IELTS Writing Task 2

Nearly every Task 2 prompt is one of five shapes. Misreading which one you have been given is the fastest way to lose marks under Task Response:

1. Introduction — paraphrase the question in one sentence, then state your position or what the essay will cover in a second.
2. Body paragraph 1 — one main idea, stated in the first sentence, then explained, then supported with an example or a consequence.
3. Body paragraph 2 — a second main idea, developed the same way.
4. Conclusion — restate the position in different words. No new ideas.

Two well-developed body paragraphs beat four thin ones. Examiners reward extension — the sentence after your idea that explains why it matters — far more than the number of ideas.

• Answer the whole question. A two-part question with one part ignored cannot reach a high Task Response score.
• Take a position and keep it. Essays that agree in paragraph two and disagree in paragraph three read as incoherent.
• Use topic sentences. If someone can read only your first sentences and follow the argument, Coherence and Cohesion is doing its job.
• Prefer precise vocabulary to impressive vocabulary. A misused advanced word costs more than a well-used ordinary one.
• Vary sentence structure deliberately — a mix of simple, complex and conditional sentences, not one long sentence per paragraph.

TestPilot Writing tests present Task 2 prompts in the computer-delivered writing screen with a live word count and a timer. The AI evaluation returns a breakdown by criterion, so you can see whether the problem was the argument, the organisation, the vocabulary or the grammar, and it points at the sentences that caused each judgement.

The Writing Samples library holds model Task 2 answers for common prompt types. Read them for structure — how a position is stated and how a paragraph is extended — rather than to memorise phrases.