THE IELTS ACADEMIC WRITING TEST - TASK 2 TUTORIAL

Task 2 in the IELTS Academic Writing Test is more important than task 1. You have to write
more, it's a more difficult task and it is worth more to your final band for writing as more
weight is given to Task 2 than to Task 1.
The Task for the IELTS Academic Task 2 Writing
The IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 asks you to write a short essay of a minimum of 250
words. The essay is usually a discussion of a subject of general interest. You may have to
present and justify your opinion about something, give the solution to a problem or compare
differing ideas or viewpoints.
Marking for the IELTS Academic Task 2 Writing
Your task will be marked in three areas. You will get a mark from 1 to 9 on Arguments, Ideas
and Evidence, Communicative Quality and Vocabulary and Sentence Structure. Your final band
for Task 2 will be effectively an average of the three marks awarded in these areas. Task 2
writing is more important than Task 1 and to calculate the final writing mark, more weight is
assigned to the Task 2 mark than to Task 1's mark. To get a good overall mark though, both
tasks have to be well answered so don't hold back on Task 1 or give yourself too little time to
answer it properly.
Arguments, Ideas and Evidence
This mark grades you on the content of your essay. The argument is how you present your
case as regards the question. The ideas part is how many and how good your ideas are in
helping your argument. The evidence is the facts that you use to back up your ideas. Evidence
is very important in Task 2. You need to bring in facts from your own experience in order to
support your ideas. The three parts (Arguments, Ideas and Evidence) are not independent but
blend together to give a good answer. Together they really present the content and substance
of your essay.
Communicative Quality
This is how you are making yourself understood and whether the reader of your writing
understands what you are saying. Are you communicating well with the reader and are your
ideas that you want to present understood by the reader?
Vocabulary and Sentence Structure
This area looks at the your grammar and choice of words. The marker will look at whether the
right grammar and words are used and whether they are used at the right time, in the right
place and in the right way. Most people are predominantly worried about their grammar but,
as you can see, grammar is only half of one section of three used to grade your writing. IELTS
is much more interested in communication rather than grammatical accuracy.
Paragraphing for the IELTS Academic Task 2 Writing
This is a very easy thing to do but it can have an enormous effect on the clarity of your
writing. I have said this for Task 1 but for Task 2 it's is even more important. In Task 2 you
will be writing more and it is therefore more important to divide your writing up into divisions
to make it easier to read.

Very often people use no paragraphing and the examiner is faced with a "sea" of writing with
no breaks from start to finish. For me, the best writings are those where there are paragraphs
separated by an empty line and also indented. In this way your ideas are separated clearly. It
shows and gives organization to your writing and makes it more readable.
For Task 2, have a paragraph break after your introduction, and then for every differing
section of your separate ideas with the supporting evidence. Then have a final paragraph for
your conclusion. You should aim to have 3 or 4 paragraphs plus the introduction and
conclusion.
Look at this section on paragraphing. It is divided into 5 separate paragraphs dividing the 5
different areas that I want to present to you, the reader. The 5 areas are:

Paragraph 1 Why paragraphing is important for Task 2.

Paragraph 2 How to divide your paragraphing.
Paragraph 3 Where your paragraph divisions should occur.
Paragraph 4 The division of paragraphs in this section.
Paragraph 5 Explaining the comparison with this section and the one below to show
how paragraphing can work.

Below I will repeat paragraphs 1 - 4 of this section on paragraphing but I am going to remove
all the paragraphs and line breaks and make it a "sea of writing" as I said can happen above.
I hope you feel that this section is easier to understand than the one below!! (By the way, I
haven't used line breaks through this entire tutorial as there would be too many and it would
be too confusing).
Paragraphing (bad example section)
This is a very easy thing to do but it can have an enormous effect on the clarity of your
writing. I have said this for Task 1 but for Task 2 it's is even more important. In Task 2 you
will be writing more and it is therefore more important to divide your writing up into divisions
to make it easier to read. Very often people use no paragraphing and the examiner is faced
with a "sea" of writing with no breaks from start to finish. For me, the best writings are those
where there are paragraphs separated by an empty line and also indented. In this way your
ideas are separated clearly. It shows and gives organization to your writing and makes it more
readable. For Task 2, have a paragraph break after your introduction, and then for every
differing section of your separate ideas with the evidence. Then have a final paragraph for
your conclusion. You should aim to have 3 or 4 paragraphs plus the introduction and
conclusion. Look at this section on paragraphing. It is divided into 4 separate paragraphs
dividing the 4 different areas that I want to present to you the reader. The 4 areas are:
Paragraph 1: Why paragraphing is important for task 2: Paragraph 2: How to divide your
paragraphing. Paragraph 3: Where your paragraph divisions should occur. Paragraph 4: An
example to show you how paragraphing works.
I hope you feel that the first section was easier to understand than this second one!!

Ideas to Think About for the IELTS Academic Task 2 Writing

1 Timing
The exam paper recommends that you spend about 40 minutes on this question and this is
about right. Remember that Task 2 gives more to your final writing band and so you should
make sure that you have enough time after Task 1 to properly answer Task 2. Some students
do Task 2 first in order to make sure that Task 2 is answered well before they get onto Task 1.
There is no problem with this but make sure you write the 150 words to give a good answer
for Task 1 as well.
So, whatever you decide to do about your approach to Task 1 and Task 2 in the writing paper,
make sure that you spend approximately 20 minutes on Task 1 and 40 minutes on Task 2.
This should give you the right amount of time to provide good answers to both tasks.
2 Answering the question.
Although this sounds very straightforward, people don't often properly answer the question
set and therefore don't get the band that they should even if the writing is very good.
First of all read the question very carefully in order to see exactly what it asks you. Very often
there will be more than 1 part to the question; sometimes even 3 or 4 parts. When you
produce your answer you must answer all the different parts of the question. How much you
produce on each part depends on how important you think it is.
You have to write a formal academic English essay of the type that would be required for
teachers or tertiary education courses. Formulate and develop an argument and show a
personal response. Give your opinions and back them up with evidence and examples. Your
answer should persuade, be consistent and develop logically towards a conclusion, which
answers all parts of the question.
Another important basic is to write at least 250 words. Writing less does not answer the
question, which tells you to write at least 250 words. If you write less than 250 words, the
examiner marking your paper will give you a maximum of 5 for Arguments, Ideas and
Evidence or even less. It is no problem to write more than the 250 words; there is no upward
word limit on the essay. Time is your only constraint.
The question wants you to produce an essay. Therefore don't give a list of numbered notes
(your paragraphs should not be numbered). Give the examiner a proper essay with an
introduction, a main body with your ideas and evidence and a conclusion, all divided of course
with the paragraphing techniques discussed above.
3 Planning
Many students that I have taught have regarded writing an essay plan as a waste of time. The
only answer I can give is that it depends on the individual. If you are a good essay writer who
can automatically organize your ideas and structure in your head so well that you can produce
a good structured essay without planning, then I say that's it's fine not to write an essay plan.

Also if you're really short of time and you need to get writing on page, then you don't want to
waste time on planning. However, if none of these conditions apply, then 1 or 2 minutes
thinking about your ideas and how you are going to present them will not be wasted. I'm not
saying that you should spend 10 minutes on this. Just take a scrap of paper and jot down
some ideas that you are going to use in your essay.
Then you can divide the ideas into 3 or 4 paragraphs in a logical order. This shouldn't take you
long and the structure that this will give your essay will be well worth the time that you spend
doing it.
Writing The Essay in the IELTS Academic Task 2 Writing
All too often students begin planning or even writing their answers in the IELTS Writing
Module before they understand what is actually expected of them. Following the steps below
will help you to plan a well-structured and coherent essay or report that addresses the given
task.
Preparation
You may wish to spend about 5-7 minutes working out exactly what you are going to do.
There are five steps to consider.

Study the question carefully. Most task statements or questions have a key instructional
word or words telling you what to do. Note these words with a highlighting pen.

There are also key topic words which point to the most important parts of the question.
Underline those words too. Ask yourself how the key words relate to the given instruction.
Think carefully about the topic. How do you feel about it?
Establish a point of view and list some points for development. The answer normally
takes the form of a short essay. The word essay' comes from an old French word
essai which meant to attempt or try out', or to test'. In an IELTS Writing Module
Task 2 answer, your purpose is to develop your point of view in a convincing way.
Decide which points will be written as topic sentences. Think about how they will
develop into paragraphs.
Ensure that your points are arranged in a logical order.
Writing
When you are writing a Task 2 answer, a structure based on the following elements could be
used (summarised in the flow chart opposite).
Introductory paragraph
The introduction of a Task 2 answer should begin with a general statement or idea of your
own that takes into account the key topic words or their synonyms. The last sentence of the
introduction should include a thesis statement which shows the point of view or direction that
will be taken in the answer.

1 The Introduction
First of all, don't repeat any part of the question in your introduction. This is not your own
work and therefore will be disregarded by the examiner and deducted from the word count.
You can use individual words but be careful of using "chunks" of the question text.
Your introduction should first say what you understand by the question. Then give the main
issue or issues that you intend to bring into your answer. Don't go into any detail; you can
save that for the later paragraphs.
Finally, the question often asks you to take up a position over an issue. There is no right
answer for putting your views at the start and then explaining this through the essay, or
developing your opinion though your essay and stating your final stance at the end. I
personally like the opinion at the start of the essay. Quickly and clearly answer the question,
making your attitude plain. Don't give any reasons. Again, that's what the body of your essay
is for. You don't have to do it this way though. You can wait until your conclusion to give your
position as regards the question.

2 The Body of Your Essay

Body paragraphs each consist of several sentences that are arranged in a logical way to
develop a main idea. You can expect to write about 2-4 body paragraphs for a Task 2 answer.
Each of these contains an appropriate connective word to ensure a smooth transition between
paragraphs. This connective is then put in a topic sentence which is the main point of the
paragraph clearly stated in a sentence. Every sentence in the paragraph must be directly
related to it. Try to develop every paragraph adequately. This may be done through the use of
examples, explanations, detail, logical inference, cause and effect or making comparisons or
contrasts. There are many different ways to organise your ideas for body paragraphs. Be
confident of the ideas you choose.

You should aim to have 3 or 4 paragraphs in your answer. This is not exact. You can write
more or fewer paragraphs, as your answer requires. Remember you've only got about 40
minutes to cover all the question areas so don't be too ambitious and try to write too much.
In the body of your essay you should do several things. You need to examine all parts of the
question. Remember there is often more than 1 question contained in the essay question text.
You need to look at all that is asked and look at both sides of every issue. IELTS essay
questions usually ask you something which has two or more points of view, and you need to
consider both sides of every argument no matter what your opinion is.

3 The Conclusion
This doesn't need to be a long paragraph. You need to sum up your points providing a final
perspective on your topic. All the conclusion needs is three or four strong sentences, which do
not need to follow any set formula. Simply review the main points (being careful not to

restate them exactly or repeat all your examples) and briefly describe your feelings about the
topic; this provides an answer to all parts of the question. An anecdote can also end your
essay in a useful way.
A good conclusion serves several purposes:

It indicates the end of your essay.

It gives your final thoughts and assessments on the essay subject.
It weighs up the points in your essay and should strengthen your thesis statement.
Do not simply repeat your opening paragraph. This appears too mechanical and
superficial.

INTRODUCTION
General statement

Thesis statement

BODY PARAGRAPH 1
Topic sentence including connective word
First supporting sentence
Second supporting sentence

Third supporting sentence

BODY PARAGRAPH 2

BODY PARAGRAPH 3

FURTHER BODY PARAGRAPHS

CONCLUSION
Final assessment with concluding
connective

Editing (about 3-5 minutes)

In the last few minutes, you should check for obvious errors, such as spelling or grammatical
errors. Be sure you have written what you intended and that there are no important ideas
missing.

Study the checklist for editing. It lists points to think about when checking your essay.
Become familiar with the list so that you will know what to check for in the actual IELTS
Writing Module.
Checklist for editing
1. I have used accurate grammatical structures, for example, consistent verb
tenses, subject-verb agreement, accurate word formation (especially of nouns,
verb and adjectives) and appropriate use of a' and the' as well as prepositions.
2. I have used a range of sentence structures.
3. I have used appropriate vocabulary.
4. I have used accurate spelling.
5. I have stated the main idea for each paragraph in a topic sentence and all
the points are related to this topic.
6. I have used connective words effectively to link ideas so that the thoughts
move logically and clearly from sentence to sentence and paragraph to
paragraph.
7. I have developed each paragraph adequately.
8. I have supplied enough detailed information and sufficient examples or facts.
9. I have developed a definite point of view.
10. Every paragraph that I have written has definitely helped to address the
task.
Look below at the example. The question asks whether or not you believe whether societies
should use capital punishment. There are, of course, two points of view:
(1) capital punishment should be used and
(2) capital punishment shouldn't be used.
Let's say for example that you don't believe that capital punishment should be used by
societies. No matter what point of view you have, you should look at both sides, though
naturally your writing will favour the position that you have taken. Give the reasons why you
don't believe in capital punishment but then look at the opposing view and say why you don't
accept it. In this way you will show the reader your powers of analysis when looking at such
an issue.
Don't forget that when you have finished looking at this issue there is a second part of the
question to be analysed too.

As we said earlier, your ideas need to be supported by examples and it is in the body of your
essay that they should appear. For every idea that you present try and give an example from
your own experience that shows that your idea is right.
An example from your own experience means something that you know from your life, from
your country's news or history or anything that you have read anywhere. You can actually
invent examples if you need as long as they seem realistic and believable. The examiner is
probably not going to research anything you write about.
An Example of the IELTS Academic Task 2 Writing
It's very difficult to visualize and understand all the things that I have said above. Here I will
try and provide you with an example question and then go through the stages of thought to
show you how to approach an IELTS Task 2 essay.
Here is a possible question that would be typical for a Task 2 essay question.
"Do you believe that societies ought to enforce capital punishment or Are there
alternative forms of punishment that would be better used?"
First of all you need to consider the question. What does it ask? Straight away, you can see
that it asks 2 things.
It wants to know if you believe that society should use capital punishment and it also wants to
know if you can offer any alternatives to capital punishment. Your answer should give a
balanced view of both parts of this question. What is important to realize is that there is no
correct answer here. You can present any point of view as long as you can support it.
So, in your planning stage you should have a roadmap for the introduction, each paragraph
and the conclusion. Here is my brief plan for the essay.
Intro

What cp is. Where it's used. (not my country). Differing opinions.

I don't believe in cp.
There are alternative punishments.

Body
1. Inhumane - we shouldn't sink to the level of criminals.
2. We can get convictions wrong; prisoners can be released if there's an error. Mentally
ill. Examples.
3. Alternative punishments: life means life; hospitals for criminally insane. Costs more but
society has a duty to care.
4. Many countries favour it and they say it works. Prisons too full. Killers deserve nothing
less. Some crimes deserve it. Not my morals though.
Conclusion
I don't agree. We can do other things. Avoid mistakes and make modern society a humane
one.

The above is a basic plan of how I want to write my essay. It's not rigid. I can change my
ideas and format as I write if I feel I can do better.
I can also add things that I've forgotten as the essay goes on. It's normal of course for you to
have new, good ideas as you write and the skill is to get them into your essay without
upsetting the balance of the essay. How do you do this? It's practice again. You won't get
good at writing essays and adapting your writing well without practice.
So, below is an example essay using the plan above as a basis.
Example Essay for the IELTS Academic Task 2 Writing
Capital punishment is the killing of a criminal for a crime that he has committed. Previously
most countries employed this method of punishment but nowadays it is much less widely
used. I personally do not believe that societies today should use capital punishment and I also
believe that there are alternative punishments that can be used.
My main argument against capital punishment is that I believe we do not have the right to kill
another human being regardless of the crime. I don't believe in the old religious maxim of "an
eye for an eye." Modern societies shouldn't turn to such barbaric punishments.
Another argument against capital punishment is that people can be wrongly convicted and
executed. If a man is in prison, he can be released if later proved not guilty. If he is dead,
there is nothing that can be done. In the UK, a group of supposed terrorists were convicted of
murder in Birmingham in the 1970s. They were proved innocent about 15 years later and
released. If they had been executed, innocent people would have died.
There are alternative punishments available. For bad crimes prison life sentences can be given
with criminals imprisoned for the rest of their lives. Also a lot of horrific crimes are committed
by people who are mentally sick. These people are not responsible for their actions and can be
kept safely and permanently in secure hospitals. Yes, this costs a lot more but I believe it is
the duty of society to do this.
There are arguments for capital punishment. Many people feel its threat stops serious crime
and that criminals deserve nothing less. It's cheaper and keeps the prisons manageable. I can
understand this point of view but I cannot agree with it.
So, in conclusion, I don't believe in capital punishment, as there are less barbaric alternatives
available. We can avoid horrific mistakes and make modern society a humane one.
What kind of questions can I expect in task 2 ?
Most questions in Writing Task 2 are designed to get you to give an opinion on a topic. The
topics are non-specialist, so you dont need to be an expert in the different areas. The topics
that are chosen are ones that it is not easy to decide which side of the argument you agree
with: The arguments for & against are not clearly black or white, but more grey so
you will probably agree with some points on both sides of the argument. For example:
"Education should be free for everyone. To what extent do you agree or disagree
with this statement?"

Task 2s are split into two parts

1) The statement

and

2) The question

Together they make up the task.

Example:
The statement

The question

More and more students are taking a year off after

finishing school to travel or work before they go to
university. However, some people dont agree with
this.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this ?

What you need to do is to read the statement carefully and underline what you think are the
keywords. Keywords in task 2 statements are usually nouns, verbs, modifiers (eg: more /
less/ a few / some) & negatives (e.g.: not / dont).
Look at the example again below:
The statement

The question

More and more students are taking a year off after

finishing school to travel or work before they go to
university. However, some people dont agree with
this.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of this

Tip:You should underline around 30% to 40% of the statement. It is very easy to underline
about 80% at first because youre not sure exactly what to do and all the words appear to be
very important. Dont worry too much if youre underlining over 50% at first because as you
practice further, the number of words you underline will decrease as you become more
confident.
i)
The statement

The question

Some people believe that governments should look

after their citizens health and education, while others
think it is up to individual people to take care of these
matters.
Should health-care and education be free for everyone?

ii)
The statement

Many millions of dollars are spent each year on space

exploration, while on Earth many people cant afford to
eat. This money is wasted and should be redirected to
more useful projects that help people in need.

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The question

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

iii)
The statement

The increasing use of the Internet as a means of

education is changing peoples study skills.
The question
In what ways is the Internet affecting the way people
read, write & access information?
What do the questions mean?
1. To what extent do you agree with this statement ?
a) Be careful ! A lot of students think that they only have to write about one side of the
argument in To what extent questions. To what extent means how much, so you might
only agree 40% for example, therefore you will need to write most of your answer on the
disagree side, even though the word disagree isnt in the question.
2. Discuss.
a) Quite easy this one. When you discuss something it means to look at all relevant sides of
an argument.
3. What are the causes of pollution and suggest some possible solutions.
b) If the question has the word and in it, then it is going to be a two-part question.
Two-part questions need two-part answers: 1 paragraph on the first part and 1 paragraph on
the second part. Usually, at least one part is concerned with causes, effects or solutions.
Often, as in question 5, one part of the question deals with one side of an argument (for,
against, agree or disagree); if this is the case, you should write about that side ONLY,
otherwise, if you write about both sides, you wont have enough time to write about the
second part of the question.
4. What are the qualities of a good teacher ?
c) If the question starts with What are the and mentions only one thing (i.e.: good, bad,
advantages or disadvantages), then it is a list question. With list questions all you need to
do is provide a list of things that support the question in this case a list of qualities that
make a good teacher. Normally, students will spend one paragraph on each point and
explaining it in detail, so they might have three or four body paragraphs.
5. What are the arguments for free education for everyone and outline con
ways in which this might be possible. b) See question 3.

Overall organization plans for Task 2

1)

An answer showing both sides of an argument

INTRODUCTION

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BODY PARAGRAPH 1 Arguments for

BODY PARAGRAPH 2 Arguments against
CONCLUSION
2)

An answer listing points (you should write about 3 to 5 points)

INTRODUCTION
BODY PRAGRAPH 1 Point 1
BODY PRAGRAPH 2 Point 2
BODY PRAGRAPH 3 Point 3
CONCLUSION

3)

An answer for a two-part question

INTRODUCTION
BODY PARAGRAPH 1 Arguments for
BODY PARAGRAPH 2 - Suggestions
CONCLUSION

How do I use linking phrases effectively? Suggested answer key

Task 2: There is not a 'correct' answer to the topic. You must evaluate the topic, organize
your ideas, and develop them into a cohesive and coherent response. You will be scored on
how well you are able to utilize standard written English, organize and explain your thoughts,
and support those thoughts with reasons and examples.
Brainstorm
Spend the first three to five minutes brainstorming out ideas. Write down any ideas you might
have on the topic or table. The purpose is to extract from the recesses of your memory any
relevant information. In this stage, anything goes down. Write down any idea, regardless of
how good it may initially seem. You can use either the scratch paper provided or the word
processor to quickly jot down your thoughts and ideas. The word processor is highly
recommended though, particularly if you are a fast typist.
Strength through Diversity
The best papers will contain diversity of examples and reasoning. As you brainstorm consider
different perspectives. Not only are there two sides to every issue, but there are also
countless perspectives that can be considered. On any issue, different groups are impacted,
with many reaching the same conclusion or position, but through vastly different paths. Try to
'see' the issue through as many different eyes as you can. Look at it from every angle and

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from every vantage point. The more diverse the reasoning used, the more balanced the paper
will become and the better the score.
Example:
The issue of free trade is not just two sided. It impacts politicians, domestic (US)
manufacturers, foreign manufacturers, the US economy, the world economy, strategic
alliances, retailers, wholesalers, consumers, unions, workers, and the exchange of more than
just goods, but also of ideas, beliefs, and cultures. The more of these angles that you can
approach the issue from, the more solid your reasoning and the stronger your position.
Furthermore, dont just use information as to how the issue impacts other people. Draw
liberally from your own experience and your own observations. Explain a personal experience
that you have had and your own emotions from that moment. Anything that youve seen in
your community or observed in society can be expanded upon to further round out your
position on the issue.
Pick a Main Idea
Once you have finished with your creative flow, stop and review it. Which idea were you able
to come up with the most supporting information? Its extremely important that you pick an
angle that will allow you to have a thorough and comprehensive coverage of the topic or
table. This is not about your personal convictions, but about writing a concise rational
discussion of an idea.
Weed the Garden
Every garden of ideas gets weeds in it. The ideas that you brainstormed over are going to be
random pieces of information of mixed value. Go through it methodically and pick out the
ones that are the best. The best ideas are strong points that it will be easy to write a few
sentences or a paragraph about.
Create a Logical Flow
Now that you know which ideas you are going to use and focus upon, organize them. Put your
writing points in a logical order. You have your main ideas that you will focus on, and must
align them in a sequence that will flow in a smooth, sensible path from point to point, so that
the reader will go smoothly from one idea to the next in a logical path. Readers must have a
sense of continuity as they read your paper. You dont want to have a paper that rambles back
and forth.
It is better to write in regular, not very sophisticated English, than to use phrases or
structures you dont fully understand.
If you need Band 6 - no need for complex sentence structure. If your goal is Band 7 - then
show advanced sentence structure, language and vocabulary.
Dont write more than 260-265 words in IELTS Writing 2 task. Why? Not because you will get
lower mark, but because of these 2 reasons:
1) It takes more time
2) More words = more mistakes
If you are told to cover specific points in your essay/letter - cover every point, examiners
actually count them.

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Dont overuse connecting words (like However, Furthermore, Moreover, etc) - examiners are
watching for you to do that.
Start Your Engines
You have a logical flow of main ideas with which to start writing. Begin expanding on the
issues in the sequence that you have set for yourself. Pace yourself. Dont spend too much
time on any one of the ideas that you are expanding upon. You want to have time for all of
them. Make sure you watch your time. If you have twenty minutes left to write out your ideas
and you have ten ideas, then you can only use two minutes per idea. It can be a daunting
task to cram a lot of information down in words in a short amount of time, but if you pace
yourself, you can get through it all. If you find that you are falling behind, speed up. Move
through each idea more quickly, spending less time to expand upon the idea in order to catch
back up.
Once you finish expanding on each idea, go back to your brainstorming session up above,
where you wrote out your ideas. Go ahead and erase the ideas as you write about them. This
will let you see what you need to write about next, and also allow you to pace yourself and
see what you have left to cover.
First Paragraph
Your first paragraph should have several easily identifiable features. First, it should have a
quick description or paraphrasing of the topic or table. Use your own words to briefly explain
what the topic or table is about.
Second, you should explain your opinion of the topic or table and give an explanation of why
you feel that way. What is your decision or conclusion on the topic or table?
Third, you should list your 'writing points'. What are the main ideas that you came up with
earlier? This is your opportunity to outline the rest of your paper. Have a sentence explaining
each idea that you will go intend further depth in additional paragraphs. If someone was to
only read this paragraph, they should be able to get an 'executive summary' of the entire
paper.
Body Paragraph
Each of your successive paragraphs should expand upon one of the points listed in the main
paragraph. Use your personal experience and knowledge to support each of your points.
Examples should back up everything.
Conclusion Paragraph
Once you have finished expanding upon each of your main points, wrap it up. Summarize
what you have said and covered in a conclusion paragraph. Explain once more your opinion of
the topic or table and quickly review why you feel that way. At this stage, you have already
backed up your statements, so there is no need to do that again. All you are doing is
refreshing in the mind of the reader the main points that you have made.

Most candidates have difficulty completing the IELTS Writing Task 2 essay on time. However,
candidates seeking higher band scores, say, 7 and above, should plan to write a conclusion
paragraph that includes not just a Restatement of the Thesis but a true concluding sentence
as well.

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The purpose of the conclusion sentence is to leave the reader with one more idea, to round
out the discussion and bring it to a satisfying end. Often, the sentence can unify the essay by
returning to an early idea, perhaps even the one in the Hook, and ending on it.
The concluding sentence should not, however, contain a main idea or, worse, a strong opinion.
It is merely supposed to leave the reader with one last, light thought to consider. So, if you
write a concluding sentence, make it a suggestion, a recommendation or a prediction. And
keep the language light and speculative.
For example, if you had written an Opinion Essay on the subject of mandatory retirement, and
you had written that you were against it because it was harmful to companies, workers, and
workers families, you would not want to conclude with yet another opinion. In other words,
do not end with an even stronger opinion, such as: "The government must change its policy of
mandatory retirement before more economic damage is done." Thats far too strong for a
conclusion. Instead, consider these kinds of concluding statements:
- Recommendation: "Because people are able to work effectively longer today, perhaps the
government might reconsider its policy."
- Suggestion: "Because costs of living are going up and people need to work beyond
retirement age, it would be in the interest of the economy that the government rethink its
retirement policies."
- Prediction: "If the government reviewed its policies about mandatory retirement, some ablebodied workers might be able to work beyond retirement age, to the benefit of everyone."
Notice that none of the statements tells the government what to do. They just propose a
reconsideration of the policy. Also, notice that the prediction statement does not say what will
happen, which is a different kind of prediction, but what might or could result. Its also helpful
to include words like perhaps and maybe, to reinforce the idea that statement that the
statements are conditional, that is, that they merely note possibilities, rather than things that
must or will occur.
Dont Panic
Panicking will not put down any more words on paper for you. Therefore, it isnt helpful. When
you first see the topic or table, if your mind goes as blank as the page on which you have to
write your paper, take a deep breath. Force yourself to mechanically go through the steps
listed above.
Secondly, dont get clock fever. Its easy to be overwhelmed when youre looking at a page
that doesnt seem to have much text, there is a lot of blank space further down, your mind is
full of random thoughts and feeling confused, and the clock is ticking down faster than you
would like. You brainstormed first so that you dont have to keep coming up with ideas. If
youre running out of time and you have a lot of ideas that you havent expanded upon, dont
be afraid to make some cuts. Start picking the best ideas that you have left and expand on
those few. Dont feel like you have to write down and expand all of your ideas.
Check Your Work
It is more important to have a shorter paper that is well written and well organized, than a
longer paper that is poorly written and poorly organized. Remember though that you will be
penalized for answers shorter than the required minimum limit. Dont keep writing about a
subject just to add words and sentences, and certainly dont start repeating yourself. Expand

15

on the ideas that you identified in the brainstorming session and make sure that you save
yourself a few minutes at the end to go back and check your work.
Leave time at the end, at least three minutes, to go back and check over your work. Reread
and make sure that everything youve written makes sense and flows. Clean up any spelling
or grammar mistakes that you might have made. If you see anything that needs to be moved
around, such as a paragraph that would fit in better somewhere else, cut and paste it to that
new location. Also, go ahead and erase any brainstorming ideas that you werent able to
expand upon and clean up any other extraneous information that you might have written that
doesnt fit into your paper.
As you proofread, make sure there arent any fragments or run-ons. Check for sentences that
are too short or too long. If the sentence is too short, look to see if you have an identifiable
subject and verb. If it is too long, break it up into two separate sentences. Watch out for any
'big' words you may have used. Its good to use difficult vocabulary words, but only if you are
positive that you are using them correctly. Your paper has to be correct, it doesnt have to be
fancy. Youre not trying to impress anyone with your vocabulary, just your ability to develop
and express ideas.
Final Note
Depending on your test taking preferences and personality, the essay writing will probably be
your hardest or your easiest section. You are required to go through the entire process of
writing a paper very quickly, which can be quite a challenge.
Focus upon each of the steps listed above. Go through the process of creative flow first,
generating ideas and thoughts about the topic or table. Then organize those ideas into a
smooth logical flow. Pick out the ones that are best from the list you have created. Decide
which main idea or angle of the topic or table you will discuss.
Create a recognizable structure in your paper, with an introductory paragraph explaining what
you have decided upon, and what your main points will be. Use the body paragraphs to
expand on those main points and have a conclusion that wraps up the topic or table.
Save a few moments to go back and review what you have written. Clean up any minor
mistakes that you might have had and give it those last few critical touches that can make a
huge difference. Finally, be proud and confident of what you have written!

This is how they grade your essay:

you receive points for Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource,
Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Looks heavy? Never mind, here comes the simple
English version:
Task Response means that your essay shows that you understood and covered the topic
from all its sides, aspects, etc. Lets take this topic for example - Internet: connecting or
isolating people?. Those who chose to write about how Internet connects people - loose
marks, those who chose to write about how Internet isolates people - loose marks, those who
compare and contrast both sides of the Internet and give arguments for and against - gain
marks.
Coherence and Cohesion means how well you connected the paragraphs and sentences
inside each paragraph. You see, all of your paragraphs need to be logically connected. For

16

example, if paragraph 1 explains the advantages of the Internet, and paragraph 2 explains its
disadvantages, then paragraph 1 should have last sentence saying something like this: In
spite of Internet being such a help in communication, its drawbacks can not be overlooked.
This sentence creates the connection between 1st and 2nd paragraphs. If it wasnt there,
examiner could think that you jumped from advantages to disadvantages without a reason.
The same rule applies to sentences inside the paragraph. Every sentence should lead to the
next one.
Lexical Resource means vocabulary and different types of sentences, simple and complex.
You should be able to use words and their synonyms.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy means spelling and grammar of sentences. You
should be able to spell the words correctly, do not forget articles a and the, punctuations is
also important, etc - you get the picture, dont you?
One more important thing to know: the four criteria are equally weighted. It means that if
you forgot about Coherence and Cohesion in your essay, you will loose 1/4 of your essay
points.
IELTS Essay Writing : A simple guide
Id like to present my strategy to go about essay writing. If you do not like, tell me why. If
you do, I am glad to be helpful.
Well, here is the task I found in a textbook on IELTS .
Enormous effort is put into researching and marketing 'the perfect potato crisp'
while research into stress at work, for example, is ignored. How important are staff
working conditions? Should employers research and improve the working conditions
of their staff or should they concentrate more on their product?
The question as it stands implies you should speculate about what comes first product or
workers?
So it is an opinion essay.
If you decided on an opinion essay, give it a proper structure.
1) Introduction is a must. You dont believe you could get a good grade without introduction,
do you?
2) 3 paragraphs are also necessary three is a magical number. It can do wonders to your
overall band score.
3) Conclusion. You do not want to infuse your examiner with a feeling of incompleteness.
My opinions
I will try to be positive about work force. They really deserve to be cared about. I hope you
feel the same. Some scholars call it brainstorming. Lets storm our brains.
First of all, you should not wander off trying to find ideas in the darkest parts of your mind.
We will get some obvious hints right from the assignment.
Enormous effort is put into researching and marketing 'the perfect potato crisp' Brilliant!
research into stress at work, for example, is ignored Could not be stated better!

17

How important are staff working conditions?... Oh! We know what you are up to. Of course
they are!
Should employers research and improve the working conditions of their staff? - Lots of
thanks, youve been most helpful providing ideas.
should they concentrate more on their product?..- Devious, but thank you anyway for
bringing it up again.
I think they have already written the better part of the essay. We should only rephrase these
expressions to avoid the offence of plagiarism.
Inquisitive minds will easily complete the list of ideas with their own suggestions. Hard
thinkers like myself might as well stop brainstorming right here.
I know, I know you are going to blame me for this, because it is not sufficient to develop 3
paragraphs.
But brainstorming never ends. I am far from assuming that you will stop thinking after 5
minutes of initial excessive brain work and will begin writing down words in mechanical way
dreaming of buying a new car.
There is also vocabulary building part, and you have a clear structure of your essay.
Opinion = in support of workers
Introduction topic and opinion in short
Paragraph 1 - staff working conditions are important
Paragraph 2 - employers should research and improve the working conditions
Paragraph 3 - concentrating more on their product is bad
Conclusion short summary of paragraphs
------------------------------------------Rephrasing ideas
------------------------------------------In my opinion, it is the hardest part. It is about your vocabulary, so nothing we can do but
remember some basic expressions. If you get stuck, just write down whatever comes to your
mind looking at the key words of the assignment. You will sort it out later on. Some of the
words you will insert into sentences, the rest will stay untouched. It surely pays off; you
would not bother thinking of necessary vocabulary as you write.
Example vocabulary -Key words:
research analyze, explore, inquire, investigate, look into, study
marketing advertising, promoting, pushing products ,working condition situation,
state, work load ,stress at work pressure, nervous tension, difficulty, hardness,
strain ignore disregard, do not take into account, close the eyes to employers
managers, bosses staff work force, personnel, employees ,concentrate on the
product consider closely, direct attention, fix attention, focus, give attention
do a lot of damage to overall productivity friendly environment
Beginning to write -Introduction.
Earlier, we agreed to fight against staff overload. Let state the problem and introduce our
opinion.
(Simply speaking, lets rewrite the assignment).

18

Nowadays, most businesses concerned primarily with improving and pushing products at all
costs, therefore neglecting the strain this strategy puts on their personnel. I believe it is of
vital importance to restrain excessive work load. I also think employers should pay more
attention to organizing friendly working environment for their employees.
OK, it is sleeping time I am tired and will have no more of this nonsense.
If you are not satisfied call my customer service, otherwise look forward to the next part
Paragraphs.
P.S. I might be absolutely wrong. Feel free to destroy my carefully thought-out system, but
dont forget to suggest something more useful instead. I will appreciate if you supply
supporting ideas for the paragraphs of the essay according to my plan.
PARAGRAPHS
Sounds frightening But well make it if we follow simple rules.
The first rule - KEEP IT AS SIMPLE AS POSSIBLE
Be practical simple ideas come easy and take less effort to develop.
Dont be tempted to amaze your examiner with profound knowledge of slang, idioms and
pedantic words. Different styles, used in one essay, may produce a funny alienating mixture.
Of course, I wouldnt vote for dull writing. A bit of variety never hurts.
The second rule DEVELOP YOUR PARAGRAPHS
A good paragraph must have
1) Topic sentence (statement)
2) Arguments 3 arguments advisable, each followed by
3) Supporting details
4) Transition words and markers
Task
Enormous effort is put into researching and marketing 'the perfect potato crisp'
while research into stress at work, for example, is ignored. How important are staff
working conditions? Should employers research and improve the working conditions
of their staff or should they concentrate more on their product?
Introduction
Nowadays, most businesses are concerned primarily with improving and pushing products at
all costs, therefore neglecting the strain this strategy puts on their personnel. I believe it is of
vital importance to restrain excessive work load. I also think employers should pay more
attention to organizing friendly working environment for their employees.
First paragraph
In my point of view, conditions that employers provide for their personnel are very important.
Fist of all, uncomfortable offices affect the pace of work. Extra efforts to keep everything
organized may become the biggest time wasters. Secondly, inconvenient timetables influence

19

labour productivity. Repetitive long hours at work get workers exhausted. Finally, relations
between managers and employees matter. Unfriendly atmosphere undermine self-esteem, cooperation and ability of staff to come up with creative ideas.
Timing issues and MY ESSAY
Time could kill your essay as well as bad structure and poor vocabulary. But do not try to kill
time yourself. Allow no more than a minute for panicking, sweating and jittering, then stop.
Has it put down a single word for you? I guess no.
If at the end of your panicking session the only sentence that comes to your mind is What
am I going to do? look at your watch. Notice down the time. Set 10 minutes for completing
what I have already described in my first post. I strongly advise you against exceeding the
10-minute limit for this part. No use trying to cram down a further lot of information if you
have no time to develop it. What is done is done. Take the next step paragraphs.
Another 30 minutes should be wisely distributed. Time you will spend on each paragraph
depends on your ability to produce consistent chunks of text approximately 50 70 words in
length. The words left to build up a 250 word essay might be divided between the introduction
and conclusion. In my case it takes about 7-8 minutes per paragraph.
Several minutes (6 to 9) to the deadline might be devoted to writing a short conclusion and
proofreading
Well, thats how it works.
Actually, I didnt try to work against the clock since I had been writing this essay on separate
occasions. But I have done it for educational purposes and it has proved itself viable under
time pressure.

Ideas Bank

20

Theme/Topic

Causes

Family
Breakdown

Effects

Solutions

Outcomes

Materialism, Drugs, Drug addiction, Poor

Need for money
grades at school,
Immorality

Therapy, Education,
Family support

Illiteracy, Alcoholism,
Crime, Domestic
violence, Gender
mistrust

Internet
Addiction

Access to hi-tech
Truancy, Health
equipment, Diverse problems, Computer
program
crime, Time
entertainment,
mismanagement
Boredom/Loneliness

Time constraints, VDU Financial concerns,

screen
Exposure to
protection/keyboard improper/inappropria
correct setup, Tighter programming
fraud legislation

Excessive TV
Watching

Advent of cable
networks,
Unemployment,
Free-time

Illiteracy

Poverty, Lack of
Crime, Street waifs,
access to resources, Low levels of social
Distance, War
adjustment

Teacher status
Overall increase of
enhancement, School human resources,
building program,
Reduction of crime
Scholarship
statistics, Motivation
preference for country for learning in/
children
[de]creases

Urbanization

Job availability,
Disappearance of
arable land, Better
lifestyle

Overcrowding,
Infrastructure
pressures, Pollution,
Crime

Decentralization
Declining agricultural
policies, Restrictions capabilities, Increasin
on
gap between
movement/settlement have/have-nots

Extinction of
Species

Greed for animal

parts,
Overconsumption,
Human expansion

Loss of fauna/flora
hinders scientific
research, Beauty of
natural world suffers

Sustainability
priorities, Crackdown
on illegal flora/fauna
dealings

Desensitized profit
motive towards natur
Future generations
ignorant

Polarity of
Wealth

Lack of law/justice, Jealousy, Crime,

Corruption,
Pride, Fortress
Inequality of access mentality
to resources

Literacy and equal

rights extension, HR
training, technology
transfer

Poverty and beggar

proliferation, Civil
disobedience, Rich
leach their society

Corrupt
Government

Civilian lack of
action, Nepotism,
Military juntas

Democratization, Civil International isolation

law priority over
Lack of transparency
military, Re-education, and accountability

Wars

Extreme
Population
nationalism, Border displacement,
violations, Political Death/injury,

Copycat behavior,
Curfew on time,
Skip school, Anti-soc
False sense of
Program preferencing, tendencies, Movie rol
identity, Reluctance to Develop outside
modeling,
study
interests
Disillusionment

Power and wealth

stays in few hands,
People forced into
unethical behavior

Mediation/negotiation, Enmity between

Pacts, UN resolutions, countries, Loss of
Trade/cultural
GDP/GNP, Youth suffe

21

incitement/pretence Ecological destruction delegations

Intense
Nationalism

Low self-esteem,
Xenophobia,
Inability to deal
with cultural
differences/change

Racism, Victimization
of ethnic minorities
and 2nd generation
members, Exodus of
oppressed race[s

Crime and
Violence

Lack of access
Insecurity, Anarchy,
issues, Poverty and Immorality in society,
ignorance, Jealousy, Faltering national
Need for power
progress

Removal of
ethnocentric force[s],
Re-education of
indigenous or native
elements, Dialogue
xsion

On-going distrust and

blame attributed to
minorities,
Reunification through
multiculturalism

Stricter punishments, Political disharmony,

Educational and
Breakdown in law an
vocational training,
order, Impunity issue
Strengthen law

Water Pollution Lack of sewage

Health and sanitation Clean-up existing
systems, Industrial risks, Epidemics,
water problems,
pollution, Toxic and Infant mortality rates, Prosecute industrial
dumped waste,
law-breakers, Control
over-consumption

Water treatment
equipment
expensive/complicate
Ignorance of
consumers re: H2O,
Investment reqs

Air Pollution

Vehicle emissions,
Dust, Industrial
output, Green
house gases/CFCs

Health risks,
respiratory ailments,
Ozone depletion,
Global warming

Public transport
support, Reduce
burning, Fine
polluters, Initiate
Kyoto A.

Developing/develope
nations need for catc
up or cartel dominat

Industrialization Technological
advances,
Development
trends,
Globalization,
Investment

Pollution, Decline of
traditional ways of
life, Mega-cities,

Consumer repreferencing,
Recycling products,
decentralization

Global warming,
Allergies and disorde
Various pollutants,
Surplus product

Population
Explosion

Uncontrolled birth
rates, Immigration,
Low educational
standards

Lack of food and land, Family planning,

Limited resources or
Crime and
Migration controls, Old will to restrain birthra
unemployment, On- age pensions,
or illegal migration
going poverty

Racism

See, INTENSE
NATIONALISM

Sexism

Lack of laws
Domestic violence,
Education and lawRole model recognitio
protecting women, Lack of representation based initiatives,
Gender merging,
Cultural
in government,
Positive discrimination Reluctance of women
acceptances of
practices
inequality

22

Desertification

Excessive chemical
fertilizers, Drought,
Limited cooperation bn
countries, Climate
change

Infertile land, Loss of

agricultural
production,
Starvation, Poverty

Irrigation, Natural
fertilizers, Tree
planting, Reclaiming
land, Prevention of
salination

Drug Abuse

Family breakdown, Criminal activity,

Community education, Requirement for gov
Smuggling, Peer
Health problems,
Border controls, Drop- to initiate reforms,
group pressure,
Young lives destroyed, in centers, School
Difficulty to supervise
Disillusionment
monitoring
adolescents

Disposal of
Waste

Too many waste

makers

Disposal of waste
issues

Depletion of
Ozone

CFCs, Vehicle
emissions, Newlyemerging nations

Global warming, Skin Reduction of ozonecancers,

depleting chemicals,
Desertification
Alternative energy
sources

Acid Rain

Pollutants collected
in water cycle, Ongoing industrial
waste

Fish stocks die off,

Clean up rampant
Corrosion, Soil
Older buildings
industrialization,
contamination
eroded, Water
Restore water purity,
supplies contaminated Prosecute offenders

Loss of
Rainforest

Cattle ranching,
Illegal logging,
Cropland
requirements, Illicit
cutting

Water table
displacement, Rural
dwellers jobless,
Salination

Reforestation,
Large-scale erosion,
Establish nature
Entire species deplete
reserves, Containmentor exterminated,
of agriculture
Medical loss

Cost of
Education

Rising living
standards, Demand
for specialized
knowledge,
Business-driven
profit margins

Imbalance between
haves/have-nots,
Certain subjects
become redundant or
over-commercialized

Government
Lack of facilities, Lack
subsidies,
of trained personnel,
Scholarships,
Few jobs for graduate
Affirmative action for
the disadvantaged

Cultural
Differences

Immigration,
Religious
practices/beliefs

Multiculturalism,
Intermarriages, Public Ethnic cleansing,
Discrimination/Racism awareness programs, Forced relocation of
ethnic groups

Drying up of
Rivers

Hydroelectric dams, Depletion of fish

Industrial and
species, Fishing
irrigation schemes industry decline,
Disputes over
waterways

Return to organic
waste

Alternate energy
sources, Regional
planning

Farmer reluctance to
accept new
programs/ides, Lack
potable water, Incorr
flora replacement

Excess exceeds
removal
Threat to major
species, Planet
degradation

Dislocation of
populations, Barren
land, Water wars

23

Present a written argument or case to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge of the
following topic.
Controversial proposition
It is now 30 years since man landed on the moon. Since then more and more money
has been spent on space research and exploration. Some people think that this is
not a good use of our resources and that any hope of establishing human colonies in
space is unrealistic.]
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
You should write at least 250 words.
Text 1 - IELTS script illustrating the stages of a hortatory exposition
[Thesis]
Human beings endeavour for establishing colonies in the space is unrealistic and is a waste of
limited resources on the earth.
[Argument 1 + Evidence for]
It has been 30 years since the United states successfully had its man landed on the moon and
since then, countries like the US, the former Soviet Union and China have spent huge amount
of manpower and money for the exploration of the outer space, mostly for military purpose.
However the human beings have not benefited from such heavy investment. On the contrary,
lives were lost in a number of accidents, including the explosion of a US spacecraft.
[Argument 2 + Evidence for]
The increased exploration, much in the name of establishing human colonies, is more or less
the result of extensive arms race between a few powerful countries, which may accelerate the
destruction of the earth itself. With advanced technologies gained from such attempts, human
beings are in the jeopardy of a few who control the technologies.
[Argument 3 + Evidence for]

24

Our resources are very limited, and should be used for the benefit of the general public on the
earth, many of them still fighting for adequate food and clothing. If the amount of money
used
for space development in the US are diverted to fighting against poverty, the whole Africa can
be benefited. And if the current space technologies are used for the civil purpose, the
productivity of the developing countries can be raised significantly.
[Argument 4 + Evidence for]
Increased publicity of establishing human colonies in the space will also make people less
treasure the limited resources on the earth and dream that for one day we can move to
another
planet and explore the abundance of resources there. But do we have an idea even vaguely,
how long it will take us to that day? Or can we arrive at that day?
[Recommendation]
Stop space race! And use our resources for the well-being of the earth and its residents!

Extract 1
(Recommendation stage taken from hortatory discussion)
In my opinion, more and more money should be spent on space research and explitation. No
one can predict the future. The resources on the earth may also depleted one day. We should
try our best to find out any other possible alternatives. The earth environment is getting
worser and worser. May be the earth is no longer suitable for human being to live in the
future. We really need to do something and find out other possible alternatives before it is too
late.
Extract 2
(Position stage taken from analytical discussion)
All things considered, space research and exploration might have some drawbacks, since is
very costly and this could result in relatively depriving funding to other domains, but isnt it
worth a try? This new opening could lead us to many new exiting discoveries. All in all man
has opened his wings and there is no turning back.
Extract 3.
Thesis (presenting the overall position of the writer)
The establishing of human colonies in space has created conflict among many people. I
personally believe that money should be spend on space research and exploration provided
that each state has taken care of certain more important priorities.
Extract 4.
Issue (presenting the overall proposition to be debated)
Man landed on the moon 30 years ago. Since then more and more money has been spent on

25

space research and exploration. Some people support on this while others think that it is
unrealistic to spend our resources on space research and exploration.

Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many societies. To what
extent would you say that television has positively or negatively affected the
cultural development of your society? You should write at least 250 words
Use your own knowledge and experience and support your arguments with examples and
relevant evidence.
Sample answer
It has been around forty years since television was first introduced into Australian households
and people today still have mixed views on whether it has a positive or a negative influence
on the society.
Many people believe that television damages culture. It promotes the stronger cultures of
countries such as Britain and North America and weakens the cultures of less wealthy
countries. This is because the stronger, wealthier countries are able to assert their own culture
by producing more programs that are shown widely around the world. These programs then
influence people, particularly young people, in the countries where they are shown. Also,
because television networks need to attract large audiences to secure their financial survival,
they must produce programs which are interesting to a broad range of people. In Australia
this range is very broad because we are a multicultural society and people of all ages like to
watch television. To interest all these different people, most television programs are short in
length, full of action and excitement, do not require much intelligence or knowledge to
understand, and follow universal themes common to all cultures, such as love and crime.
Television programs which concentrate on or develop themes pertinent to one particular
culture are not so successful because they interest a smaller audience.
Nevertheless we much acknowledge that television does have some positive effects on the
cultures within a society as well. People who do not live within their own culture can, in a
limited way, access it through the multicultural station on the television. For example,

26

Aboriginal children who have grown up in white families, or migrants and international
students living in Australia, can watch programs from their own culture on the television.
In conclusion, I hold the view that television promotes and strengthens those cultures that are
wealthy and influential while it weakens the cultures that are already in a weakened position.
Teacher's comments
Here is what a teacher said about the sample answer:
The essay has a clear introduction which poses the problem. Three paragraphs which makes
relevant points on the topic and a conclusion which sums up the main point of the whole
essay. The grammar and vocabulary are rich and varied. It is therefore a very good answer.
Strategies for improving your IELTS score
The style of essay required for Task 2 of the IELTS writing test is standard to academic
courses. There are several published textbooks available to assist you to improve your writing
skills for this part of the test. Structure and cohesion should be evident at the essay level,
within and
between paragraphs and within and between sentences. Structure and cohesion have a very
important effect on the readability and clarity of your essay as a whole. The structure of your
essay should show a clear development from introduction, through your points and on to the
conclusion. Your essay needs to have an introduction, body and conclusion. Structure and
cohesion should also be apparent within and between paragraphs. Each paragraph will
typically contain a topic sentence which states the main point of your paragraph. The topic
sentence is usually the
first one. This will be followed by the evidence which supports the point of the paragraph. The
final sentence will typically lead into the point of the following paragraph. A good essay will
also have structure and cohesion within and between sentences. It is important that you are
confident using linking devices such as relative clauses, connectives and transition signals.
"Do you believe that societies ought to enforce capital punishment or Are there
alternative forms of punishment that would be better used?"
Capital punishment is the killing of a criminal for a crime that he has committed. Previously
most countries employed this method of punishment but nowadays it is much less widely
used. I personally do not believe that societies today should use capital punishment and I also
believe that there are alternative punishments that can be used.
My main argument against capital punishment is that I believe we do not have the right to kill
another human being regardless of the crime. I don't believe in the old religious maxim of "an
eye for an eye." Modern societies shouldn't turn to such barbaric punishments.
Another argument against capital punishment is that people can be wrongly convicted and
executed. If a man is in prison, he can be released if later proved not guilty. If he is dead,
there is nothing that can be done. In the UK, a group of supposed terrorists were convicted of
murder in Birmingham in the 1970s. They were proved innocent about 15 years later and
released. If they had been executed, innocent people would have died.
There are alternative punishments available. For bad crimes prison life sentences can be given
with criminals imprisoned for the rest of their lives. Also a lot of horrific crimes are committed
by people who are mentally sick. These people are not responsible for their actions and can be
kept safely and permanently in secure hospitals. Yes, this costs a lot more but I believe it is
the duty of society to do this.

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There are arguments for capital punishment. Many people feel its threat stops serious crime
and that criminals deserve nothing less. It's cheaper and keeps the prisons manageable. I can
understand this point of view but I cannot agree with it.
So, in conclusion, I don't believe in capital punishment, as there are less barbaric alternatives
available. We can avoid horrific mistakes and make modern society a humane one.
Enormous effort is put into researching and marketing 'the perfect potato crisp'
while research into stress at work, for example, is ignored. How important are staff
working conditions? Should employers research and improve the working conditions
of their staff or should they concentrate more on their product?
Nowadays, most businesses are concerned primarily with improving and pushing products at
all costs, therefore neglecting the strain this strategy puts on their personnel. I believe it is of
vital importance to restrain excessive work load. I also think employers should pay more
attention to organizing friendly working environment for their employees.
In my point of view, conditions that employers provide for their personnel are very important.
First of all, uncomfortable offices affect the pace of work. Extra efforts to keep everything
organized may become the biggest time wasters. Secondly, inconvenient timetables influence
labour productivity. Repetitive long hours at work get workers exhausted. Finally, relations
between managers and employees matter. Unfriendly atmosphere undermine self-esteem, cooperation and ability of staff to come up with creative ideas.
I convinced that researching and improving employees working conditions is rewarding. To
begin with, improving workplace is an integral part of effective personnel policy. It helps a
company become the employer of choice for skilled workers. Furthermore, neglecting to
monitor the wellness of staff leads to extra expenses since more workers would use the
insurance plan. Finally, businesses seeking efficiency should gather information on the latest
advances in work space ergonomics. Strong competition forces employers to upgrade staff
work areas to boost the performance of staff.
I also feel that concentrating solely on the product is ineffective. For one thing, marketing,
even most aggressive, would not make the product any better. The perfect potato crisp
results from the work of well-trained staff. For another, companies overlooking workers needs
in favour of merchandise are unstable. Staff retention problems restrain the companys
potential to come regularly on the marker with new offers. At last, neglecting staff damages
the reputation of a manufacturer. Customers might refuse buying a product, if they know it is
made through hard exploitation of workers.
To summarize, employers should accept working conditions as being very important to
successful company development. Disregarding researching and improving working conditions
undermines enormous effort put into promotion of the product.

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