A lot of you
send me your Writing questions after
you do your exam. Recently, there have been a few very confusing questions. One
student even emailed me to say that he probably won’t do very well because he
found it difficult to focus because one person was crying throughout most of
the Writing test.
But don’t
worry. The best thing to do in these situations is to analyse the questions,
think about the best way to answer them and you will improve your technique. You
should see these difficult questions as a chance to improve, not an excuse to
give up.
Types of questions
In general, I believe that there are five general question types for Writing Task 2. They are:
In general, I believe that there are five general question types for Writing Task 2. They are:
1. Opinion (Agree or Disagree)
2. Discussion (Discuss Both Views)
3. Advantages and Disadvantages
4. Problems/Causes and Solutions
5. Double Questions (Two Questions)
Question types
are important because it affects how we answer the question and the overall
structure of the essay.
Beware of Fake
Questions
Lots of
websites and books make up their own questions. This is fine if you know what
you are doing, but not so good if you don’t. IELTS has a very standard format
for writing questions and if this format is not strictly followed, the result
will be a very misleading question.
If you find a
question that you do not understand, check that it comes from a reliable source
first. Remember that not all websites and books are reliable sources.
Below I will look at 3 recent questions and discuss:
- why they are confusing;
- what type of question they are and
- the structure I would recommend using.
1. Question 1 (OPINION NOT DISCUSSION)
There is an increasing trend of old people living longer in many countries around the world.
Do you think this has a positive or a negative effect on the population as a whole?
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Why is this question
confusing?
The main
reason students get confused about this question are the words ‘positive’ and
‘negative’. Many feel that because these are two opposites that they must
discuss both of these.
‘Positive’ and
‘negative’ are also very similar to ‘advantages’ and ‘disadvantages’, therefore
many students believe that this question should be answered as an ‘advantages
and disadvantages’ question.
The most
important words above are ‘Do
you think’. These
three words indicate that the examiner wants to know your opinion. It also
indicates that you do not have to discuss both positives and negatives, or in
other words, you don’t have to answer this question as an ‘advantages and
disadvantages’ question.
The other
thing that might cause students trouble are the words ‘the population as a whole’. This
means that you have to talk about the whole population and not specific people
or specific groups of people.
What type of question is it?
The words ‘Do you think‘ indicates that this is an opinion question.
I would advise
my students to simply pick one side, either positive or negative, and say why
you have this point of view. You could also
give a balanced answer and say that you think it is both positive and negative,
but I think this is an overly complicated way to answer the question and it
will not get you higher marks.
Structure 1
If I agreed
that it has a positive effect, I would use the following structure:
1. Paragraph 1 - Introduction
2. Paragraph 2 - First reason why I think it is positive
3. Paragraph 3 - Second reason why I think it is positive
4. Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
If I think it
has a negative effect, I would use the same structure but give two reasons why
I think it is negative.
2. Question 2 (OPINION NOT DOSCUSSSION )
Nowadays more and more people read news on the Internet. Nevertheless, newspapers will remain an important source of news and information for the majority of people.
Do you agree or disagree with this statement?
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Why is this question
confusing?
The question
statement ‘Nowadays more and more
people read news on the Internet. Nevertheless, newspapers will remain an
important source of news and information for the majority of people.’ has
two sentences and therefore many students believe that this should be answered
as a ‘discuss both views’ question.
However, if
you look at the question, the first sentence is only for background purposes.
It is really just giving you information to help you with the question. The
most important sentence is the second sentence. It states ‘Nevertheless, newspapers will remain an
important source of news and information for the majority of people.’
What type of question is it?
This is an
opinion question. It is asking you if you agree or disagree with the second
sentence. In other words, do you agree that newspapers will remain an important
source of news and information or do you disagree?
You do not
have to discuss the merits of old style newspapers vs news on the internet, you
simply must say if you agree or disagree with the second sentence and why.
Structure 2
If I agreed
with the statement, I would use the following structure:
1. Paragraph 1 - Introduction
2. Paragraph 2 - First reason why you agree
3. Paragraph 3 - Second reason why you agree
4. Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
If I disagree,
I would simply state two reasons why I disagree in paragraphs 2 and 3.
3. Question 3 (OPINION NOT DISCUSSION)
Some people think the main purpose of school is to turn children into good citizens and workers, rather than to benefit them as individuals.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
|
Why is this question
confusing?
The question
seems like it has two opposing views. Normally, when there are two opposing
views the question will ask you to discuss both of these views. Even though the
question asks you if you agree or disagree, many students answered this
question like a discussion question and many did not give their opinion at all.
However, if
you read the question statement again, it does not have two opposing views, it
has only one view - that the main purpose of school is to turn children into
good citizens and workers.
What type of question is it?
This is an
opinion question. Therefore, your job is to say whether you agree that the main
purpose of schools is to turn children into good citizens and workers or that
you disagree with that statement.
It is rare to
get a question that is this confusing. Don’t worry, the vast majority of opinion questions are
not like this.
Structure 3
If I agreed
with the statement, I would use the following structure:
1. Paragraph 1 - Introduction
2. Paragraph 2 - First reason why you agree
3. Paragraph 3 - Second reason why you agree
4. Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
If I disagree,
I would simply state two reasons why I disagree in paragraphs 2 and 3.
Again, it is
possible to give a balanced answer and say you both agree and disagree, but I
think, for most students, this is a very difficult thing to do and it normally
results in more mistakes and lower marks.
Question 4 (OPINION NOT DISCUSSION)
Research indicates that the characteristics we are born with have much more influence on our personality and development than any experiences we may have in our life.
Which do you consider to be the major influence?
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Why is this question confusing?
The main
reason this is confusing is the last sentence ‘Which do you consider to be the
major influence?’. This does not follow any of the normal question formats.
However, the key words in this sentence are ‘Which do you consider‘? They are asking you to pick one. This
is therefore an opinion question.
It is also
confusing because there are two opposing views, so many people would instantly
think that this is a discussion question.
What type of question is it?
They are
asking what ‘you‘ think
and they are asking you to pick one side by asking you ‘which‘, therefore, this is an
opinion question.
You could
discuss both views, but you must state which one you think is the major
influence. The easiest way to do this is simply pick one side and give two good
reasons why you think this.
Structure 4
If I agreed
with the statement, I would use the following structure:
1. Paragraph 1 - Introduction
2. Paragraph 2 - First reason why I think one side is the major influence
3. Paragraph 3 - Second reason why I think one side is the major influence
4. Paragraph 4 - Conclusion
Conclusions
- Questions will
not always follow the standard format.
- Just because
it appears that there are two opposing views, does not mean you have to discuss
both sides.
- Look at the
last sentence carefully. This will tell you what the examiner wants you to do.
- Spend at least
a minute reading and thinking about what the question wants you to do.
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