to my FREE Writing Masterclass (seats limited!) 👉 https://8777ielts.com/writing-masterc... Question: Some people think that technology has made our lives more complex, and the solution is to live a simpler life without technology. To what extent do you agree or disagree? WANT REGULAR TIPS? Follow me on Facebook: / 8777ielts​ Read my blog: https://www.8777ielts.com​ I'm on Instagram! / 8777ielts​ Want to have a chat? Email me at [email protected] Prefer podcasts on Google or Spotify? I've got you covered! https://anchor.fm/8777IELTS

IELTS Speaking Saturday - Episode 26 [Chatting & Noise]

✏️ Get access to my FREE Writing Masterclass (seats limited!) 👉 https://8777ielts.com/writing-masterc... Here's a set of questions from November 2023: Part 1 Do you like chatting with friends? What do you usually chat about with friends? Do you prefer to chat with a group of people or with only one friend? Do you prefer to communicate face-to-face or via social media? Part 2 Describe a noisy place you have been to. You should say: Where it is When you went there What you did there Part 3 Are cities becoming noisier? Do you like to stay in a place with a lot of noise? What kind of noises are there in the area where you live? What are the effects of loud noise? --- Every Saturday, my goal is to record ideal, band-9-level responses to a brand new, full IELTS speaking test so that you can have a good idea of what to say in response to these questions. Regardless of whether you're aiming for a 6.5 or a 9, these videos will be helpful for you. Please keep in mind that some of these responses will be much longer than the amount of time for which you'd need to speak, but I'm doing this so that you have an idea of all the kinds of things you can say and HOW to say them in your test. WANT REGULAR TIPS? Follow me on Facebook: / 8777ielts Read my blog: https://www.8777ielts.com I'm on Instagram! / 8777ielts Want to have a chat? Email me at [email protected] Prefer podcasts on Google or Spotify? I've got you covered! https://anchor.fm/8777IELTS

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