Writing
What to do when the topic is unfamiliar and the clock is running. With a practice exercise.
Running out of ideas for IELTS Task 2 is the fear most candidates report, and it is largely solvable. You are not being marked on how original or well-informed your ideas are. You are being marked on whether you develop them.
That changes what you are looking for. You need two reasonable points you can explain and illustrate, not two brilliant ones. Obvious ideas argued well score higher than clever ideas left undeveloped.
Four angles
Four angles that produce something on almost any question, plus two warnings.
Who pays, who saves, what it costs, what it is worth. Almost every Task 2 topic has an economic angle and it is usually the easiest to develop.
Who is affected, and how differently? Families, students, workers, older people, those on low incomes. Specific groups give you concrete support.
What was it like before, and what happens if nothing changes? Comparison with the past and projection into the future both give you paragraphs.
What do you give up to get this? Almost every argument has a cost, and naming it shows the balanced thinking higher bands reward.
Examples, statistics and studies do not have to be real. What they must be is plausible and relevant. Nobody is fact-checking you.
Prepared vocabulary for common topics helps. Prepared arguments dropped into a question they do not fit are obvious and score badly.
Method
Six moves for a blank three minutes.
It is far easier to find reasons for a position you have already chosen than to weigh both sides in your head. Choose your side first, then find the reasons.
Sport funding is good. Why? People are healthier. Why does that matter? Healthcare costs fall. Two whys turns an assertion into a paragraph.
Not statistics. One student, one commuter, one shop owner. Concrete cases produce the examples that develop a point.
If you cannot find reasons for, list reasons against and argue why each is weak. That is a legitimate essay structure.
Obvious ideas argued well score better than unusual ideas argued badly. Nobody is marking you on originality.
Two points per side is enough. If you have five, you will mention all of them and develop none, which is exactly what lowers the band.
Practice
Choices about generating and using ideas.
Some people think that governments should ban advertising aimed at children. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
You have three minutes to find ideas. What do you do?
1Which is the strongest first move?
Decide your position first. Finding reasons for a chosen view is far quicker than weighing everything in the abstract, and it stops the essay drifting.
2Is it acceptable to invent a statistic?
Yes, if it is plausible and relevant. Task 2 is not fact-checked. What is assessed is whether your support develops the point.
3You have five ideas and three minutes left. What should you do?
Choose two and develop them. Mentioning five ideas without support is one of the clearest markers of a Band 6 essay.
4Which support is stronger?
B. A specific case plus a consequence. A and C are assertions and D refers to evidence without giving any.
5What should you do if the topic is completely unfamiliar?
Use the four angles. They produce something on almost any question. Switching topic is the worst option, because Task Response is judged against the question on the paper.
Almost every candidate does this at least once, and it is a technique problem rather than a knowledge one.
The complete IELTS course on IELTStestONLINE has video lessons on every question type, many more exercises like this one, and your own support tutor you can ask when an answer does not make sense. Take a look at the complete course
Finding ideas is the start. Whether they are developed enough to reach the band you need is judged by a person.
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Task 2 topics are chosen to be answerable by anyone. Use general angles such as cost, who is affected, how things have changed, and what you give up.
Yes, provided they are plausible and relevant. Task 2 is not fact-checked, and support is assessed on whether it develops the point.
Two main points, developed. Two supported ideas score higher than five mentioned, because development is what Task Response assesses.
No. You are marked on how well you answer the question and how well you write, not on whether your opinions are correct or original.
Prepare vocabulary for common topics such as education, environment and technology. Do not prepare arguments, because forcing them into a question that does not fit is obvious.
Full membership
Most candidates can find something to say. Whether it is developed and expressed at the level you need is the part you cannot judge alone.
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