Section Writing Task 2
Guides 21
Updated
Master IELTS Writing Task 2 with essay structures, sample answers for every essay type, vocabulary lists, and AI-powered feedback. Trusted by 1.2M+ learners.
Find out what band your essay reaches.
Paste a Task 2 essay and get a score for each of the four criteria, with the sentences that hold it back.
Score my essay nowMake a call on each example. Where your guess and the answer differ is exactly what the guides below will fix.
Task: Some people think university students should pay the full cost of their studies. Others believe the government should pay. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Nowadays, education is very important in our life. Some people think students should pay for university by themselves, but others believe government should pay it. In this essay I will discuss both sides and give my opinion.
Answer: No clear position
Stronger version
Whether tuition should be paid by students or by the state divides opinion. While there is a case for asking graduates to contribute, I believe the government should cover most of the cost, because the whole of society benefits from an educated workforce.
A: Pollution is a very big problem and it makes many bad things for people’s health.
B: Air pollution has been linked to a sharp rise in respiratory illness, particularly among children who live near busy roads.
Answer: Sentence B
In conclusion, technology have more advantages than disadvantages because it help people in many ways.
Answer: Band 5
Stronger version
Overall, I believe the benefits of technology outweigh its drawbacks, because it gives people faster access to information and services.
Firstly, cars are expensive. Moreover, they pollute the air. Furthermore, they cause traffic jams. In addition, parking is difficult.
Answer: Mechanical linking
You have 40 minutes to plan, write, and check a minimum 250-word essay. Examiners recommend spending about 5 minutes planning, 30 minutes writing, and 5 minutes editing.
Task 2 is scored on four equally weighted criteria: Task Response (answering the question fully), Coherence & Cohesion (logical structure and linking), Lexical Resource (vocabulary range and accuracy), and Grammatical Range & Accuracy. Your Task 2 score counts for two-thirds of your overall Writing band.
The six most common essay types are: opinion (agree/disagree), discussion (discuss both views), problem-solution, cause-and-effect, advantages vs disadvantages, and two-part questions. Each has its own optimal structure.
Writing under 250 words triggers a penalty on the Task Response criterion, which typically lowers that score by one band. Always aim for 260-290 words to stay safely above the minimum without losing time.
Writing Task 2 is the highest-leverage section for most goal-driven candidates. The six audiences below all weight Task 2 heavily for their target band.
IELTS for Canada PR→
Express Entry CRS rewards a 7.0 Writing band with the largest single jump in language points.
IELTS for Nurses (NMC, AHPRA)→
Writing is the most-failed section for nurse registration, where NMC and Ahpra need 6.5 in Writing and 7 elsewhere.
IELTS for UK Visa→
Skilled Worker (B2 for new applications from January 2026), Spouse and Settlement routes each set their own English level.
IELTS for University Admission→
Most universities require band 6.5 or 7.0 in Writing as a minimum admission standard.