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IELTS Task 2 Essays Understand the 5 Different Types

There are 5 main types of IELTS Task 2 essays:

1) Opinion Essays

2) Discussion Essays

3) Problem Solution Essays

4) Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

5) Double Question Essays

Most questions fit one of these categories. However, questions can be written in many different ways, which can make it difficult to determine which type they are.

On this page, I want to give you an overview of all 5 IELTS Task 2 essay types, with samples questions to help you recognise some of the different wording often used. I’ve also included a basic structure for each that you can use to as a guide for essay planning, a vital step in the writing process.

I go into each type of question in more detail on its own page. Click the links above or at the bottom of this page to see these.

First, here’s the basic 4 part structure I recommend that you use for Task 2 essays:

1) Introduction

2) Main Body Paragraph 1

3) Main Body Paragraph 2

4) Conclusion

Want to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

The sort of information you include in each of the 4 sections will vary depending on the question type and that’s what I’m now going to outline for you.

These easy to learn structures will enable you to quickly plan and write any IELTS Task 2 essay.

The structures below are not the only ones you could use but they are the ones I recommend because they’re simple and give proven results.

1) Opinion Essays

These are sometimes called ‘agree or disagree’ or ‘argumentative’ essays and are one of the most common types of IELTS Task 2 question.

The first part of the question will be a statement. You will then be asked to give your own opinion about the statement. Here is some typical wording that might be used:

What is your opinion?
Do you agree or disagree?
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Here is an example of each:

Choose one side of the argument.
State your opinion clearly in the introduction.
Keep the same opinion throughout the essay.
Give reasons why you hold this view.

It doesn’t matter which side of the argument you take or even that you agree with it. Choose the one you can develop the best argument for.

Don’t change your opinion part way through the essay and don’t give reasons for the opposing idea.

Essay Structure

1) Introduction

Paraphrase the question
Give your opinion
State two supporting reasons

2) Main body paragraph 1

Topic sentence – outline 1st reason for supporting this view
Explanation – explain this idea
Example – give an example

3) Main body paragraph 2

Topic sentence – outline 2nd reason for supporting this view
Summarise opinion and key reasons

2) Discussion Essays

In discussion essays, you have to discuss both sides of an argument. Usually, you will be asked for your own opinion as well.

The easiest way to approach this type of IELTS Task 2 question is to choose one point of view to agree with and one side to disagree with.

Here are 3 examples of discussion essay questions:

Develop both sides of the argument.
Talk about the view you don’t agree with first.

A big mistake many students make is to fully develop only one point of view. This leads to an unbalanced essay and a low score for task achievement.

It is easier to begin by discussing the opinion you don’t agree with and then present the reasons for your opposing view.

2) Main body paragraph 1 – Negative Viewpoint

Topic sentence – outline the view you don’t agree with
Explanation – explain why this view is held by some people

3) Main body paragraph 2 – Positive Viewpoint

Topic sentence – outline the view you do agree with
Summarise the key points and state your opinion

3) Problem Essays

These are sometimes called ‘causes and solutions’ or ‘problems and solutions’ essays. This type of IELTS Task 2 question starts with a statement, then asks you to discuss the problems or causes and the solutions.

Don’t list lots of causes and solutions.
Choose just one or two and develop them fully.
Be sure to link each problem/cause and its solution.

A common mistake is for candidates to list all the problems/causes and solutions they can think of, not necessarily linking them together. They also fail to explain any of them in detail and don’t include any examples.

The wording of this type of essay question can vary considerably. Here are 3 examples of problem essay questions:

State 1 key problem/cause and related solution

2) Main body paragraph 1 – Problem or Cause

Topic sentence – state the problem or cause
Explanation – give detail explaining the problem or cause

3) Main body paragraph 2 – Solution

Topic sentence – state the solution
Explanation – give detail explaining the solution

4) Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

The first part of the question will be a statement. You will be asked to write about both the advantages and disadvantages of the idea stated.

Here is some typical wording that might be used:

What are the advantages and disadvantages of….?
Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your opinion.

Here are 3 examples of advantages and disadvantages essay questions:

Each of these different types of questions fits into one of two slightly different essay structures. We’ll look at these in detail on the main IELTS Task 2 Advantages & Disadvantages Essays page. For now, I’ll give you the basic structure.

Outline the view or views stated the statement

2) Main body paragraph 1 – Advantage

Topic sentence – state 1 advantage
Explanation – give detail explaining the advantage
Result – state the result

3) Main body paragraph 2 – Disadvantage

Topic sentence – state 1 disadvantage
Explanation – give detail explaining the disadvantage
Summarise the key points
State your opinion if required

5) Double Question Essays

This type of IELTS Task 2 question is sometimes called a ‘direct question’ or ‘two questions’ essay. It has one statement with two different questions after it. The questions may or may not be linked.

You must answer both questions fully.
Don’t confuse it with an opinion or a discussion essay.
Be careful that you don’t end up with too many ideas to write about.

Here are 3 examples of double question essay questions:

Outline sentence – state your answer to both questions

2) Main body paragraph 1 – Answer question 1

Topic sentence – state your answer
Explanation – explain why you think this

3) Main body paragraph 2 – Answer question 2

Summarise both questions and answers

I hope you’ve found this information useful. You can learn lots more about writing the 5 different types of IELTS Task 2 essay and see sample answers on these pages:

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plan & write high-level essays. Model answers & common mistakes to avoid.

Opinion Essays

Discussion Essays

Problem Solution Essays

Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

Double Question Essays

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More help with ielts task 2.

IELTS Writing Task 2 – T he format, the 5 question types, the 5 step essay writing strategy & sample questions. All the key information you need to know.

Understanding Task 2 Questions – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 2 Essay – Discover why essay planning is essential & learn a simple 4 step strategy, the 4 part essay structure & 4 methods of generating ideas.

How To Write a Task 2 Introduction – Find out why a good introduction is essential. Learn how to write one using a simple 3 part strategy & discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Main Body Paragraphs – Learn the simple 3 part structure for writing great main body paragraphs and also, 3 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Conclusions – Learn the easy way to write the perfect conclusion for a Task 2 essay. Also discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

Task 2 Marking Criteria – Find out how to meet the marking criteria for IELTS Task 2. See examples of good and poor answers & learn some common mistakes to avoid.

Other related pages:

IELTS Writing Test – Understand the format & marking criteria, know what skills are assessed & learn the difference between the Academic & General writing tests.

IELTS Writing
Task 2 Essay Types
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Identifying the 5 types of IELTS essays

Get familiar with the different types of ielts essays..

Updated: August 25th 2023

Among IELTS teachers there are often considered to be five patterns or five types of IELTS essays. In this post, we will look at how to spot them.

Before you begin writing your essay the first thing you must do is analyse the task by looking at the instruction words. I have underlined the instruction words in the tasks below, these indicate what type of question it is.

Analysing the task question is a crucial step because if you do not take the time to do this, or if you are unclear about anything, you could write a completely different essay. See more here.

The 5 types of IELTS essays

1. advantages and disadvantages essay 2. opinion essays (sometimes called an argument essay) 3. discussion essay 4. two-part question essay (sometimes called a direct question essay) 5. problem solution essay / causes solution essay, useful links, model answers for the 5 types of ielts essays., planning your ielts essay., how to think of ideas for essays., strategies and tips for paraphrasing the question., how to write a good thesis statement., 3 types of advantage disadvantage essays., take a look at these question types for ielts essays, can you guess what type of essays they are.

I have underlined the ‘instruction words’ , these tell you what kind of essay it is and what to write about.

1. Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Opinion essay: In this question, it asks to what extent do you agree or disagree? this means ” how much do you agree or disagree? ” In other words: do you completely agree? completely disagree? partly agree? neither agree nor disagree. The thesis statement you write should state 2 reasons for your opinion. Each main body paragraph ten covers each reason with an example to support your view.

The essay should have 2 main body paragraphs with your opinion in the introduction, main body, and the conclusion.

2. Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Discussion and opinion essay: Here you need to discuss both points of view in the question and give your own opinion. So you need 2 body paragraphs covering each point of view and examples with details and your opinion. You could also have a third body paragraph with your own specific opinion if you prefer. Your opinion should also be in the introduction as well as each body paragraph and the conclusion.

3. As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual well-being. What factors contribute to job satisfaction? How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?

Two-part or double question essay: In main body one you should write about the factors that make up job satisfaction. In main body two, it is asking your opinion, so you would write your opinion about whether, realistically, everyone can expect to be happy in their jobs. In my view, this is not realistic so I would state that as my opinion and explain why I hold that view.

4. 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. In your opinion what should be the main function of a university?

Opinion Essay: It looks like a discussion essay as there are 2 views being presented; however, if you check the instruction words it does not ask you to ‘Discuss both sides’

First of all, paraphrase the task question then include your opinion in the thesis statement. There should be 2 main body paragraphs and each main body states your opinion with reasons for your opinion and an example.

5. In some countries, the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing. What are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?

Problem Solution Essay: You need to state the causes of the problem in the first main body paragraph and possible solutions in the second main body paragraph. Also, note that you do not have to give a direct personal opinion here, it is asking for a possible way the issue can be solved.

6. Some experts believe that it is better for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school rather than secondary school. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

Advantages disadvantages essay: The keyword here is ‘ outweigh’ it means ‘are the advantages stronger than the disadvantages?’. Body paragraph 1 should focus on one or two advantages and body paragraph 2 should focus one or two disadvantages with explanations and examples.

This is a special type of ‘Advantage Disadvantage’ essay, it actually asks for your opinion here. You must write what you think is stronger, the advantage or disadvantage?. The whole essay will reflect your opinion .

7. Some people think a crime should always have a fixed punishment like life for murder, while others believe you should take the circumstances of the crime into account. Discuss both views .

Discussion essay. The instruction words say: “Some people think… while others believe”.. and also “Discuss both views”…These are the keywords that show it is a discussion essay.

Some people believe ….while others think… Many people say…… whereas others think….. Some say …….whereas others argue….

You will need to state the public/ general opinion and give examples and detail in this type of essay. Did you notice that the question does not ask for your opinion? Usually, discussion essays ask for your opinion so this type of task is quite rare.. click here for a lesson on language for discussion essays.

8. In recent times, more people prefer to communicate via messaging apps and email instead of face-to-face. Why do you think this is? When is face to face to face communication necessary?

Two-part or double question essay: This question is asking for a direct opinion because the words ‘Do you think..’ indicates that it wants your own opinion. You need to answer the first question in body paragraph 1, explain the issue and give an example. Then answer the second question in body paragraph 2, explain and give an example. The conclusion is just a summary of your key points with your opinion again.