Writing
Reading the task words correctly, and why two questions about advantages need different essays. With a practice exercise.
There are four IELTS Task 2 essay types, in both the Academic and General Training modules, and each one needs a different structure. Working out which you have been given is the first thing to do and it takes about ten seconds.
The answer is always in the task words, the part of the question that tells you what to do. Get this wrong and you can write accurate, well organised English that answers a question nobody asked, which is the fastest way to a low Task Response band.
The four types
Each has its own task words and its own shape.
Do you agree or disagree? To what extent do you agree? Is this positive or negative? Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? You take a position and defend it throughout.
What measures should be taken? What should be done about this? What is the solution? You identify the problem briefly, then spend most of the essay on remedies.
Discuss both views and give your opinion. Consider both sides. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages. Both sides get roughly equal space, then your view.
What problems does this cause? What benefits does this bring? What factors contribute to this? You explain and analyse rather than argue.
Not the topic. The same subject can appear in all four types, and only the instruction line tells you which essay to write.
Many questions ask two things: what are the causes and what can be done. Answering only one caps your Task Response band no matter how good the writing is.
Method
Six checks before you write a word.
The question has a statement and an instruction. The statement is the topic; the instruction is what you must do. Mark the instruction.
Two question marks, or an and, usually means two things to answer. Both need their own paragraph.
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages asks for a judgement. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages asks for balance. Same words, different essays.
Opinion essays argue one line. Comparison essays split down the middle. Solution essays are mostly remedies. Choose the shape first.
Rewriting a practised answer to fit a new question is obvious to an examiner and scores badly on Task Response.
If the question asks whether you agree and what should be done, an essay that only agrees is incomplete however well written.
Practice
Read each question and decide which of the four types it is.
A Give an opinion, or challenge a point of view.
B Give solutions to a problem.
C Compare points of view.
D Discuss a given situation.
Read the task words, not the topic. The subject matter tells you nothing about which type you have.
1Many city centres have become unaffordable for young people. What measures should governments take to address this?
B, solutions. What measures should be taken is a solutions instruction. The first sentence sets up the problem; the essay itself is about remedies.
2Some people believe university should be free for everyone. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
C, compare points of view. Discuss both views requires roughly equal treatment of each side before your opinion. Giving one side a passing mention is a structural weakness.
3Working from home is now common in many industries. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
A, give an opinion. Outweigh asks for a judgement, so you take a side. This is the one most often confused with type C.
4More people are choosing to live alone than in the past. What factors contribute to this trend?
D, discuss a situation. What factors contribute asks you to explain causes. There is nothing to argue and no solution required.
5Some argue that space exploration is a waste of money. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
A, give an opinion. To what extent do you agree wants a clear position, and the phrase to what extent invites you to qualify it rather than agree completely.
6Traffic congestion is worsening in most large cities. What problems does this cause, and what can be done about it?
B, solutions, with two parts. The question asks two things. Answering only the problems, or only the solutions, limits your Task Response band however well the essay is written.
It is the most expensive mistake in Task 2, because the essay can be excellent and still answer the wrong question.
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Identifying the type is ten seconds of work. Whether the essay you then write actually matches that structure is what the examiner is marking.
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Four: give an opinion, give solutions to a problem, compare points of view, and discuss a given situation. The task words in the question tell you which one you have.
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages asks for a judgement, so you argue one side. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages asks for balance, so both sides get roughly equal space.
Yes. Task 2 is the same in both modules. Only Task 1 differs, where General Training writes a letter and Academic describes data.
Answer both, in separate paragraphs. Covering only one part limits your Task Response band regardless of how good the English is.
A structure, yes. A memorised essay, no. Examiners recognise prepared material, and an answer that does not address the specific question scores badly.
Full membership
You can learn which essay type you have from this page. What you cannot tell is whether the essay you then write would score Band 6 or Band 7.
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