IELTS Writing Preparation Notes: Part 2

IELTS Writing Test

Task 2: Essay

Marking Criteria

Task Achievement (TA)

Key parts:

• address the different parts of the task and nothing extra

• take a position in the essay

• present ideas with supporting evidence

• write 250 words

Coherence and Cohesion (CC)

Key parts:

• logically organises information

• cohesive devices

  • adding information - and / In addition, / Furthermore, / Moreover, / etc

  • showing contrast - but / However, / Despite this, / Conversely, / etc

  • talking about cause and result

    • cause - because / Owing to / since / as / due to / which is down to

    • result - so / Therefore, / Thus, / Consequently, / As a result,

• central topic in each paragraph

• referencing

  • this / that / these / those

  • pronouns

• paragraphing

  • four or five paragraphs

  • an introduction

  • two or three body paragraphs

  • a conclusion

Lexical Resource (LR)

Key parts:

• range and accuracy of vocabulary

• awareness of style and collocation

• frequency of errors in spelling and word formation

Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA)

Key parts:

• complex structures and accuracy

• number of errors

• punctuation

Complex linking words

Linking words - because / if / unless / while / when / whereas / although

All linking words apart from - for / and / nor / but / or / yet / so

Common complex grammatical structures

• conditionals - Technology can have a large benefit if it is used correctly.

• relative clauses - Social media which isn’t controlled can cause problems.

• sentences with ‘that’ - Many people believe that technology is largely negative.

Planning an Essay

• Write a relevant answer

• Write a well-structured answer

• Use the best language

• Save time

Understanding the Question Type

Types of Task 2 Essay

In the IELTS writing test, you have two tasks to complete. It is a good idea to write task 2 first, because it is more difficult and more important – it is worth double the marks of part 1.

For the IELTS writing task 2, you have 40 minutes to write an essay. The essay should be 250 words or more. Although you will not lose marks if your essay is fewer words than this, it is difficult to get a good score with fewer than 250 words. The essay will be one of the following types:

• Opinion essay – you are given an opinion on a topic (for example, what subjects people should study at school) and you need to explain if you agree or disagree with it – and why others might disagree with you.
• Discussion essay – you are given two opinions on a topic (for example, animal rights) and you need to explain both sides – and give your own opinion.
• Advantages & Disadvantages essay – you are given a topic/situation (for example, living abroad) and you need to explain the positive and negative sides of it.
• Direct Question essay – you are given 1-3 questions on a topic (for example, the importance of music) and you need to answer each question.
• Problems & Solutions essay – you are given a situation (for example, longer life expectancy) and you need to explain the problems or causes of it, and possible solutions or effects of it.

In all IELTS task 2 essays, you should try to consider more than one side of an issue. This could be two opposite opinions, the positives and negatives of a situation, or the problems and solutions of a situation. The examiner wants to see if you can write about two (not just one!), often opposite, sides to a topic or situation. For some essays, this is essential (e.g. Discussion Essays - you must discuss both sides), and for others, it’s a good idea (e.g. Opinion Essays - look at the counterarguments).

It is important that you read the essay question in detail so you understand what you need to do. You need to identify the topic/subject/situation of the essay, and the type of essay it is. It is a good idea to underline the key words in the question so that you focus on what is important.

Some essays ask for your opinion, some do not. If the question asks, “Do you agree?” or says, “Give your opinion” then you must give your opinion. However, in all essays, you can always give your opinion in the conclusion if you want.

Understanding the Question Topic

• Politics

• Culture

• Finance

• The Environment

• Education

Identifying the main arguments

Brainstorming ideas

Creating a paragraph plan

• 2-3 body paragraphs

• topic sentence

• develop the argument

• give example

• explain how it relates to the main argument

Planning Your Task 2 Essay

You should make a brief plan before you write. A plan will mean your essay will probably make more sense and be clearer. Your plan should only be brief notes on the main points you want to make. You won’t have time to write full sentences in your plan, or lists of vocabulary or grammar that you want to use. You should spend no more than 5 minutes making your plan because you only have 40 minutes in total to spend on your essay.

Remember, the IELTS is a language test. You can get a high score or a low score based only on the language you write. You are not tested on the quality of your ideas. It is not important if your idea is complicated or simple, original or unoriginal, intelligent or stupid – only your language matters. Therefore, make sure you do not waste time trying to think of complicated or original ideas – a simple idea is fine. Very often, you should choose the first idea you think of. Your ideas do have to be relevant to the question, however. For example, if the topic is ‘music’, you can’t write about your favourite animal.

Your essay should have four sections: an introduction, a body paragraph presenting the first side of the essay, a body paragraph presenting the other side, and a conclusion. In your body paragraphs, you should try to make two points and expand and support them. If you write only one point for each side, it will be difficult to expand and support them enough. With too many points for one side, you won’t have enough time to expand and support them at all. Therefore, two points per side is a good target to aim for.

There are many ways to extend and expand on points you make. You can give examples, results, or comments. Make sure you use linking words to do this.   

When you finish writing your essay, you should spend a few minutes checking it for mistakes. Many students make simple mistakes with spelling or grammar. They would be able to correct many of these mistakes if they read through the essay and checked it.

Example

Point: Culture is an essential part of a child’s education

Explain:

• Studying art teaches creativity —> important in life, for lots of jobs

• the government should spend money on things that benefit children’s education

Example: study art —> graphic designer, architect

concession: Not all children are creatively-minded

One important thing to consider is that The Arts are not just for entertainment - they are also an essential part of a child’s education. Learning subjects like art, drama and music can encourage creativity and self-expression. These skills are useful in all areas of life when the child grows up. For example, learning to draw well is an important skill for a graphic designer or an architect. A well-funded Arts industry benefits other industries by encouraging children to be creative, even though not all children are interested in that side of their education.

Developing Body Paragraphs

Body paragraphs are the main paragraphs of an essay. They contain the main ideas or points of an essay. You usually have two in an IELTS essay.

Structuring a paragraph

• a clear point

• explanation of the point

• how the point relates to the question

• an example or supporting evidence

Structure

1. topic sentence

2. explain in more detail

3. (give an example)

4. (show how the example relates to the point)

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• advantages and disadvantages essay

• problem / solution essay

• some discussion essay

A simple example

Do you think it is the government’s responsibility to care for elderly people, or should only their families be held responsible?

The first point to consider is that many older people have no family to look after them. It is possible that someone may have never had children, or may have moved to a new country later in life, meaning that they will not have the support of family to look after them. For instance, a person who has never married or had children might retire at 70 years old, but have no one to look after them. It seems clear that people like them deserve assistance from the government as they get older and start to lose their ability to fully look after themselves.

Topic sentence

• shows the ‘clear central topic’ of the paragraph.

• shows the examiner the ‘answer to the question’ they are looking for.

Examples:

• Sports are an essential part of children’s physical and social development.

• On the other hand, children need to learn social skills, and sports are a good way of teaching this.

Developing your main point

• Why is your topic sentence true?

• What are the causes or effects of this point?

• How does it work?

• Why is it a good or bad thing?

• How does it relate to the question issue?

Example:

• Another cause of pollution in cities is vehicles. Most road transport such as cars and trucks produce a large amount of emissions such as carbon dioxide, which is released into the atmosphere.

• However, without the Arts, our lives would be less interesting. We spend so much of our time watching TV series, listening to music and reading books. These pieces of culture keep us entertained, and give us something to talk about.

• Perfect computer translation software removes the need for people to study languages. Learning a foreign language is a great experience, it challenges your brain and it teaches you about new cultures and new ways of thinking. With translation technology available everywhere, people would no longer take part in this activity.

Giving examples

• You do not always need an example for every point.

• ‘Your own experience’ does not mean ‘personal stories’.

• Hypothetical examples are good and a good way to show off grammar.

  • unreal tenses

  • second conditionals

• They should perfectly illustrate the point you are trying to make.

• You should introduce them with a discourse marker.

  • for example

  • for instance

  • such as

Example:

Studying languages in a foreign country can be too expensive for most students. For example, a student coming to study English in Australia from Europe has to pay for a long flight and for accommodation, which is expensive in cities.

Different essay types - useful language

Opinion - Discussion - (Dis)advantage Essays

Topic sentence: Zoos increase the public’s awareness of animals that are endangered.

1. Explain why visiting a zoo can make a person understand more about endangered animals.

2. Explain why people knowing more about the animals helps with conservation in general.

3. Give an example of an endangered animal that people learn about through zoos.

This is because zoos often have a large amount of educational material that teaches the public about the animals’ habitat and the dangers it faces from human activity. Therefore, people understand the importance of conservation projects. This leads to people donate more money to these projects. For instance, people see pandas in zoos and it makes them care about them more. As a result, there is a large global effort to protect pandas which gets a lot of public support.

Problem / Solution Essays

Topic sentence: People suffer from back problems.

1. How spending your day sitting contributes to back problems.

2. What are the effects of back problems - Why is it bad?

3. (Example showing this effect)

When people sit down, they are less likely to keep their back straight, so, over time, their spine and muscles will change shape. As a result, everyday tasks like standing or bending over become miserable experiences. For example, someone who has spent their life at a desk all day will spend their years of retirement going to the doctor for their back pain.

General Advice:

When writing your body paragraphs, it is a good idea to make two points so you have enough to write about. When we make a point, we start generally and become more specific. One way to make a point is to use three sentences:

*1. State your point generally.

1. Give a specific example of your point.
2. Give a result of that example that connects to your point.*

However, it does not always have to be like this. For example, you could give a reason instead of an example; or you could give a comment instead of a result. You also need a topic sentence for your paragraph. The topic sentence should be the first sentence of the paragraph. The purpose of a topic sentence is to tell the reader what the paragraph will be about; for example, the advantages of living abroad, or the arguments against using animals.

The topic sentence should be the first sentence of your body paragraph. The purpose of the topic sentence is to tell the reader what your body paragraph is going to be about, for example, the advantages of living abroad, or the arguments against using animals. When you write the topic sentence for your second body paragraph, you will probably need to use a contrast linker such as ‘however’, ‘on the other hand’, or ‘turning to the other side of the argument’.

When making your points in your body paragraph, you need to expand on your ideas. You can do this by giving reasons, results, examples, comments, and so on. When you do this, you will usually need to use a linking word.

Introductions

Components of Introduction

An introduction is the first paragraph of an essay which introduces the topic of the essay and explains what will be covered.

• general introductory sentence to the topic

• one or two sentences paraphrasing the question

• explanation sentence

• (opinion sentence)

Introducing the topic generally

Example:

The issue of sports stars’ wages has become a strongly debated topic.

Sports stars nowadays receive extremely high salaries.

Paraphrasing

• Synonyms

  • say - claim

  • think - believe

  • get paid - earn

  • the money they receive - their salaries - their wages

  • deserve - work hard for

  • sports stars - professional athletes

• Word Families

  • believe v. - belief n. - believer n. person

  • professional adj. - profession n. - professor n. person

Example:

Some people say that sports stars get paid too much. Other people think that they deserve the money they receive.

Some people claim that professional athletes earn too much while others believe they work hard for their salaries.

Some people claim that people who do sport as a profession earn too much while there is another belief that they work hard for their salaries.

Explanation Sentence

The sentence of an introduction following the paraphrased question which explains what the essay will talk about.

• Look at the instructions of the task

• Paraphrase the instructions

Example:

• This essay will first look at the arguments for this before turning to those against.

• I will first focus on arguments in favour of this before moving on to look at those against.

• This essay will cover each side of the argument in turn.

Opinion Sentence

The last sentence of an introduction which gives your opinion about the whole issue.

• only if the question asks you to give your opinion

• think of your overall opinion of the issue

Example:

In spite of the arguments against, it is my firm opinion that the money sports personalities get is warranted.

Introductions for Different Essay Types

• discussion essay

• advantages / disadvantages essay

• opinion essay

• direct question essay

• problem and solution essay

Discussion Essay

Sports stars nowadays receive extremely high salaries. Some people claim that professional athletes earn too much while others believe they work hard for their salaries. This essay will first look at the arguments for this before turning to those against. In spite of the arguments against, it is my firm opinion that the money sports personalities get is warranted.

Advantages / disadvantages Essay

Tasks:

• What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? (NO opinion sentence)

• Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your opinion. (NEED opinion sentence)

• Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages? (NEED opinion sentence)

Opinion Essay

The issue of what type of healthcare system works best and who should fund it is a much contested one. Some argue that it should be paid for by the government and free to everyone while others say that it is individuals that should bear the cost. I strongly believe that free healthcare should be available to all and paid through taxes. In this essay, I will discuss why I hold this viewpoint.

Direct Question Essay

NEED an opinion sentence

Problem and Solution Essay

NO opinion sentence

Growing plastic waste is a huge global problem. There is an ever increasing amount being discarded and ending up in our natural waterways and oceans. In this essay, I will first look at the problems before moving on to suggest some possible solutions.

General Advice: 

You need to write a 3-4 sentence introduction to every task 2 essay. Your introduction should begin very generally, by introducing the topic. Then you should become more specific and introduce the 2 sides of the essay. For these sentences, you often need to paraphrase the question. Finally, you should end your introduction by explaining what you plan to write in your body paragraphs. When an essay asks for your opinion, or if you agree, you should give your opinion in the final sentence of the introduction.

The first sentence of your introduction should be very general. Imagine the examiner has not read the essay question. You need to tell the examiner what the general topic area is. Don’t be too specific in your first sentence, that can wait until later. Most introductions begin with a time phrase like “Nowadays” or “In recent years”. Remember to make sure that your time phrases match the grammar of your sentence. For example, if you begin your introduction with “In the past”, you need to use a past simple verb.

After your first sentence, you need to briefly introduce the two sides of the essay that you will discuss. You can do this in one long sentence or two short sentences. Often, you will need to paraphrase the question. You can paraphrase by changing the word order of a sentence, the grammar, the vocabulary, and so on. It is a good idea to use more than one technique, however. Also, because you are introducing two, often opposite, sides of the essay, you will need to use a contrast linker to connect the two ideas. Common contrast linkers are ‘but’, ‘however’, ‘while’, and so on.

To finish your introduction, you need to tell the examiner what you are going to do in the body paragraphs. Often, you can do this by beginning your sentence with “In this essay, I will…”. Remember, if the essay question asks for your opinion, you should give your opinion in this final sentence.

Conclusions

• The conclusion should be a summary for the whole essay.

• Role of the conclusion:

  • summarise the main message of the essay

  • summarise the two sides of the argument / main points in the body paragraphs

  • give your view for the first time / restate your view

• Paraphrase your previous points

• Make your main arguments clear

• Necessary for a good TA score

Components of Conclusion

A conclusion is the final paragraph of an essay. It summarises the points, arguments or main points of the essay and usually gives the writer’s final opinion.

Example:

Some people believe boys and girls should be educated in separate schools while others argue that mixed-gender schools are best. Discuss both views and…

In summary, mixed-gender schools offer several advantages over separate schools for girls and boys, but not without problems. Children develop their social skills much more effectively with a mix of the sexes, although it may sometimes be at the cost of their ability to focus on their studies. In my view, children are much better off in schools where they can learn to interact with the opposite sex.

The first sentence: general topic summary

In summary, mixed-gender schools offer several advantages over separate schools for girls and boys, but not without problems.

Discourse markers:

• In summary, …

• In conclusion, …

• To conclude, …

• To sum up, …

The second sentence(s): main points summary

Body Paragraph 1 - Topic Sentence:

It is possible that we do not know the full, long-term effects of eating genetically modified foods, as they have only recently been introduced to global diets.

unknown result / consequence consuming / consumption new / recent introduction what people eat / food

Body Paragraph 2 - Topic Sentence:

However, there is no doubt that GM plants, like rice or wheat, can produce a much greater amount of food, which could help to stop people dying from hunger.

crops produce more food / higher yield prevent / reduce death starvation / malnutrition

Although the long-term health consequences of consuming GM foods are still unknown due to its recent invention. GM crops produce more food which will prevent deaths from starvation and malnutrition.

Linking phrases (contrast or concession):

Different arguments / opinions on the same thing:

• although

• however

• despite the fact that

Differences between two different things:

• whereas

• in contrast

The final sentence: your opinion(view) or prediction(hope) of the future

In my opinion, we should be careful about experimenting with GM foods, because it could be harmful to our health.

Personally, I avoid eating GM foods, due to the health risks, but I believe they do play an important role in feeding people.

What NOT to include

• new points

• new examples

• informal opinion language

• irrelevant opinions

• more than 4 sentences

Good language to include

1. Starting the conclusion

   • In conclusion,

   • In summary,

   • To conclude,

   • To sum up,

   • All things considered,

   • On the whole,

2. Linking the main points

   • although

   • however

   • even though

   • whereas

   • in addition

   • furthermore

3. Giving opinions

   • In my view,

   • I believe that

   • Personally,

   • In my opinion,

   • From my point of view,

   • I hold the view that

Conclusions for Different Essay Types

1. First Sentence: General topic summary

2. Second Sentence(s): Main arguments summary

3. Final Sentence: Your opinion

Essays with your opinion

• “Do you agree or disagree”

• “Do you think …?”

• “What is your view?”

• “… and give your opinion.”

• “Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?”

Problem / Solution Essay

In conclusion, more and more wildlife is being threatened by human activity and it is up to humans to solve the problem. The destruction of animals’ habitats and the pollution of the oceans are the main factors in this problem. To solve it, we will need to place restrictions on harmful activities like deforestation and invest more money in conservation projects. It is my view that with global cooperation, many of these species can be saved.

General Advice:

You need to write a 3-4 sentence conclusion to every task 2 essay. Your conclusion should begin with a general statement summarising the topic of the essay. Then, you should become more specific and briefly summarise the points you made in your body paragraphs. For these sentences, you need to paraphrase the points. Make sure you don’t introduce any new points in the conclusion, you can only summarise points you have already made. Finally, you should end your conclusion by giving or re-stating your opinion.

The first sentence of your conclusion should summarise the general theme of your essay. It should not summarise the points you made in your paragraphs, you should do that in your second sentence. You should begin your first sentence with a concluding phrase such as “In conclusion” or “To sum up”.

After your first sentence, you need to briefly summarise the points you made in your body paragraphs. You should not make any new points, but instead paraphrase what you have already written in the main body of your essay. You can paraphrase by using synonyms, changing the word order or grammar of a sentence, and so on. It is a good idea to use more than one technique when paraphrasing. Because you will be summarising two opposite sides of your essay, you might need to use a contrast linker like ‘while’ or ‘however’.

You should end your conclusion with your opinion. For some essays, for example, the advantages and disadvantages essay; this will be the first time you give your opinion. For opinion essays, you will have given your opinion in the introduction, so you need to restate it in the conclusion – make sure you paraphrase and don’t use exactly the same words. To begin this sentence, it is a good idea to use an opinion phrase like “In my opinion”, or “Personally”.

Preparing to Write

• analyse the question

• brainstorm some ideas

• decide on your structure

Keywords:

• nouns and noun phrases

• verbs and verb phrases

• adjectives

• adverbs and adverb phrases

Advantage/Disadvantage and Discussion Essays

Introduction

These days, more and more employees are able to do their jobs remotely rather than travelling into work. This idea of ‘homeworking’ may be very attractive to many workers. However, there are a number of issues related to productivity and social contact. In my view, employers need to carefully consider what is best for their company and for the happiness of their staff.

Body paragraphs

Structure 1

Body 1

• first idea in favour of high salaries

• explanation/example

• second idea in favour of high salaries

• explanation/example

Body 2

• first idea against high salaries

• explanation/example

• second idea against high salaries

• explanation/example

Structure 2

Body 1

• main idea in favour of high salaries

• explanation

• example/supporting evidence

Body 2

• main idea against high salaries

• explanation

• example/supporting evidence

One big advantage of working from home is that it is more flexible as employees can start and finish work when they want to. For example, they could work longer hours if they have a deadline or start work later if they need to take their children to school.

Conclusion

In conclusion, more and more people are being allowed to work from their houses and not have to go into work. The flexibility that this allows is clearly a big advantage as people no longer need to waste time travelling to work and can set their own hours. However, on the downside, it can be difficult to separate work and home life. It is my view that although this work-life separation is tricky to achieve, if a person can make it work then the benefits that go with home working are huge.

Opinion and Direct Question Essays

Analysing the Question

For an opinion essay, you need to show a clear position in response to the question. Before you plan or write, decide if you agree, disagree or partially agree with the statement. Your essay then needs to justify your opinion.

For a direct question essay, you need to give an answer to both of the questions and explain why this is your opinion.

Introduction

Health is perhaps the most important priority for all humans. A large number of people claim that every person has the right to free medical care and that it is a government’s duty to supply this to their citizens. While it could be argued that citizens should be responsible for paying their own medical costs, it is my opinion that universal healthcare brings significant benefits to society and should be a requisite of every nation.

Body paragraphs

Opinion Essay

Structure 1

Body 1

• first idea supporting your opinion

• explanation/example

• second idea supporting your opinion

• explanation/example

• (concession)

Body 2

• next idea from your opinion

• explanation/example

• final idea from your opinion

• explanation/example

• (concession)

Structure 2

Body 1

• first idea supporting your opinion

• explanation

• example/supporting evidence

• (concession)

Body 2

• second idea from your opinion

• explanation

• example/supporting evidence

• (concession)

Concession

A concession is when you acknowledge a possible weakness or disadvantage of your argument. It actually makes your argument look stronger.

Concessions can start or end a sentence and they need a linking phrase of concession.

Example:

Main point: Free healthcare benefits society as a whole

Concession: Free healthcare costs taxpayers a lot of money

Sentence: While it may be true that free healthcare costs taxpayers a large sum of money, it clearly benefits society as a whole.

The internet is a powerful tool for students to do research even if it can be a distraction sometimes.

Direct Question Essay

Structure 1

Body 1

• first idea answering first question

• explanation/example

• second idea answering first question

• explanation/example

Body 2

• first idea answering second question

• explanation/example

• second idea answering second question

• explanation/example

Structure 2

Body 1

• main idea answering first question

• explanation

• example/supporting evidence

Body 2

• main idea answering second question

• explanation

• example/supporting evidence

A key reason for remaining in contact with people is that loneliness is bad for our health, as we can become depressed and anxious, which can in turn lead to medical conditions. For example, many elderly people die soon after they lose their husband or wife because being alone takes a terrible toll on them.

Conclusion

In conclusion, developing technology is making the world a smaller place and allowing for easy communication. It is essential that we stay connected, as relationships are the cornerstone of a healthy life and loneliness can kill. Though online interaction is incredibly useful, it can never replace the bonding that happens through a shared and lived experience with another person. It is my view that we crave personal contact and the best way to achieve this is to go and visit a friend or family member in person.

Problems and Solutions Essays

Introduction

Throughout the last 100 years, more and more species have become at risk or wiped out completely. The causes of this are largely related to human activity. Therefore, the solutions rely on us taking action and changing our behaviour. This essay will look at the main reasons for the loss of wildlife and propose some possible ways of resolving them.

Body paragraphs

Structure 1

Body 1

• first problem / cause

• explanation/example

• second problem / cause

• explanation/example

Body 2

• first solution

• explanation/example

• second solution

• explanation/example

Structure 2

Body 1

• first problem / cause

• explanation / example

• first solution

• explanation / example

Body 2

• second problem / cause

• explanation / example

• second solution

• explanation / example

Solution - make laws to protect habitats

A possible solution could be for governments to pass laws. These laws could restrict the amount of forest that a country could cut down in a year and punish companies that do not follow them. For example, if a company were to chop down a large amount of the rainforest, the government could fine them a large sum of money or even send them to prison.

Conclusion

In conclusion, more and more wildlife is being threatened by human activity and it is up to humans to solve the problem. The destruction of animals’ habitats and the pollution of the oceans are the main factors in this problem. To solve it, we will need to place restrictions on harmful activities like deforestation and invest more money in conservation projects. It is my view that with global cooperation, many of these species can be saved.

General advice:

Remember, it’s important to look at the essay question in detail and make sure you understand what you need to do. Identify the topic and what kind of essay it is. Underline key words. In some essays, you need to give your opinion, and others you do not. However, even in essays which do not ask for your opinion, you can mention it in your conclusion.

It is important to plan your essay so that you can organise your ideas. With a plan, your essay will make more sense. You won’t have time to write full sentences in your plan, only notes. Your notes should be on your main points(, with 2 points in each paragraph). The IELTS tests your language, not your ideas, so the first idea you have is a good one to choose – even if it is simple. Don’t waste your time trying to think of very complicated ideas.

It is important that you make relevant points. When thinking of ideas for your essay, ask yourself: does this connect to the essay question?

Remember, when you write about one idea, you should extend and support it. You can do this by giving more details, examples, results, and comments.

Advantage/Disadvantage Essay

Your essay needs four main paragraphs: an introduction, 1 body paragraph presenting advantages, 1 body paragraph presenting disadvantages, and a conclusion. It is important to plan your essay so that you can organise your ideas. With a plan, your essay will make more sense.

Discussion Essay

Your discussion essay needs to begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion. You should write about both points of view given in the question. You can choose which point of view to write about first. It is a good idea to make two points for each side so that you will have enough to write about. You have to write about your opinion in the conclusion, but you can also choose to give it in the introduction.

Direct Question Essay

Your essay needs to begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion. When you have an essay that asks you direct questions, you should answer all the questions you are asked. You should write one paragraph for each question. It is a good idea to make two points in answer to each question.

Opinion Essay

If you need to give your opinion, the question might ask “do you agree?” or “give your opinion.”

Your opinion essay needs four main paragraphs: an introduction, two body paragraphs that support your opinion with examples, and a conclusion. For each body paragraph, it is a good idea to make two points so you have enough to write about.

In your essay, you must make sure you present a clear opinion on the question and show why you believe this with examples and reasons to support the points you make. You must also address all parts of the task. This means that, as in the example here, if you agree that schools should teach more practical subjects like IT, you still need to mention art and music in your essay and why you agree it should be taught less because it is part of the question. In an opinion essay, you can fully agree, fully disagree, or partially agree. If you partially agree, this does not mean that you should discuss both sides equally; you still agree with one side more than the other. Whatever position you take, you must state it in your introduction and then use your body paragraphs to justify what you have said. Restate your opinion in your conclusion.

It is also a good idea to add a ‘concession’ to your body paragraphs. Concessions show why some people don’t have the same opinion as you and show arguments for the other side (the one you don’t agree with). By adding concessions, you give balance to your essay by accepting that, although you hold one opinion, other people might think differently. Concessions can make your argument stronger. For example, in this essay question, if you disagreed and thought art and music should not be dropped, you might add ‘Although it is true that technology is essential for the modern workplace, creative thinking and imagination is also an essential life skill and this is nurtured through the study of music and art at school.’ By doing this, you use the side you disagree with to make your opinion stronger.

Problem and Solution Essay

Your essay needs to begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion. You should write about 2 problems and 2 solutions. You should write about the problems before the solutions. It is important to plan your essay so that you can organise your ideas. With a plan, your essay will make more sense.