IELTS Writing Task 2 is the single most important part of the Writing test: it counts for twice as much as Task 1, and it is where most candidates lose the half band that stands between them and their target score. The good news is that a Band 7 essay is not about rare vocabulary or long sentences. It is about following a clear process.
This tutorial walks you through that process step by step, in the same 40 minutes you will have in the exam, and finishes with a full Band 7 sample essay and an explanation of why it scores well.
What IELTS Writing Task 2 asks you to do
You get one question about a general topic such as education, technology, work, health or the environment. You must write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes. Your essay is marked on four equally weighted criteria:
- Task Response: did you answer every part of the question, with a clear position and developed ideas?
- Coherence and Cohesion: is the essay logically organised, with clear paragraphs and natural linking?
- Lexical Resource: do you use a range of accurate, topic-related vocabulary?
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy: do you use a mix of sentence structures with few errors?
If you want to know how these four scores turn into your overall band, read how IELTS band scores are calculated.
The 5 types of Task 2 question
Recognising the question type in the first minute tells you exactly what your essay must contain.
| Question type | How you can recognise it | What your essay must do |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion | “To what extent do you agree or disagree?” | Give a clear position and keep it the same from start to finish |
| Discussion | “Discuss both views and give your own opinion.” | Explain both sides fairly, then say which you prefer |
| Advantages and disadvantages | “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?” | Cover both, then say which is stronger |
| Problem and solution | “What are the causes? What can be done?” | Give causes or problems, then matching solutions |
| Two-part question | Two direct questions in one prompt | Answer both questions, one per body paragraph |
Step 1: Analyse the question (3 minutes)
Most low Task Response scores come from answering a slightly different question from the one on the paper. Before you write anything, underline three things:
- The topic: university education.
- The precise focus: who pays for it, students or everyone (the state).
- The instruction: discuss both views and give your opinion. That is three jobs, not one.
Then decide your opinion immediately. You do not need to believe it personally; you need the opinion that you can support with the best ideas.
Step 2: Plan your essay (5 minutes)
Five minutes of planning saves fifteen minutes of confused writing. Use a four-paragraph plan:
- Introduction: paraphrase the question and state your position.
- Body paragraph 1: one main idea, explained and supported by an example.
- Body paragraph 2: a second main idea, explained and supported by an example.
- Conclusion: summarise and restate your position.
For our sample question the plan is just a few words:
Body 1 (students pay): graduates earn more, so it is fair; paying makes students serious.
Body 2 (free): equal opportunity for poor but talented students; society benefits from doctors, engineers, teachers.
Opinion: mostly free, funded by the state.
Notice that each body paragraph has one central idea that is developed, not four ideas that are listed. Developing fewer ideas well is what examiners reward.
Step 3: Write the introduction (4 minutes)
A Band 7 introduction is two or three sentences long. It does two things:
- Paraphrase the question in your own words. Do not copy whole phrases from the prompt; the examiner does not count copied words.
- Give a thesis statement that makes your position clear and previews the essay.
Avoid general openings such as “Nowadays, technology is developing very fast”. They waste words and say nothing about the question. Start with the topic itself.
Step 4: Write two body paragraphs (20 minutes)
Build each body paragraph with the PEEL structure:
- Point: a topic sentence with the paragraph’s main idea.
- Explain: one or two sentences on why or how this is true.
- Example: a specific, realistic example. It can come from your country or your own experience.
- Link: connect the idea back to the question or your position.
Use linking words to guide the reader (Furthermore, On the other hand, This is particularly true, As a result), but do not start every sentence with one. Overusing linkers lowers your Coherence and Cohesion score.
Step 5: Write the conclusion (3 minutes)
One or two sentences are enough. Summarise your two main ideas and restate your opinion in new words. Never add a new idea in the conclusion, and never leave the essay without one: a missing conclusion is one of the quickest ways to lose marks for Task Response.
Step 6: Check your essay (5 minutes)
Leave five minutes to read your essay once, slowly, looking for the errors you personally make most often:
- Subject-verb agreement (people
isare, the number of studentsareis). - Articles (a, an, the), especially if your first language has none.
- Plural nouns and uncountable nouns (
informationsinformation,advicesadvice). - The same word repeated many times. Replace a few repetitions with a synonym or a pronoun.
- Word count. Fewer than 250 words is penalised.
Your 40-minute timing plan
| Stage | Time |
|---|---|
| Analyse the question | 3 minutes |
| Plan | 5 minutes |
| Introduction | 4 minutes |
| Body paragraph 1 | 10 minutes |
| Body paragraph 2 | 10 minutes |
| Conclusion | 3 minutes |
| Check | 5 minutes |
Band 7 sample essay
Question: Some people believe that university students should pay the full cost of their studies. Others think that university education should be free for everyone. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
In many countries, the question of who should pay for higher education has become a political issue. Some argue that students themselves should cover the entire cost of their degree, while others believe university should be free for everyone. In my view, although graduates gain personally from their studies, tuition should be largely funded by the state.
Those who favour making students pay point to the personal benefits of a degree. Graduates typically earn considerably more over their lifetime than people without one, so it seems fair that they, rather than taxpayers, should bear the cost. In the United Kingdom, for example, students borrow money for their fees and repay it only once their salary passes a certain level. Furthermore, when students pay fees themselves, they may take their studies more seriously and choose courses that lead to employment, instead of drifting through a programme with little purpose.
On the other hand, there are strong reasons for free higher education. The most important is equality of opportunity: if fees are high, talented young people from low-income families may never apply, regardless of their ability. This is particularly true in developing countries, where a single year of tuition can exceed a family’s annual income. In addition, society as a whole benefits from a well-educated workforce, since doctors, engineers and teachers serve everyone, not only themselves. Free tuition is therefore an investment in the whole country rather than a gift to individuals.
In conclusion, while it is understandable that some people expect graduates to pay for the advantages they receive, I believe that making university free, or nearly free, is the better policy, because it allows ability rather than wealth to decide who studies.
Word count: 282 words.
Why this essay would score around Band 7
- Task Response: it discusses both views in separate paragraphs, states a clear opinion in the introduction and repeats it in the conclusion.
- Coherence and Cohesion: each paragraph has one clear central idea, and the linkers (Furthermore, On the other hand, In addition) are used naturally, not in every sentence.
- Lexical Resource: topic vocabulary such as tuition, bear the cost, equality of opportunity, low-income families and well-educated workforce, used accurately.
- Grammar: a mix of complex sentences (conditionals, relative clauses, although and while clauses) with very few errors.
To push this essay towards Band 8, the writer could develop each example further, for instance with a specific country or a statistic, and use a slightly wider range of less common vocabulary.
Common mistakes that keep you at Band 6
- Memorised templates: examiners recognise long memorised sentences, and they do not count towards your vocabulary score.
- Listing instead of developing: three undeveloped ideas score lower than one idea explained with an example.
- An unclear opinion: if the question asks for your view, it must be obvious in the introduction and the conclusion.
- Off-topic examples: every example must support the exact point of its paragraph.
- Writing far too much: 260 to 300 words is ideal. A 400-word essay leaves no time to check and usually contains more errors.
How to practise Task 2 with AI feedback
The fastest way to improve is to write under real conditions and get feedback straight away, while the essay is still fresh in your mind. The IELTSify with AI app gives you real exam-style Writing tests with a timer and a word counter, and after every test you get:
- An estimated band score for each of the four criteria, so you know which one to work on
- Corrections of your own sentences, with a short reason for each one
- A Band 7 version of your answer to compare with your own
- Speaking, Listening and Reading practice too, plus an AI Tutor that coaches you step by step
Read our guide to AI IELTS writing feedback to learn how to use the feedback in a write, review and rewrite cycle.
Download IELTSify with AI free on iPhone or Android:
Frequently asked questions
How many words should an IELTS Task 2 essay be?
At least 250 words. Aim for 260 to 300 words: enough to develop your ideas, with time left to check your work.
How many paragraphs should I write?
Four or five: an introduction, two or three body paragraphs and a conclusion. Two well-developed body paragraphs are enough for Band 7.
Can I use “I” in IELTS Writing Task 2?
Yes. When the question asks for your opinion, phrases such as “In my view” or “I believe” are completely appropriate.
Should I do Task 1 or Task 2 first?
Many candidates start with Task 2 because it is worth twice as much. Whichever you choose, keep to about 40 minutes for Task 2 so it is never left unfinished.
Do I need to use difficult words to get Band 7?
No. Accurate, natural topic vocabulary scores better than rare words used incorrectly. Precision matters more than difficulty.
