IELTS Writing
IELTS Writing Task 2 - Sample Essays & Band Descriptors
IELTS Writing Task 2 is a 250-word academic essay graded on four criteria - Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy - each worth one quarter of your Task 2 sub-band. Task 2 itself accounts for two-thirds of your overall IELTS Writing band, so improving here moves your overall band more than any other single change. The five common question types are Opinion, Discussion, Two-part, Advantages and Disadvantages, and Problem and Solution. To see what band 7, band 8 and band 9 essays actually look like, browse the AI-scored sample essays linked below.
Browse sample essays by band
Every sample includes the original prompt, the full essay, and an AI-generated band breakdown showing exactly why the essay earned each criterion sub-band.
Band 7
Band 7 sample essays
What a clear, well-organised essay with a few minor errors looks like - the band most candidates target.
Read essaysBand 8
Band 8 sample essays
Sophisticated, fully-developed essays with rare slips. The band that opens most graduate programmes.
Read essaysBand 9
Band 9 sample essays
Essays that meet the highest published descriptors - fully cohesive, naturally idiomatic, fully accurate.
Read essaysWhat gets graded in Task 2
- Task Response. Did you address all parts of the prompt with a clear, sustained position and developed supporting ideas? This is the criterion that most often pulls candidates from band 7 to band 6.
- Coherence and Cohesion. Are your ideas organised into logical paragraphs, and do you connect them through topic progression rather than over-using linkers like "Firstly" and "In conclusion"?
- Lexical Resource. Do you use a wide range of vocabulary accurately and naturally, including less-common collocations? At band 9 the lexis sounds idiomatic; at band 7 it can feel a little formulaic.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Do you use a wide variety of complex sentence structures with consistent accuracy? Frequent error-free sentences are the marker of band 8 and above.
Recommended structure
The safest structure for almost every Task 2 type is four paragraphs: a short introduction that paraphrases the prompt and states your position, two body paragraphs that each develop a distinct main idea, and a conclusion that restates your position. For Discussion essays, dedicate one body paragraph to each view. For Problem-and-Solution essays, dedicate one body paragraph to causes and the other to solutions.
Frequently asked questions
What is IELTS Writing Task 2?
IELTS Writing Task 2 is a 250-word essay that you write in 40 minutes. You are given a statement, an opinion or a problem, and you must respond in formal academic English. Task 2 is worth two-thirds of your overall Writing band - twice as much as Task 1 - so it is the single most important component of the IELTS Writing test.
What are the IELTS Writing Task 2 question types?
There are five common question types: Opinion (agree or disagree), Discussion (discuss both views and give your opinion), Two-part (answer two related questions), Advantages and Disadvantages, and Problem and Solution. Identifying the type correctly is the first step to a high band, because each type has a slightly different ideal structure.
What does a band 7 essay look like compared to a band 9?
A band 7 essay addresses the prompt clearly and supports its position with developed ideas, but the language can feel slightly mechanical and minor errors appear in complex sentences. A band 9 essay reads like a confident native essay: the position is precisely calibrated, paragraphs flow without overt linkers, and the vocabulary is sophisticated yet natural. Compare the band 7 and band 9 sample essays linked below to see the difference in practice.
How is Task 2 graded?
Task 2 is graded on four equally weighted criteria: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Each criterion is given a band from 0–9, and the four are averaged for a Task 2 sub-band. Your Task 2 sub-band is then weighted at two-thirds of your overall Writing band.
Can AI score my Task 2 essay accurately?
Modern AI scorers calibrated against examiner-graded essays can predict overall Task 2 band within ±0.5 of a human examiner on more than 90% of submissions. AI is most accurate on Lexical Resource and Grammar, and slightly less accurate on Task Response, where examiner judgement is more subjective. See our methodology page for details.
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