IELTS Writing Task 2 sample answers
IELTS Writing Task 2 sample answers for every essay type — opinion, discussion, advantages and disadvantages, problem and solution — each written at band 6.5, 7.5 and 9 with commentary.
All writing samples
Every essay below answers an original Task 2 question three times — at about band 6.5, 7.5 and 9 — with commentary on task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource and grammar. Comparing the three shows what moves a score more clearly than a single band 9 essay can. They are grouped by the six Task 2 question types, because each type asks for a different structure.
Looking for a question to practise rather than a model answer? Our IELTS Writing Task 2 topics list groups 121 Task 2 questions by theme — education, environment, technology, health, work and more — and links the ones that have band 6.5, 7.5 and 9 answers.
Opinion essays (agree or disagree)
State your position in the introduction and keep it the same to the end. Partial agreement is fine, but say so from the start: an essay that drifts from 'agree' to 'disagree' loses marks for task response.
- Advertising aimed at young childrenAn agree-or-disagree essay on prohibiting adverts for under-twelves, where the band 9 answer locates the wrong in the absence of an informed party rather than in the desire adverts create.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 259 / 298 / 324 words
- Banning cars from city centresAn agree-or-disagree essay on car-free centres, where the band 9 answer recasts the question as one about how scarce urban land is allocated.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 269 / 280 / 338 words
- Community sentences instead of prisonAn agree-or-disagree essay on non-custodial sentencing, where the band 9 answer accepts the reform and rejects the line the question draws.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 250 / 286 / 330 words
- Compulsory votingAn agree-or-disagree essay on mandatory turnout, where the band 9 answer disagrees with the policy as proposed and supports an amended version of it.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 268 / 305 / 326 words
- Funding only the degrees that lead to jobsAn agree-or-disagree essay on directing public money towards employable degrees, where the band 9 answer wins by splitting the question in two.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 279 / 262 / 321 words
- Individual action against climate regulationAn agree-or-disagree essay on whether personal green habits matter, where the band 9 answer separates what individual action achieves from what it is for.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 262 / 298 / 315 words
- Making corrections as prominent as the storyAn agree-or-disagree essay on legally mandated corrections, where the band 9 answer notices that prominence and reach used to be the same thing and no longer are.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 259 / 284 / 324 words
- Smartphones before secondary schoolAn agree-or-disagree essay on delaying smartphone ownership, where the band 9 answer questions the age threshold the prompt takes for granted.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 250 / 286 / 330 words
- Taxing sugar and fatAn agree-or-disagree essay on food taxes, where the band 9 answer argues the levy works on manufacturers rather than on shoppers.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 266 / 292 / 337 words
- Whether employers should monitor everything staff doAn agree-or-disagree essay on workplace surveillance, where the band 9 answer argues that intrusive monitoring fails on its own terms rather than merely being unfair.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 254 / 282 / 309 words
- Whether hosting global sporting events wastes moneyAn agree-or-disagree essay on the cost of hosting major tournaments, where the band 9 answer separates the infrastructure that survives from the monuments that do not.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 257 / 286 / 303 words
- Whether parents or schools answer for bad behaviourAn agree-or-disagree essay on who is accountable for how children behave, where the band 9 answer separates who caused the problem from who can actually fix it.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 265 / 284 / 300 words
- Whether prevention should always come before treatmentAn agree-or-disagree essay on health budgets, where the band 9 answer explains why prevention keeps losing these arguments instead of assuming the public is simply mistaken.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 262 / 288 / 313 words
Discussion essays (discuss both views)
Give each view its own paragraph and explain it fairly, then give your own opinion if the question asks for one — most do. Writing only about the side you prefer leaves part of the task unanswered.
- English as a world languageA discussion essay on global English, where the band 9 answer identifies which languages are actually at risk and from what.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 265 / 295 / 339 words
- Getting the news from social mediaA discussion essay on social platforms as a primary news source, where the band 9 answer refuses to treat the two views as equally weighted.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 261 / 287 / 312 words
- Grandparents or nurseries for young childrenA childcare discussion essay in which the band 9 answer separates what a child needs from what a family can afford.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 253 / 287 / 329 words
- Mixed-ability classes or setting by abilityA schooling discussion essay in which the band 9 answer distinguishes what streaming does from how schools actually use it.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 259 / 295 / 336 words
- Nuclear power in a low-carbon energy mixAn energy discussion essay in which the band 9 answer reframes the choice as one about timing rather than about technology.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 261 / 296 / 322 words
- Reporting on the private lives of the famousA discussion essay on press intrusion, where the band 9 answer replaces fame with a better test: does the private fact bear on a public role?Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 288 / 298 / 353 words
- Should museums return what they hold?A cultural-property discussion essay where the band 9 answer separates the strongest argument for keeping objects from the weakest one.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 268 / 291 / 338 words
- Volunteers running local servicesA discussion essay on volunteer-run libraries and community centres, where the band 9 answer asks which neighbourhoods can actually supply the volunteers.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 299 / 318 / 348 words
- Working from home: good for people, bad for teams?A discussion essay on remote work, where the band 9 answer notices that the two views are about different groups of employees.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 251 / 284 / 312 words
Advantages and disadvantages essays
Check the exact wording: 'Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?' needs a clear judgement, while 'Discuss the advantages and disadvantages' does not. One developed paragraph for each side is enough.
- A four-day standard working weekAn outweigh question on the four-day week, where the band 9 answer refuses to average a hospital and an office into a single verdict.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 268 / 306 / 325 words
- Automating routine office workAn outweigh question on office automation, where the band 9 answer refuses to net the gains against the losses because they land on different people.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 256 / 281 / 323 words
- High-rise flats instead of family housesAn outweigh question on building upwards, where the band 9 answer argues that height matters less than what happens at the foot of the tower and who pays to keep it running.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 287 / 298 / 366 words
- Mass tourism in developing economiesAn outweigh question on tourism-led development, where the band 9 answer makes the whole judgement turn on who owns the hotel.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 258 / 294 / 301 words
- Moving government offices out of the capitalAn outweigh question on relocating public bodies to the regions, where the band 9 answer makes its verdict depend on whether decisions move with the desks.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 279 / 304 / 339 words
- Online shopping and the high streetAn outweigh question on the decline of physical retail, where the band 9 answer argues that the real loss is not shopping at all.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 264 / 292 / 312 words
- Starting a family laterA both-sides question on delayed parenthood, where the band 9 answer notices that the benefits arrive immediately and the costs arrive a generation late.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 273 / 287 / 335 words
- Streaming instead of schedules and cinemasA both-sides question on streaming, where the band 9 answer looks past convenience to what disappears when nobody watches anything at the same time.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 261 / 292 / 340 words
- Taking a degree in another countryA discuss-both-sides question on studying abroad, where the band 9 answer separates what the student gains from what the student's country pays.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 264 / 280 / 322 words
Problem and solution essays
Link each solution to the problem it fixes. Two problems with two matching solutions, each explained with a reason or example, is a stronger plan than a list of five.
- Food that is grown and never eatenA problem-solution essay on food waste, where the band 9 answer shows that most of the damage is done before anything reaches the bin.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 279 / 300 / 344 words
- Loneliness among older peopleA social isolation essay whose band 9 answer locates the cause in how neighbourhoods are built rather than in how families behave.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 289 / 271 / 302 words
- Plastic waste reaching the oceansA problem-solution essay on marine plastic, where the weaker answers reach for recycling and the strongest one explains why recycling was never going to be enough.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 263 / 281 / 302 words
- Traffic congestion in growing citiesA congestion essay whose band 9 answer explains why building more roads has never worked, and why every effective solution is politically painful.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 266 / 268 / 305 words
- Travel for people with disabilitiesA problem-solution essay on disabled travellers, where the band 9 answer treats a journey as a chain that fails at its weakest link.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 289 / 330 / 366 words
- When ordinary workers cannot afford the cityA housing affordability essay in which the band 9 answer refuses the easy villain and traces the shortage back to who is allowed to build what, and where.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 279 / 275 / 311 words
- When trained graduates leave the country that educated themA brain-drain essay whose band 9 answer stops treating emigration as disloyalty and starts treating it as information about domestic conditions.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 265 / 272 / 312 words
- Why young offenders return to crimeA reoffending essay in which the band 9 answer treats release, not sentencing, as the moment where the policy actually fails.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 279 / 259 / 304 words
- Why young people are becoming heavierA causes-and-solutions essay on childhood obesity, where the band 9 answer wins by treating cheap calories as an economic fact rather than a failure of willpower.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 257 / 289 / 301 words
Two-part (direct question) essays
Answer both questions directly, one per body paragraph, in the order they are asked. Missing or merging one of them is a common reason these essays stay at band 6.
- Why fewer school leavers study science and mathsA causes-and-solutions essay where the band 9 answer refuses the usual remedies because its diagnosis rules them out.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 258 / 296 / 320 words
- Why local charities struggle to find volunteersA two-part essay on the shortage of volunteers, where the band 9 answer argues that people have not stopped helping, only stopped promising the same evening every week.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 274 / 287 / 365 words
- Why online fraud keeps growingThree answers give much the same security advice. Only the band 9 derives it from the economics of the crime, which is why its measures are chosen rather than remembered.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 254 / 312 / 335 words
- Why patients ignore their doctorsA causes-and-consequences essay whose band 9 version traces the consequences outwards until they arrive back at the cause.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 253 / 298 / 333 words
- Why people keep flying despite the climate costAwareness has not reduced air travel. The band 9 answer explains why moral persuasion has to fail here, and lets the policy follow from that.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 263 / 293 / 308 words
- Why people no longer trust politiciansA causes-and-remedies essay in which only the band 9 answer explains why an honest candidate cannot survive the incentive.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 256 / 289 / 306 words
- Why people now change careers several timesThe second question asks for a verdict. The 6.5 refuses to give one — the single most costly thing an otherwise competent answer can do.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 263 / 292 / 309 words
- Why smartphones became impossible to give upA causes-and-effects essay in which the 6.5 promises to discuss society and then only discusses individuals — the commonest way this question shape is half-answered.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 252 / 293 / 303 words
- Why traditional crafts are dying outA two-part essay on disappearing handicrafts, where the band 9 answer separates keeping a craft on display from keeping it alive.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 270 / 286 / 368 words
Positive or negative development essays
Decide whether the change is mainly positive or mainly negative and say so. You can mention the other side, but the essay must reach a clear verdict.
- A few streaming companies choosing what gets madeA positive-or-negative essay on commissioning power, where the band 9 answer separates how much gets made from how many people decide what gets made.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 254 / 284 / 306 words
- Cash disappearing in favour of digital paymentA positive-or-negative essay on the cashless economy, where the band 9 answer shows why a change can be positive on average and still be bad policy.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 255 / 284 / 313 words
- Choosing holidays from social media photosA positive-or-negative essay on travel chosen from social media, where the band 9 answer argues that the real loss is not the crowds but the surprise.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 282 / 290 / 360 words
- Making public transport freeA positive-or-negative essay on fare-free buses and trains, where the band 9 answer judges the policy by what the lost fare income could otherwise have bought.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 290 / 298 / 354 words
- Paying monthly instead of owningA positive-or-negative essay on the subscription economy, where the band 9 answer separates paying for a service from paying rent on something already bought.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 265 / 305 / 366 words
- Permanent jobs giving way to gig and contract workA positive-or-negative essay on insecure work, where the band 9 answer argues that the change transfers risk rather than creating flexibility.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 255 / 288 / 312 words
- Private companies running public servicesA positive-or-negative essay on outsourcing, where the band 9 answer judges each service by whether its quality can be written into a contract.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 266 / 299 / 354 words
- Recorded material replacing the live lectureA positive-or-negative essay on online lectures, where the band 9 answer argues that recording removes something whose value had already gone.Band 6.5 · 7.5 · 9 — 254 / 280 / 304 words
Reading samples is the easy half.
Write your own answer under the real clock and get an AI band for each criterion.
Common questions
How long should an IELTS Writing Task 2 answer be?
At least 250 words. There is no maximum and no penalty for going over, but essays below 250 words lose marks for task response. Most well-planned answers written in 40 minutes are between about 260 and 320 words.
What makes a band 9 Task 2 essay different from band 7?
A band 7 essay answers the question with a clear position and generally well-organised paragraphs, with some errors and imprecise word choices. Band 9 does the same with every idea fully developed, cohesion that never draws attention to itself, precise vocabulary and almost no errors.
Can I memorise these essays for the test?
No. Examiners are trained to spot memorised text, and a memorised answer rarely fits the exact question you are given, which caps task response. Use the samples to learn structures and language, then write your own answers to new questions under time.