IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay (Agree or Disagree): structure and traps

In an opinion essay you are given a statement and asked whether, or to what extent, you agree. You must give a clear position and defend it throughout. It tests Task Response above all: whether you answer the question that was set, with a consistent view and developed support.

Format

• Task 2 of Writing: about 40 minutes, a minimum of 250 words, and twice the weight of Task 1 in the Writing score.
• Typical prompts: 'To what extent do you agree or disagree?', 'Do you agree or disagree?' and 'Do you think this is a good idea?'. All ask for your opinion.
• Four equally weighted criteria: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy.
• Typed on computer with a live word count. Fewer than 250 words is penalised; about 260 to 300 is a realistic target in the time available.
• A standard essay has an introduction, two body paragraphs and a conclusion. A clear opinion must appear in the introduction and be confirmed in the conclusion.

Strategy

1. Spend about five minutes on the question. Underline the key terms and the exact claim, then decide your position. Be careful of the details: 'compulsory' and 'beneficial' are not the same as 'useful'.
2. Choose your position and make sure you can support it with at least two developed reasons. If you cannot think of two for one side, the other side may be easier.
3. Write an introduction of two sentences: paraphrase the statement, then state your position in a thesis. 'While community service has clear value, I do not believe it should be compulsory for secondary school students.'
4. Plan each body paragraph around one main idea. Write a topic sentence, explain it, give a specific example, and link back to the question. Aim for about 90 to 110 words per paragraph.
5. If you partly agree, make the weight of the essay fall clearly on one side. One body paragraph can acknowledge the opposing view and explain its limits before your main argument.
6. Write a conclusion of one or two sentences that restates your position in different words. Do not introduce a new idea.
7. Leave three to five minutes to check. Look for a repeated word, a missing article, a sentence without a verb and whether every paragraph relates to the question.
8. Keep to the topic of the question, not the topic of a similar question you have practised. A memorised essay on a different aspect of the topic is penalised in Task Response.

Common traps

• Answering a more general question. If the question is about making something compulsory, an essay that argues only that it is useful has not answered it.
• Giving a position only in the last line, or changing position between the introduction and the conclusion.
• Using a memorised template with phrases such as 'In today's modern society' that do not suit the question. Examiners are trained to spot them and may reduce the mark.
• Making general statements with no example: 'It is good for society' is a claim, not an argument.
• Writing a perfectly balanced essay with no opinion, when the question asks 'To what extent do you agree?'
• Overstating: 'All students will benefit' is hard to defend, and 'most students would benefit' is easier.

FAQ

More IELTS Writing guides

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• Task 1: bar chart
• Task 1: pie charts
• Task 1: table
• Task 1: multiple charts
• Task 1: process diagram
• Task 1: maps
• Task 2: discussion essay
• Task 2: advantages & disadvantages
• Task 2: problem & solution
• Task 2: two-part question

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