IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Structure Your Essay and Score High

There are four components to the IELTS test and writing is one of them, the others being listening, reading and writing. Let’s focus on the IELTS writing test today.  It is designed to assess the English language writing skills of candidates who seek to study, work, or migrate to countries where English is the native language. The writing test consists of two tasks:

Task 1 - The test taker is given a visual input which could be data related like a line or bar graph, a pie chart or a table. It could be a process diagram or a map as well.  The candidate is required to summarise the key features seen in the diagram into a report with a minimum of 150 words. This task is designed to assess one’s ability to understand and describe data and compare trends. This is the task for IELTS Academic. In the General Training IELTS test task 1, you will be asked to write a letter having a word count of a minimum of 150 words, in response to a given situation.  

Task 2 - IELTS writing task 2, which is common to both the general and academic IELTS tests, requires students to write an essay on the given topic by presenting their opinions and ideas, providing supporting arguments and examples, and making a logical conclusion. The task is normally presented in the form of a discussion, statement, argument or problem. It assesses one’s ability to express thoughts and opinions coherently, develop a logical argument and support it well, and use a range of grammatical structures and vocabulary appropriately. You will find many IELTS online practice test for writing which clearly indicate that the essay question could pertain to a wide range of fields such as the environment, science and technology, education, travel, crime, society, and culture, to name a few. 

The assessment criteria for the writing tasks are:

• Task Achievement/Response: This criterion assesses how comprehensively the task has been addressed and whether all task requirements have been fully covered. It also checks whether the response is relevant to the topic and whether an opinion has been clearly expressed.
• Coherence and Cohesion: The writing task response is expected to be logically structured, with information appropriately organised into paragraphs linked using apt cohesive devices or linking words and phrases. Therefore, under this criterion, the examiner assesses how well the response is organized and whether the points are well connected to one another.
• Lexical Resource: This criterion assesses the candidate’s ability to use a wide range of vocabulary correctly. The test taker should be able to use vocabulary appropriately and in the right context so that thoughts and viewpoints can be expressed effectively.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy: It is expected that the writing task responses will be written using accurate grammar. In addition, the test taker should also be able to use a wide range of grammatical structures correctly. For instance - the use of simple, compound and complex sentences, the use of a range of tense types as well as the active and passive voice will indicate that the test taker is capable of using a range of grammar.

The task 1 and 2 responses are individually assessed on each of these criteria and assigned a band on a scale of 1 to 9. The average of these 4 band scores is the band score for each of the writing tasks. While calculating the overall writing band score, remember that the essay has double the weightage as compared to task 1. So, today let us focus on writing task 2. Our free IELTS preparation material and  tips for IELTS writing will specifically focus on the essay structure.  

Why follow a structure in IELTS Writing Task 2?

Let us start by understanding why it is important to follow a structure for the writing task 2 essay. 

Time Management - First and foremost, it helps you to utilise your time well. Out of the 1 hour that you have for the writing tasks, the recommended time for the essay is 40 minutes, in which you have to write a minimum of 250 words. Following a specific structure enables you to complete the task in the given time without the risk of running out of time and leaving the essay incomplete.

Coherence and Cohesion - Your writing is more organised when you follow a specific structure for your essay. The examiner will find it easy to follow and understand a well-structured essay. It ensures a logical flow and progression to the essay and enables the use of connectors to link the ideas and paragraphs together. Thus, the assessment parameter ‘coherence and cohesion’ is also effectively addressed and you are bound to achieve a high band score for this criterion.   

Task Response - A well-constructed IELTS online practice test essay enables the test taker to address every aspect of the question with relevant, fully extended and well-supported ideas and ensures that you do not go off track.   

How do you structure your essay? 

Now that we have established the need for a structured essay, let us understand, in detail, how to go about it. Before you start writing, it is crucial to spend some time, say 8 to 10 minutes planning and organising your essay. Read the question carefully, twice or even thrice if needed, and understand what is expected of you. Identify the type of question, the key aspects and the purpose of the essay. Brainstorm ideas and create a blueprint or outline of your essay. This will help you to organize your thoughts and structure your essay effectively. 

Before submitting your essay, it is important to proofread it carefully to look out for spelling and grammatical mistakes and ensure that it is well-structured and flows smoothly.

Every IELTS Writing Task 2 essay should be organised into four paragraphs which would include: 

• An introduction, 
• Two body paragraphs, and 
• A conclusion. 

Some essays might also have a third body paragraph, but only if the question demands it, which would mean five paragraphs in all. Let’s understand the structure of the introductory paragraph now.

The Introduction 

The first paragraph of the IELTS  essay will be the introduction and it will be around 40 to 60 words long. The introduction is written to introduce the topic to the reader/examiner.  It should also include a thesis statement, which states the main idea or argument of one’s essay. The thesis statement should be clear and concise and should express your opinion on the topic. It should also provide an outline of the main points you will be discussing in the essay. Hence, simply stated, all the introduction needs to have is a paraphrase of the question statement and the answer to the question. Make sure to use these tips of the best IELTS online coaching while writing the introduction.

Body Paragraphs

The body paragraphs are the most important part of your essay. Each body paragraph should include the following - 

Topic Sentence

It is the first sentence of your body paragraph, and it should clearly state the point you will be discussing in the paragraph. The topic sentence would vary depending on the type of essay. For example, in a problem-solution type of essay, the topic sentence in one body paragraph would be a significant problem or cause of the problem and in the second body paragraph, it would be a significant solution. 

Extended explanation

The topic sentence in the IELTS online practice test should be explained further in a few sentences.

Example: 

Substantiate your topic sentence with supporting evidence which could be in the form of examples or even statistics.

Each body paragraph should therefore be around 100 to 110 words long. Most essays would have two body paragraphs. Each paragraph will focus on a separate point related to the topic. It is important to structure your body paragraphs properly to make your essay coherent and easy to understand and follow. 

The Conclusion

The conclusion will be the last paragraph of the essay in the IELTS Writing test, and it should ideally be around 30 to 40 words long. The concluding paragraph summarizes the main points discussed in the essay and provides a final opinion on the topic. A conclusion could therefore simply restate the thesis statement, in paraphrased language. If you want, and you have the time, you could also summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs, in your conclusion.  

A word of caution here - never ever introduce any new points or information in your conclusion. Use words like ‘In conclusion’ or ‘To conclude’, to start the concluding paragraph. 

Sample Essay

Given below is a sample essay, broken down according to the recommended structure. 

Question:

“Some people believe that children who commit crimes should be punished. Others think that parents should be punished instead. Discuss both views and give your own opinion”. 

Answer:

Introduction

The paraphrase of the question - It is argued by some that parents should be held liable for criminal activities that their children engage in, while others believe that the children themselves ought to be penalised. 

The thesis statement - In my view, parents have a crucial role to play in ensuring that children grow up to be responsible citizens and therefore, parents should be held accountable for the misdemeanours of their minor wards.

Body Paragraph 1

Topic Sentence - On the one hand, it is considered that children being held responsible for their offences should be the norm.

Extended explanation and example - This is because all individuals,  including children, have the choice to behave in a way that they deem fit. Punishing them for their offences is expected to be a deterrent to further felonies. There have been many instances, where punishing the parents for their children’s crimes has resulted in the wards continuing with the deviant behaviour. Hence, instead of resolving the issue, it has only aggravated the problem. 

Body Paragraph 2 

Topic sentence -On the other hand,  some individuals advocate punishing parents for the crimes of juvenile offenders. 

Extended explanation and example - This is because psychological studies have proven that effective parenting results in children becoming responsible members of society. In fact, the behaviour of a child is largely dependent on parental influence. For instance, research studies have shown that more than 60% of young offenders have had a traumatic family history which impairs their judgement and leads them on to the path of crime. 

Body Paragraph 3 

Topic sentence - I, therefore, believe that parents have a moral responsibility to ensure the proper upbringing of their wards. 

Extended explanation and example -They should provide a stable environment for their growth and develop loving and nurturing relationships with them. Evidently, when these aspects are lacking, juvenile delinquents are born into society.      

Conclusion

Paraphrase of the thesis statement -In conclusion, it is parents who play a key role in ensuring that children become law-abiding members of society and therefore, it is only fair that they are held liable for the crimes committed by their offspring.  

To make your IELTS preparation journey more comprehensive, Yuno Learning provides a compilation of free online  IELTS Practice Tests for each individual section of IELTS, so that you can get exam-ready without the hassle of having to look all over and scout for the IELTS online practice test material. When it comes to IELTS writing task 2, apart from the IELTS online practice test, we also provide valuable tips for IELTS writing along with model answers to the latest essay questions. These model essays are written as per the recommended structure and practicing your writing skills along the same lines will ensure a high band score and your success in the IELTS Writing Task 2!