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When answering an IELTS Task 2 question, it is important to read the question carefully and to answer it relevantly.

Remember that the examiner will assess how thoroughly you address the task in the Task Response criterion, so it's vital that you respond to the question directly and clearly. We realise that you work hard when preparing for the IELTS test and you might memorise essays that match certain prompts.

If you try and answer a question with a formulaic response (a learned response that closely matches the question), your essay will not address the task appropriately and you will lose marks.

Rather than trying to match your answer to an essay-type category (e.g. advantages/disadvantages, causes/solutions), learn how to interpret what the question is asking, so you answer it relevantly.

Task 2 question types

In IELTS Writing Task 2, you are required to write an essay in response to the statement or premise given. In your essay, you may need to:

  • provide general factual information related to the topic

  • give reasons for a problem

  • outline the causes of a problem

  • present solutions for a problem

  • justify your opinion (reasons for your opinion)

  • evaluate evidence and ideas

  • assess how much you agree or disagree with an idea/the statement

  • decide if there are more advantages or disadvantages

  • explain why this situation has occurred

IELTS question types are varied, so it is important to focus on the question prompt. Read through the following table which shows some common essay question types.

Essay type

Sample prompt

Opinion essay

To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement/opinion?

Discussion essay

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Multi-part essay

Why is shopping so popular? What effects does its increase in popularity have on individuals and society?

Multi-part and opinion essay

What form do these problems take? Do the problems outweigh the benefits?

Advantage/disadvantage essay

What are the advantages and disadvantages of...?

Positive/negative essay

Is this a positive or negative development?

Cause/solution essay

What are the causes of these problems and suggest solutions?

Disadvantages versus advantages

Let's look at an IELTS Task 2 question from www.ielts.org and see how you would answer it.

International tourism has brought enormous benefit to many places. At the same time, there is concern about its impact on local inhabitants and the environment.Do the disadvantages of international tourism outweigh the advantages?

This question asks you very specifically to decide if there are more advantages or more disadvantages. You are asked if one outweighs the other, so you must discuss both the advantages and disadvantages. It is not enough to say, "the advantages of international tourism definitely outweigh the disadvantages" and then only describe the advantages in your response. The reader must see both sides of your discussion and the reasons why you think one outweighs the other.

Mistakes you can make with this question type:

  1. Only listing the advantages.

  2. Only listing the disadvantages.

  3. Presenting both, but not deciding if one outweighs the other.

  4. Not presenting your opinion.

How to answer this question type:

  1. Decide on your position - are there more advantages, or more disadvantages? (more advantages).

  2. Present the advantages (3).

  3. Present the disadvantages (2) - as you have decided that there are more advantages.

  4. Repeat your position in the conclusion, so the reader knows that the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

Opinion essay

Let's look at another IELTS Task 2 question.

In Britain, when someone gets old they often go to live in a home with other old people where there are nurses to look after them. Sometimes the government has to pay for this care.Who do you think should pay for this care, the government or the family?

This question asks you to make a decision based on your opinion of the statement. You have to decide if the government should pay for old people to live in an aged care home, or if the family should pay. It is important to make a decision and to clearly express this in your introduction. Of course, your decision will be based on your own opinion, so you may think that both should pay.

Mistakes you can make with this question type:

  1. Giving reasons why both should pay, but not making a decision.

  2. Presenting the problems caused by living in an aged care facility.

  3. Presenting the reasons why the family cannot look after their aged parents.

  4. Giving reasons why old people should be cared for in their own homes.

  5. Not giving a clear opinion on the topic.

How to answer this question type:

  1. Decide on who should pay - the government, the family, or a combination of both.

  2. Give two or three reasons to support your opinion.

  3. Support your reasons with examples from your own experience (the situation in your country).

  4. If you think that both the family and government should pay, support this opinion with how this could work (e.g., partial payment, government subsidising poorer families, government building aged care homes but families pay for the care).

  5. Repeat your opinion on who should pay for this care in the conclusion, so the reader is fully aware of the decision you have made.