Writing Task 2: Question types

Analysing prompts – reminder:

As we discussed last week, regardless of the type of Task 2 prompt, candidates should always ask themselves:

1. What is the main topic?

Answering #1 will help them to ensure that their ideas are relevant and that they do not digress from the main
focus of the prompt.

Answering #2 will help them to check that they addressed the prompt fully, which is essential if they want to
write a strong response in terms of TR.

When analysing the parts of the prompt, your students should look out for:

a. Different parts of the premise / main topic

Example 1:

a. There are 2 parts of the main premise/topic: 1. people are eating more unhealthy food, and 2. People are
taking less exercise.
b. There are 2 main questions: 1. What are the causes of this problem?, and 2. What can be done about it?
c. The 1st question requires that the writer presents more than one cause (‘what are the causes’…)

Example 2:

a. The topic has two parts: View #1 - It is better to educate boys & girls in separate schools, and View #2 - It
is better for children to attend mixed schools.
b. There are 3 main questions: 1. discuss view #1, 2. discuss view #2, and 3. present your own opinion.
c. There are no plural requirements in this prompt (all plural forms relate to general ideas – e.g. children,
schools).

In order to achieve a high rating in TR, a response will need to address all of these requirements sufficiently.

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Several main types of questions/prompts are used in Task 2 on the IELTS test. While these do not differ in
terms of overall complexity, some question types may pose unique challenges to candidates. In your teaching
you can help your students to understand the different question types better and to plan the contents of their
responses accordingly.

Four main question types are described below and for each of these you are given several tips to include in
your teaching.

Type 1: Agree / disagree (or ‘to what extent do you agree or disagree’)

Sample prompt:

In this common type of Task 2 prompt the writer should present his/her opinion about the main topic. Note
that sometimes the main question is worded simply as ‘Do you agree or disagree…?’ In either case, your
students can remember the following tips regarding answering the question:

1. How strongly to express one’s opinion: They can express strong agreement / disagreement, but this is not
required for a high rating. It is possible to have a nuanced opinion and state, for example, that the answer
will depend on the situation. If the writer does this, they need to explain clearly what the different
contexts or conditions are so that the reader can understand the writer’s position.

2. Including the opposite view: Even if the writer expresses a strong opinion (e.g. ‘I completely agree
that…’), it is appropriate to include a ‘concession’, i.e. to admit that the opposite opinion has some merit.
If the writer does this, they should make sure this concession is signalled in the response and that it does
not confuse the reader. For many students it is easier to first clearly state their opinion, support it well and
only then express potential counter-arguments. Also, if the writer presents a strong opinion in one
direction, the concession (presenting the opposite view) should not comprise a major part of the
response. This is simply to ensure that the writer’s main opinion is given enough space to be well-
developed.

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Sample prompt:

Tips:

1. Make sure your response provides a clear support to each of the 2 views given in the main topic. This does
not mean that you must write exactly the same amount of text about both, but the discussion should be
balanced overall.
2. Make sure the 2 views are discussed in separate parts of the response, i.e. that one paragraph does not
mix the two views.
3. Your own opinion must be stated clearly in the response. The prompt does not specify that your opinion
must come at the end of the response. That can be done, but it is also possible to pre-view your own
position at the beginning and then re-state it at the end.

Type 3: Advantages / disadvantages

Sample prompt:

Tips:

1. Notice that the prompt mentions both ‘disadvantages’ and ‘advantages’. Make sure your response also
addresses both. It is understandable that if the writer has a strong opinion in one direction, a larger part of
the response will discuss that view (e.g. advantages); however, some discussion of the opposite (e.g.
disadvantages) should be included.
2. Similar to Type 1, you can present a very strong position (e.g. ‘we can say that international tourism has
noticeably more benefits than disadvantages’) or a more nuanced view where you describe how the issue

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Type 4: Causes & solutions / Reasons and action, etc.

Sample task:

Tips:

1. Make sure both questions / parts of the prompt (causes & solutions | problems & action) are included in
the response. If only one of the two parts is presented, the response will not score higher than Band 5 in
Task Response (see the public band descriptors).
2. This type of question almost always includes a plural requirement for one or both of the questions. For
example, for the sample prompt above, the writer must include at least 2 causes of the problem. Work
with your students on identifying these requirements in test prompts and on planning their responses
accordingly.
3. Make sure that the response is organized logically in relation to the topic / questions. For example, if the
causes and solutions are linked, it may be logical to connect each area in one paragraph:

Body paragraph 1: Cause 1 + Solution 1

Alternatively, the writer could discuss both causes in one paragraph and then present solutions in the next
one:

Body paragraph 1: Cause 1 + Cause 2

In either case, it will be important to use cohesive devices / signalling words and phrases to help the
reader see how the causes and solutions are connected.

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