A key to getting a high score in IELTS writing task 2 is responding to the task properly. To do that, you need to look at the question and identify what type of IELTS task 2 essay it is.

IELTS candidates who are good at writing often miss the score they need because they misunderstand the task type, and therefore do not address it properly.

Let’s look at the different question types

What do IELTS Task 2 questions look like?

IELTS task 2 questions are made up of two parts: a topic and an instruction.

For example:

Many people are working at home rather than in the workplace. Some people believe this will bring benefits to the workers and their families, but others suggest it will cause stress in the home.

Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

The first part gives two arguments, and the instruction tells you that you need to discuss both of the view points and also decide which you agree with.

In today’s world, many people own a smartphone.

Do you think the advantages of owning a smartphone outweigh the disadvantages?

Here, the topic introduces the idea of people owning smartphones, and the instruction tells you to discuss the advantages and the disadvantages and decide which you think are stronger.

What are the IELTS Task 2 question types?

The number of question types there are in IELTS depends on how we look at it.

You could say that there are two types: report-style, where you have to describe situation and opinion-style, where you have to give an opinion on a topic.

The opinion-style essays have different types, where you have to discuss both sides of an argument and where you only need to discuss just one.

However, we group essay question types into the best ways to structure them. For that, we generally think that there are five types of IELTS task 2 question overall, but different ‘sub-types’ of some of them.

IELTS problem solution essays

This is one of the ‘report’ style essays, where you need to describe a situation. In this type of essay, you have to either give the causes OR the effects of a situation, and suggest solutions.

In many countries, crime rate is increasing. What do you think are the main cause of crime? How can we deal with those causes?

In this question, you need to give the main causes of crime and suggest solutions

Nowadays more and more people who need employment have to compete with younger people for the same jobs. What problems does this cause? What are the solutions?

In this question, you have to give the effects of the competition between old and young people for jobs and then suggest the solutions

IELTS advantages and disadvantages essays

There are two types of this. The first is another report style essay, where you just need to describe the advantages and disadvantages:

 Nowadays, more people would rather purchase food than cook at home. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?

However, the other is an opinion type, which needs you to state which side you think is stronger:

Many people around the world own smartphones. Do you think the advantages of owning a smartphone outweigh the disadvantages?

IELTS discussion essays

This is another type that requires an opinion. The question gives two viewpoints and you need to discuss both and say which side you agree with, or if you agree with both:

Many people are working at home rather than in the workplace. Some people believe this will bring benefits to the workers and their families, but others suggest it will cause stress in the home.

Discuss both views and give your opinion

Here, you need to discuss why some people believe that working from home will bring more benefits to workers and their families and why some people believe it will cause stress in the home. You also need to be clear which view you agree with and why.

There are many different ways to give your opinion clearly in this style of essay. The key is that for a band 7.0 or above in IELTS writing task 2, your opinion (‘position’) needs to be very clear to the reader.

IELTS opinion essays

In this style, you are given a statement and you need to discuss if you agree OR disagree with it:

People living in the twenty-first century have a better quality of life than people who live in previous countries. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

You can do this by discussing reasons why people agree AND reasons why people disagree with the statement in a balanced essay, and then state which side you agree with.

Another way is to choose ONE side and discuss the reasons why you agree with that side.

You can also include a paragraph at the start that states that you understand why people think the opposite view to you, but then give two reasons why you have the other view.

Other opinion essays ask if you think something is a positive or a negative development:

Nowadays, more people travel abroad for tourism than ever before.

Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

In the same way, you can say you think it is positive OR negative, or discuss both sides and then give your opinion.

IELTS two part questions

These are called ‘two part’ questions because they have two parts. Most of the time, two part questions are made up of part of a problem solution essay and part of an opinion essay:

Many aspects of the way people dress today are influenced by global fashion trends.

How has global fashion become such a strong influence on people’s lives?

Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

As you can see, the first instruction is part of a problem-solution essay: to discuss the causes of global fashion trends becoming an influence on people. The second instruction is like an opinion essay: you need to say if you think it is positive OR negative.

There are also two part questions that simply ask two questions:

In many countries, primary and secondary schools close for two months or more in the summer holidays.

What is the value of long school holidays?

What are the arguments in favour of shorter school holidays?

This one does not ask for your opinion. It is a report style question on the advantages of long school holidays and the advantages of shorter school holidays.

Mistakes to avoid with IELTS Task 2 question types

The key to a band 7.0+ in IELTS Task 2 is to understand exactly what question type you have to write.

Some issues are:

• Discussing the causes instead of the effect in a problem-solution essay or the effects instead of the causes
• Not discussing both sides of the argument in a discussion essay or advantages and disadvantages essay.
• Not stating your opinion clearly enough in a discussion essay or an opinion-style advantages and disadvantages essay.
• Missing one part of a two-part question

How to understand the question type in IELTS Task 2

Make sure you learn how to write all the different types of IELTS task 2, practice them and get proper feedback.

You also need to make sure you use proper IELTS writing questions. There are many IELTS task 2 questions online that are not actually IELTS questions. These include questions that give two sides of an argument but then ask if you agree or disagree:

Some people think the government should subsidise fruits and vegetables to make healthy food more affordable. Others argue that the government should tax unhealthy food instead.

Do you agree or disagree?

This is not a real question, and is hard to answer because you have to say if you agree or disagree with two viewpoints.

Other fake IELTS task 2 questions we have seen make a statement and do not have an instruction. Others make a statement and say ‘discuss this in 300 words’. This is not an IELTS question.

Make sure you use questions from official sources, rather than random questions you find online.

Does IELTS task 2 seem complicated to you now?

We realise that this blog post makes IELTS task 2 essays seem complicated. They are not, really. However, you do need to ensure you understand all the different types and how to address them, especially if you are aiming for a band 7.0 or higher.

One way to improve your chances of success is to take lessons with an expert tutor. In our IELTS writing classes, we focus on analysing question types and we teach you our recommended structures for each type. These structures have helped our students reach as high as 8.0 in IELTS writing task 2. We also give extensive feedback on your writing, to ensure you are successful in your test.

If you want to know more about our IELTS writing classes, check out the IELTS Preparation Classes page on this website.