IELTS Writing Task 2: A Band-7 Essay Structure for Every Question
Every IELTS Writing Task 2 question belongs to one of five types, and one essay plan can be adapted to all of them. This guide gives you the plan, explains how examiners apply the four Writing criteria, and walks through a worked outline in 40 minutes.
IELTS Writing Task 2 is an essay of at least 250 words, written in about 40 minutes, that counts for twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing band. Every Task 2 question falls into one of five types (opinion, discussion, advantages and disadvantages, problem and solution, and double question), and a single plan of introduction, two or three body paragraphs and conclusion can be adapted to all of them. The plan works because examiners mark four criteria of equal weight, Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy, and the same structural decisions serve all four at once.
Task 2 facts worth fixing in your head
- Minimum 250 words. Writing under the minimum is penalised; 270 to 320 is a comfortable range.
- Recommended time is 40 of the 60 minutes, because Task 2 is weighted twice as heavily as Task 1.
- The question always states exactly what is required. "Discuss both views and give your own opinion" is three instructions, not one.
- No specialist knowledge is needed, and no statistics should be invented. Examiners want reasoning and examples, not data.
The five question types
| Type | Typical wording | What Task Response requires |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion | "To what extent do you agree or disagree?" | A clear position in the introduction, maintained throughout, with reasons |
| Discussion | "Discuss both views and give your own opinion." | Both views explained with reasonable balance, plus your own view stated clearly |
| Advantages and disadvantages | "Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?" or "What are the advantages and disadvantages?" | Both sides covered; the "outweigh" version also needs a judgement |
| Problem and solution | "What problems does this cause? What measures could be taken?" | Specific problems and solutions that genuinely address them |
| Double question | "Why is this the case? Is it a positive or negative development?" | Both questions answered fully, usually in separate paragraphs |
Identifying the type is the first thirty seconds of the task and where most Task Response marks are won or lost: answering an opinion question as a discussion, or covering only half of a double question, caps the score regardless of the language.
A reusable four-to-five-paragraph plan
- Introduction (two sentences, 40 to 50 words). Sentence one paraphrases the topic. Sentence two is the thesis: your direct answer to the question, in the form the question type demands. Do not announce what the essay will do ("In this essay I will discuss...").
- Body paragraph 1 (90 to 110 words). One idea, fully developed: a topic sentence that states the point, one or two sentences explaining why it is true, a specific example, and a sentence linking back to the question.
- Body paragraph 2 (90 to 110 words). The same shape with a second idea, or the other side of the argument.
- Body paragraph 3 (optional). Use it when the question type requires a separate element, such as the second half of a double question or your own view in a discussion essay. Otherwise skip it; one idea developed well outscores three ideas listed.
- Conclusion (two sentences, 30 to 40 words). Restate your position in different words and summarise the main reasons. No new ideas.
The thesis sentence is the only part of the plan that changes with the question type:
- Opinion: "I agree with this view because..." or "I largely disagree, although..."
- Discussion: "While there is a strong case for X, I believe Y because..."
- Advantages and disadvantages: "Although this brings some drawbacks, the benefits are more significant" (or the reverse).
- Problem and solution: "This essay identifies the main problems and proposes measures that governments and individuals could take."
- Double question: "This is happening mainly because of X and Y, and it is, on balance, a positive development."
Examples do not need to be true, but they must be plausible and relevant. "In many large cities, cycling lanes have reduced congestion on key routes" is fine; "a 2019 study showed a 37% reduction" is an invention the examiner will recognise and gives you nothing.
How examiners apply the four criteria
Task Response. Did you address all parts of the question, take a clear position where one is asked for and keep it consistent, and develop each main idea with support? A typical band 6 essay answers the question but the position only becomes clear in the conclusion, or ideas are relevant but thin. A band 7 essay addresses every part, states a clear position throughout, and supports its main ideas, even if some are a little over-generalised.
Coherence and Cohesion. Is the paragraphing logical, does each paragraph have a central idea, and are cohesive devices used naturally? A band 6 essay tends to link mechanically ("Firstly... Secondly... Moreover... In conclusion"), while a band 7 essay shows logical progression with a range of devices, including referencing ("this", "such measures", "the former") rather than only connectors, with occasional over- or under-use.
Lexical Resource. Is there enough range to discuss the topic precisely, with some less common vocabulary used with awareness of collocation, and few spelling or word-formation errors? Precision and collocation are what separate 6 from 7, not rarity.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Is there a variety of complex structures, and are the majority of sentences error-free? Band 7 means frequent error-free sentences and good control, with a few errors persisting. Attempt the complex structures; just make sure most of them are right.
The four criterion scores are averaged to give the Task 2 band, which is combined with Task 1 at a two-to-one weighting for your Writing band. The band score calculator shows how that Writing band then combines with Listening, Reading and Speaking into your overall result.
Time management in 40 minutes
| Minutes | Activity |
|---|---|
| 0 to 5 | Identify the question type, decide your position, write a six-line plan: thesis plus one idea and one example per body paragraph |
| 5 to 10 | Write the introduction |
| 10 to 30 | Write the body paragraphs, ten minutes each |
| 30 to 35 | Write the conclusion |
| 35 to 40 | Check: subject-verb agreement, articles, plurals, spelling, word count |
Two rules protect the score when time runs short. First, if you are at minute 32 with a second body paragraph half done, finish the paragraph and write the conclusion; an essay without a conclusion is marked down on Task Response. Second, never skip the five-minute plan to buy writing time; unplanned essays drift, and drifting costs more Task Response and Coherence marks than a shorter essay would.
A worked outline
Some people believe that employees should be allowed to work from home whenever they choose, while others think that working in an office is essential for a company to succeed. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Step 1: type. Discussion with opinion. Three jobs: explain view A, explain view B, state and justify my own view. Two body paragraphs for the views plus a short third for my position.
Step 2: plan.
- Introduction. Paraphrase: the debate over remote versus office-based work. Thesis: "While there is a strong case for office-based work in certain roles, I believe that giving employees control over where they work benefits both staff and employers in most industries."
- Body 1 (office view). Topic sentence: supporters of office work point to collaboration and company culture. Explain: spontaneous problem-solving, informal mentoring of junior staff. Example: new employees who learn by overhearing how experienced colleagues handle clients. Link: this is hard to replicate remotely.
- Body 2 (home view, which I support). Topic sentence: the case for flexibility rests on productivity and wellbeing. Explain: focused work without interruptions, hours reclaimed from commuting, wider recruitment pool for employers. Example: knowledge workers who complete demanding tasks faster in a quiet home office. Link: these gains apply to the majority of desk-based roles.
- Body 3 (short, my position). The choice should depend on the role; where collaboration is essential, hybrid arrangements capture most of both benefits.
- Conclusion. Both views have merit; on balance, employee choice, with role-based limits, serves companies better than compulsory attendance.
Step 3: the introduction as written. "The question of whether staff should be free to work from home or required to attend an office has become one of the defining workplace debates of recent years. While there is a strong case for office-based work in certain roles, I believe that giving employees control over where they work benefits both staff and employers in most industries."
Step 4: what the examiner sees. Task Response: both views addressed, a position stated in the introduction and carried through. Coherence and Cohesion: one idea per paragraph with a clear topic sentence and referencing ("this", "these gains"). Lexical Resource: topic-specific collocations ("spontaneous problem-solving", "recruitment pool", "hybrid arrangements"). Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a concession clause in the thesis, relative clauses in the examples, conditionals in Body 3, all planned in advance rather than improvised.
Five Task 2 mistakes that cost a band
- Memorised introductions and "template" sentences that do not fit the specific question.
- Listing three ideas in a paragraph instead of developing one.
- Changing position halfway through, or revealing it only in the conclusion.
- Inventing statistics or studies to sound authoritative.
- Running past 350 words. Longer essays contain more errors and leave no time to check.
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