IELTS WRITING TEST - WRITING SKILLS

When you study in an academic context, you need to be able to write clear, formal English. There are two writing tasks in IELTS, reflecting some of the different types of writing that you will have to produce if you study in the medium of English. 

You have one hour to complete the two tasks. You will need to:

- complete the task appropriately

- organize and link your ideas clearly

- write accurately and with a good range of vocabulary

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 IN GENERAL

The key to IELTS Writing Task 2 success is to give the examiner exactly what they want and nothing else.

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 AGREE OR DISAGREE (OPINION) SAMPLE QUESTION (MENS AND WOMENS)

I recently gave this question for homework to a very high level class and unfortunately lots of them failed to answer the question correctly. This led to lots of frustration in the group, but they soon figured out what they did wrong.

I thought it was worth looking at this question in more detail so you can prevent the same thing happening on exam day.

IELTS TASK 2 AGREE OR DISAGREE (OPINION) SAMPLE QUESTION (LANGUAGES)

Here is a sample band 9 IELTS task 2 answer on the topics of languages dying out.

Every year several languages die out. Some people think that it is not important because life will be easier if there are fewer languages in the world.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

THE IELTS TASK 2 AGREE OR DISAGREE (OPINION) SAMPLE QUESTION (GOVERNMENT SPENDING)

This article will help you answer task 2 opinion essay and give you two sample answers. This will focus on IELTS task 2 opinion (agree or disagree) essays. It will recommend a sentence by sentence structure to help you in the exam, as well as two sample answers.

1. Example questions 

Governments should spend more money on education than on recreation and sports. Do you agree or disagree?

Most high-level positions in companies are filled by men even though the workforce in many developed countries is more than 50 percent female. Companies should be required to allocate a certain percentage of these positions to women. Do you agree?

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 AGREE OR DISAGREE (OPINION) SAMPLE QUESTION (UNPAID COMUNITY SERVICES)

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?

IELTS WRiTING TASK 2 AGREE OR DISAGREE (OPINION) SAMPLE QUESTION (TECHNOLOGY)

Life was better when technology was simpler. To what extent do you agree and disagree?

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 AGREE OR DISAGREE (OPINION) SAMPLE QUESTION (ARTS AT PRIMARY LEVEL)

Some say that music, art and drama are as important as other school subjects, especially at the primary level. Do you agree or disagree?

IELTS WRITING PART 2 AGREE OR DISAGREE (OPINION) QUESTION SAMPLE (TEACHING ONLINE)

Giving lectures in auditoriums to large numbers of students is an old way of teaching. With the technology available today there is no justification for it, and everything should be done online.

To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give your own opinion.

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 AGREE OR DISAGREE (OPINION) SAMPLE QUESTION (SHOPPING)

In most developed countries shopping is not only about buying the goods you need, it is also perceived as entertainment. Is it a positive or negative development? 

Give your own opinion and examples based on your experience.

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 AGREE OR DISAGREE (OPINION) SAMPLE QUESTION (ENVIRONMENT)

With the increased global demand in oil and gas, undiscovered areas of the world should be opened up to access more resources.

To what extent do you agree or disagree? 

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 DISCUSSION QUESTION SAMPLE (PUBLIC HEALTH)

Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 DISCUSSION QUESTION SAMPLE ANSWER (UNIVERSITY)

Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. Others think that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer.

What, in your opinion, should be the main function of a university?

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 DISCUSSION ESSAY SAMPLE (STUDENT REWARDS)

Below is a sample answer. What band score would you give it?

Remember that the examiner will give you marks for four different areas:

- Task Achievement

- Coherence and Cohesion

- Lexical Resource

- Grammatical Range and Accuracy

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 DISCUSSION ESAY SAMPLE - GOOD AND BAD EXAMPLE (CHILDCARE)

Some parents think that childcare centres provide the best services for children of pre-school age. Other working parents think that family members such as grandparents will be better carers for their kids. 

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 DISCUSS BOTH VIEW SAMPLE (MIXED SCHOOLS)

Some people think that it is better to educate boys and girls in separate schools. Others, however, believe that boys and girls benefit more from attending mixed schools.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 ADANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES SAMPLE ESSAY (MULTINATIONAL COMPANIES)

Multinational companies are becoming increasingly common in developing countries.  

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - PROBLEM (CAUSES) RESOLUTION SAMPLE ANSWER (HEALTH AND FITNESS)

In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing.

What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - PROBLEM AND SOLUTION SAMPLE ANSWER GOOD AND BAD EXAMPLE (YOUNG AND OLD PEOPLE IN THE JOB MARKET)

Nowadays more and more people have to compete with young people for the same jobs.

What problems does this cause? What are some possible solutions?

This task 2 question was recently on the academic paper and it caused big problems for most students. Many students failed to do something crucial and received a much lower mark than they should have.

Below are two essays. One answered the question correctly and one did not. Can you tell which one answered the question properly?

IELTS WRITING TASK 2 - A PROBLEM SOLUTION ESSAY

Below is a problem solution essay that achieved a band score of 9. I have also included an examiner’s report to help you understand how this candidate achieved the top band score.