Useful IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Structures

IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Structures

There are many ways to organize your essay, which will depend on what kind of essay you are writing. The main essay types can be categorized as:

Types of Essays

1.Discussion Essays:  A discussion question asks you to discuss issues on both sides. Here, you should not show any bias, write on both sides in equal proportion. Do not take a side. Typical questions include advantages/disadvantages and problem/solution questions.

2. Opinion essays: In opinion essays, you are supposed to take sides – you can agree, disagree or partially agree – and you have to state reasons in the paragraphs for your stand.

3. Discussion + opinion: A discussion + opinion essay requires you to look at both sides without giving an opinion in both the paragraphs where you just discussed. You can write your opinion in the conclusion, starting which of the two views you think has an upper hand.

Two – Part Questions

Two-part questions have two questions. You need to answer them in two separate paragraphs but both should look as parts of one piece. The main question formats noted in exams are as follows:

1. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
3. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
4. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
5. Is this a positive or negative development?
6. What are the benefits and drawbacks?

Parts of an Essay

You can mould this basic plan in whatever way you want to suit your needs for any question type. For example, if the question asks you to talk about problems/solutions, instead of writing three paragraphs, you can make one paragraph for each problem and solution. Similarly, other questions can be done.

Example

Example Question 

Students are becoming more and more reliant on computers.

What are some of the problems associated with reliance on computers, and what are some of the possible solutions?

Structure

Introduction 

Sentence 1- Paraphrase Question

Sentence 2- Outline Sentence

Main Body Paragraph 1

Sentence 1- State Problem

Sentence 2- Explain problem

Sentence 3- Result

Sentence 4- Example

Main Body Paragraph 2

Sentence 1- State Solution

Sentence 2- Explain Solution

Sentence 3- Example

Main Body Paragraph 3

Conclusion 

Sentence 1- Summary

Sentence 2- Recommendation or Prediction

Sample Answer

Learners are becoming ever more dependent on technology, such as the Internet and mobile devices. This essay will discuss one of the main problems associated with dependence on computers and suggest a viable solution.

The principal problem with over-reliance on technology, such as tablets and computers, is plagiarism. Students often use search engines to answer a question and simply copy the text from a website, rather than thinking about the question. This practice is not only prohibited in schools and universities but also stunts a student’s intellectual development. For example, many teachers complain that students copy web pages straight from Wikipedia word for word rather than giving a reasoned answer to their questions.

A solution to this worrying problem is asking students to email their answers to teachers and teachers using anti-plagiarism software to detect copying. Moreover, students would be made aware of this practice and this would inspire them to answer questions using their own words, rather than someone else’s. For instance, many universities already use this kind of software to scan course work for plagiarism and it could be extended to include all homework, by learners in both secondary and tertiary education.

In summary, one of the main problems with over-use of technology in education is plagiarism and this can be solved through the use of plagiarism detection software. It is predicted that more and more students’ will email their work to their teacher and this work will be scrutinised for plagiarism.

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