IELTS Writing Task 2: Essay Structures for Every Question Type

First, understand the four scoring criteria

Before looking at structures, it helps to know what the examiner rewards. Task 2 is marked on four equally weighted criteria, each worth 25 percent of your Writing Task 2 band. Structure directly affects the first two and indirectly supports the rest.

• Task Response: how fully and directly you answer every part of the question with a clear position and developed ideas.
• Coherence and Cohesion: how logically your essay is organised into paragraphs and linked with cohesive devices.
• Lexical Resource: the range and accuracy of your vocabulary, including less common words and collocations.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy: your use of varied sentence structures with control of grammar and punctuation.

A strong structure makes your Task Response and Coherence obvious to the examiner. It signals that you understood the prompt and organised your response deliberately, which is exactly what higher bands require.

Type 1: Opinion (agree or disagree)

These prompts end with a phrase like To what extent do you agree or disagree? They ask for your single, clear opinion, which you must hold consistently from the introduction to the conclusion. Avoid sitting on the fence. Decide whether you fully agree, fully disagree, or partly agree, and stick to it.

• Introduction: paraphrase the statement, then state your clear position (for example, I strongly agree that...).
• Body paragraph 1: your first main reason, with a topic sentence, an explanation, and a specific example.
• Body paragraph 2: your second main reason, developed the same way with explanation and example.
• Conclusion: restate your opinion in different words and summarise your two reasons.

If you choose to partly agree, dedicate one body paragraph to the side you mostly support and one to the qualification, but make sure your introduction and conclusion still express a definite overall stance.

Type 2: Discussion (discuss both views and give your opinion)

The classic wording is Discuss both these views and give your own opinion. Many candidates lose marks here by discussing both sides but forgetting to give a personal opinion, or by giving an opinion so vague that the examiner cannot identify it. You must do both clearly.

• Introduction: paraphrase the topic, note that opinions differ, and state which view you personally favour.
• Body paragraph 1: explain the first view fully and fairly, with reasons and an example, even if you disagree with it.
• Body paragraph 2: explain the second view, then make clear this is the side you support and say why.
• Conclusion: summarise both views and confirm your own opinion.

A clean approach is to explain the view you disagree with first and the view you support second, then let your opinion flow naturally from the stronger paragraph. This keeps your position consistent and easy to follow.

Type 3: Problem and solution (causes and solutions)

These prompts describe a situation and ask What problems does this cause and how can they be solved? Sometimes they ask for causes instead of problems. Read carefully, because answering the wrong half of the question is a common and costly mistake. The safest structure gives one body paragraph to each half.

• Introduction: paraphrase the situation and state that the essay will examine the problems (or causes) and their solutions.
• Body paragraph 1: identify one or two clear problems or causes, each explained with a reason and an example.
• Body paragraph 2: propose realistic solutions that directly address the problems you raised, again with explanation.
• Conclusion: summarise the main problem and the most effective solution.

Keep your solutions tightly linked to the problems. If you mention traffic congestion as a problem, your solution should tackle congestion specifically, such as investment in public transport, rather than an unrelated idea.

Type 4: Advantage and disadvantage

There are two sub-types, and the difference matters. Some prompts simply say What are the advantages and disadvantages? and want a balanced discussion with no opinion. Others say Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? and require you to reach a judgement. Identify which one you have before you plan.

• Introduction: paraphrase the topic and, for the outweigh version, state whether the advantages or disadvantages are greater.
• Body paragraph 1: discuss the advantages, developed with explanation and an example.
• Body paragraph 2: discuss the disadvantages in the same detailed way.
• Conclusion: for the outweigh version, restate which side is stronger; for the neutral version, briefly summarise both sides.

For the outweigh version, weight your essay slightly toward the side you argue is stronger, and make your final judgement explicit in both the introduction and conclusion so your position never wavers.

Type 5: Two-part (direct question)

These prompts ask two distinct direct questions, for example Why is this happening? and What can be done about it? or Is this a positive or negative development, and what solutions exist? The structure is simple: answer each question in its own body paragraph, and never leave one unanswered.

• Introduction: paraphrase the background and signal that you will answer both questions.
• Body paragraph 1: answer the first question fully, with reasons and an example.
• Body paragraph 2: answer the second question fully, again supported and developed.
• Conclusion: give a short combined answer to both questions.

The main trap is treating the two questions unequally. Give each roughly the same space and depth, because the examiner checks that you addressed all parts of the prompt.

A universal planning routine

With 40 minutes for Task 2, spend around 5 minutes planning, 30 minutes writing, and 5 minutes checking. That planning time is where you decide the question type, choose your structure, and jot down your two main ideas plus one example each. Candidates who skip planning often drift off topic or run out of ideas halfway through.

Notice that almost every structure uses a four-paragraph shape: an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. This is deliberate. It is enough to develop ideas fully within 250 to around 300 words, and it is easy for an examiner to follow. Save your effort for clear topic sentences, precise vocabulary, and varied grammar rather than trying to invent a more elaborate layout.