IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions and Model Essay for Education: School Subjects.
Below you will find:
- IELTS essay question for education
- Model Essay Answer
- List of more practice essay questions
- Tips for Writing Task 2 Preparation
Take your time to read through this page and make the most of the tips and links.
Please note: these are past essay questions which have been used this month. They are not predictions. To prepare for IELTS writing task 2, you should prepare ideas for recent questions and common questions. See below for recent questions and here is a link to common essay questions: 100 IELTS Essay Questions
IELTS Essay Question: School Subjects
Some people think that the teenagers should concentrate on all subjects at school. Others believe that teenagers should focus on the subject they are best at or they are most interested in. To what extent do you agree?
Model IELTS Essay
While it is thought that adolescents ought to focus on a broad range of school subjects, others feel it would be better for them to concentrate only on chosen subjects. I believe the number of subjects they study should depend on their age.
One reason adolescents from around the age of 13 to 15 ought to focus on learning as many different subjects as possible is that they are not mature enough to make serious decisions regarding their education that could affect their future. Therefore, by studying various subjects, they will gain a broad foundation education and also develop a clearer understanding of their individual skills and interests, which often change as a child ages. Secondly, teenagers need to vary what they learn to help them develop into well rounded adults. For example, they need sport to encourage health, they need maths to be able to perform simple arithmetic in life, and they need languages to help them learn communication skills. At a young age they are not mature enough to be responsible for their own development by selecting only what they enjoy learning.
However, by the age of 16, most adolescents know not only what subjects they most enjoy or excel at, but also which subjects are most useful for their future prospects in life. For this reason, from the age of 16, children should focus on those specific subjects that they need to eventually enter the degree course or work they would like to aim for. Furthermore, older teenagers have the capacity for concentration, unlike those of a younger age, which enables them to study only a few chosen subjects in depth. Lastly, older adolescents have the ability to manage their own schedule to continue certain subjects in their own time, such as sport and art, without having these subjects made compulsory.
To conclude, younger teenagers are not ready to specialise and require a broad framework of subjects to help them develop, but at the age of 16, this is no longer the case and focused learning is more beneficial for them.
More IELTS Essay Questions To Practice
- Nowadays, people move from one country to another for work. Some people think children of these families suffer because of this, while others think it is helpful for them. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
- Adults do less exercise these days. Some people think that showing sports events on the television such as the Olympics and international tournaments is the best way to encourage adults to do exercise. Others believe there are more effective ways to do so. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
- Some parents, specially mothers, stay at home instead working, and some people think that they should receive monetary compensation from the government. Do you agree or disagree?
- Some people use technology to take advice for their medical problems rather than seeing a doctor. Why this is so? It is positive or negative development according to you?
- Although more and more people are reading the news on the internet, most people still prefer reading the news in a newspaper. What are your views?
- EDUCATION ESSAY QUESTIONS: Collection of Essay Questions on Education
VOCABULARY FOR THIS TOPIC: Word List for Education Topic
How to Prepare for IELTS Writing Task 2
- Prepare ideas for topics. You can do this by googling online. Here is a list of common essay questions and topics for IELTS writing task 2: 100 Essay Questions
- Make sure you have learned your list of linking words which must be used flexibly: Linking Words for IELTS WT2
- Learn about essay length and paragraphing:
- Learn how to add examples to your essay: Adding Examples Language
All the best
Liz
.
Hello again Liz!
I hope that you are doing well.
I have written many more essays and while I managed to write smaller ones at around 295-315 words, now my essays are about 340-380 words again. For example this is what I wrote for the first topic “Nowadays, people move from one country to another for work. Some people think children of these families suffer because of this, while others think it is helpful for them. Discuss both views and give your opinion.”
(380 words)
It is becoming increasingly common for families to relocate internationally for work and opinions differ on how this impacts children. In my opinion, while there are some benefits for children whose families relocate, I believe that the children are too young to comprehend them, and the problems are what sticks to them.
On the one hand, some people believe that the children from families who change their environment frequently do not have meaningful friendships, as they are often disrupted. These frequent moves can interrupt established friendships and children’s efforts to make new friends, resulting in them not having any true friends, where they can play and share experiences in any of the places that they have lived. Another problem that originates from the frequent relocations is that every time children must adjust to a new culture, language and societal norms, at an age that it is extremely difficult for them to understand such complex things in small periods of time. Furthermore, it is common for them to give up trying to fit in with the new community because they know that they will eventually leave that place as well. Due to this, many of these young people are not emotionally stable and secure, as they do not have a place where they can feel safe and call home.
On the other hand, many people believe that exposure to new cultures, languages and educational systems has a positive effect on the children that move abroad, as living in different countries fosters cultural awareness, leading children to become more open-minded. Moreover, the need for them to learn new languages enhances their communications skills and potentially can offer them an edge in future careers. In other words, exposure to unfamiliar traditions, foreign languages, and varied academic settings can broaden their academic and professional opportunities in the future. Another point to consider is that the constant change to new environments forces these children to be resilient and adaptable, thus they are more flexible and prepared for life’s uncertainties.
In conclusion, while the experience of relocating can benefit children in some aspects of their lives, I think that people at that age need a sense of stability to feel secure, and the challenges that are presented to them have a detrimental effect on their development.
I think that after writing so many essays I am still not sure of how many ideas I should include in each essay. For example in this discussion essay, 2 ideas for each view are enough? My two ideas for the first view were:
1) no meaningful friendships. 2) adjusting to a new culture, language and societal norms.
All the other sentences I have written are supporting these two ideas. But all this seems too much to write.
An essay that IDP provided at their masterclass was at 338 words (give or take) and pretty simple/plain in language and formality (It was for academic task 2). They had 2 ideas for each topic.
Lastly, for two question direct essays such as the topic number 4, again I have written 2 reason (ideas) why they prefer online info instead of doctors and 2 reason for the 2nd paragraph of positive/negative. Most of yours two question direct essays have 3 BD and consequently 3 ideas, but sometimes you write 2 BD and ideas for the 1st question and 1 BD and idea for the second question and other times 2 for each question. I don’t seem to get when to do what. I am way more confused than the days I wrote my first essays. Are there times where the first question is more important so 2 ideas and paragraphs should be written, eg your essay about family and art other times where the second question is as important, eg you essay about happiness (because of money) that has 2 BD and ideas for the 2nd question, while still having 1 BD but 2 ideas for the first question.
I am sorry for writing such lengthy comment and question. I get it if you can’t answer them. I just wanted to express my confusion. I think that hyper analyzing (in this case some of your essays) isn’t the best to do. I am just trying to find connections between them.
You seem to be definitely over-thinking. As I mentioned in the feedback to one of your other essays, although you write long essays, which are generally not recommended, your essays are actually fine. Each sentence is definitely on topic and highly relevant. So, for you personally, the length doesn’t matter. You will still get a high band score with such a long essay. You have two supporting points per paragraph, which is fine because each paragraph has one central theme – this is usually the case when taking a partial agreement, which you nearly always do. So, the only concern you should have is …. can you write it in 40 mins? If you can, you have nothing to worry about. If you can’t, it would be easier to take a one sided approach with the essay above, having two body paragraphs for A) disrupted relationships (which should include why relationships and forming bonds are important at a young age) and B) the stress of fitting in to a new culture and language with each move. Because you are so good at expanding and explaining, this would be easy for you to do and quicker as well. You don’t get a higher score because you take a partial agreement. It actually makes no difference to your score if it is partial agreement or one-sided – always choose the one that is easiest and quickest – your aim is to create something flawless within 40 mins.
I can’t express how grateful I am for this reply. I was in a state of panic when I was writing this comment.
As you said 99% of the times I partially agree because this is my actual opinion on the matter and it’s easier for me to express it, but it forces me to write a lot and in the end it all comes down to time. For now, I have managed to write many essays between 36-40 minutes instead of the 40-45 I used to, but still, I know that this isn’t good enough or realistic at all. I have had 62 exams for my MSc and I know that after having completed a listening, reading and task 1 of writing, my mind is going to be all over the place so in the relaxed setting of my home I need to write them in about 30 minutes, which I find pretty difficult at the moment.
On the other hand choosing a side and having a structure similar to what you mentioned is like writing my first body paragraph with a little more detail and that’s it for the whole essay, which is something that I can easily complete in 25-28 minutes, as it happened with 2 essays where I actually agreed with the prompt. However, I feel like this can only be done with opinion essays and not discussion ones like this one where I have to discuss both views. I mean, based on the structure that you mentioned, I can say that ” In my opinion relocating only has negatives” and then write the 2 BD you mentioned that explain why it’s bad for the children and then I am done?
I always thought that I had to expand both views equally regardless of my opinion and only in specific essay types eg. positive-negative, opinion and advantages-disadvantages, I can take a one-sided view and expand only on this ( even though I aleays partially agree). This is what really troubles me the most.
Your feedback has been extremely helpful. Thank you.
Yes, this is only possible for Opinion Essays. For the other types of essays, you’ll face the same issue of how wordy you get when expressing your ideas (although this is perfect for the speaking test!).
Here is your BP1:
On the one hand, some people believe that the children from families who change their environment frequently do not have meaningful friendships, as they are often disrupted. These frequent moves can interrupt established friendships and children’s efforts to make new friends, resulting in them not having any true friends, where they can play and share experiences in any of the places that they have lived. Another problem that originates from the frequent relocations is that every time children must adjust to a new culture, language and societal norms, at an age that it is extremely difficult for them to understand such complex things in small periods of time. Furthermore, it is common for them to give up trying to fit in with the new community because they know that they will eventually leave that place as well. Due to this, many of these young people are not emotionally stable and secure, as they do not have a place where they can feel safe and call home. (166 words)
Here is mine using your own ideas:
On the one hand, some people believe that the children from families who change their location frequently do not have meaningful friendships, as they are often disrupted. This results in children making constant new friends, but not having any true friends that are long lasting. Another problem is that every time children must adjust to a new culture, it is stressful. The constant effort of trying to fit in can cause emotional instable and insecurity, as they do not have a place where they can feel safe and call home. (93 words)
Check sentence for sentence what I’ve altered. When you plan your essay, don’t just plan the supporting points as ideas. Plan them as sentences in your mind to be more specific – more precise, less wordy. But again, please don’t worry about this unless time is your enemy.
Hello!
I have a question about the topic because I am not sure I got it right.
“Some people think that the teenagers should concentrate on all subjects at school . Others believe that teenagers should focus on the subject they are best at or they are most interested in.”
A key word for me was “school”, so all my ideas where pretty much for children as school.
In my opinion in primary and junior high children (ages 5-15) should study a variety of subjects and then in high school (16-18)they can choose the one’s they prefer. That’s pretty much my opinion and the ideas were relevant to that opinion.
Then I read your model and your opinion is mostly the same, but you talk about the ages of 18+. I am not sure if I got the second paragraph correctly because I think its main point were that “after 18 teens know what they need and want so they can basically choose their courses” So we are talking about university? School isn’t over at the age of 18?
I am asking this because of the word “school” in the title, which limited my ideas to the ages of 5-18.
Thank you in advance.
I’ve tweaked the essay above to fall in line with Task Response. However, regarding your ideas, this essay is about teenagers, not children under the age of 13. A teenager is between 13 and 19 years of age.
Thank you very much for the clarification and for pointing out my mistake. I would have lost the task response completely with the ages I mentioned.
The debate on whether teenagers should take all the subjects or focus on the subjects they are best at or they are most interested in, has not been settled. While i do agree both options have some merits, they also have potential demerits that need to be considered.
Allowing teenagers to concentrate on all the subjects at school provide opportunity to study varied topics and exposes the teenagers to a wider range of future academic career choices. It is
believed at a young age, teenagers still do not have enough exposure and experience to make informed academic decisions. Allowing them touch different topics can help trigger areas of interests.
Furthermore, preferences and educational goals might change as they grow older, and they might not be interested in earlier chosen subjects. At the same time, having to study all these subjects can
bring unnecessary academic workload on teenagers and financial constraints to parents.
On the other hand, concentrating on specific subjects of interest, can eliminate unnecessary workload and financial constraints. It allows students to have free time for other nonacademic activities, such as sports, social engagements, and community involvement. Chances of better performance and success is greatly improved when teenagers are involved in subject areas they consider to be of interest.
One drawback of this option is that the teenagers are limited in terms of exposure and makes it harder for them to change academic goals later in life.
In conclusion, both options offer advantages that can be beneficial to the teenagers, they also have drawbacks that should be addressed. I would advocate for parents and teachers to offer guidance when such decisions need to be made.
Although my website doesn’t offer a feedback service, I will offer a quick comment.
This is an Opinion Essay and it is essential that you state your position clearly. You can’t sit on the fence. You can’t turn an Opinion Essay into a Discussion Essay, where you present both sides equally. You must decide what your clear personal opinion is. And you must state it using “I” or “my”.
You also can’t introduce a new opinion for an Opinion Essay into the conclusion. To do this will definitely lower your score for Task Response.
So, with this essay, you can agree with one side or aim for a partial agreement (this means a specific view point that is more balanced, but doesn’t sit in the middle), such as – children can choose their subjects when they are older, but young children should study all subjects. This is a specific view with an “it depends” type of answer. You would then explain each point.
Make sure you do introduce your opinion in the introduction – don’t just leave it to the conclusion.
See my advanced Opinion Essay lesson if you need help with this: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/
Thank you!
I value your response. Will take this into consideration.
Hi Liz, thank you for your good work.
Just a quick one. In an essay like this, if I choose to partially agree, after the introduction, what will my body paragraph be like?
1st b. para for agreement, 2nd b. para for disagreeing, followed by a conclusion. OR 1st b. para to agree, 2nd b. para to disagree, and 3rd b. para to justify my opinion (partially agree), then conclusion.
Which option is the right one, or are both acceptable?
Thank you.
You are trying to turn this into a discussion essay with two sides. This is an opinion essay. You can’t agree that students should focus on one subject and then also agree they should focus on all subjects. That isn’t a valid opinion. That is a discussion. So, both of your suggestions are invalid.
Your first step is to be clear in your own mind – what is your opinion? Do you agree with one side or do you have a specific view point? A partial agreement is like a specific view point. What is your specific view point that doesn’t fully agree and also doesn’t fully disagree? Be clear about that first. And if you can’t find a specific view point, then you should choose one side only. If you are sure about all this, you will need training. See my advanced lessons in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/
Hi Liz,
But in the essay above, you spoke on both aspects. 1) Students should focus on one subject and 2) agree they should focus on all subjects, given your body paragraphs.
The thesis statement shows what the opinion is for the essay: I believe the number of subjects they study should depend on their age.. This means the body paragraphs will explain this. This opinion doesn’t take one side. It shows that the number of subjects depends on the age of the child, which means at a different age, they will have a different number of subjects. If you struggle with opinion essays, please get my advanced lessons: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/
hi liz i was wondering about the model answer given by you as it is irrelevant for me. in the second paragraph, it talks about students over 18 which are adults. but the question was about teenagers studying one or all subjects and not about adults
so can you clarify this for me please ?
I think you are confusing the meaning of the word “teenager”. A teenager is someone whose age falls between 13 and 19 – these numbers have “teen” in them = thirteen to nineteen. This means teenagers range in years quite a lot which is what this model essay tackles – there difference between young teens and older teens.
Hello Liz! I was wondering whether in an essay I can include details about myself (only when asked to give an opinion).
For example: Being an (-any words that describe me here-) myself, I completely agree ….
P.S. Thank you so much for your website! It really helped me a lot. My test is in 2 weeks, wish me luck! You’re the best!
IELTS Writing Task 2 essays are about the world in general based on your experience of the world. It is written in a formal manner so your example wouldn’t work. It’s perfect for IELTS speaking part 1 and part 2, but not for the writing test. Go to the main writing task 2 page of this website and see all my model essays – see how formal they are and how they refer to the world in general as I know it. Lots of luck!
The most common two ideas when it comes to what a young person intending school should focus on is whether he should concentrate on all modules or put more of his time and effort into subjects he’s best at or more interested in, i personally agree with the notion that teenagers are better specializing in a certain field from a young age, which i think will result in a reduction of the number of years people are ought to study in order to be ready for work.
Firstly, due to the challenges our era present in terms of employment, it’s often seen by many that young people should focus on developing the required skills that will qualify them to work in certain fields from a young age. Rising student’s chances on securing a good job in the future and providing a more competent work force, such an approach is considered to be a great improvement if applied being the most compatible with the requirements of the current job market which demand specialized people. An example that illustrates the inefficiency of the present educational system, is the high numbers of people dropping out of schools, owing to the fact that many students end up unemployed in addition to curriculums that oblige them to study things they find uninteresting.
Another point to consider is, having diverse and specialized programs for young students can help reduce the number of years people have study before being ready to work, such method can provide better workers in a smaller period of time and thereby be a great solution to the lack of working force western nations are facing at the moment, a clear example that highlight the benefit such approach present is the success of DEP programs offered by the Canadian nation as a better alternative to college, attracting huge numbers both nationally and internationally by teaching specialized programs from 3 to 2 years, removing all the unneeded modules often found in common universities.
to conclude, creating specialized programs for young people can be a great alternative to the present way of teaching, as i think that such change can produce better work force in a lesser period of time.
Hi Liz, I have been going through your resources and they are so helpful! I’ve been stuck at 6.5 in writing and I need a 7.0 for my university application. I have been practicing at least one paper a day but I am not sure if I am improving or not or where I am going wrong, to be honest. I have my test in 3 days. Is it possible for you to review any of my essays and give feedback? Thank you in advance Liz.
Unfortunately, I don’t offer that service, but you can try some of my advanced lessons which will help you with task 2: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/
Afternoon Liz
Got the same topic for my writing today
Thanks for the ideas
I hope I will get my band 😊
Fingers crossed 🙂
A proportion of individuals believe that teenagers should equalize their time and efforts on all subjects, while others think that teens should focus or dedicate their efforts on their strong subject or on the one which peaks their curiosity. In my opinion, a teenager who has a goal of getting employed in a company should study all subjects, whereas a teenager who aspires to operate a business of his own should focus on subject or skills that are required to operate the business.
On the one hand, companies consider prospects who have command over a variety of subjects and has a certification so that the employee can yield higher results. So teenagers having a goal to work in an organization should study all subjects without any favoritism and score well in all. A candidate with good academic results does catches the eyes of the recruiter.
On the other hand, teenagers aiming to start their own business or who wants to contribute their family business should acquire a selected skill set which fulfills the desired occupancy or adds utility to the business. For example, a teenager who wants to work in movie industry should focus on promoting their acting and communication skills so that they can showcase the best of their abilities when needed.
In conclusion, teenagers who wants to choose a career path which requires excellency or requirement to command a number of subjects should study all subjects in school, whereas kids who want to pursue a path which requires a certain skill set should focus on the particular subject they are best at or most interested in.
There is currently a contentious argument over the areas of concentration by teenage students while at school.
While some set of people are of the opinion that students should specialize in areas they are very good at or has interest in, others think having a broader perspective on all these subjects is a wise decision. In my opinion, I totally agree that students should have a more robost experience as this greatly determines their future prospect.
First, we are in an uncertain world of opportunities that changes with time. This breeds some form of uncertainties and fear. Specializing in just a subject because
you are great at it only limits your scope and potentials. To maximize all these opportunities, it is best teenager students have broader ideas, skills, and
exposure to compete favourably with their counterparts. Also, there seems to be no harm in exploring new things and the knowledge gained will upskill them with an
insight in areas where they can actually specialize.
Another reason why I agree that students should graps all they can while in school as against dwelling on a single subject is because a
significant amount of industries in the world today employs graduates who can multi-task with varieties of skills. Nations are built on the pillar of sound background
and knowledge. The foundation of these knowledge, is in learning various concepts. It is worth noting that we are in an era where knowledge is wealth -an idea in an
area will no doubt make them stand out.
In conclusion, I strongly agree that although specializing in a particular field makes these kids experts, the merits of grasping all these
concepts while in school is far more profitable because they will have a better competitive advantage than their peers, that will certainly gets them prepared for the future.
while some people think that adolescents should focus on a broad range of subject ,others believe that they must emphasis to what they are better for them and more enjoyable to studying it .
one of principal reasons for studying adolescents for all subjects is that they gain a great deal of knowledge which they need in their life such as Math ,Art and foreign languages which are organised by pedagogical experts which means weakness and strong point will be proven by official examinations and continuous assessment thus they can take their decision what subject they are professional that help them to choice right selections based on their school academic achievements .
However,concentrating studying what they are good at or desire it due to the fact is that any students who admire studying something will be creative persons .For example,when they enjoy studying computer science ,many sources will be searched by students leading to broaden their horizons which means variety of discovering innovative such as report which benefits society and individuals .
In conclusions ,those are thought adolescents should focus on all subjects in school curriculums or they believe that what they are better for them must be concentrated .
Personally , I am with opinion that they should emphasis whole the subjects in their school in additions we should give them a chance for extra education to practice and to study their interested.
Education plays pivotal role n adolescents . A little individuals opponing that teens have concenterated on all subjects whileothers arguing that intresting subject only needed to concentrate .I agree this statement partialy. As a considered teenage period is good steps to future Studying all subject help them in many ways.Firstly it give opportunity to experience the tastes of various levells of knowledge and possibilities .Actually it opens the many windows for various options to select beautiful future according with their caliber. Besides that all subject related to one another in case of problems solving and solutions .For instance if try to solveproblems in physics lessons Should have basic knowledge in maths .Hence to have basic nowledge is paraamount . Furthet more perod of adolescent is a era of changing growth in physically and mentally.By studying subject they are capable of accommodate this changes on the contrary focusing the intersting subject youngsters are more enhusiastic and more active on it.They get more freedom and tension free atmosphere ,which help them to bringout all potential and concentration to particular subject that facilitate their academic growth lead him to easily accomplish their dream . To conclude by studying all subject help teenagers to build up overall development.Hence subjects related to one onther basic knowledge is inevitale especially this decade.
HI LIZ
Is it compulsory to have examples in all types of essays??
Examples are used when you feel they are relevant.
Hi Liz,
I just saw the question “what are your views?”. How should candidates answer this type of question?
That is the same as “What is your opinion?” or “Do you agree or disagree?” or “To what extent do you agree?”
Hi Liz,
I am Mennie Castro, from the Philippines, and I am taking IELTS exam this coming August 1. I would like to know if the question says “to what extent do you agree” does it mean you cannot write anything that implies you disagree?
I know it might sound like a stupid question, but it’s really important for me.
Warm regards,
Mennie
It is a completely normal question to ask (and an important one too). Those instructions indicate you must present your personal opinion. Your opinion can be anything you want – agree / disagree / partial agreement. They are the same instructions as “Do you agree?” or “Do you agree or disagree?” or “To what extent do you agree or disagree?” or “What is your opinion?” – they are all the same instructions paraphrased. They are Opinion Essays.
Kindly, please answer a query:
Like in the 2nd sample essay above, you started para 1 saying one reason and then added “Secondly”. Is it fine to add multiple ideas in a single paragraph on one aspect of the topic by using words: one reason, another point to consider, besides this, in addition, etc
Will this reduce marks for proper paragraphing?
Will marks will be penalized for not using a proper topic sentence? because in the topic sentence all the issues in the paragraph will not be mentioned. However, the topic sentence will make clear what this topic is about.
The examiner will mark you on each paragraph having a central topic – which means one paragraph containing all the advantages or all the solutions. The signposting is appropriate.
Thanks a lot for your kind and genrous and timely reply. Please clarify one more thing.
As you mentioned that using multiple signpostings within each body paragraphs is fine (regardless of essay question type) unless the focus is on central topic. Don’t you think that using multiple signposts (each having new reason for the topic) will impede to fufill this requirement of IELTS:
“presents a well-developed response to the question with relevant, extended and supported ideas”
Since each idea can just be expanded in one or two sentences. (As you did in the 2nd body paragraph in the above essay).
Kindly plzzzzz reply me back.
If that was the case, I would not have taught this. Having done the IELTS examiner training, I am aware of the marking criteria and how extending ideas is marked – it isn’t something I can explain in a short message. IELTS would consider a paragraph with two advantages in to be sufficiently developed if it is about 95 words which is the average length for a body paragraph if the essay have only two body paragraphs. If IELTS ask for advantages (plural) and disadvantages (plural), and the essay is only about 280 words in length, I’m sure you can work it out. Use your logic and you will get there.
Every single essay and tip I have written on this site are based on my knowledge of IELTS. It’s really up to you if you follow this or not. I can’t justify and explain every single page. The pages have been written to teach you – you choose to learn from them or not. I teach through these pages – not through comments because I get too many comments and it is too hard to teach in a message. So, use these pages to learn for yourself.
Dear Liz,
Thanks a Lot for all your efforts which you’re doing for this website. I completely understand your point behind your reply and now I am more confident with your logic. My exam is on 11th May and I hope that I will sure secure my desired band score because along with this website material, I also have purchased all of your paid lectures which are really helpful, and trust me anyone aiming band 7 or above should buy them.
If you get some time, please answer to one more question:
In task 1 General Letter to a “friend”. Will I be penalized, if I do not use contradictions (It’s, can’t etc) or its complely fine if contradictions are not used.
You should use contractions, but don’t over use them. It is normal to write “it’s” and “don’t”, for example in an informal letter. It isn’t usual to write “it is not” in an informal letter.
About your task 2, remember technique is only one part of your essay. You still need to practise analysing essay questions to identify the issue or issues. You need to ensure your ideas are presented clearly and the supporting points all connect back to the first sentence and the issue. You also need to avoid language errors in grammar and vocab – this means be careful with over paraphrasing and avoid sentences that are too long. Aim for accuracy, don’t aim to impress.
Good luck!
Thank you so much Mam,you are the best teacher I always follow you.My test will be on 27 April.
Hello Liz,
when they ask us in task 2 writing ” to what extent do you agree”? should I take a side and discuss it or state my opinion and discuss both sides?
Thank You
It is asking for your opinion – only your opinion.
Although, it is argued that teenagers should pay more attention to all subjects they are being taught in school,while some people believe that concentrating on chosen subjects is better of. In my own opinion, teenagers should focus on their subjects of interest.
To start with, teenagers often find learning a variety of subjects overwhelming, confusing and frustrating and this can pose a negative impact all other aspects of their life such as social, emotional and psychological. In fact, taking different kinds of lessons puts the child in a confused state as per how to efficiently manage the reading and understanding of these subjects, thus resulting in low academic performance. In view of this, I think it is quite important for school to let them have specific career oriented classes based on their interest and capability instead of just making them pass through the rigor of attending all classes. In other words, a child who is good at science subjects should be in science class, a child who is passionate about art work and drawings should be in Art class etc. This way, they are motivated to maximize their potentials.
In contrast, taking a wide range of subjects in school could help broaden the teenagers knowledge and provide for them an array of career choices to choose from, but if they are not still well guided about their choices they may end up in the wrong path as their too many available choices to consider.
In conclusion, reducing the academic workload on teenagers in school does not only enhance a better academic performance, it also helps them achieve a purposeful living.
I started preparing for IELTS few days ago. The essay above is my first practice essay. I’m aiming for band 7 overall and in all modules. I am open to corrections and suggestions. God bless.
I think you did well.
Hi Bolade,
You have indeed done well.
However, as a suggestion, I would like to mention that your 2nd body paragraph is very short when compared to 1st body paragraph. Your both body paragraphs should always be of almost similar length.
I suggest to add some more points and its always recommended to have one example in each body paragraph.
Best of luck for your exams
Hi Liz,
I am trying to copy some contents from your website, but I can’t. How I can do it
and Thank you for developing such a wonderful website
My website does not allow copying. You can use the materials online and also make notes.
Hi Liz,
I hope you are well, and I wish you a Happy New Year.
Thank you for your all posts, they are very useful and invaluable. I am preparing for the IELTS exam. I will take the exam in 6 months.
Are there a templates essay ? do you recommend them?
In an essay When should I defend both sides? does essay have always introduction, body, and conclusion?
Regards.
Julio Pérez
México
Click on the RED BAR at the top of this site to see the main page for writing task 2 which has model essays and other tips.
Dear Liz,
Don’t you think it is riskful to take partial view on this kind of agree or disagree essay for me, with limited knowledge of language?
let me know your thoughts on it.
If you have not been trained and your English isn’t strong, it would be a risk.
Thanks you lot ma’m, for all your good deeds.
Please I’m a bit confused here. For opinion essays, are we allowed to introduce a third view when the question gives two opposing views? I always felt we should agree on one of the views. I ask because this format is similar to the discussion/opinion essay.
There are NO rules stating you can’t present your own specific view point. You do NOT have to agree or disagree. You have to present a view and you can have any view you want. The examiner does not mark which view you have, the examiner only marks if it is relevant and extended.
Thank you for the swift reply.
Hi
Is it good to start essay with “It has been sparked of controversy over whether ………..”
Each sentence must be unique to yourself and created in the test room. No, it is not good to memorise phrases and sentences.
Hi Liz, I wanted to know if I should write the scope of the essay in the introduction. Phrases like “I will support this view with arguments in the following paragraphs”..
Thank you!!
The examiner knows you will do this – everyone will do this. Don’t waste time with useless sentences. Each sentence should be 100% unique to yourself, created in the test by yourself and should relate 100% to the topic and issues in the question.
great job
Can we start the essay by using the opening sentence such as”Having said that “
“having said that” is for speaking, not formal writing.
Thanks a lot Liz for your tips
Greats Liz, many thanks for all hints and tips!
Just wanna ask. Today i took my speaking exam and during the exam i was asked whether international food was popular in my country. I answered positively and tried to illustrate my claim with mcdonald(it is not sooo popular there but anyway it exists at least one or two branches).Would it affect my band score? The examiner showed a big surprise and reasked “is it popular”
My sincere gratitudes for your time and respond and favour in advance!
Popular means it is enjoyed by many people. To be popular in a country, means many people in your country enjoy it. How can McDonalds be popular by many people in your country, if there are few restaurants? I think the examiner was checking your understanding of the word “popular”.
Dear Liz,I want to ask you a question.
Is an introduction should be the same for 5 main topics which were above.By the same i mean all of them should contain only background statement and thesis.
Yes. You can see that in my model essays: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/
Some people use technology to take advise for their medical problems rather than seeing a doctor.Why is this so? is this a positive or negative development according to you? mam how to solve this sort of essay…can you please help ??
You answer both questions. You explain why. And you explain if you think it is positive or negative.
Dear Liz,
First of all, Thanks a ton for doing a wonderful job here. You are doing a great job 👍🏻😊
I have a question for task two.
Topic – Some govts spend a lot of public money training up individuals to be successful in international sporting events. Some people believe that this money should be spent on things that will benefit the general public instead. To what extent do you agree ?
In the above essay, I agree with the notion that the govt should spend money on other more imp issues. Hence, in the essay I will provide my supporting ideas (may be 2) to state why its imp for the govt to spend money on other issues. So my question is, do I have to give a disadvantage also for why the govt should not spend on the sporting events ? Or it will be okay for not providing this disadvantage ? Or if not addressed, will I loose marks for it ?
Please help me, I am confused.
Thank you in advance. Tc.
This question has two issues, you can’t ignore one. You must provide a full opinion that covers both issues.
Dear Liz,
Thank you so much for the promt reply.
This is very helpful for me.
Hi Liz….
Thanks for your great efforts….
Hi Liz,
I have a question about the format of discussion format essays.
Generally, I have seen you format your discussion essays as:
intro, side 1, side 2, my opinion, conclusion
Is it proper to also format the essay as: intro, side 1, side 2 and show that this is the side I agree with, conclusion ?
Thanks
Yes, that;s also fine. There are no fixed rules for IELTS essay structures – just logical. Sounds like you have good logical.
Hello …. please help me …. tomorrow is my LRW exam … M so worried …. I want to ask you a ques … you mentioned only 6 eassy topics of June … is that enough ???… I don’t have that much time … Please reply …!! I need your help …!!!!
Did you read this page fully? No, you didn’t. There is a notice above the list of topics about preparing ideas for writing task 2. Read it!! Good luck tomorrow!
Hii Liz..Will you please help me to verify whether my writing style meets all band
descriptives ??
Qn. Nowadays ,people move from one country to another for work.Some people believe children of these families suffer because of this .While others think it is helpful for them. Discus both views and give your opinion.
Due to vast job opportunities in overseas countries,especially developed ones, tendency of educated folks to shift completely to other countries is burgeoning day by day.After evaluating such a trend,certain people argue that , such a migration have many detrimental effects on the children who are forced to move along with their family.But,some advocate that it can bring many boons in their future.In my view point,even though the children feel some difficulties at the initial days,later on they will get adjusted with the foreign country’s culture .
In the former view, observers consider the difficulties faced by newly migrated children and assert that, such newly re-rooted pupils face considerable mental stress owing to new culture,language and schooling atmosphere.They had been leading a comfortable life in their home country with their intimate friends and relatives.When they shifted completely to new place ,they cannot adjust with the new culture and lifestyle of the locals.In addition ,their new school,teachers and classmates will make them feel that they are in a different world.This mental strain in turn has huge ramifications on the education of the child,most probably most of them discontinue an academic year due to all these factors.
On the other hand , the opposite group highlight the long term advantages it can generate in the life and career of a migrated child.They say that,children can quickly adjust with the change in culture and lifestyle compared to adults.Moreover,when they get exposed to such risks,they will gain mental strength and become able to manage any risks in future.Early age job culture of foreign countries will make them able to attain a job of their wish with a considerable pay scale.Hence, migration is useful for the children in all ways.
To conclude,comparison of above given arguments of both the groups prove that short term aftermaths can be eclipsed by lifelong merits of migration on children.So,I firmly believe that ,prejudice about foreign country is the main reason for all the difficulties that newly shifted children are facing in a new nation.But , migrated country can bring them umpteen number of benefits such as exposure to new languages,high quality education from reputed universities,earnings from part time jobs even at early ages of adolescents and so on.If we weigh up these advantages with menaces like cultural shock and extreme climatic situations , benefits will definitely over weigh short term difficulties.
Dear Liz,
First of all, Thank you so much for doing a wonderful job here. I have recently taken my ielts GT test on 2nd June, 2018 for immigration purpose. My target was 8 in listening and 7 in each of the rest three components. I scored 8 in listening, reading and speaking, but unfortunately, only 6 in writing, which was a big disaster for me. I had no idea before what went wrong in my writing test? ,But after visiting your blog, I understood what I need to improve. Among the topics you mentioned above from June 2018. The first topic in the list was the one which I wrote in my test.
I followed a standard approach without focusing too much on the requirement. The question asked to discuss both views and give opinion. However, I chose one side and used two paragraphs to build a convincing case for my chosen side and then in the third paragraph, I discuss the opposite view. In final conclusion paragraph, I proved my chosen side to carry more weight.
My question here is:
Was this, the reason I got such a low band? What I can feel now, is that I did not follow the instructions properly which asked to discuss both sides equally.
Awaiting your reply.
Thanks
Your writing score is based on 4 marking criteria. Task Response is not only about fulfilling the task, it’s also about the ideas you choose, how you use them and how you develop them. It is not possible to common on the reasons you got band 6 in writing from such a brief note. I suggest you get my Advanced Writing Task 2 Lessons to learn the right techniques: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/
This is very helpful.Thank you.
Thank u so much Liz… A great work…Compiling all these topics seems to help really…I have just started following you…your tips seems to be really good. U have compiled essay topics for March, April n June. Where can we get the essay topics of May?
They are scattered through this page: https://ieltsliz.com/recent-ielts-questions-and-topics/
Thanks a lot for your prompt revert 😀
Hello Liz,
Please, I’d like to ask a question. My test is on the 30th of June and I’m a nursing mother. Should I let the test centre know? Or, how should I go about it?
You are doing a great work…touching lives. God bless you.
Thank you.
You should always speak directly with your test center about any concerns you have.
Hi Liz. I am from India and I appeared for my IELTS exam on 2nd of june. I am here to thank you. You’re doing a great work helping people like me prepare for their ielts exam. Your material and tips were so helpful I scored band 8 in first attempt. I followed all of your essay writing techniques as well as your tips for speaking exam. I followed your latest questions and prepared for all the topics. And I can confidently say it was the only reason I scored a 7.5 in speaking and writing and 8.5 in listening and reading . Thank you so much . And keep up the good job. God bless you
That’s really good to hear – very well done 🙂 Band 8 overall is great 🙂
Can you please explain me the question number 4 from the june essay topic list.does it require our opinion and expand on it or should we give both positive and negative sides and just write opinion in introduction and in conclusion
Did the instructions say “positive AND negative” is required OR is it a question asking you to choose “positive OR negative?” IELTS instructions are written clearly – just read them and follow them.
Thank you
Hi Liz
How does one decide on a band score. English is my home and first language and therefore I have a relatively good command of the language. What would be the criteria which would guide me to chose a band for IELTS. Obviously if I go for band 7 and I am probably a band 8 will I be penalized. I presume the band determines the complexity of the test.
Please let me know what you think. I’m not quite sure which the correct place to
post this question is. Thanks so much. Kind regards. Elaine
I am a bit confused about your question. What do you mean? What band to go for? You take the IELTS test and then IELTS give you a band score as a result. The band score is the result, not the test. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-band-scores/ The result you will get reflect your level of English and your exam skills. A band score 6 is a reasonable result, a band 7 is a better result. They are scores. Sorry, I don’t really understand your question.
Thanks so much for such a well-thought-of and well-written essay.
Dear Liz.
I Hope you are well.
I got alot of help from you when pripearing for my speaking and listening exam and I passed.Thank you very much.
Maryann.
From Nairobi Kenya.
Well done 🙂
How can we elaborate the question no:-4.
1)Is it asking our opinion and expanding on it?
2)Should we write one positive and one negative development then conclude the question “why so”?
3)if we include the opinion in introduction (for example:-we took the positive sides of using technology and finding problems of a health issue online) then should we stick on to it in 2 body paragraphs?
4)is it a regular positive negative development essay or an opinion essay?
4)
Thank you very much Liz, you are really a mum, let God bless you again for your best relationship. I’m running out of words on how to explain my feeling . . . So mum I’m writing my IELTS test on the 30th of June, and want to be concentrated on these topics of task 2 essay; I really need your advice mum.
Please read the notice on the page above, it explains about what topics to prepare.
Thank you very much my best teacher