IELTS Writing Task 2: 5 Essay Types

In IELTS Writing Task 2, there are five different types of essays:

1. Opinion Essays
2. Discussion Essays
3. Problem Solution Essays
4. Advantages & Disadvantages Essays
5. Double Question Essays

These 5 types of IELTS essays evaluate your skills, such as interpreting information, formulating arguments and analyzing problems in both Academic and GT Writing Task 2. Test-takers get questions from one of these categories in the IELTS writing task 2. To understand each essay question and answer them correctly, essay type-wise structures, samples and tips are given in this article. All you need to do is to learn each essay type, practice its sample questions, and achieve a good band score of 9.

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1. Opinion Essay

Opinion Essay, also called “agree or disagree” or “argumentative” essays, is a commonly asked essay type of IELTS writing task 2 question. This essay type will give you a statement or an opinion and are asked if you agree or disagree with it. The opinion is mostly flawed or extreme. You can take any position you think: agree, disagree or partial agreement (balanced view). 

Example of Opinion Essay

• Should governments consider environment-friendly policies for a sustainable future?

Type of Questions Asked:

• What is your opinion?
• What do you think?
• Do you agree?
• Do you agree or disagree?
• To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Essay Structure:

Introduction: In the intro, paraphrase the question and give your opinion, outlining the main points or ideas. 
Main Body Paragraph 1: Start with a topic sentence, explain it and provide an example.
Main Body Paragraph 2: Follow the same format and elaborate it with additional points.
Conclusion: Summarize the main points and highlight your opinion once again.  

Sample Essay:

Introduction: Climate change, global warming, earthquake and landslides are seen everywhere across the world. To prevent such natural disasters and promise a sustainable future, should governments consider environment-friendly policies? I strongly agree that governments should incorporate environment-friendly policies in the legislation. 

Main Body Paragraph 1: First of all, the planet is experiencing numerous turns of events in the recent past, amounting to severe environmental loss and human suffering. The United Nations and other international organizations urge developed countries to adhere to climate change and support the developing countries to implement futuristic goals. Subsequently, devising an inclusive environment, community-driven solutions and building green infrastructure are growing in popularity among western countries. 

Main Body Paragraph 2: The best way to address climate change and prepare the community for the next natural calamities is by bringing awareness and training them consistently till the last minute and crafting technological advancements to early detection and effective communication. As a result, the community will be empowered and feel pride about self-preparedness.

Conclusion: By mitigating the risk and improving living conditions, the government can ensure a better future for the next generation. Therefore, implementing environmentally friendly policies and initiatives is the right strategy. The government should invest in research and build climate-resilient infrastructure that lasts longer than traditional ones. 

Advanced Tips:

• Write your opinion clearly and maintain the same throughout the essay.
• Use strong adjectives, rhetorical questions, and emphatic structures to emphasize your arguments. 
• Acknowledge counter arguments if necessary.

2. Discussions Essay (Discuss Both Views)

The Discussions Essay, also called Discuss both views, requires you to present both sides of an argument. In other words, a statement will be given, and you must discuss two sides relating to the same issue. The simplest approach to this essay question is to choose one point of view to agree with and the other to disagree with. This discussion essay type is often confused with the opinion essay. So, please be careful. Moreover, many students make mistakes by fully developing only one point of view, leading to an unbalanced essay and a low score for task achievement. 

Examples of Discussion Essay

• Some people think that self-learning is better than the traditional way of learning, but others disagree. Discuss both views. 
• Some people think that urban spaces must be utilized for trees and parks rather than constructing buildings. Discuss both sides and give your opinion. 

Type of Questions Asked:

• Discuss both sides of the statement. 
• Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.

Essay Structure:

Introduction: First paraphrase the question followed by a clear thesis statement.
Main Body Paragraph 1: Give your opinion/view point, support it with reasons for/against it and provide an example. 
Main Body Paragraph 2: State the opposing viewpoint, discuss it and support it with an example. 
Conclusion: Summarize the discussion and state your preferred perspective. 

Sample Essay:

Introduction: In this new day-and-age, some people think that self-learning is better than the traditional way of learning. That is, learning whatever you want with prompt guidance and supervision by a mentor brings tremendous outputs in one’s life. While others argue that self-learning is not effective as it lacks focus and direction. 

Main Body Paragraph 1: Self-learning is a pleasant experience, told by self-learners. People feel comfortable when they learn by themselves. There is no stress or anxiety. In the process of self-learning, individuals can become creative, confident and open-minded. As an additional advantage, self-learners make new friends and acquaintances. From the early stage, they develop effective communication skills and networking. 

Main Body Paragraph 2: Self-learning is not as useful as some people think. Self-learners lack focus and discipline. They don’t have in-depth knowledge of any subject. Instead they learn everything at the surface level. Self-learning is challenging and time consuming. Self-learners must always find a way to implement what they learn and practice it until it becomes perfect. 

Conclusion: After considering both sides, my opinion is that self-learning is possible for certain subjects and not for all. For creative skills such as art, painting, music, etc., self-learning can be done because it requires practice, whereas for analytical and logical thinking, a mentor or a teacher is required solely to teach different concepts and trends.

Advanced Tips:

• Give your opinion only if it is mentioned in the question.
• Give equal attention to both viewpoints. 
• Make sure your conclusion addresses a balanced understanding of the topic. 

3. Problem Essay

Problem essays, also called ‘causes and solutions’ or ‘problems and solutions’ essays, start with a statement and require you to discuss the problems or causes and the solutions. Therefore, this question type asks you to identify problems related to a situation and suggest solutions. There are four types of possible questions: Solution Only essay, Cause Solution essay, Problem Solution essay and Cause Effect essay. The common mistakes students make are failing to explain problems and solutions in detail and lacking suitable examples.

Examples of Problem Essay

• GenZ is addicted to phones and social media. What are the causes? How to overcome this problem?
• War and unrest is rising across the world. What is the root cause of this? What can be done to mitigate the issue?

Types of Questions Asked:

• What do you think the causes are? What solutions can you give?
• What are the reasons, and how can the situation be fixed?
• What are the causes of these problems and suggest possible solutions?
• What problems arise from this and how can they be solved?
• Why is this happening, and what steps can be taken to handle this problem?

Essay Structure:

Introduction: Paraphrase the question and outline the main ideas.
Main Body Paragraph 1: Discover the problems, discuss them, and provide examples. 
Main Body Paragraph 2: Present possible solutions, discuss their impact with relevant examples.
Conclusion: Sum up the highlighted problems and suggested solutions. 

Sample Essay:

Introduction: Instagram, TikTok and YouTube have become integral parts of GenZ. Without them, the younger generation can’t spend 10 minutes ideal. GenZ has almost lost touch with the real world. Even if they do, they do it for posting on social media. So, to overcome this issue, parents, teachers and the community should distract them by introducing physical activities, travel, arts and so on.

Main Body Paragraph 1: Addiction to phones and social media often goes unnoticed by many. As a result, many students lack basic mathematical and linguistic skills, show a decline in curiosity to learn and experiment and become overweight. Above all, students become depressed and unmotivated even by minor setbacks. Before this reaches an alarming stage, society as a whole must acknowledge the issue and take measures to divert students from social media, offering them more engaging and valuable alternatives.

Main Body Paragraph 2: Bolstering sports and extracurricular activities boosts creativity and dexterity in students. As students engage in physical sports, they discover the fun aspect, encouraging further participation. These activities also help develop focus, discipline, and a competitive spirit. Additionally, when students reduce their use of social media, they gradually reintegrate into society and demonstrate greater empathy towards others, particularly vulnerable individuals. 

Conclusion: Gen Z is caught in a labyrinth of posts, likes, popularity, and the pursuit of quick money. They have become self-centered without contributing value to others. To overcome this impasse, the whole world must come together and significantly contribute time and effort. Thus, sooner or later, Gen Z will become productive and add value to society.

Advanced Tips:

• Define problems clearly and concisely.
• Provide tangible solutions.

4. Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

In advantages and disadvantages essays, the first part of the question is a statement. You need to write about both the advantages and disadvantages of the idea stated. This advantage and disadvantage essay is similar to a discussion essay, presenting the positive (benefits) and negative (drawbacks) side of a specific topic or situation. 

Examples of Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

• Some people think the world will eventually have only one language. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
• After Covid-19 pandemic, some employees still request for work from home or remote-based work. What are the advantages and disadvantages involved in it? 

Types of Questions Asked:

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of …?
• Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your opinion.
• Do you think that the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?

Essay Structure:

Introduction: Paraphrase the question and highlight the main points.
Main Body Paragraph 1: Discuss at least two advantages with suitable examples.
Main Body Paragraph 2: Present two disadvantages and delve deeper into each with examples. 
Conclusion: Outline the main pros and cons discussed and give your opinion (if asked).

Sample Essay:

Introduction: In the wake of globalization, people across the world are communicating with each other more than ever before. They recognize the importance of learning foreign languages and encourage the younger generation to do the same. However, as time goes by, it is possible that only one language will remain, and regional languages may become extinct without a trace.

Main Body Paragraph 1: One of the biggest advantages of having a single global language is that there would be fewer misunderstandings or miscommunication between people from different parts of the world. Another advantage is that people would not need to spend time, money, and effort learning new languages, but instead focus on perfecting the globally accepted one. A third advantage would be the diversity of pronunciation, dialects, and speaking patterns, which would naturally improve one’s language skills. 

Main Body Paragraph 2: On the negative side, people fear that there would be no more national and regional languages. If all languages disappear, the culture, ethnic groups, etc., associated with the language would also disappear. Even though there is one language throughout the world, people will still divide themselves and fight against each other. 

Conclusion: In my opinion, all countries must strike a balance between encouraging one language and protecting regional languages. A single global language ensures effective communication and regional languages ensure diversity.  

Advanced Tips:

• Use traditional phrases to ensure smooth transitions between points. 
• Avoid mere antonyms when presenting pros and cons. 
• Decide whether the number of advantages outweighs the number of disadvantages or vice versa. 

5. Double Question Essays

The Double Question Essay, also called ‘Direct Question’ or ‘Two-Part Questions,’ presents one statement with two different questions after it. The questions may or may not be linked. In other words, you will be given one statement followed by two distinct queries that must be addressed.     

Examples of Double Question Essays

• Pollution around the world is becoming a serious problem. Do you think this is a problem that should be solved internationally or on a local level?
• More and more people are choosing to work from home. Is this a positive or negative development?
• Some people spend a lot of money on weddings. Why do they do this? Do you think it is good to spend a lot of money on weddings?

Types of Questions Asked?

• How do we study online?
• What are the best ways to study?
• What factor contributes to job satisfaction?
• How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?

Essay Structure:

Introduction: Paraphrase the original statement and highlight both questions. 
Main Body Paragraph 1: Answer the first question with suitable explanation and examples.
Main Body Paragraph 2: Address the second question, again with explanation and examples.
Conclusion: Outline the main points and responses to both questions. 

Sample Essay:

Introduction: Wedding and celebration always go hand-in-hand. That’s why people across the world spend lots of money on their wedding ceremony. Be it low-income groups or  multimillionaires, everyone wants to celebrate their marriage. It not only brings them joy and happiness but also long-lasting memories. 

Main Body Paragraph 1: Wedding is nothing but a unionship of two people. To mark this special occasion, both bride and groom spend money to beautify themselves through cozy apparels, jewels, etc. The marriage hall, transportation, food, photography and other necessities (traditional practices) cost way too much. Some of them even spend money on expensive things like fairy lights, dancefloor, and more.

Main Body Paragraph 2: Some people agree that spending money on weddings is worthy. To cherish that lifetime moment, both sides agree to spend lavishly on both marriage and reception. In a way, it brings them happiness and lots of memories. Those who have no problem with money, hire wedding planners and make it even cinematic rather than traditional weddings. 

Conclusion: In my opinion, wealthy people who don't care about money can spend a lot on their weddings. Whereas, people who live a budget-friendly lifestyle can plan their wedding expenses accordingly. 

Advanced Tips:

• Maintain a clear division between your answers to both questions.
• Use predictive techniques when addressing future-related queries. 

Summary

Unlike task 1, the IELTS Writing task 2 is common for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training tests. And it carries more weightage in the IELTS writing test module. If you score more marks in task 2, you need not worry about task 1. To achieve a good score, learn each essay type thoroughly and practice its sample questions.

FAQs

1. How many essay types are there in the IELTS writing task 2?

The IELTS Writing task 2 contains 5 different types of essays, as given below.

• Problem and Solution Essay
• Advantage and Disadvantage Essay
• Discussion Essay
• Double Questions Essay
• Opinion Essay

2. How to write examples in an IELTS essay?

To write an example in an IELTS writing task 2 essay, you can use the following:

• Write your own experience as a general example
• Write a made-up story that makes sense and relevant to the topic
• Write facts, figures from any research or study
• Write information from newspapers, magazines, etc.

3. How many types of essays are there in IELTS writing task 1?

The IELTS writing task 1 contains 7 essay types. They are as follows:

• Bar Chart
• Map
• Multiple Graphs
• Process Diagram
• Line Graph
• Table Chart
• Pie Chart

4. How do I improve my writing skills for the IELTS test?

To improve your writing skills for the IELTS test, you must:

1. practice all question types at least once 
2. Use tips and tricks that are effective 
3. Enhance time management skills
4. Memorise new vocabularies to improve your lexical knowledge
5. Keep last 20 minutes to check grammar and other mistakes