IELTS Writing Task 2: tips and strategy
Write an essay in response to a point of view. 250 words min.
IELTS Writing Task 2 asks you to write a discursive essay responding to an opinion, argument or problem, and it carries more weight than any other part of the Writing test. Strong essays answer the exact question, keep a clear position and develop each idea with explanation. This guide works through an original agree or disagree prompt, shows a model opening, and answers common questions about length, spelling and examples.
What you see on screen
An essay prompt appears with a text box and live word counter; at least 250 words are required. Budget about forty minutes, since this task outweighs Task 1.
How it is marked
Task 2 carries two thirds of the writing score, judged on response, coherence, vocabulary, and grammar. Under-length or off-topic essays limit the response score heavily.
How long to spend
The Writing test lasts 60 minutes, and about 40 minutes should go to Task 2, which is worth twice as much as Task 1. The essay must be at least 250 words; there is no maximum, but writing under 250 words is penalised.
Strategy
- Plan two body paragraphs for five minutes before typing; unplanned essays drift off-topic fast.
- State your position in the introduction and repeat it unchanged in the conclusion; wavering confuses examiners.
- Build each body paragraph around one idea with an explanation and a specific example.
- Answer the exact question type; an opinion question handled as a discussion caps task response.
Traps that cost marks
Memorised templates stuffed with generic phrases are spotted easily and drag both vocabulary and response scores.
Overrunning Task 1 leaves this double-weighted essay rushed and under length.
Worked example
Some people believe that towns should convert empty office buildings into homes rather than building new housing on open land. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Write an essay of at least 250 words giving your opinion, with reasons and relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Answer: As more people work from home, many town centres now contain office blocks that stand largely empty, while pressure to build on fields and green spaces continues to grow. I strongly agree that converting these offices into homes should be the first option, although it cannot meet every housing need. The main advantage of conversion is that it protects open land that is difficult to replace. Once a meadow on the edge of a town has been covered with roads and houses, the wildlife and recreational space it provided are effectively lost for good.
The introduction paraphrases the prompt, sets out the context and gives a clear, qualified position, which is what Task Response requires for an extent question. The body paragraph opens with a single controlling idea and immediately explains its consequences, showing logical progression for Coherence and Cohesion. Precise collocations such as 'stand largely empty' and 'lost for good', together with a passive time clause, support lexical resource and grammatical range.
An original example written for this guide, not taken from a published test.
Questions candidates ask
- Is 250 words the limit for Task 2?
- No, 250 words is the minimum. Essays under 250 words are penalised under Task Response, but there is no maximum word count and no penalty for writing more. Examiners reward quality of argument, not length, and longer essays tend to contain more errors and less time for checking. Most well-planned essays written in 40 minutes fall between about 260 and 320 words.
- Is there a spell-checker in computer-delivered IELTS Writing?
- No. The computer-delivered Writing screen shows a word count but has no spell-checker or grammar checker, so spelling mistakes count against Lexical Resource exactly as they do in the paper test. Leave two or three minutes at the end to reread your essay and correct typing slips, missing words and spelling errors before time runs out.
- Can I use personal examples in a Task 2 essay?
- Yes. Task 2 prompts ask you to include relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience, so a brief personal or local example is acceptable. Keep it short and use it to support a general point rather than telling a story. Do not invent statistics or research findings; a clear, plausible example explained well is more convincing than a made-up figure.
See it done: sample answers at band 6.5, 7.5 and 9, grouped by question type.
Now try it under exam conditions.
Practise Writing Task 2