IELTS Writing Task 2 questions: types, recent topics and plans
Task 2 is the IELTS essay: at least 250 words in about 40 minutes, on a point of view, argument or problem, and it counts for twice as much as Task 1. IDP says you can never predict the questions you will get, so prepare by learning the question types and rotating through a bank of practice questions, such as the twelve below.
This page covers the Task 2 question itself: what IELTS says it asks, why a list of the latest questions cannot tell you your own, the common question types, a plan for each one and twelve practice questions of our own. It is a study guide, not immigration advice, and the owner's page decides every rule.
What Task 2 asks you to do
An essay of at least 250 words in about 40 minutes, on an opinion, argument or problem.
Task 2 is the essay. In General Training it is a semi-formal or neutral essay on a topic of general interest, and it carries the most weight in the Writing paper. IELTS describes it like this.
"In Task 2, you are given a point of view, argument or problem which you need to discuss. You need to write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes."
| Rule | What IELTS says |
|---|---|
| Style and length | In General Training Writing Task 2, you need to write a semi-formal/neutral discursive essay of a minimum of 250 words. |
| What the question gives you | The instructions for Task 2 give information about an opinion, argument or problem. The instructions then tell you what you should discuss in your essay. |
| Weight | Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score. |
| Too long | While you will not be penalised for writing more than 250 words, if you write a very long answer you may not have time for checking and correcting at the end, and some ideas may not be directly relevant to the question. |
| Off topic, not connected, copied | You should remember that you will be penalised if what you write is not related to the topic. You will also be penalised if your answer is not written as a whole piece of connected text (i.e. you must not use notes or bullet points). You will be severely penalised if your writing is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source). |
The topics are described as general interest, with three examples.
"You will need to write about a topic of general interest, such as:"
- whether children’s leisure activities should be educational.
- how environmental problems can be solved.
- whether smoking should be banned in public places.
Our reading: all three are questions an ordinary adult could discuss with no special study. The test is not checking what you know about smoking or leisure. It is checking whether you can build a clear argument about it. IELTS says the same about the skills being tested.
"This task tests if you can write a clear, relevant, well-organised argument, giving evidence or examples to support your ideas, and use language accurately. Depending on the task type, you will be assessed on your ability to:"
- provide general factual information.
- outline a problem and present a solution.
- present and possibly justify an opinion.
- evaluate and discuss ideas, evidence or an argument.
"For this task, you need to be able to discuss more abstract and complex ideas and use a variety of vocabulary and grammatical structures."
Is there a list of the latest Task 2 questions?
No owner lists live questions. IDP says you can never predict them.
Many people search for the latest or recent Task 2 questions, hoping to find what was asked last month. Here is what the test owners say about it.
"While you can never predict the questions you will encounter in Writing Task 2 of the IELTS test, certain recurring themes are worth exploring when practising sample questions. Here is a compilation of common Writing Task 2 topics and some strategies to familiarise yourself with the test."
"Don’t produce an essay that is close to a topic you have previously prepared."
"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."
"Examiners read thousands of responses so can recognise memorised scripts."
Our reading: we found no test owner page that lists live questions or says a past question will come back. A list of recent questions, from anywhere, cannot tell you what your own sitting will ask. What a list can do is show you themes and wording to practise with. IDP gives the same advice for using themes.
- Stay informed by reading the news to become familiar with these recurring themes and associated vocabulary.
- Develop a vocabulary bank specific to each topic and practise using it in various contexts.
- Practise writing essays on these topics to build confidence and enhance your ability to use advanced, topic-specific vocabulary.
How to use recent questions safely
Our own method, if you do have a list of recent questions to work from.
- Read each question for its theme and its wording only. Do not read it as a forecast.
- Rewrite it with a different aspect. If the question is about children and screens, write one about older adults and screens.
- Plan an answer from scratch in five minutes. Do not try to recall an essay you have seen.
- Keep a log of themes you have practised. Fill the gaps rather than repeating the themes you like.
- Practise the type of question, not the topic. The next question may be the same type on a new topic.
Where real Task 2 questions are published
The owners publish sample Task 2 prompts and some scripts. These are the places to find what a real question looks like.
"In Part 2, you are asked to write an essay in response to a point of view, argument or problem."
"General Training Writing sample scripts and examiner comments (PDF 362 KB - 3 pages)"
"Get ready for your IELTS General Training Writing test with free practice tests from the British Council."
"develop your essay-writing skills for a wide range of General Training topics"
IDP's article on Task 2 questions, dated 16/03/2021, also points to its official IELTS practice test with expert marker feedback. It shows no price, so check IDP's site for the current price before you buy.
The types of Task 2 question
Opinion, discussion, advantages and disadvantages, causes and solutions, and two-part questions.
IDP says a Task 2 question can ask for several different things.
"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.
IDP then gives a table of common essay types. It lists the type and the sample wording.
| Essay type (IDP's name) | Sample wording from IDP |
|---|---|
| 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? |
"There are 3 main essay types – opinion essay, discussion essay and 2-part questions."
"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."
That last quote matters. The type is a way to get started, not a template to match. If the question mixes two types, answer the question that is asked.
Question words and what they ask you to do
The list is ours. It turns the usual wording into a task for you.
| If the question says | You are being asked to | Easy slip |
|---|---|---|
| To what extent do you agree or disagree? | Take a position, which can be a partial one, and defend it. | Describing both sides and never choosing. |
| Discuss both views and give your own opinion. | Treat each view fairly, then give a view of your own. | Leaving your own opinion out, or mixing it into the views. |
| What are the causes? What can be done? | Name causes, then suggest solutions that fit those causes. | Listing solutions that do not match the causes. |
| Why? What effects does this have? | Give reasons first, then effects. These are two jobs. | Answering only the reasons. |
| Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? | Say which side is heavier, and explain both. | Writing only about the side you prefer. |
| Is this a positive or negative development? | Judge it, with reasons, and say why the other view is weaker. | Staying neutral. |
| Should governments or individuals...? | Choose, or choose a mix, and say how the mix would work. | Naming a side and giving no reason. |
- Read the question words - What extent/Why/Suggest/Decide/Evaluate - and answer relevantly.
- Cover all parts of the question.
- Check to see if the statement is referring to more than one idea (e.g., individuals and the society) and make sure you refer to both in your response.
- Express your position clearly.
A plan for each type
Count the parts, then choose a shape. Opinion first, then both views fairly.
First, count the parts. IDP says to do this before anything else.
"You must read the question carefully and decide how many parts are in it. You must answer all parts of the question to reach a band 6 or higher."
| Question | How IDP counts it |
|---|---|
| To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? | 1-part question |
| Discuss both views and give your own opinion. | 3-part question - discuss both views as stated |
| Do the disadvantages of international tourism outweigh the advantages? | 2-part question |
| Why is this so? What effect does it have on the individual and society? | 3-part question |
"If you are asked to present both views and your opinion, state your opinion at the beginning of the essay and then move on to present both views. You can then come back to your own opinion and then conclude the essay. This is a logical way to present these ideas."
"If asked to present both views, make sure each view is presented equally (similar paragraph length)"
"When you ‘discuss both of these views’ in your body paragraphs, make sure you avoid mentioning your personal view. This can avoid any confusion between what you think and what they views of others are. Here are some introductory parts to the body paragraphs when discussing both views:"
For an opinion question, the ielts.org article uses three cases and a four-paragraph shape.
- You agree completely.
- You disagree completely.
- You partially agree (which means you also partially disagree)
"Keep life simple and always aim at four paragraphs: introduction, two body paragraphs and conclusion."
"For an essay length of at least 250 words, it is common to include 2 or 3 body paragraphs as a way of covering all parts of the question prompt."
Our plans by type
These are our own plans, a starting shape for each type. Change the number of paragraphs if the question has more parts.
| Type | Paragraph plan | Where your opinion goes | Easy slip |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agree or disagree | Introduction. Reason one. Reason two (or the other side). Conclusion. | In the introduction, then again in the conclusion. | A position that changes halfway. |
| Discuss both views and give your opinion | Introduction. View one. View two. Your opinion. Conclusion. | Signalled in the introduction, developed in its own paragraph. | Blending your view into the views. |
| Advantages and disadvantages, which outweigh | Introduction with a verdict. Heavier side (more space). Lighter side. Conclusion. | As the verdict in the introduction and conclusion. | Giving both sides the same space and no verdict. (For a ‘discuss both views’ question, IDP says to give the two views similar length. For ‘outweigh’ questions the verdict is the extra job.) |
| Positive or negative | Introduction with a judgement. Reasons it is positive or negative. A concession. Conclusion. | As the judgement. | Writing only the reasons. |
| Causes and solutions | Introduction. Causes. Solutions that match them. Conclusion. | A short sentence at the end of the introduction is enough. | Solutions for problems you never named. |
| Multi-part or two-part (reasons and effects, or reason and opinion) | Introduction. One paragraph for each part of the question (the bank has three-part and two-part questions). Conclusion. | Only if the second question asks for it. | Answering one question twice. |
A planning example
Here is a plan for one of our practice questions below (number seven, on local elections). It is four lines, not an essay.
| Line | Notes |
|---|---|
| Introduction | Fewer people vote in local elections. Two parts: causes and a way to fix it. |
| Paragraph one: causes | People feel local votes change nothing. Hard to find information about candidates. Voting happens on a weekday. |
| Paragraph two: solutions | Put candidate details in one place and make voting easy (weekend, online). Show voters what a vote has changed locally. |
| Conclusion | Causes were about trust and effort, so the fixes should reduce effort and show results. |
Our question bank: twelve to rotate through
Twelve original questions in all the common shapes, and a grid to rotate through them.
Every question below is ours. None comes from a past test, and none is meant to predict one. They are written in the usual shapes so you can practise each type. We make no claim about what any answer would score.
| No. | Question | Type | What it needs |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Governments should spend more money on public parks than on sports stadiums. To what extent do you agree or disagree? | Opinion | 1 part, opinion needed |
| 2 | Volunteering should be a required part of every high school course. To what extent do you agree or disagree? | Opinion | 1 part, opinion needed |
| 3 | Some people think neighbours should look after one another. Others think this is the job of local government. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. | Discussion | 3 parts |
| 4 | Some people believe that children learn best from teachers in classrooms. Others believe games and apps teach them better. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. | Discussion | 3 parts |
| 5 | More and more people are choosing to live alone. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages? | Advantages and disadvantages | 2 parts, verdict needed |
| 6 | Many young adults now move to another country to work. Is this a positive or a negative development? | Positive or negative | 1 part, judgement needed |
| 7 | In many places, fewer people vote in local elections than before. What are the causes? What can be done to encourage more people to vote? | Causes and solutions | 2 parts |
| 8 | People eat out and order takeaway food far more than they did 20 years ago. Why is this? What effects does it have on health and on family life? | Multi-part (reasons and effects) | 3 parts: the reasons, the effects on health, the effects on family life |
| 9 | Litter is a growing problem in public parks. What are the causes? How can the problem be reduced? | Causes and solutions | 2 parts |
| 10 | Many workers now change jobs every few years instead of staying with one employer. Why is this happening? Is it a good thing for workers? | Two-part (reason and opinion) | 2 parts, opinion needed |
| 11 | Sport should be taught for more hours at school than it is now. To what extent do you agree or disagree? | Opinion | 1 part, opinion needed |
| 12 | Some people think rules and fines are the best way to keep streets clean and safe. Others think education works better. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. | Discussion | 3 parts |
How to rotate them
- Make a grid with the six types down the side and six themes across the top (for example education, work, health, environment, technology, community).
- Each practice session, pick one cell you have not done. Write the question for that cell yourself if the bank does not have it.
- Spend five minutes planning every time. Write a full essay only one session in three.
- After each plan, check the parts. Did the plan answer every part, and is the opinion in the right place?
- Cross the cell off only when you are happy with the plan. Come back to the grid every week to see which cells are empty.
This takes the idea of recent questions and turns it into something you control. You will see many topics, but you will be practising the skill of reading a question and planning an answer, which is what the next question needs from you whatever its topic is. For more themes to pair with these question types, see IELTS writing topics.
How Task 2 is marked
Four criteria, weighted equally. Task response is where the question type matters.
Examiners mark Task 2 on four criteria. IELTS lists them.
- Task achievement (for task 1) and task response (for task 2)
- Coherence and cohesion.
- Lexical resource.
- Grammatical range and accuracy.
"Each task is assessed independently. The criteria are weighted equally and the score on the task is the average. The assessment of Task 2 carries more weight in marking than Task 1."
"In Task 2, Task response includes how well you develop your argument in response to the task, giving evidence and examples which may be from your own experience."
IDP says Task Response is ‘worth 25% of your band score’. Read that as 25% of your Task 2 score. IELTS says the four criteria are weighted equally within each task, and that Task 2 carries more weight than Task 1 (twice as much), so Task Response is a smaller share of the whole Writing score.
The first criterion is where the question type matters most. Task response is about whether you answered what was asked, developed your answer and supported it. IDP also warns about the support.
- Support your ideas with relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience (not made up statistics and research)
- Don't use memorised essays that might not address the task.
- It is much better to continue the same idea throughout the paragraph instead of just making a list of arguments.
- Don’t leap to an example straight after your topic sentence and make sure it does not dominate your paragraph.
Four questions to ask of your own answer
Our own self-check, one question for each criterion.
| Criterion | Ask yourself |
|---|---|
| Task response | Did I answer every part of the question, with a clear position, and develop each idea with a reason or example? |
| Coherence and cohesion | Does each paragraph have one main idea, and could a stranger follow the order without help? |
| Lexical resource | Did I use words I am sure of, with no repeated word doing too much work? |
| Grammatical range and accuracy | Are my sentences varied, and did I check endings, tenses and commas on the last read? |
Looking for Speaking Task 2?
The long turn in the Speaking test is Part 2, not Task 2.
IELTS calls the sections of the Speaking test Part 1, Part 2 and Part 3, not Task 1 and Task 2, which are the Writing tasks. IELTS says the Speaking test has three parts.
"In Part 1, you answer questions about yourself and your family. In Part 2, you speak about a topic. In Part 3, you have a longer discussion on the topic."
If you came for the long turn, where you talk for a while from a card, that is Speaking Part 2. It has its own pages here: IELTS Speaking Part 2 and how cue cards work. This page is only about the written essay.
Common questions
IELTS says: In Task 2, you are given a point of view, argument or problem which you need to discuss. You need to write at least 250 words in about 40 minutes. The topics are general interest, such as whether smoking should be banned in public places.
IDP says: While you can never predict the questions you will encounter in Writing Task 2 of the IELTS test, certain recurring themes are worth exploring when practising sample questions. The owners publish sample questions, and our page shows how to rotate through themes and types.
We found no test owner page that says so. IDP says you can never predict the questions, and warns against writing an essay that is close to a topic you have previously prepared. Practise the type of question and the themes, not a list.
IDP says not to. Its words: Don't use memorised essays that might not address the task. It adds that examiners can recognise memorised scripts.
IDP says there are 3 main essay types: opinion essay, discussion essay and 2-part questions. IDP also lists advantage and disadvantage, positive or negative, and cause and solution wording. It adds that you should learn to read what the question asks rather than match a category.
Count them before you write. IDP says: You must read the question carefully and decide how many parts are in it. For example, IDP counts Discuss both views and give your own opinion as a 3-part question.
Yes. IELTS says: Task 2 contributes twice as much as Task 1 to the Writing score.
No. The Speaking test has three parts, and Part 2 is where you speak about a topic. IELTS says: In Part 1, you answer questions about yourself and your family. In Part 2, you speak about a topic. In Part 3, you have a longer discussion on the topic.