IELTS WRITING TASK 2 

In the IELTS writing task 2, you are given an essay question which must be written in
minimum 250 words and for this, you are given 40 minutes time. There are different types of
essays asked in the IELTS writing task 2.

 Opinion (Agree or Disagree)
 Advantages and Disadvantages.
 Problem and Solution.
 Discussion (Discuss both view)
 Two-part Question.

TYPE 1 – Opinion Essay

Introduce the topic ( paraphrase question )

INTRODUCTION 
 Give a thesis statement (say what your opinion is:
it is agreed…It is disagreed…)
 Outline Sentence (This essay will discuss….)

Topic sentence (1st argument)

BODY PARAGRAPH 1 
 Supporting idea
 Example

Topic sentence (2nd argument)

BODY PARAGRAPH 2 
 Supporting idea
 Example

Note: If you have more ideas and write fast then it is

possible to have more than 2 body paragraphs.
 Conclusion signal (‘In conclusion,’)
CONCLUSION
 Restate thesis (opinion)
 Summarise your main points
  Optional: Give a comment on the topic, such as a
suggestion or  warning

Typical Question Words

What is your opinion?

Do you agree or disagree?
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Direct Question

Let’s look at an example of IELTS writing task 2 question that asks you to give
your opinion:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory

part of high school programmes (for example working for a charity, improving
the neighborhood or teaching sports to younger children).

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Write at least 250 words

Sample Answer
It is argued that volunteering should be made part of the school curriculum.
This essay agrees with that suggestion completely because of the benefits it
brings to pupils. 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.

Education should not be limited to strictly academic pursuits and those in

education should also develop life skills, such as teamwork, empathy and self-
discipline, and one of the best ways to hone these aptitudes is through
community service. Serving those less fortunate than ourselves teaches us
many lessons including how to work with people from other backgrounds and
the value of hard work. For example, I personally volunteered to spend 6
weeks in Africa teaching disadvantaged children and this led to a much higher
work ethic when I returned to my studies.

Many colleges and companies are also increasingly looking for this type of
experience. Most school leavers have the same grades and charitable works
can help set you apart from the herd. For example, Cambridge and Oxford
receive thousands of applications from straight-A students every year and can
only accept a small percentage of applicants. What you have done outside the
classroom is often the thing that differentiates you from everyone else and
gets you that coveted spot.

In conclusion, teenagers should be made to partake in unpaid work as part of

their schooling because it will help them learn things they wouldn’t ordinarily
learn from their teachers and it will also boost their chances of getting into
third level education.

IELTS essay vocabulary

Expressing personal opinions:

 In my opinion, …
 Personally, I think that …
 I would argue that ...
 In my view, ...
 I think / I believe
 I agree/disagree

Proving your arguments

 to attest, ...
 to prove, ...
 this (fact) is attested/proven by ...
 this (fact) is evidenced by ...
 this (fact) is testified by ...
 this (fact) is endorsed/supported by...
 this (evidence) establishes that ...
 Example: Consuming moderate amounts of sweets can be good for
health. This is evidenced by a number of cases when people improved
their health conditions by eating chocolate.

Expressing general point of view:

 It is (generally) claimed that …
 It is (generally) said that …
 It is (generally) thought that ...
 It is (generally) considered that ...
 A common opinion is that ...
 A popular belief is that ...

Example: It is considered that rigorous diets are very unhealthy.

Outlining facts
 The fact is that …
 It is obvious that …
 It is clear that …
 There is no doubt that …
 This proves that …

Example: It is obvious that deforestation has no positive effects.

Generalizing
 Generally speaking, ...
 On the whole, ...
 Typically, ...
 By and large ...

Example: Generally speaking, smoking is a bad habit.

Giving examples
 For example, ...
 For instance, ...
 A good illustration of this is ...
 Evidence for this is provided by ...
 We can see this when ...

Example: A lot of wild animals are endangered. Evidence for this is

proved by decreasing number of species.

Concluding
 To summarise, ...
 In conclusion, ...
 Overall, ...
 On balance, ...
 Taking everything into consideration, ...

Example: Overall, no parents should neglect their children.

Linking structures
Using a wide range of vocabulary will help you to gain higher score at IELTS.

Don't fear: you don't have to learn all of these phrases. Just choose a few that
you like and practice using them in your writing.

Listing Giving examples Generalising

firstly, secondly, thirdly for example in general
first, furthermore, finally for instance generally
to begin, to conclude as follows: on the whole
next that is as a rule
Reinforcement in this case for the most part
also namely in most cases
furthermore in other words usually
moreover Result/consequence Highlighting
what is more so in particular
in addition therefore particularly
besides as a result/consequence especially
above all accordingly mainly
as well (as) consequently Reformulation
in the same way because of this/that in other words
not only ... but also thus rather
Similarity hence to put it more simply
Expressing an
equally for this/that reason
alternative
likewise so that alternatively
similarly in that case rather
under these
correspondingly on the other hand
circumstances
in the same way Deduction the alternative is
Transition to new another possibility would
then
point be
now, in other words Contrast
as far as x is concerned in that case instead
with regard/reference to otherwise conversely
as for ... this implies that ... on the contrary
it follows that if so/not in contrast
turning to Stating the obvious in comparison
Concession (smth
Summary obviously
unexpected)
in conclusion clearly even though
to conclude naturally however
in brief of course however much
to summarise as can be expected nevertheless
overall surely still
therefore after all yet
Important Tips for Writing

1. While expressing your opinion in essays, in the thesis sentence it is necessary

to use the pronoun ‘I’ while expressing your opinion. For example: ‘I agree that
the government should do more to protect the environment’.

2. However, in a body paragraph, while supporting your thesis, it is better not to

use the pronoun ‘I’ again. Instead you can just use modal verbs like: can, could,
may, might, must, have to, need etc., to express your opinion. For
example,”The government could encourage people to travel by bicycles ”
 Usually you start your introduction in essays with a general overview of the issue
given in the essay question. If you deal with a general trend which is changing over
time, you should use Present Continuous Tense. For example: ‘The world population
is increasing over time’ or’ Fast food is getting more and more popular’, etc.
 Try to use Passive Voice in Essays where necessary, it makes your essay more
academic in style.

Home Task: write an opinion essay

Writing Task 2 Agree or Disagree Essay Part 1 + Introduction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=R3C_HLeHKLA&list=PLgZLLcDfXOIonxLy2pdchbWw1JIAYiYKL

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7mW1vBOz_E

How to write an introduction

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YngqHl_BLOU

How to express your opinion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SpAIW4p8wkw

Vocabulary for IELTS: Paraphrasing Tips

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rlsqbSFOBCg