IELTS Writing Task 2: Essay Templates & Practice

The four main essay types

Opinion (do you agree or disagree?), Discussion (discuss both views and give your opinion), Problem-Solution (what is the problem, what are solutions?), Advantage-Disadvantage (discuss both, give your view). Every question fits one of these — recognise the type quickly so you can deploy the right framework.

The universal essay structure

Introduction (rephrase the question, state your position), Body (2–3 paragraphs, each with a main idea + evidence), Conclusion (restate your position and summarise your points). Examiners reward this structure heavily because it is easy to follow and shows clarity.

Opinion essay template

Introduction: paraphrase question + clear position (agree/disagree). Body: Paragraph 1 (reason 1 + explanation + example), Paragraph 2 (reason 2 + explanation + example). Conclusion: restate your position using different words. Keep your tone formal and use balanced language.

Discussion and balanced essays

Introduction: rephrase question, signal you will discuss both views. Body: Paragraph 1 (first viewpoint + evidence), Paragraph 2 (second viewpoint + evidence). Conclusion: state which side you agree with and summarise. This template suits 'discuss both and give your opinion' and advantage-disadvantage questions.

Paragraph linking and cohesion

Connect your ideas using cohesive devices: furthermore, however, in contrast, for example, as a result, in conclusion. Link sentences within paragraphs (use pronouns, synonyms, reference words) and between paragraphs (use topic sentences that preview your point). Examiners score coherence & cohesion as 25% of your writing mark.

Getting to Band 7+

Use a range of sentence types (simple, compound, complex). Employ topic-specific vocabulary and avoid repetition. Keep your arguments clear and supported by examples. Proofread for grammar — subject-verb agreement, tense consistency, article use. Use the free Writing Checker to get criterion feedback.

Why a template is a skeleton, not a script

Templates are genuinely useful for structure and genuinely dangerous as memorised text. Examiners read thousands of scripts and recognise pre-learned sentences immediately; language that is clearly memorised and not adapted to the question is discounted from your assessment, so an essay padded with stock phrases can score lower than a plainer one that actually engages the prompt. Use the framework to decide what goes in each paragraph, then write the sentences fresh. The reliable signal that you have over-templated: your introduction would fit almost any question on any topic. If it would, it is not answering this one.

Answering the whole question, which is where most bands are lost

Task Response is a quarter of your mark and the criterion most commonly capped. Two-part prompts are the usual trap: 'What are the causes and what can be done?' is two questions, and an essay that explores causes brilliantly while giving solutions two lines cannot reach Band 7 on that criterion however good the English is. Before writing, underline every question inside the prompt and give each its own body paragraph. Equally, 'to what extent do you agree' expects a position and a degree — a genuinely balanced essay that never commits is answering a different question from the one asked.

Examples that actually support an argument

Body paragraphs need support, and the most common weak version is an example that merely restates the claim. 'Pollution harms health, for example it makes people ill' has added nothing. A working example is specific and does explanatory work: a named context, a mechanism, or a consequence that follows from your reason. Personal experience is acceptable and often stronger than invented statistics — examiners do not fact-check, but a fabricated figure usually reads as fabricated and adds no persuasive weight. If you cannot produce a real example, explain the mechanism instead: why the reason leads to the outcome, step by step.

Timing: forty minutes and how to spend them

Task 2 carries twice the marks of Task 1, so do it first if you are prone to running out of time. Roughly five minutes planning, thirty writing, five checking is the split that survives contact with the exam. The planning five minutes feel wasteful and are not: deciding your position and your two reasons before writing prevents the mid-essay change of direction that destroys coherence. The final five are for the errors you personally repeat — articles, subject-verb agreement, plurals, tense slips. Know your own two and hunt only those; a general re-read finds almost nothing under time pressure.

Keep going — free practice