structure opinion essay ielts

How to write an IELTS opinion essay

Ielts opinion essay: structure, model answer, and analysis..

Updated: February 2023

There are 5 types of essays in IELTS writing task 2 and a common one is an opinion essay.

So how do you know if it is an opinion essay?. You will first need to study the instruction words. These words tell you what you should write about and this should be the first step to take before you even begin to plan. Analyse the task and especially the instruction words so you do not go off-topic or write a different essay altogether.

Here are 2 essay tasks below, which one do you think is the opinion essay?

1. Most people agree that money cannot buy happiness. Why is happiness difficult to define? How can people achieve happiness? 2. Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Looking at the instruction words we can see that the second one is an opinion essay as it asks ‘ To what extent do you agree or disagree? ‘

The first task is called a ‘Two-part question essay’ or sometimes called a ‘Direct question essay’.

Instruction words

Opinion essays will have various instruction words such as:

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Do you agree or disagree?

What is your opinion?

Do you think…?

What do you think….?

In your opinion what is ….?

In some cases the instruction words ask your opinion it may be a discussion essay such as:

‘Discuss both views and give your own opinion’

The structure of a discussion essay is different from an opinion essay as you will need to explain peoples views before you go into your own opinion.

This task below is a 2 part question essay and the second question asks your opinion.

Most people agree that money cannot buy happiness. Why is happiness difficult to define? How can people achieve happiness?

The opinion essay that I am referring to asks ‘ To what extent do you agree or disagree?’ means how much do you agree/disagree? , do you completely agree/disagree? or somewhat agree/disagree? or do you neither agree nor disagree?

You can write in your thesis statement something like: ‘ I completely agree because…..’ or if you don’t agree, something like: ‘ I absolutely disagree because…..’

What is an effective opinion essay structure?

There is no magic Band 9 structure but my students have found that the structure below works well in an opinion essay.

Tips on structure:

The main body paragraphs will cover the reasons for your opinion; however, do not list ideas just use one central idea and explain and support it.
Don’t wait until the conclusion to give your opinion. It must be throughout the whole essay .
Don’t give 2 different opinions. Do not agree then disagree as it will confuse the examiner. You can balance it with why someone would hold an opposing view but it is not a discussion essay.
I advise keeping the introduction under 60 words , each body paragraph should be approximately 90 to 105 words , the conclusion needs to be shorter than the introduction and no new ideas should be added to the conclusion
Aim for between 270 to 295 words , over 300 words is not realistic as you only have 40 minutes to write the essay .

Which body paragraph is better?

Take a look at these 2 main body one paragraphs to the task below, what do you think will score higher?

Task question:

Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices . To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

A long time ago people used to go to market places and they bought basic daily necessities, now people can buy online and go to many high street shops. In addition, we can choose any hotel we like at cheap prices. Also, businesses compete with each other which means customers can buy items at low cost as well as a bigger selection of goods. Furthermore, the economy benefits because people can select from so many different products. For example, Amazon.com has millions of products that are much cheaper than buying at a shopping mall.

Admittedly, these days there are far too many choices which can be overwhelming; however, I think that for consumers this is an advantage because it forces businesses to compete with each other. This means that shoppers can benefit greatly from lower prices. For example, over the past two decades, Ryanair and EasyJet budget airlines have considerably reduced the cost of airfares for flights all over Europe. Before this, there was only one airline to choose from at exorbitant costs. Presently, many more budget airline options are serving destinations worldwide with incredible bargains for customers.

Click below for the answer.

The 2nd example is better because I wrote one central idea (lower prices for consumers) and expanded on that. The example given is not entirely true but it looks very feasible. You can just make up examples but they have to be specific and realistic looking. The point of an example is to support your main idea.

At the start of the paragraph I mentioned that too much choice is overwhelming but then contrast that with my opinion (Admittedly, these days there are far too many choices which can be overwhelming; however, I think that…) .

To see how to balance the essay click here for a lesson on balancing your opinion .

In example 1 above this has too many ideas and too many points. It jumps around and is not focusing on one central idea. The points are relevant but there is too much going on.

You will also notice an opinion is not given directly in the first example (I think / I believe etc) the whole paragraph affects coherence and cohesion as well as task response. The example given about amazon.com is also quite weak and not well explained.

Analysing the question.

As with all IELTS essays, it is crucial to spend a couple of minutes analysing the task and underling the keywords so that you are writing relevant points in the essay. If you go off-topic or write irrelevant points it will affect your score.

This is the task question for my model answer below and it is clear that the essay is about having too many choices these days . This means that there is something negative about having many choices, as the word ‘too’ implies something negative. In my model answer, I disagree with this being a negative and in fact, many choices are beneficial.

Click here for the 5 steps you need to take before writing.

I advise 10 minutes of planning time, this includes time analysing the question and getting relevant ideas.

Click here for a lesson about examples in main body paragraphs.

Model Answer

Some people believe that n owadays we have too many choices . To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

It is argued that in recent times people are overwhelmed by so many choices. Although I agree with this to some extent, for consumers I believe that having so many options enables them to purchase more competitively priced and higher quality products.

Another reason why I believe that more choice is beneficial is that the quality of products has improved in recent years. This is because many businesses are vying for customers’ attention, so their main selling points are not only low prices but also much higher quality. For instance, smartphone costs have decreased in the past 5 years and these devices are more powerful and more durable than ever before. This is primarily because manufacturers have focused on quality control to compete with rival products. I would argue that this has been a benefit to consumers which would not have been possible with one or two companies monopolising the smartphone market.

To conclude, despite the argument that there is too much freedom of choice nowadays, I hold the view that this is a positive trend as so many options allows customers to buy inexpensive items without compromising on quality.

Click below to see more detail and an analysis

1. My thesis statement says: Although I agree with this to some extent, for consumers I believe that having so many options enables them to purchase more competitively priced and higher quality products.

I am giving a balanced opinion here and focusing specifically on choice for consumers.

2. I have covered the points about how more choices have resulted in lower prices in main body one, while in main body two I cover the point about higher quality products because of the fact there are more choices. Notice how I have balanced my view: Admittedly, these days there are far too many choices which can be overwhelming; however, I think that for consumers this is an advantage because it forces businesses to compete with each other. .

3. The examples I gave are made up and not entirely true but they look realistic, the examiner does not check your examples for validity. Examples are there to support your main ideas. Do not put statistics in the examples either.

4. The points I have made in the essay connect with consumerism and shopping, but I have linked them to the points about how having many choices are of benefit to customers or consumers , because my opinion is that having many choices is a good aspect

5. In this type of essay, you could write about other areas where having many choices are relevant such as the choices of universities we can attend, the choices of work we might engage in, The choice of health care options available….and so on.

Here is a good news article from ‘ Business Insider’ that connects with this task question. Reading is a very good way to get ideas for IELTS essays.

How to Plan & Write IELTS Opinion Essays

IELTS opinion essays, also known as ‘agree or disagree’ essays, come up frequently in the writing exam. In this lesson, I’m going to show you how to plan and write them step-by-step.

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

3 Common mistakes
Essay structure
How to plan
How to write an introduction
How to write main body paragraphs
How to write a conclusion

Click the links to see lessons on each of these Task 2 essay writing topics.

Once you understand the process, practice on past questions. Take your time at first and gradually speed up until you can plan and write an essay of at least 250 words in the 40 minutes allowed in the exam.

The Question

The first part of the question for an IELTS opinion essay will be a statement. You will then be asked to give your own opinion about the statement. Here is some typical wording that might be used:

What is your opinion?
Do you agree or disagree?
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Want to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

Here's a question from a past test paper.

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

I’ll be using this question to guide you through the process of planning and writing an IELTS opinion essay.

3 Common Mistakes

These three errors are common in IELTS opinion essays.

Not stating an opinion.
Giving arguments for both views.
Not supporting your opinion with clear reasons.

The most common mistake that students make is not giving an opinion. The question will clearly state that you must choose one side of the argument. If you fail to do this, you will get a low score for task achievement.

It doesn’t matter which side of the argument you take or even, that you agree with it. Choose the one you can develop the best argument for.

Make sure that you don’t change your opinion part way through the essay, and don’t give reasons for the opposing view.

Essay Structure

Now let’s look at a simple structure you can use to write opinion essays. It’s not the only possible structure but it’s the one I recommend because it’s easy to learn and will enable you to quickly plan and write a high-level essay.

1) Introduction

Paraphrase the question
Give your opinion
State two supporting reasons

2) Main body paragraph 1

Topic sentence – outline 1st reason for supporting this view
Explanation – explain this idea
Example – give an example or expand the idea

3) Main body paragraph 2

Topic sentence – outline 2nd reason for supporting this view
Example – give an example or expand the idea

4) Conclusion

Summarise opinion and key reasons

This structure will give us a well-balanced essay with 4 paragraphs.

We now need some ideas to add into the structure and we’ll have everything we need for our essay.

How To Plan IELTS Opinion Essays

# 1 decide on your opinion.

The question I've chosen to work on is quite straightforward and easy to understand so we don’t need to spend time analysing it. The first task, then, is to decide on our opinion.

Here’s the question again:

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?

For this essay, I’m going to disagree with the statement and argue that job satisfaction is more important than a big salary.

# 2 Generate ideas

The second task is to generate some ideas to write about.

Since I‘m going to argue that job satisfaction is more important than a large salary, I need ideas to support this view.

There are several different ways to think up ideas. I cover them fully on the IELTS Essay Planning page.

With this particular question, I immediately thought of a couple of examples of situations where job satisfaction did prove to be more important than a high salary, so I’m going to use the ‘example method’ of generating ideas.

Once you’ve thought of an example or two, ideas to include in your essay should come to you easily.

You might want to try this yourself before reading on for my ideas.

Here are my examples and some ideas they generated.

Both the examples are partly true but I've adapted them to better fit the essay. It's fine to do this as the examiner won't check your facts.

Uncle Barry – boasted about high salary but hated his job. Nervous breakdown – lost job & can’t work.
Me – gave up teaching. Now enjoy my work and am much more relaxed and happy even though I earn much less money.
High-salary jobs are generally more stressful
Stress leads to ill health, both mental and physical
40 hours a week at work – a third of the day
Money doesn’t bring happiness
Better quality of life
Sense of fulfilment
Less stressed – healthier and happier

I’ve got more ideas here than I need so I’m going to pick two to develop in the essay – one for each of the main body paragraphs.

Idea 1 – High-salary jobs are generally more stressful and can lead to ill health.

Idea 2 – Job satisfaction gives a sense of fulfilment.

We’re almost ready to start writing our IELTS opinion essay but first, we have one other small task to do.

# 3 Vocabulary

In an IELTS essay, it’s important to be able to say the same things in different ways, either by paraphrasing and/or using synonyms. During the planning stage, quickly jot down a few synonyms of key words you could use to save you having to stop and think of the right language while you’re writing.

For example:

satisfaction – fulfilment, achievement, sense of accomplishment, content, sense of well-being

salary – income, wages, pay, earnings

important – significant, valued, has more meaning

job – work, employment, position

With that done, we can focus on the first paragraph of the essay – the introduction.

How To Write an Introduction

A good introduction has a simple 3 part structure:

1) Paraphrased question

2) Thesis statement

3) outline statement.

An introduction should:

Have 2-3 sentences
Be 40-60 words long
Take 5 minutes to write

1) Paraphrase the question

Start your introduction by paraphrasing the question.

Question: A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?

Paraphrased question:

It is argued that earning lots of money has more significance to people than being content in their work.

Note that I’ve used some of the synonyms I listed, although it’s fine to repeat one or two words if you need to. Above all, your language must sound natural.

In IELTS opinion essays, the thesis statement is where you state your opinion. For example,

Thesis statement:

This essay totally disagrees with that statement.

That’s all you need to say.

If you decided to agree with the statement, you would write:

'This essay completely agrees with that statement.'

Finally in the introduction, you must outline the two main points (ideas 1 and 2 above) that you’ll cover in the rest of the essay. Do it in one sentence, or you can add them onto the end of the thesis statement if appropriate.

Outl ine statement:

I believe that people are increasingly concerned about the risk of stress-related ill-health frequently experienced by people in highly paid positions and they care more about feeling fulfilled at work.

So, let’s bring the three elements of our introduction together.

Introduction

This introduction achieves three important functions:

It shows the examiner that you understand the question.
It acts as a guide to the examiner as to what your essay is about.
It also helps to keep you focused and on track as you write.

The two ideas in your introduction will become your two main body paragraphs.

Main body paragraph 1 – concerns about the risk of stress-related ill-health

Main body paragraph 2 – a sense of fulfilment at work

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

The structure of a good main body paragraph has 3 parts:

Topic sentence
Explanation

If you can’t think of an example, you can add further supporting ideas but we already have our two examples so that’s not an issue here.

A common problem when writing main body paragraphs for IELTS opinion essays is having too many ideas. Again, we have already chosen the two ideas we are going to develop, so we are all set to start writing.

You can see how important the planning stage is and how it makes the actual writing of the essay far quicker and easier.

Main Body Paragraph 1

The topic sentence summarises the main idea of the paragraph. That’s all it needs to do so it doesn’t have to be complicated.

It plays an important role in ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one to another. It does this by acting as a signpost for what is to come next, that is, what the paragraph will be about.

If you maintain a clear development of ideas throughout your essay, you will get high marks for task achievement and cohesion and coherence.

We’ll now take the idea for our first main body paragraph and create our topic sentence.

Main idea 1 – concerns about the risk of stress-related ill-health

Topic sentence:

Employees earning a large income are generally under significant mental and emotional pressure to perform well and achieve targets.

Next, we must write an explanation sentence . This explains to the examiner what we mean. It expands on our first idea.

Explanation sentence:

This causes many individuals to suffer high levels of stress which can result in both mental and physical health problems.

Finally, we add an example to support our main point. I thought of this in the planning stage so I have it ready to use.

If you can’t think of a real example, it’s fine to make one up, as long as it’s believable. The examiner isn’t going to check your facts.

Example sentence:

This happened to my uncle. He used to boast about his huge salary but the boss kept increasing his sales targets and in the end, the stress became too great and he had a nervous breakdown. Now he regrets being driven by the money.

That’s the 3 parts of our first main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

We now follow the same process for our second main body paragraph.

Main Body Paragraph 2

Main idea 2 – Job satisfaction gives a sense of fulfilment.

First, we write the topic sentence to summarise the main idea.

Topic sentence:

Having a job that they enjoy doing, and in which they feel valued, is a major concern for most of the modern workforce.

Now for the explanation sentence to explain this idea.

Explanation sentence:

A significant number of people are giving up well-paid positions to do jobs which pay less but that they find more enjoyable and less stressful.

Finally, an example to support our main point. As before, I thought of this in the planning stage so just need to form it into a couple of sentences.

I am an example of this myself. A year ago I left the teaching profession because the workload had become too great and I am now a gardener. I feel really fulfilled in this work and I am much more relaxed and happy even though I earn far less money.

That’s the 3 parts of our second main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

Now we need a conclusion and our IELTS opinion essay is done.

How To Write a Conclusion

Conclusions to IELTS opinion essays should do two things:

Summarise the main points
State your opinion

This can generally be done in a single sentence.

If you are below the minimum 250 words after you’ve written your conclusion, you can add an additional prediction or recommendation statement.

Our essay currently has 233 words so we’re on target and don’t need this extra sentence but you can learn more about how to write a prediction or recommendation statement for IELTS opinion essays on the Task 2 Conclusions page.

The conclusion is the easiest sentence in the essay to write but one of the most important.

A good conclusion will:

Neatly end the essay
Link all your ideas together
Sum up your argument or opinion
Answer the question

If you achieve this, you’ll improve your score for both task achievement and cohesion and coherence which together make up 50% of the overall marks. Without a conclusion, you’ll score below band 6 for task achievement.

You can start almost any final paragraph of an IELTS opinion essay with the words:

In conclusion

To conclude

Now all you need to do is briefly summarise the main ideas into one sentence.

Here’s a top tip . Go back and read the introduction to the essay because this is also a summary of the essay. It outlines what you are going to write about.

To create a great conclusion, you simply have to paraphrase the introduction. Let’s give it a go.

Introduction:

Here is the same information formed into a conclusion:

That’s it. We’ve completed our essay. Here it is with the 4 paragraphs put together.

Question:

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?

Finished IELTS opinion essay.

Go through this lesson as many times as you need to in order to fully understand it and put in lots of practice writing IELTS opinion essays from past exam questions. Practice is the only way to improve your skills.

5 More Model IELTS Opinion Essays

This pack contains another step-by-step lesson and model essay. P lus 4 additional opinion essay questions with model answers.

Carefully created to help you achieve 7+ in your Writing test.

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More help with ielts opinion essays & other task 2 essays.

IELTS Writing Task 2 – T he format, the 5 question types, the 5 step essay writing strategy & sample questions. All the key information you need to know.

The 5 Types of Task 2 Essay – How to recognise the 5 different types of Task 2 essays. 15 sample questions to study and a simple planning structure for each essay type.

Understanding Task 2 Questions – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 2 Essay – Discover why essay planning is essential & learn a simple 4 step strategy, the 4 part essay structure & 4 methods of generating ideas.

How To Write a Task 2 Introduction – Find out why a good introduction is essential. Learn how to write one using a simple 3 part strategy & discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Main Body Paragraphs – Learn the simple 3 part structure for writing great main body paragraphs and also, 3 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Conclusions – Learn the easy way to write the perfect conclusion for a Task 2 essay. Also discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

Task 2 Marking Criteria – Find out how to meet the marking criteria in Task 2. See examples of good and poor answers & learn some common mistakes to avoid.

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plan & write high-level essays. Model answers & common mistakes to avoid.

Opinion Essays

Discussion Essays

Problem Solution Essays

Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

Double Question Essays

Other Related Pages

IELTS Writing Test – Understand the format & marking criteria, know what skills are assessed & learn the difference between the Academic & General writing tests.

IELTS Writing
Opinion Essays
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Essay Task 2

IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essays- Benchmark IELTS

Essay Types
Double Question
Advantage Disadvantage
Problem Solution
Essay Length

Opinion essays are a very common writing task 2 essay type. As you would expect from the name, you need to write a well-structured IELTS writing essay topics that give your opinion. We’ve put together a guide with everything you need to know to write a great IELTS writing task 2 opinion essay. Let’s get started!

1.1 understanding the question, 1.2 example opinion questions.

Essay Structure for Opinion Essays
3.1 Identify key words and phrases

3.2 Organise your ideas

3.3 identify vocabulary, 4.1 introduction, 4.2 main body paragraphs, 4.3 conclusion.

5.1 Complete the sample opinion essay

5.2 Opinion Sample Essay

1. opinion essay overview.

An opinion essay is also known as an agree or disagree essay . As with all writing task 2 essays, you will have 40 minutes to write at least 250 words .

Read on to find out how to produce a great opinion essay.

It is important that you first understand what writing task 2 essay question you have been given before you start writing. The type of essay question you get will slightly change the structure of your essay.

Remember, there are five main types of writing task 2 questions:

Advantage/disadvantage
Double question
Problem/solution

You will be given an IELTS statement and a question . Here are some common questions/sentence starters that tell you that you have been given an opinion essay:

What is your opinion
Do you think…

To what extent do you agree?

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

The main aims of this type of essay are:

Choose one side of the argument
To state your opinion about a given topic
Support your opinion with clear reasons and examples

A common mistake test takers make when writing an opinion essay is that they treat it like an advantage/disadvantage essay and try to write about both sides of the argument in detail (see our guide on advantage/disadvantage essays and compare the difference).

For an opinion essay, you need to pick a side : it does not matter which side of the argument you choose, just pick the one that you can develop the best argument for.

However, you should briefly acknowledge the other side of the argument, and will show you how to do this in your introduction , main body paragraphs, and conclusion .

You should not give reasons to support the opposing argument , only support one side with reasons and examples.

Make it clear to the examiner what your opinion is from the beginning to the end of your essay (this is called a thesis-led approach: leading with your opinion).

Here are some example opinion writing task 2 questions to help you recognize them in the IELTS exam:

Some people think that more money should be spent on protecting endangered species while others think it is a waste of valuable money.

What is your opinion?

Also, read the following IELTS Essay Writing Guides

IELTS Discussion Type Questions
Double Question IELTS Essay Topics
IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Type
Problem Solution IELTS Writing Task Statement

Systems of funding university education are different from country to country. While some countries charge students for studying at university, others offer university education for free.

Do you think students should pay for higher education?

Every school system in the world includes regular tests and exams, and many people think that it is important for students to take lots of exams.

Children should not start school until the age of six or seven because they need to have more time to play and develop before they go to school.

Scientists and technology experts seem to be more valued by modern society than musicians and artists.

2. Essay Structure for Opinion Essays

Although there is more than one way you could choose to structure your essay, we have provided you with a foolproof structure you can always use for opinion essays to score highly in Coherence and cohesion , as well as address all parts of the task to do well in Task achievement :

3. Planning your Opinion Essay

Don’t skip this step! Taking 5 minutes to plan your essay could be the difference between your desired score and a missed opportunity.

3.1 Identify keywords and phrases

By identifying the topic of your essay, you are making sure that you are going to write about the correct topic and not go off-course. Test takers that rush and panic can make the mistake of writing about a completely different topic to the one they have been asked to write about. Don’t be one of those test taskers and make a plan !

Let’s take a look at the question for our sample answer where we have underlined the topic words:

The topic words are underlined and show the general topic of this essay question is protecting endangered species .

Now that we have identified the topic sentence, we should also look for any other keywords or phrases that give more information about the topic. Look at the words in bold below:

Some people think that more money should be spent on protecting endangered species while others think it is a waste of valuable money .

So this question is not only asking you to give your opinion on protecting endangered species, but also the amount of money that is spent on this cause.

A test taker that had only addressed the first point would likely have scored poorly in Task achievement.

There are so many ways you could choose to organize your ideas. We have chosen to note down our ideas by paragraph:

We give more note taking and idea generation tips in Master Guide for IELTS writing task 2 .

If any useful IELTS vocabulary for writing comes to mind during the planning process, it is useful to write it down so you don’t forget (remember to cross out any notes or planning before the end of the 40 minutes so the examiner does not mark this as your essay).

4. Writing your Opinion Essay

Paraphrasing means being able to write something in your own words without changing the meaning . This is an essential skill needed for the IELTS exam, especially writing task 2.

There is no one right way to paraphrase an IELTS statement. You could choose to use synonyms or parallel expressions (phrases with more than one word but have the same meaning). You could also change the sentence structure, but make sure it is still grammatically correct. Another paraphrase technique is to change a word class, for example, a noun to a verb form.

Take a look at our example, can you see the main changes we have made?

Although this is a formal essay, you are still allowed the use of the first person ‘I’ and ‘my’, you will need to use this when giving your opinion (just don’t over-do it).

Notice that in this example, the opinion has been clearly stated whilst presenting both sides of the argument :

Opinion: However, my view is that more government funding should be used for wildlife conservation.

Other side of the argument: It is argued by some that the protection of endangered animals is wasteful.

Not all sample essays will show this, but you can choose to briefly state what your essay will do, for example:

This essay will explain my opinion in more detail.

Now let’s move on to the main body paragraphs.

A topic sentence is usually found at the beginning of your paragraph. This should give the reader the main idea of your paragraph in one sentence.

Here are two examples taken from the sample answer:

One reason that I believe more money should be spent on the conservation of wildlife is that animals are an essential part of maintaining the health of an ecosystem.
Another reason to support spending on wildlife protection is that it also benefits humanity.

The start of your sentence indicates to the reader that you are clearly stating a reason for your opinion and that you are going to develop this idea throughout the paragraph.

You could also choose to start your topic sentence with the following structures:

One reason that I believe…
One argument in favor of… is that…
The main reason that I think…
Another reason to second…. (note that second here means ‘ to agree with an idea ’ )

You could also use the grammatical structure ‘ Not only… but also…’ to avoid repetition and put emphasis on the second reason, for example:

Not only does spending money on conservation help the animal kingdom, but it also benefits society as a whole.

Not only will preventing the extinction of species help the animals themselves, but it will also have a positive effect on the quality of air, water, and agricultural land.

As this is an opinion essay, it is essential that you use a range of phrases to give your opinion. Far too often, candidates just repeat the phrase ‘In my opinion…’ Here are some other sentence starters you can use to impress the examiner

My point is that…
I am of the opinion that…
My argument is that…
As far as I am concerned,…
In my view…

Your conclusion is a very important part of your essay. You need to restate your opinion (in different words than your introduction) as well as choose the most convincing argument from your essay.

Remember to also briefly mention the other side of the argument to show the examiner that you understand there are two sides and you have clearly chosen one.

Here is a useful structure to do this:

Although it is true that… on balance I believe that/ I am of the view that/ another opinion phrase)…

And here is the full example from our sample essay :

… although it is true that there are valuable uses for funding that could aid environmental protection, on balance I am of the opinion that governments should invest in the protection of endangered species.

5. Example Opinion Essay and Exercise

Now it’s time to test your knowledge about IELTS writing task 2 opinion essays. We’ve created a model answer, but removed some of the keywords and phrases.

You need to select the correct missing words and complete the model answer. Good luck!

5.1 Complete the Sample Opinion Essay

These days, the number of species facing extinction is growing, and as a result, a larger number of people are becoming involved in environmental issues. It is argued by some that the protection of endangered animals is wasteful. However, my view is that more government funding should be used for wildlife conservation. This essay will explain my opinion in more detail.

One reason that I believe more money should be spent on the conservation of wildlife is that animals are an essential part of maintaining the health of an ecosystem. If a species becomes endangered, it signals that an ecosystem is out of balance. As a result, the loss of one species may trigger the loss of others and may lead to irreversible consequences for the animal kingdom.

Another reason to support spending on wildlife protection is that it also benefits humanity. For example, if the ecosystem is out of balance then the health of the environment is also negatively affected, for example, the loss of wildlife can affect the quality of clean water and air for a population. In addition, the fertility of agricultural land may also be reduced with the loss of certain species. Having said that, there are those that argue that this is a costly and inefficient use of public funds. They think that money would be better spent on other schemes such as renewable energy projects.

In conclusion, having looked at the topic in detail, although it is true that there are valuable uses for funding that could aid environmental protection, on balance I am of the opinion that governments should invest in the protection of endangered species. The main reason is that the protection of wildlife will not only benefit the animal kingdom, but also the human race and the environment we inhabit.

2 thoughts on “IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essays- Benchmark IELTS”

Hey. Thanks for a great material. I have one concern though. In the ” common questions in opinion essay” part, you mentioned this question ” Discuss both view and give your opinion.” But isn’t it included to the “Discussion essays”??

Hi, I just wanted to ask this question cuz it made to think about it thoroughly.

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Opinion Essay IELTS Writing task 2: overview, structure and tips

1. opinion essay ielts overview.

If questions like “Do you agree or disagree?”, “To what extent do you agree or disagree?”, or “What is your opinion?”, etc. appears, you are tackling with IELTS opinion essay , or Argumentative/Agree or Disagree essay.

This question type in IELTS Writing Task 2 asks you to give opinions after providing a statement or an argument. Following are general types of IELTS opinion essay:

Ask if you agree or disagree and how much you agree or disagree e.g. Some people think that rich countries should support poor countries in terms of aid for health care and education. To what extent do you agree? or Some people believe that schools should not assess a student’s ability through exams but instead assess them by their course work and project work over the whole academic year. Do you agree?
Ask you to discusss both sides impartially, not ask for your opinion e.g. While some people think that the problem with education in poor countries is the teaching methodology used, others believe it is the lack of resources that is the real issue. Discuss both sides.
Ask you to discuss both views and give your opinion e.g. Many children no longer read books and instead spend their time using modern technology. While some people think this is a positive trend, others think it is a problem. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

In terms of giving an opinion towards a statement, you have three choices:

Totally agree
Totally disagree
Partially agree or disagree

Let’s get started with our free IELTS online test to pass the exam on your first attempt.

2. IELTS Opinion Essay Structure

The structure below is highly recommended besides other ways to structure an IELTS opinion essay. You should follow the four-part essay with four different paragraphs:

2.1. Introduction

– Paraphrase the statement (e.g. It is argued that IT is playing an ever increasing role in schools and universities and one day teachers will be obsolete.)

– Thesis statement with the mention of reasons for your opinion (e.g. It is disagreed that technology will one day replace educators.)

– Outline statement (optional)

(e.g. This essay will discuss, firstly the limitations of technology in education and secondly, the essential role teachers play in maintaining discipline in the classroom, followed by a reasoned conclusion.)

2.2. Body 1

This paragraph will be the first reason you agree or disagree with the statement given:

– Topic sentence: state the first idea you agree or disagree (e.g. Technology may be able to help students with some things but it has many limitations.)

– Explain the topic sentence: elaborate the first idea

(e.g. I.T. can not educate people as effectively as real human beings because computers can not detect things such as context, emotions, and how an individual learns.)

– Example: support the first idea with an example

(e.g. A prime example is language learning, in which teachers need to explain not only individual words but how these words work in different situations. However, there may come a time in the very distant future when computers are able to carry out these tasks.)

– Brief summary of the first idea (optional)

2.3. Body 2

The body paragraph 2 will discuss the second reason you agree or disagree with the statement

– Topic sentence: state the second idea you agree or disagree

(e.g. Computers are also unable to ensure good classroom management.)

– Explain the topic sentence: elaborate the second idea

(e.g. A computer may be able to provide a student with lots of information, but it will not be able to motivate or discipline students when they display unacceptable behaviour.)

– Example: support the second idea with an example

(e.g. For instance, unruly students could simply switch the device off and do nothing for the rest of the class. Nevertheless, this may not be a problem for highly motivated adult students.)

– Brief summary of the second idea (optional)

2.4. Conclusion

The final paragraph of your IELTS opinion essay will summarize and reinterate your opinion.

(e.g. In conclusion, it is not likely that electronic devices will replace teachers in the future because of current limitations in technology and the requirement for teachers to maintain good behaviour in the classroom. It is predicted that computers will play an ever increasing role in the classroom but will never fully replace humans.)

➡️➡️ See more: IELTS Writing Practice Test

3. IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Strategy

3.1. make a short outline.

You had better read thoroughly the topic given and underline the key points in the first place.
Then, note down whether you agree or disagree with the statement.
Next, write two main points supporting your idea in the form of a phrase instead of a full sentence. Each point should be supported by an explanation and a example.

Your outline can be organized as a mindmap or a table or simply bullet points with words and phrases only in order to save time and give clearer overview.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Strategy

3.2. Write a complete IELTS opinion essay

Based on the IELTS opinion essay structure given in the previous part and the outline you have created, it’s now time for you to write your own IELTS opinion essay.

3.3. Recheck your IELTS opinion essay

Make sure your IELTS writing task 2 opinion essay will be correctly written in terms of spelling and grammar structures. Check your final essay at least once before handing in.

>>> Read more: IELTS Discussion Essay

4. IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Tips

Do not just list all the reasons without any explanation or example in the body paragraphs
Your opinion should be mentioned throughout the whole essay, not just in the conclusion part
Watch out the time limit and word count at the same time. You will be given around 40 minutes to write the essay, so the ideal word range should be 250 to 290 words.
You should have several words or phrases showing the opposing or supporting idea at your disposal, especially in the Introduction and Conclusion parts.
It is not recommended to give two distinctive opinions since your IELTS opinion essay will be much more like a discussion essay.

That’s the brief introduction and strategy to effectively produce an IELTS Writing task 2 Opinion essay , or IELTS argumentative/agree/disagree essay. IELTS Test Pro hopes that the above knowledge will help you conquer IELTS route with much success. Visit our website and download the app to practice now!

IELTS Luminary - Free Tips, Strategies, eBooks and Detailed Essay Feedback . Overall, this is the best free IELTS and other test prep website.

How to Write an IELTS Opinion Essay: A Comprehensive Guide

Ready to master the art of writing an IELTS opinion essay? We've got the perfect roadmap to guide you through each step. From understanding what exactly an IELTS opinion essay is to crafting one that will wow the examiner, we’ve got you covered.

In this easy-to-follow guide, we'll break down all the crucial elements you need to understand. Wondering how to structure your essay? We've got an "IELTS Opinion Essay Template" designed by experts to set you on the right path.

But that's not all. We'll also dissect each section of your essay, from writing an attention-grabbing intro to creating compelling body paragraphs, and wrapping it up with a knockout conclusion. To make it even easier, we offer a convenient "IELTS Opinion Essay Outline" to keep your thoughts organized and your essay on point.

If you're hunting for even more insights, our comprehensive eBook is chock-full of tips and strategies tailor-made for you. And if you want professional eyes on your work, check out our IELTS Essay Correction Service . You'll get detailed feedback from an examiner, complete with a band 9 sample response to inspire you further.

So, whether you're a newbie still getting the hang of things or an advanced student aiming for perfection, this guide is your go-to resource. Get ready to craft an IELTS opinion essay that will leave a lasting impression. Let’s dive in!

How to Achieve a High Band Score in IELTS Academic Task 1 Report - eBook by IELTS Luminary

Understanding an IELTS Opinion Essay

Navigating the world of IELTS opinion essays can seem quite daunting at first. However, by acquiring a comprehensive understanding of what this type of essay entails, its importance, and the intricacies of writing it effectively, you can equip yourself to excel. Let's delve deeper into these essentials to gain a better understanding of the task.

An IELTS opinion essay, sometimes referred to as an argumentative essay, plays a vital role in the IELTS writing test. The key task here is to articulate your stance on a specific topic, which you then need to substantiate with solid arguments, evidence, or pertinent examples. Essentially, it's a platform for you to exhibit your ability to persuasively express and support your opinion.

How to Write a High Band Scoring Task 2 Essay - eBook by IELTS Luminary (IELTS Essay eBook)

Why You Need to Know How to Write an Opinion Essay

Why is an IELTS opinion essay so crucial? The answer lies in its objective. The IELTS test aims to assess your English language proficiency, and the opinion essay is a vital component of this assessment. By evaluating your ability to write a convincing and well-articulated essay, examiners can gauge your language skills, coherence, cohesion, and overall command of the language. Therefore, mastering the IELTS opinion essay becomes essential to achieve a high band score.

Key Elements of a High Band Opinion Essay

Ready to dive into the nitty-gritty of a top-notch IELTS opinion essay? Let's break down the key ingredients that make your essay stand out from the rest.

First up, Cohesion: Imagine your essay like a smooth ride where one point effortlessly leads to the next. You'll want to use linking words and phrases like 'however,' 'furthermore,' and 'on the other hand,' to connect your thoughts. Need examples? Our eBook has a whole section dedicated to mastering cohesion!

Next, Structure: Your essay needs a solid framework to hold it up. That means an engaging introduction, well-thought-out body paragraphs, and a snappy conclusion. Don’t know where to start? Our "IELTS Opinion Essay Structure" discussed in detail in the eBook lays it all out for you.

On to Compelling Argumentation: Make sure you're not just stating your opinion, but backing it up with rock-solid reasoning and examples. This is where your essay shines. If you're struggling to find convincing arguments, our Essay Correction Service provides personalized guidance and tips from an actual examiner!

Clear Opinion: Your viewpoint should be obvious from the get-go and consistent throughout your essay. Don't beat around the bush—make your stance clear.

Last but not least, Language Proficiency: Your choice of vocabulary , grammar, and sentence structure can either make or break your essay. If you're looking to elevate your language game, our Essay Correction Service goes beyond just marking errors. You'll receive comprehensive feedback, including a band 9 sample essay to show you how it's done.

IELTS Vocabulary List with Meanings and Examples

Writing an IELTS Opinion Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing an IELTS opinion essay involves more than just pouring your thoughts onto paper. It requires strategic planning and execution to ensure that the reader fully comprehends your viewpoint and the evidence backing it. Below is a step-by-step breakdown of how to approach this task:

Understanding the Question

This is the critical first step that forms the foundation of your essay. A comprehensive understanding of the question is pivotal to crafting a coherent response. Here's how to do it:

Identify the Topic: Every essay has a central topic around which the argument revolves. Identify this and ensure your opinion relates directly to it.

Understand the Question Type: Is it asking for your opinion, a discussion, or a problem and solution? In the case of an opinion essay, the question will require you to provide your views on the topic.

Know What is Expected: Analyze the prompt to know precisely what is expected of your essay. Should it be entirely from your perspective, or do you need to consider others' viewpoints as well?

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Planning Your Response

Once you have understood the question, plan your essay strategically. A well-structured essay is easier to follow, makes your arguments clearer, and can significantly boost your score.

Outline Your Main Ideas: Identify the main points that will back up your opinion. These should form the core of your body paragraphs.

Identify Supporting Points and Examples: For each main point, find supporting ideas or examples. These should convincingly substantiate your claims and make your argument robust.

Organise Your Ideas: Arrange your ideas logically. Each paragraph should flow seamlessly into the next, creating a coherent and cohesive narrative.

Writing the Introduction

Your introduction sets the tone for your essay and should clearly state your opinion on the topic. Here's how to craft an engaging introduction:

Paraphrase the Question: Start by restating the question in your own words. This shows understanding and sets the context for your essay.

State Your Opinion: Explicitly present your opinion on the topic. Make it clear and concise so that the reader knows your stance from the outset.

Developing the Body Paragraphs

The body of your essay is where you make your arguments. Each paragraph should be dedicated to one main idea and supported with substantial evidence.

State the Main Idea: Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea.

Provide Support: This can be in the form of facts, statistics, logical reasoning, or examples. It should convincingly back your main point.

Link to Your Opinion: Show how this point supports your overall opinion. This will tie your argument together and maintain a consistent perspective throughout the essay.

Crafting a Conclusion

Your conclusion provides closure and summarises the main points of your essay. Here's how to write an effective conclusion:

Restate Your Opinion: Reiterate your opinion to reinforce it in the reader's mind.

Summarise Main Points: Briefly revisit your main points to remind the reader of your arguments.

Do Not Introduce New Ideas: Your conclusion should only encapsulate the points made in your essay. Introducing new ideas can confuse the reader and dilute your argument.

Mastering each step of this process can ensure a well-crafted IELTS opinion essay that conveys your thoughts effectively and scores high.

IELTS Opinion Essay Tips for a High Band

Acquiring an excellent IELTS score demands more than just understanding the basics. To truly excel and obtain a high score, you need to pay heed to these expert tips and tricks:

Maintain Formal Language

Formal and academic language is the bedrock of IELTS writing. This demonstrates your proficiency in English and your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary:

Avoid Slang: Slang and colloquial language should be avoided in your essay. They make your essay sound informal and can impact your score negatively.

Use Academic Vocabulary: Try to incorporate advanced and topic-specific vocabulary. This can show your language proficiency and earn you higher marks.

Follow Grammar Rules: Be sure to use proper grammar, including correct tense usage, subject-verb agreement, and accurate punctuation.

Consistency is Key

Your viewpoint in an IELTS opinion essay should be consistent throughout. This aids in creating a coherent and logical argument:

Maintain Your Stance: Your opinion should not fluctuate or contradict itself in the essay. A steady viewpoint makes your essay easier to follow and understand.

Link Ideas: Ensure that all your arguments and evidence clearly support your opinion. They should form a cohesive narrative that consistently upholds your stance.

Time Management

The IELTS writing section is time-bound, and effective time management can make the difference between a good and a great score:

Allocate Time Wisely: Break down your allotted time for Task 2 (usually 40 minutes) into segments for understanding the question, planning, writing, and revising.

Don't Overwrite: Stay within the recommended word limit (at least 250 words for Task 2). We usually recommends for going around 300 words. Remember, writing too many words, such as 350 or more, can eat into your time without necessarily earning you extra points.

Save Time for Proofreading: Always leave a few minutes towards the end to review your work. Look out for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or any ideas that could be expressed more clearly.

Keeping these tips and tricks in mind while writing your IELTS opinion essay can help you attain a high band score. Remember, practice implementing these strategies to become more comfortable and efficient when it's time for the actual test.

An IELTS Opinion Essay Band 9 Sample

To better illustrate all the strategies, tips, and structures discussed so far, let's look at a high-scoring IELTS opinion essay example. For more hundreds of band 9 sample essays, visit here .

Some people think that developing countries need financial help from international organizations. Others, however, argue that countries should be left to resolve their economic issues independently.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

The global conundrum surrounding economic assistance extended to developing nations continues to ignite impassioned discussions among world policymakers. Diverse opinions float in this debate; one segment champions the cause of international aid, while another faction upholds the principle of self-reliance. As for my viewpoint, I posit that a judicious amalgamation of external support and indigenous initiatives presents the most advantageous solution for these nations' economic upliftment.

On one flank of the debate, endorsers of international assistance underscore the acute resource deficit confronting developing nations. They contend that socio-economic challenges such as widespread poverty, underdeveloped infrastructure, and limited educational access necessitate extensive capital investment, which often transcends these nations' fiscal capabilities. In this context, international organizations, with their resource abundance, can facilitate requisite financing for development-centric projects. Importantly, their assistance transcends monetary contributions, extending to invaluable expertise and technological exchange, significantly hastening these nations' developmental pace.

Conversely, detractors of international aid highlight its potential to engender dependency, thereby obstructing self-reliance. They assert that nations must navigate their economic difficulties independently, fostering a culture of sustainable growth. This perspective emphasizes that external aid can, at times, obscure pressing issues requiring immediate attention for long-term progress, such as corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, and inadequate policy frameworks. Consequently, cultivating self-reliance can nudge nations towards systemic reformation, stimulating endogenous development.

To encapsulate, while international aid can offer a swift respite and a resources boost for developmental pursuits, endorsing self-reliance is instrumental in tackling the fundamental impediments to economic advancement. Thus, my conviction remains that a balanced methodology, marrying external assistance with internally driven reforms, emerges as the most sustainable antidote to the economic hurdles plaguing developing countries.

This example illustrates the structure of an IELTS opinion essay and demonstrates how to maintain a consistent perspective, provide supporting arguments, and use formal, academic language throughout.

Summary of the IELTS Opinion Essay Template

We've reached the end of our deep dive into the world of IELTS opinion essays, and we hope you're feeling a whole lot more prepared! From introducing you to our go-to "IELTS Opinion Essay Template" to breaking down each section, we've aimed to make this a one-stop shop for all your essay needs.

In a nutshell, a killer introduction sets the stage, where you rephrase the question and let your opinion shine. Your body paragraphs are the meat of your essay, where you back up your viewpoint with solid arguments and examples. And don't forget that grand finale, the conclusion, where you tie it all together.

If you’re looking for even more insider tips, you can't go wrong with our eBook . It’s like having an IELTS mentor right in your pocket! Plus, if you want real-time feedback on your writing, consider our Essay Correction Service . We offer personalized advice, a band 9 sample response, and tips to level up your essay game.

Remember, the secret ingredient to acing this is practice. The more you use our template and outline across various topics, the better you'll get at crafting essays that not only sound great but also score big.

So there you have it! With this guide and a bit of practice, you're well on your way to becoming an IELTS opinion essay pro. Happy writing, and best of luck on your IELTS journey!

IELTS Charlie

Your Guide to IELTS Band 7

IELTS Opinion Essay: tips, common mistakes, questions & sample essays

In this lesson we are going to look at how to answer an IELTS Opinion essay , also known as an Agree Disagree Essay .

You will learn about this IELTS Writing Task 2 essay, using authentic IELTS essay questions , plus the most common mistakes. And I will finish with an IELTS model essay written by me in response to a sample IELTS essay question . So let’s get started!

What Is Your Task?

In this IELTS question type, you are presented with someone’s opinion. Your task is to explain whether you agree or disagree with this statement.

In some tasks, you may be asked to explain how much you agree or disagree with the opinion. These “to what extent” questions are more common in the IELTS Academic Writing Test, but they can also appear in the IELTS General Training Writing Test. Here is an example of one of those “to what extent” essays:

In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Cambridge IELTS 15 Academic Test 2

The question in an opinion essay can be worded in lots of different ways, including:

to what extent do you agree or disagree?
do you agree or disagree?
what is your opinion about this?

How To Plan An IELTS Opinion Essay

If you are aiming for a high band score (Band 7 and above) it is absolutely vital that you plan your essay . A good plan will help you to see if you have answered the question, developed your ideas and organised them BEFORE you start writing.

Let’s plan an essay using my 4 Step Planning Process .

Step 1: Understand The Task

First, you need to make sure you understand exactly what you need to write about. So you need to read the question carefully, not quickly!

Think about these three questions:

What is the topic about?

What is the topic not about, how should you respond to the topic.

Let’s go back to this essay question, and answer those 3 questions:

The topic is about the future of printed media , specifically newspapers and books. Will people read printed media in the future? Or will online media replace printed media completely?

An important phrase at the end of the topic statement is “without paying” . This means the topic statement is also referring to free information online, rather than information that you have to pay for.

So you could reword the topic statement like this: “will free online information replace printed media in the future?”

The topic is not just about the convenience of online media, but about the fact that it is free . So you need to address the issue of free information online, at least some of the time.

The question “to what extent do you agree or disagree?” tells you how to respond to the topic. In other words, you need to say how much you agree or how much you disagree with the topic statement.

I think it’s difficult to agree fully with the opinion statement because it says that in the future “NOBODY” will buy printed newspapers or books. Personally, I think that some people will want to read printed media, at least some of the time.

Step 2: Decide Your Position

Next, you need to decide your position. In other words, you need to decide what you think .

In an opinion essay, your position is simply your opinion . It’s your answer to the question “to what extent do you agree or disagree?”

So in our example essay question above, my position is the extent to which I agree or disagree.

Step 3: Extend Your Ideas

When you decided your position, you may have started thinking about the reasons for your position, the reasons for your answer. In other words, WHY are you taking this view?

Giving reasons for your view is essential in an IELTS essay. In fact, all IELTS questions tell you to “give reasons for your answer”. So in Step 3, you need to think about your reasons a little more.

However, just presenting your reasons is not enough. You need to develop them.

The two best ways of developing your ideas is by:

giving explanations of what you mean
giving specific examples which illustrate what you mean

Together, these add more detail to your answer.

You MUST do this to get Band 7. If you fail to develop your ideas in detail, your band score for Task Response may be limited to Band 6.

Read more about how to develop your ideas in an IELTS essay.

Step 4: Structure Your Essay

The final step in the planning process is to structure your essay. This simply means deciding which main ideas to put in which paragraphs.

A 4 paragraph structure for an IELTS opinion essay could look like this:

Paragraph 1: introduce essay and briefly state your views
Paragraph 2: give a 1st reason for your view
Paragraph 3: give a 2nd reason for your view
Paragraph 4: summarise your views.

If you have a 3rd reason for your view, you could add an extra paragraph:

Paragraph 4: give a 3rd reason for your view
Paragraph 5: summarise your views.

How To Write Your IELTS Opinion Essay

Let’s go through how to write the different parts of the essay.

How To Write The Introduction To An IELTS Opinion Essay

In the introduction to an IELTS Opinion essay, you need to do two things:

briefly introduce the topic of the essay
briefly present your opinion

Introduce The Topic

You should begin with a background sentence which introduces your reader to the topic of the essay. The best way to do this is to paraphrase the opinion statement .

How To Paraphrase

Think about the meaning of this topic statement, and briefly rewrite it using your own words. Try not to use the same grammatical structures as in the essay question. In other words, be flexible . This is important if you are aiming for a Band 7 or higher.

In the example essay question above, the opinion statement said:

“In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying.”

Here is one way of paraphrasing this:

“It has been suggested that paid print media may disappear completely in the future due to competition from free sources of information online.”

This sentence has the same overall meaning as the original sentence, but uses different vocabulary and different grammatical structures.

How NOT To Paraphrase

When you paraphrase, do NOT just change individual words with synonyms, or you will get some very strange sentences, e.g.

“In the days to come, no people are going to purchase paper news or literature since they can consume all they wish on the Internet with no need to buy.”

DON’T DO THIS!

Present Your Opinion

Next, you should briefly present your opinion. Just state clearly whether you agree or not . For example:

“In my view, this is unlikely to happen.”

If you are a confident writer, and if you have a very good plan, you could also, very briefly, include your reasons:

“In my view, this is unlikely to happen because people will always want to use print media and since much online material is going behind a paywall.”

But be brief!

There’s little point in adding a “scope” sentence: “This essay will discuss the reasons for my view.”

Just move on to the body.

How To Write The Body Paragraphs

In an IELTS Opinion essay, you need to present the reasons for your view . WHY do you hold your opinion?

Write each of the main reasons for your view in a separate paragraph. So if you have 2 reasons for your view, write 2 body paragraphs. If you have 3 reasons for your view, write 3 body paragraphs.

Each main body paragraph should contain:

A reason for your opinion (your main idea )
A more detailed explanation of this reason
An example which illustrates your ideas

This structure is what is meant by developing your ideas , and it is essential for a Band 7.

You can read more about developing your ideas here .

How To Write The Conclusion to an IELTS Opinion Essay

In the conclusion to an IELTS Opinion essay, you need to do one thing:

restate your opinion

Do NOT write any new ideas in your conclusion. If you think of new ideas while writing your conclusion, forget them! It’s too late.

Common Mistakes in IELTS Opinion Essays

These are the most common mistakes made by Test Takers when writing an IELTS Opinion essay:

changing your opinion during the essay (e.g. your opinion in the introduction is different to your opinion in the conclusion)
giving reasons that don’t support your opinion
presenting too many reasons for your view: you MUST develop ALL of your ideas to get a high band score, so it’s best to present 2-3 reasons and explain them al.
Writing an overly general statement about the topic in the introduction (e.g. “Education is a topic of hot debate.” )
The reasons for your view are not explained and illustrated. You need to develop all of your ideas to get a band 7 and higher.
Not fully understanding the topic of the question. This is often caused by reading the question quickly, not carefully.
Using memorised phrases (e.g. “a hot topic”, “in a nutshell”, “my considered opinion”)
Using “research studies” as examples: examples should illustrate your ideas, not prove them. Read about how to use examples in IELTS essays .
Trying to use rare or “novel” language: examiners are looking for groups of words used naturally, not rare words.

Sample IELTS Opinion Essay Questions

Many manufactured food and drink products contain high levels of sugar, which causes many health problems. Sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar. Do you agree or disagree?

(Cambridge IELTS 16 Academic Test 3)

Some people say that now is the best time in history to be living. What is your opinion about this? What other time in history would be interesting to live in?

(Cambridge IELTS 16 General Training Test 4)

In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

(Cambridge IELTS 15 Academic Test 2)

Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

(Cambridge IELTS 13 Academic Test 2)

Some people say it is important to keep your home and your workplace tidy, with everything organised and in the correct place. What is your opinion about this?

(Cambridge IELTS 13 General Training Test 4)

Model IELTS Opinion Essays

Here is an IELTS Opinion Essay that I wrote in response to this task:

Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Cambridge IELTS Book 14 Test 3 (Academic)

Almost everyone seems to like music of some sort and perhaps listening to music satisfies a basic human need. Some people go further, arguing that music can actually bridge cultural and generational divides, and I broadly agree with this.

Music is rightly seen as a universal language, that regardless of the language of the lyrics, the underlying melody triggers the same emotional reaction in listeners, whatever their background. The distinctive sound of a love song, for example, or a lullaby will instantly be recognised regardless of the words being sung or the culture in which it came.

Moreover, some music enjoys almost universal appeal. Classical music is a good example of this. The work of composers as diverse as Mozart, Shostakovich and Gershwin is popular the world over, and to these instrumental compositions you could also add the music of famous popular music acts such as Abba and The Beatles.

Large music festivals are also able to bring people of different backgrounds and ages together. The famous summer festival at Glastonbury in the U.K. always has a wide variety of acts, encouraging a remarkably diverse audience in terms of age and ethnicity. Therefore it is clear that such events help bring people closer together.

However, there is one important caveat. Certain types of music seem almost designed to appeal to only the younger generation. Genres like hip-hop, punk and rock ‘n’ roll have each been embraced by teenagers at different times over the last seventy years, almost as a rebellion against their parent’s generation. So to some extent, it could be argued that some music can actually widen generational divides.

On the whole, however, music is certainly a force for unity. People the world over share music as a language and have tastes that transcend their differences, and thus I would agree that music can bring people closer together.

(309 words)

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IELTS Opinion Essay Structure

This post covers the structure for IELTS essay writing Task 2 (Academic)

I wanted to revisit the structure and make this as clear as possible. By knowing the structure and how to apply it, it sets you up for success. Having the structure etched into your brain also means other focuses like lexical resource and grammar, can really flourish. Simply because the structure is so firmly in place you don't have to actively think about it; it's intuitive.

Practice writing as much as possible to make structure for any IELTS essay, intuitive.

The IELTS Essay Structure

Introduction.

Paraphrase the question
Thesis statement- where you state what your view/opinion is
Reasons- give two supporting reasons to uphold your thesis

Main paragraph 1

Give your first argument
Explain why/give a reason
Give an example

Main paragraph 2

Give your second argument
Explain why/give reason

*When giving an example, make sure it does two things- it is an example that fits with the argument you have given, and it doesn't extend itself too much. Allow it to support your argument, without becoming its own paragraph.

Loop back to your introduction and summarise your argument
Avoid repeating what has been said

Example: In conclusion, education should be compulsory up until the age of 18 in order to instil skills and knowledge in young people, so that they are well-set up for the future.

Not: In conclusion, education should be compulsory up until the age of 18 in order to instil skills and knowledge in young people, so that they are well-set up for the future and are able to enter the workforce as more prepared. Not only the workforce, but to enter society with soft skills that are also crucial to operate as a successful and well-functioning person in society. It is imperative to be educated until 18 so that young people have a better chance for their own future, and can take better control of their own future.

Notes: This paragraph may use good language and complex grammar structures, but it is too long and tips into too much detail. Your arguments would have been explored in your two main paragraphs, so it isn't necessary to extend this. As well as this, writing a lengthy conclusive paragraph defeats the point of a conclusive paragraph.

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Opinion Essay I...

Opinion Essay IELTS – Step By Step Guide

Introduction

The International English Language Testing System ( IELTS ) is an essential step for many people seeking school or job possibilities overseas. One of the most challenging parts is the opinion essay sample, which asks candidates to offer their factors of view persuasively in a predetermined layout. This article will walk you through writing a fascinating opinion essay for the IELTS exam, supplying step-by-step advice and essential insights. Mastering this assignment improves not just exam performance but also general English competence. Furthermore, for individuals wanting complete assistance and resources during their IELTS journey, platforms such as Yocket provide specialised instruction, practice materials, and a friendly community to help them succeed. Let's go into the basics of opinion essay IELTS writing, enabling applicants to thrive in the IELTS testing.

Understanding the Opinion Essay IELTS

The opinion essay IELTS test asks contributors to express their thoughts on a particular subject matter or trouble. Unlike other essays, the opinion essay calls for candidates to take an exact stance and deliver arguments to guide their function. Candidates are generally requested to address whether they concur with a statement, provide answers to a difficulty, or weigh the advantages and downsides of a selected subject matter.

An opinion essay sample format and components must be understood, typically consisting of an introduction, subsections, and conclusion. Candidates must also use formal language to defend their ideas and adequately present relevant examples or proof. To master this work, thoroughly analyse the challenge, generate ideas, and organise your thoughts. Candidates might improve their chances of passing the IELTS exam by confidently approaching the opinion essay work if they understand its subtleties.

Pre-Writing Strategies for Opinion Essay IELTS

It is essential to use efficient pre-writing techniques to guarantee consistency and clarity in your response before beginning to write an opinion essay for the IELTS exam. Here are some key measures to consider:

Analyse the Question: Carefully analyse the essay question to determine its needs. Pay special attention to buzzwords like "agree," "disagree," "advantages," "disadvantages," and "solutions." Understanding the job is critical for adequately phrasing your response and remaining on topic.
Brainstorm Ideas: Hold brainstorming sessions to develop ideas relevant to the provided topic. Consider many viewpoints, views, and potential arguments to support your position. Use mind mapping or list creation strategies to organise your ideas successfully.
Create a Thesis Statement: Write a compelling thesis statement that reflects your stance on the issue and previews the critical topics you will cover throughout your essay. Your thesis needs to make clear whether you agree or disagree with the assertion inside the spark and create a path map for the reader.
Outline Your Essay: Make a structured outline to act as a manual in your essay. Your essay should be divided into a creation, some body paragraphs, and an end. Plan the times or assisting details you may utilise to strengthen your claims and the critical factor of each frame paragraph.
Get Relevant Information: Research to compile instances, figures, and other pertinent information to bolster your claims. Seek reliable references that reinforce your claims and provide your analysis with more nuance. Take notes and arrange your supporting materials to complement your plan.
Take Terminology and Tone Into Consideration: Be mindful of the terminology and tone you employ in your essay. Maintain a severe and impartial tone, avoiding informal or emotive language. Use sophisticated vocabulary and various sentence forms to communicate your thoughts and demonstrate your language competence adequately.
Review and Polish: Review your plan and thoughts Before you begin writing. Ensure your ideas are correctly ordered, and each paragraph adds to the overall coherence of your essay. Make any required changes to improve your argument and the data that backs it up.

Using these pre-writing tactics, you may establish a firm basis for your opinion essay and improve your chances of success on the IELTS test. Consider using services like Yocket to get extensive support and materials to help you prepare for the IELTS. Yocket can help you succeed in your IELTS journey and reach your academic and career objectives by providing tailored assistance, practice resources, and a lively learning community.

Latest IELTS Writing Topics and Questions

Essay Structure and Format of Your Opinion Essay IELTS

Organising your opinion essay sample successfully is critical for communicating your thoughts clearly and convincingly. Here's a step-by-step method for managing your essay:

To attract the reader's attention, begin with an attention-grabbing hook. It might be a surprising truth, a rhetorical inquiry, or an appropriate quotation.
To put your talk in perspective and make the reader aware of the importance of the problem, give them some background information.
Give a concise explanation of your thesis statement that summarises the key ideas you will cover in the body paragraphs and expresses your viewpoint.

Body Paragraphs

One primary point or point of contention that advances your thesis statement should be the subject of each body paragraph.
Begin each paragraph with a subject sentence that explains the paragraph's central idea.
Provide proof, instances, or data to back up your claim. Make sure your evidence is relevant and effective in supporting your position.
Provide justifications or analyses that show how your evidence bolsters your position and highlights its significance.
Use transitional words and phrases to guarantee a seamless transition between concepts and paragraphs.
To strengthen your primary point, restate your thesis declaration in different phrases.
Highlight the primary arguments and supporting details as you summarise the issues you raised in the body paragraphs.
Give the reader a lasting impression by summarising your main points and emphasising the significance of your position. You may also include a call to action.

Don't remember to use proper language and terminology throughout your essay and have a formal tone. To guarantee you can finish developing your ideas in the allowed time, keep in mind word count constraints and manage your time well. Following these instructions for constructing your opinion essay, you will be better prepared to articulate your thoughts and exhibit your language ability on the IELTS exam. Consider using services like Yocket for additional support and resources to help you prepare for the IELTS.

Tips and Writing Techniques for Opinion Essay IELTS

Mastering the skill of writing an excellent opinion essay is critical for success on the IELTS test. Here are some helpful approaches and suggestions to improve your writing:

Clarity and Conciseness: Be straightforward and concise while conveying your opinions. Avoid ambiguous and confusing statements that might mislead the reader. Strive for simplicity and clarity in your words.
Argument Development: Make your arguments reasonable and coherent. Each paragraph should concentrate on a core point backed by appropriate facts and examples. Make sure the progression of your arguments is seamless from one idea to the next.
Counter Arguments: Recognize and answer any counterarguments to help reinforce your viewpoint. Anticipate opposing ideas and counter them with compelling facts and arguments. It exhibits critical thinking and adds credence to your argument.
Transitions: Use transitional words and phrases to make thoughts flow smoothly between sentences and paragraphs. Transition phrases like "however," "consequently," and "furthermore" help in conveying thinking transitions. They keep the textual content coherent.
Vocabulary and Language: Use a diverse vocabulary to explain your views adequately. Avoid using repetitive language and aim for variation in word choice. When writing in an academic setting, use acceptable formal language, but do not use that might be clear. Structure: Vary sentence construction to keep the reader interested and prevent boredom. Use a mix of primary, compound, and complicated phrases to communicate your thoughts effectively. To maintain clarity and coherence, use proper language and punctuation.
Paragraph Length: Use balanced paragraph lengths to maintain your essay structure visually attractive. Avoid extraordinarily prolonged paragraphs, which may overwhelm the reader, and overly brief paragraphs, which may require more idea improvement.
Editing and Proofreading: Take the time to revise and test your essay successfully earlier than submitting it. Check for grammatical, spelling, and punctuation issues. Ensure your essay communicates your mind appropriately, sincerely, and orderly.

Using those writing techniques and ideas, you could write a higher opinion essay and lift your possibility of receiving a significant mark on the IELTS exam.

Opinion Essay Sample

"Should governments increase their investments in renewable energy?"

Opinion Essay Sample Answer

Introduction:.

In light of growing environmental concerns and the approaching threat of climate trade, whether or not governments ought to devote more enormous assets to renewable strength resources has grown more urgent. While a few contend that traditional fossil fuels are necessary to satisfy strength demands, investing in renewable strength is essential to a sustainable destiny.

Body Paragraph 1: Environmental Impact

Investment in renewable energy should be prioritised because it has less environmental effects than fossil fuels. Greenhouse fuel emissions from renewable electricity, which include solar, wind, and hydropower, are reduced more than from fossil fuels like natural gasoline, oil, and coal. It enables the discount of the terrible impacts of weather change. Governments may decrease their carbon footprint and guard the environment for future generations by transitioning to renewable strength.

Body Paragraph 2: Economic Benefits

Furthermore, investing in renewable power generates full-size monetary advantages. The renewable electricity sector has grown exponentially, developing thousands of employment globally and boosting economic development. Governments need to stimulate innovation and spend money on inexperienced technology to build a robust renewable strength economic system that fosters financial increase while reducing dependency on unpredictable fossil fuel markets.

Body Paragraph 3: Energy Security and Independence

Moreover, switching to renewable energy improves energy independence and security. Renewable electricity assets are plentiful and decentralised, unlike fossil fuels, which are liable to geopolitical conflicts and supply interruptions. Countries can also reduce their reliance on imported fuels and increase their electricity resilience by tapping locally handy assets.

Counter Argument Paragraph

Some may also declare that investing in renewable power is financially unsustainable and technologically immature. They trust fossil fuels are nevertheless the most reliable and cheap energy supply. While renewable energy sources need early investment and infrastructure construction, the long-term advantages significantly surpass the expenditures. Furthermore, speedy advances in renewable electricity technology have led to giant value discounts, making it more competitive with fossil fuels.

To summarise, investing in renewable strength has always been optional. Governments can battle weather trade, inspire financial boom, and enhance electricity security by specialising in sustainability and renewable energy. As stewards of the arena, we ought to embody renewable power alternatives and pave the way for a more sustainable future.

How To Crack IELTS Exam In 15 days?

The opinion essay IELTS problem takes commitment, repetition, and a systematic strategy to master. By following the step-by-step instructions in this article, applicants can confidently and proficiently traverse the complexity of opinion essay writing. Understanding the goal, structuring thoughts, and using efficient writing approaches are all critical for exam achievement. Platforms such as Yocket also provide vital tools and help students on their IELTS preparation journey. Yocket allows individuals to succeed in the IELTS test and beyond by providing tailored assistance, practice tools, and a lively learning community. With Yocket, you may go on a path to conquer the opinion essay challenge and get access to academic and employment prospects worldwide.

FAQs on Opinion Essay IELTS

What is the aim of the opinion essay on the IELTS?

The opinion essay evaluates a candidate's ability to express and defend their position on a specified issue. It assesses critical thinking, coherence, and linguistic ability as essential for academic and professional achievement.

Is it required to provide a counterargument in my opinion essay for the IELTS?

While not required, responding to probable counterarguments might improve the depth and believability of your essay. Acknowledging competing opinions promotes critical thinking and improves your thesis, resulting in a more convincing essay.

What length should my opinion essay be for the IELTS exam?

The IELTS opinion essay should be between 250 and 300 phrases long. However, candidates ought to emphasise satisfaction over quantity, ensuring that their essay effectively expresses their views in the exact time frame.

How do I enhance my opinion essay writing abilities for the IELTS exam?

Practice is essential for enhancing your opinion essay writing skills. Use instance prompts, do frequent writing physical activities, and get comments from instructors or peers. Companies, including Yocket, additionally provide specialised substances and coaching to help you prepare for IELTS.

For my IELTS opinion essay, is it permissible to draw on personal experiences?

Although anecdotes occasionally bolster your claims, you should prioritise factual proof and topic-relevant instances. Ensure your examples are credible and effective in supporting your point of view.

How to Write an IELTS Opinion Essay

One of the forms of essays you may be asked to write for the writing task 2 of the IELTS Exam is the Opinion Essay. So, in this lesson, you will learn how to recognize the opinion essays and answer them.

You may encounter the term discussion essay. But, IELTS opinion essays and IELTS discussion essays are the same. There is no difference between them.

If you are not familiar yet with all the types of essays, and minimum requirements to achieve a high band when writing IELTS essays , you better first check them. Then, come back to this article to learn more about opinion essays.

How to Determine the IELTS Opinion Essay

The first and most important thing you should do when writing an IELTS essay is to determine the essay type. There are five types of IELTS essays , and one is the opinion essay.

As this article is about opinion essays, let’s understand how to know if the essay is opinion one.

If the essay question asks you to give your opinion or discuss both views, then that is an opinion essay. Let’s look at examples.

Below example is from official Cambridge book 8.

As you can see, it asks for discussing both views and giving your opinion. Whenever you see this statement, it’s surely an opinion essay. No need to hesitate.

Now, let’s take a look at another example. This example is from Cambridge book 10.

Again, it is asking for your opinion. So, when you see the statement: Discuss both views and give your own opinion , you can be certain that it is an opinion essay.

How to Structure an IELTS Opinion Essay

Well, now we can know if the essay type is opinion. So, let’s learn ways to structure opinion essays.

IELTS opinion essays always ask you to discuss two viewpoints, so make sure to write about both viewpoints.

We recommend that you write four paragraphs. The first paragraph is an introduction. Then you have two write two main body paragraphs and conclusion.

Let’s look at this with a real example question.

Here is an essay question which was taken from the Cambridge book 12:

Some people say that parents should encourage their children to take part in organised group activities in their free time. Others say that it is important for children to learn how to occupy themselves on their own.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

First, you should write the introduction. Paraphrase the question, and add your opinion. You can support one or another view. However, you also can have a balanced opinion. In a moment, we’ll write the introduction to this topic.

Second, you should write the first main body paragraph which will be about the first viewpoint. With the latest question, it will be about why it is good to encourage children to take part in organised group activities.

Then, you should write the second body paragraph supporting the second viewpoint. In this case, you should say why it is better for children to learn to occupy themselves on their own.

Last, you should write a conclusion. It shouldn’t be a long one. It should just paraphrase the introduction.

So, now, let’s follow this question and write a full essay.

How to Write an Introduction

As mentioned before, the first paragraph you should write is the introduction. You should aim to write two to three sentences for the introduction. Not more.

So, let’s paraphrase the essay question, and add our opinion. For our last essay question we could write:

Currently, there is a multitude of pastimes and games for children; however, it is a contentious issue whether they should be involved in collective or individual hobbies. This essay will consider each point of view and shall demonstrate that both types of activity are essential for young people.

First, we paraphrased the essay question. Then, we added our opinion. It’s crucial to give your opinion because the essay question asks to do so.

We have a balanced opinion, so our essay will support both views equally.

We used synonyms to avoid repeating the words which were in the question. In this way, we are aiming at a high score in the vocabulary criterion.

To check more how the IELTS writing task is assessed, check out this video .

How to Write the First Main Body Paragraphs

The first main body paragraph should support organised group activities for children.

We should add ideas about why it is good for children to participate in organised activities.

Here is our first main body paragraph:

With respect to the young interacting in groups, there are two principal benefits. First and foremost, spending time with those of a similar age facilitates the building of supportive relationships throughout childhood. For instance, laughing and playing together provides unique joy and the ultimate ability to comfort and protect each other if school or home difficulties are experienced. Moreover, integrating with others enables socialisation to occur. This includes building the skills of empathy, negotiation and teamwork, which will be of paramount importance in their future personal and working lives.

We supported the first view and added examples. We also used a wide range of vocabulary to aim at a high score.

Overall, we gave two ideas about why children should take part in organised activities. We recommend that you try to give from two to three ideas for each viewpoint. Not more.

Now, let’s move on and write the second body paragraph.

How to Write the Second Body Paragraph

In the second body paragraph, we should write about the advantages of children occupying themselves. Again, we should add some ideas and support them with examples.

So, for our question it would be:

In spite of this, encouraging children to appreciate time alone is certainly beneficial. Firstly, it promotes independence, which is a necessary survival skill. For example, it is unhealthy and unrealistic to expect others to be ever-present. Time without family and friends is inevitable and young people need to learn to tolerate this. In addition, functioning individually can be thoroughly rewarding. To illustrate, they are able to discover themselves and the world through various self-autonomous activities such as reading, painting and writing. In fact, doing so develops self-esteem, which is vital for the happiness and development of young people.

Again, we gave two ideas and supported them with examples. Our second body paragraph is also ready.

So, now is the time to write the conclusion to complete this essay.

How to Write the Conclusion

The conclusion should summarize your essay. It should lightly mention all that you have talked about previously. Then, it should state your concluding idea.

For our essay, the conclusion would be:

To summarise, this essay has discussed the merits of children engaging in collaborative and solitary interests. Evidence suggests that young people should be involved in a balance of each to enable the acquisition of mutual support, social skills, independence and self esteem. As society develops, there will be a greater diversity of activities on offer to them.

Now, it is time for you to practice what we have done together. Find new essays questions to answer on your own. Take into consideration the steps shown above, and write your own essay.

If you follow the steps outlined above, you should receive a high score on your essay. To be sure, have the essay looked at by an experienced IELTS examiner.

ALISTAIR BROWN: As a writing and speaking examiner for more than 10 years, I bring a lot of experience. I have seen the frustrations that students have with IELTS from a career where I have actively guided and corrected students’ studies. I am looking for the most effective ways to teach IELTS as I understand students’ needs.

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IELTS Writing Task 2
IELTS Essay

How to Write an IELTS Essay

In this introductory lesson you will find some guidance on how you should write an IELTS essay .

There are then more lessons on the following pages for different types of essay and different questions, with lots of tips and strategies for achieving a high score.

You can also watch a video of this lesson:

Essay Types

It is important to learn about IELTS essays because there are different essay types, and these will require different ways to answer them.

However, as you will see from the guidance on this page, they can all follow the same basic structure.

These are some of the types of IELTS essays you can get in the test:

Agree / disagree
Discuss two opinions
Advantages & disadvantages
Causes (reasons) & solutions
Causes (reasons) & effects
Problems & solutions

Not every essay will fit one of these patterns, but many do.

You may get some of these tasks mixed up. For example, you could be asked to give your opinion on an issue, and then discuss the advantages or disadvantages of it.

The golden rule is to ALWAYS read the question very carefully to see exactly what you are being asked to do.

The second lesson explains more about analysing essay questions.

How do I Write an IELTS Essay?

In order to answer this, lets first look at a sample question:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In the last 20 years there have been significant developments in the field of information technology (IT), for example the World Wide Web and communication by email. However, these developments in IT are likely to have more negative effects than positive in the future.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or knowledge.

Write at least 250 words.

An IELTS essay is structured like any other essay; you just need to make it shorter. There are three key elements:

Introduction
Body Paragraphs

We will look at each of these in turn, using the essay question above as an example.

1) Introduction

You should keep your introduction for the IELTS essay short. Remember you only have 40 minutes to write the essay, and some of this time needs to be spent planning. Therefore, you need to be able to write your introduction fairly quickly so you can start writing your body paragraphs.

You should do just two things:

State the topic of the essay, using some basic facts (that you may be able to take from the question)
Say what you are going to write about

Here is an example introduction for the above essay question about IT:

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT, with many advances in this field. However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world, I strongly believe that these developments in IT will result in more negative impacts than positive.

As you can see, the first sentence makes sure it refers to the topic (IT) and uses facts about IT taken from the question. Note that these are paraphrased - you must not copy from the rubric!

The second part then clearly sets out the what the essay will be about and confirms the writers opinion (some questions may not ask for your opinion, but this one does). The writer clearly agrees as he/she thinks there will be more negative impacts.

View this lesson for more advice on writing IELTS essay introductions.

2) Body Paragraphs

For an IELTS essay, you should have 2 or 3 body paragraphs - no more, and no less.

For your body paragraph, each paragraph should contain one controlling idea, and have sentences to support this.

Lets look at the first paragraph for the essay about IT. The essay is about the benefits and drawbacks of IT, so these will need to be discussed in separate paragraphs.

Here is the first body paragraph:

On the positive side, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster. This has resulted in numerous benefits for commerce and business as there is no need to wait weeks for letters or take time sending faxes, which was the case in the past. Furthermore, the World Wide Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us. For example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and much more via the internet. These developments have made life far easier and more convenient for many.

The controlling idea in this first paragraph is the 'benefits of IT', and there are two supporting ideas, which are underlined. No drawbacks are discussed as the paragraph would then lose coherence.

Most of the essay will focus on the negative aspects of IT, as the writer says there are more negative effects in the introduction. So the next two paragraphs are about these.

The topic sentence in the next paragraph therefore tells us we are changing the focus to the negative points:

Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation. This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-to-day basis.

The final body paragraph gives the last negative effect:

In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate and control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites and the spread of computer viruses. Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up.

3) Conclusion

The conclusion only needs to be one or two sentences, and you can do the following:

Re-state what the essay is about (re-write the last sentence of your introduction in different words)
Give some thoughts about the future

Here is an example:

In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe that these are outweighed by the drawbacks. In the future these will need to be addressed if we are to avoid damaging impacts on individuals and society.

The Full IELTS Essay

(290 Words)

The IELTS essay introduction talks in general about the increasing use of IT, thus introducing the topic well. The thesis then clearly sets out the writers opinion.

The following paragraph mentions the present benefits of these developments, but the opening sentence in the third paragraph is a qualifying statement (Nevertheless, not all the effects... ), so the writer can now focus on the negative elements.

The fourth paragraph provides two other negative examples (lack of regulation, viruses). Both paragraphs suggest that these problems will continue in the future.

The essay concludes with a clear opinion that agrees with the statement.

Overall, it is a well-balanced text that mentions the present situation ( ...this has made life.. .) but importantly, also refers to the future of IT (. ..likely to increase..., might get worse. ..).

Now you know the basics of writing an IELTS Essay, you can go on and look at further sample essays or if you prefer, check out the next lessons for Writing Task 2.

More Task 2 IELTS Lessons:

Using Pronouns to Improve IELTS Essay Coherency

Find out how to use pronouns to improve your coherency for IELTS task 2 essays.

Improving Writing Coherence for IELTS essays

25% of the writing grade is on how you organise your essay so this lesson shows you how to improve your writing coherence.

IELTS Task Response - 25% of your essay grade

The IELTS Task Response criteria in the scoring makes up 25% of your band score for your essay.

Tips on How to Score IELTS Band 8 in Writing and Speaking

To score IELTS Band 8 you need to understand exactly what is in the IELTS Band Descriptors for an 8 for writing and speaking first.

The 3 Types of IELTS Opinion Essays in IELTS

IELTS opinion essays in IELTS can be placed into three types. This lesson explains the different types and how to analyse these essay questions.

IELTS Problem Solution Essay Strategies and Tips

In IELTS problem solution essays you have to discuss a particular issue and present ideas to solve that problem.

Using Substitution in IELTS to Improve Writing Coherency

You can use substitution in your IELTS essays in order to improve coherency and coherence.

Requirements for IELTS Band 7 in Writing

Getting to an IELTS Band 7 is a struggle for many candidates. This lesson explains exactly what you have to do to reach this band score.

Thesis Statement Tips for IELTS Essays

Your thesis statement in an IELTS essay should be written quickly and concisely. Use these tips to do that.

IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Tips and Strategies

An advantage disadvantage essay is one type of essay that you may get in the test. This lesson shows how to write a pros cons essay.

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2 can be difficult but complex ideas are not expected.

IELTS Music Essay: Understanding a Complex Question

An IELTS essay about music is used to show you how to answer a more complex IELTS essay question that does not have a clear 'task' given to you.

Can you use Personal Pronouns in Essays for IELTS?

Learn how to use personal pronouns in essays for IELTS correctly. Can you use "I", "we" and "you"?

How to use brainstorming and planning to generate essay ideas.

Brainstorming and planning is a key step in developing your IELTS essay. This lesson has tips on how to coming up with ideas and organising them.

Writing an IELTS Essay Introduction

Tips on how to write an introduction for an IELTS essay introduction in a quick and easy way.

How to Identify the Task in an IELTS Essay

Learn how to identify the task in an IELTS task 2 essay question. This is one of the most important steps in responding to an essay question.

Writing an IELTS Essay Conclusion

The IELTS essay conclusion is the final part of your IELTS essay. This lesson guides you on how to write a conclusion quickly but effectively.

Transitional Phrases for Essays

Learn transitional phrases for essays to get a band 7 or higher in your IELTS writing for coherence and cohesion.

How to Identify the Topic of an IELTS Essay Question

In IELTS you must identify the topic of your essay as this is a key to making sure your essay is on topic.

Paragraph Writing for IELTS: Building strong arguments

This paragraph writing lesson provides tips on constructing the best paragraphs for your IELTS essay.

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Structures

The four most common IELTS writing Task 2 questions are: Opinion, Advantages and Disadvantages, Problem and Solution Discussion

IELTS Task 2 Essay Structures

Knowing how to structure your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay is an essential skill that can make the difference between getting and not getting the band score you deserve. With that in mind, we have outlined the most common IELTS Writing Task 2 structures below.

Nearly all of my Task 2 essays follow this basic structure: The sentences you put in each paragraph will depend on what type of question you get.

The five most common IELTS Writing Task 2 questions are:

Opinion (Agree or Disagree)
Advantages and Disadvantages
Problem and Solution
Discussion (Discuss both views)
Two-part Question

Below I will outline examples and a structure approved by experienced IELTS teachers and examiners for each type of question. This will help you write a clear, coherent answer and hopefully boost your IELTS band score. I also include an example answer for each type of question so you can see the structure in a real essay.

Please note that these are general structures and may vary slightly depending on the question.

Please also note that no ‘one’ Task 2 essay structure will get you a high score. There are many types of structures that can get you a high score. These are just some I think are effective and easy to learn.

Please visit the lessons below for more detailed guidance on each type of question. I have provided a link at the end of each section.

Opinion Questions (Agree or Disagree)

Typical Question Words –

What is your opinion?

Do you agree or disagree?

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Direct question.

Example Question –

Some people believe that unpaid community service should be compulsory in high school programmes (for example, working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children).

Essay Structure

Introduction

1- Paraphrase Question

2- Give your opinion and outline the main ideas.

Main Body Paragraph 1

1- Topic Sentence

2- Explain Topic Sentence

Main Body Paragraph 2

Conclusion

1- Summary of main points and opinion

Student Sample Answer

It is argued that volunteering should be made part of the school curriculum. This essay agrees with that suggestion completely because it help pupils develop soft skills and helps them gain much-needed work experience.

Education should not be limited to strictly academic pursuits, and those in education should also develop life skills, such as teamwork, empathy and self-discipline, and one of the best ways to hone these aptitudes is through community service. Serving those less fortunate than ourselves teaches us many lessons, including how to work with people from other backgrounds and the value of hard work, thus enabling us to hone these skills before becoming an adult. For example, many young people from wealthier countries take a gap year and help those less fortunate than themselves to increase their gratitude for what they have and improve their work ethic.

Many colleges and companies are also increasingly looking for this type of experience. Most school leavers have the same grades, and charitable work can help set you apart from other students when making college applications. For example, Cambridge and Oxford receive thousands of applications from straight-A students yearly and can only accept a small percentage of applicants. What you have done outside the classroom often differentiates you from everyone else and gets you that coveted spot.

In conclusion, teenagers should be made to partake in unpaid work as part of their schooling because it will help them learn things they wouldn’t ordinarily learn from their teachers, and it will also boost their chances of getting into third-level education.

For more detail on how to answer agree or disagree questions, please visit our opinion essay lesson .

Need help writing essays like this? Check out our ESSAY CORRECTION SERVICE .

Advantages and Disadvantages Questions

Typical Question Words

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Example Question

Technology is being used more and more in education.

Essay Structure

2- Outline Main Points

Main Body Paragraph 1

1- State Two Advantages

2- Expand/Explain First Advantage

3- Expand/Explain Second Advantage

1- State Two Disadvantages

2- Expand/Explain First Disadvantage

3- Expand/Explain Second Disadvantage

1- Summary of Main Points

Student Sample Answer

It is argued that technology plays an ever-increasing role in schools and universities. Increased access to information and student freedom are the main advantages, whereas dependency on technology and decreasing levels of face-to-face contact are the main disadvantages.

Access to more information and student autonomy are the principal advantages of increasing the use of electronic devices in education. With the internet, students can access all the information available about any topic, regardless of what books and other resources are available in the school. Furthermore, students can focus on whatever topic or subject they want and study it in depth. A prime example of this is the number of online university courses available to students, covering a myriad of subjects that, up until recently, were unavailable to most learners. This has resulted in more people studying third-level degrees than ever before at a pace and schedule that suits them.

The main disadvantages associated with the increasing use of technology in education are the dependency on this technology and the decrease in face-to-face interaction between students. With many students now using the internet as their primary source of information, they often struggle to use other academic resources to find what they’re looking for. As well as this, students spend more time looking at computer screens by themselves than interacting with each other, which is thought to lead to lower levels of emotional intelligence. For instance, the recent explosion in smartphone use has been at the expense of genuine human interaction. This results in soft skills, such as verbal communication and empathy, being affected.

In conclusion, the benefits technology brings to education, such as unrestricted access to information and student autonomy, must be weighed against the drawbacks, such as dependency on this technology and the negative effects on human interaction.

For more detail on how to answer advantage and disadvantage questions, please visit our advantage and disadvantage lesson .

Discuss Both Views Question (Discussion Essay)

Discuss both points of view and give your opinion.

Example Question

Technology is being used more and more in education. Some people say that this is a positive trend, while others argue that it is leading to negative consequences.

Discuss both sides of this argument and then give your own opinion.

1- Paraphrase Question and/or state both viewpoints.

2- Thesis Statement

3- Outline Sentence

1- State first viewpoint

2- Discuss first viewpoint

3- Reason why you agree or disagree with viewpoint

4- Example to support your view

1- State second viewpoint

2- Discuss second viewpoint

Sentence 1- Summary

Sentence 2- State which one is better or more important

There is an ever-increasing use of technology, such as tablets and laptops, in the classroom. It is often argued that this is a positive development, whilst others disagree and think it will lead to adverse ramifications. This essay agrees that an increase in technology is beneficial to students and teachers.

The Internet has provided students with access to more information than ever before. This has allowed learners to research and learn about any subject at the touch of a button. It is therefore agreed that technology is a very worthwhile tool for education. Wikipedia is a prime example, where students can type in any keyword and gain access to in-depth knowledge quickly and easily.

However, many disagree and feel that technology deprives people of real human interaction. Human interaction teaches people valuable skills such as discourse, debate and empathy. Without these soft skills, many people find it difficult to become successful in work and their personal lives. Despite this, human interaction is still possible through the internet, and this essay disagrees that technology should be dismissed for this reason. For instance, Skype and Facebook allow people to interact in ways that were never before possible.

While the benefits of technology, particularly the internet, allow students to tap into limitless sources of information, some still feel that people should be wary of this new phenomenon and not allow it to curb face-to-face interaction. However, as long as we carefully consider the importance of human interaction in education, the educational benefits are clearly positive.

For more detail on how to answer discussion questions please visit our discussion essay lesson .

Problem and Solution Questions

Problem and solution.

Cause and solution.

Students are becoming more and more reliant on technology.

What are some of the problems associated with reliance on computers, and what are some of the possible solutions?

2- Outline Sentence

1- State Problems

2- Explain First Problem

3- Explain Second Problem

4- Example of Second Problem

1- State Solutions

2- Explain First Solution

3- Explain Second Solution

4- Example of Second Solution

Learners are becoming increasingly dependent on technology, such as the Internet and mobile devices. This essay believes the main problems associated with dependence on computers are the lack of original thought and copying original work from others and suggests critical thinking classes and writing analysis software as the most viable solutions.

The principal problems with over-reliance on technology are people being unable to think for themselves and plagiarism. With access to so much information, students often rely on other people’s opinions instead of forming their own. As well as this, they often use search engines to answer a question and copy the text from a website rather than thinking about the question. This practice is prohibited in schools and universities and stunts students’ intellectual development because they will never truly think for themselves, which is what university is supposed to be for. For example, many teachers complain that students copy web pages straight from Wikipedia word for word rather than giving a reasoned answer to their questions.

Solutions to these worrying problems are special classes to focus on critical thinking and teachers using anti-plagiarism software to detect copying. If teachers create situations where students have to infer meaning and express opinions based on a small amount of information, this will ensure that students have an opportunity to develop these skills. Also, if students know that their assignments are being checked for plagiarism, this will be enough to deter them from doing so. For instance, many universities already use this kind of software to scan coursework for plagiarism, and it could be extended to include all homework by learners in both secondary and tertiary education.

In conclusion, the main problems with the overuse of technology in education are the lack of original thought and plagiarism. These can be solved through special classes that teach students analytical skills and plagiarism detection software.

For more detail on how to answer problem and solution questions please visit our problem and solution lesson .

Two-Part Questions

There will normally be a statement, and they will then ask you to answer separate questions.

As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual wellbeing.

What factor contributes to job satisfaction?

How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?

2- Outline Sentence (mention both questions)

1- Answer first question directly

2- Explain why

3- Further explain

1- Answer second question directly

As most adults spend most of their time at work, being content with your career is a crucial part of a person’s health and happiness. This essay will first suggest fair pay as a key element leading to job satisfaction, and it will then state that it is not very likely that everyone can be happy with their job.

The most important thing that satisfies someone at work is being compensated fairly. If those more senior than you respect you as a person and the job you are doing, then you feel like you are valued. A fair salary and benefits are important marks of respect, and if you feel you are being underpaid, you will either resent your bosses or look for another job. These two factors came top of a recent job satisfaction survey conducted by Monster.com, which found that 72% of people were pleased with their current role if their superiors regularly told them they were appreciated.

With regard to the question of happiness for all workers, I think this is and always will be highly unlikely. The vast majority of people fail to reach their goals and end up working in a post they don’t really care about in return for a salary. This money is just enough to pay their living expenses which often means they are trapped in a cycle of disenchantment. For example, The Times recently reported that 89% of office workers would leave their jobs if they did not need the money.

In conclusion, being satisfied with your trade or profession is an important part of one’s well-being, and respect from one’s colleagues and fair pay can improve your level of happiness; however, job satisfaction for all workers is an unrealistic prospect.

Can I get a band 8 or 9 following these structures?

Nobody can give you a Task 2 IELTS structure that guarantees high scores. Your score is dependent on how good your grammar and vocabulary are and how well you answer the question. A good structure will help you answer the question to some extent and boost your score for coherence and cohesion, but you must use relevant ideas and use these ideas well to answer the question.

You can see how my student scored a Band 8.5 in IELTS Writing here:

Next Steps

We hope you found those IELTS Writing Task 2 structures useful. Looking for some more sample questions? Here are over 100 sample questions from past exam papers.

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My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

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An opinion essay

Learn how to write an opinion essay.

Do the preparation task first. Then read the text and tips and do the exercises.

Preparation

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Some people think that some types of criminals should not go to prison. Instead they should do unpaid work in the community. To what extent do you agree?

Owing to the great variety of crimes that can be punishable by prison, some people argue that not all criminals are the same and it would therefore be more appropriate to give certain criminals community service instead. I agree that in some cases, prison may not be the best solution and community service would probably have more benefits.

One justification given for prisons is to keep society safe by removing criminals from the outside world. So the first thing to consider is if someone who has broken the law is a danger to other people. In the case of violent crime, there is an argument to keep the perpetrator away from society. However, burglary or possession of drugs, for example, does not involve violence against other people so the criminal does not present a direct danger to anyone in the community. Keeping these types of criminals in prison is expensive for the taxpayer and does not appear to be an effective punishment as they often commit the same crime again when they come out of prison.

Personally, I also believe punishments should reform people so they do not reoffend. A further reason not to put these people in prison is that they may mix with more dangerous and violent criminals, potentially committing a worse crime when they are released. By keeping them in the community, helping others, they not only learn new skills, but they could also develop more empathy and care towards others. If this occurs, society can only benefit.

Critics of this more rehabilitative approach to crime believe that justice should be harsh in order to deter people from committing similar crimes and that community service could be less likely to have that effect. However, there is very little evidence to suggest that long prison sentences deter criminals.

In conclusion, putting criminals who are not a danger to society in prison is expensive and, in my opinion, ineffective, both as a deterrent and as a form of rehabilitation. Community service for non-violent crimes benefits both society and the offender. That said, it would be useful to have more data to work out whether community service or prison is more likely to stop someone reoffending. I strongly believe that decisions on how best to deal with criminals should be based on evidence of what actually works.

Introduce your essay by restating the question in your own words.
If the essay asks you to what extent do you agree?, make your opinion clear throughout. You can either agree, partially agree or disagree with the statement, explaining and justifying your opinion.
Introduction
The first reason why you agree/disagree
The second reason why you agree/disagree
The third reason why you agree/disagree (if you have one)
Use phrases to organise and link your ideas, e.g. Owing to … , One justification for … , The first thing to consider is … , A further reason … , In conclusion ... .
If you do not have solid evidence for your ideas, use modal verbs such as might , may or could (e.g. they could develop more empathy and care ) or other tentative phrases (e.g. it does not appear to be an effective punishment ).
Conclude by restating your opinion and summarising your two or three main arguments.

Do you agree that community service is better than prison for some crimes?

Language level

Good day Sir/Madam,

I would like to ask about the expression ‘So the first thing is to…’. In academic and formal writing, should I avoid using ‘thing’ or ‘so’ or is it still fine? Thanks a lot for taking your time to read this. Hope to hear from you.

Your sincerely, Kimmie

Hi kimmie,

Thanks for your question. In academic and formal writing, there is a general preference for precision over vagueness, so generally speaking it's better to avoid this usage of so and thing and use more precise and academic terms when they are available (e.g. Therefore, the first factor/issue to consider is ... ).

However, if you search academic writing, you will find writers do use thing sometimes, especially in fixed phrases (e.g. the first thing / the same thing ) or technical terms ( e.g. the Internet of Things ). Some writers might also use more general terms first before moving onto more precise terms.

(Note: The essay on the page above is in a somewhat formal style but not very formal.)

I hope that helps.

LearnEnglish team

Hi Jonathan

This is immensely valuable for me. Thank you so much for your swift response. Hope you have a nice day.

In my country it is often debated whether community services are better than prison for certain crimes. I think it's pretty obvious that it should be an option for less important faults. However, sometimes it happens that a judge decides to grant this benefit to some type of powerful criminals who cause more significant damage to society than others who do not have the same possibility, such as financial criminals or corrupt government agents. In my opinion, these types of sentences can have a bad impact on people, since they see that these behaviors are not severely punished and are somehow protected by the law. In conclusion, I agree that certain types of crimes should avoid prison, but I believe that before implementing it, the society must agree on which crimes will be able to enjoy this possibility to ensure that justice is fair for all.

please approve for testing

Hello aaron,

We check all comments before publishing them, which is why it's taken some time for your comment to be published.

Normally we delete a comment like this -- and we deleted the other one you made -- but have let this one through so you can see that it works.

We are a small team, so it can sometimes be several hours before comments are published -- just wanted to tell you for the future.

We look forward to hearing more from you!

All the best, Kirk LearnEnglish team

The subject of how criminals should be punished is complicated, there are a lot of different opinions defending their points of view. There are two main ideas the first is arresting all the offenders, and the second idea is separating those not dangerous to society, and sending them to work in the community. In my opinion, I agree with the second idea, because there are many expenses with the prisons and the prisoners, so if lessen the population in this environment the conditions and the quality could be better than if there were overpopulation, avoiding justice being done right. Furthermore, these people aren't violent and dangerous to others, so with bad company in the prison, they might become bad people too. In this case, it's an awful idea to mix a different kind of person. Therefore, it's an excellent suggestion to oblige these people to do work in society, but with supervision in the right way and strictly.

On account of the differences between several types of crimes, not all criminals should be sent to prison. It is suggested that giving certain offenders community service would be more appropriate than just jailing them.

Honestly, I completely agree that the right way to protect people from harm is to imprison criminals who conduct violent crimes that endanger human physical health. Nevertheless, this penalty may be ineffective with offenders who have administrative guilts or non-violent offenses. Since they often commit the same crime after getting out of prison, this is just a temporary punishment to ensure the security of citizens for a certain period. The nature of the problem is these crimes originate from greed and bad habits which lead to their deviant behaviors but have not yet resulted in such severe consequences that affect human life.

From my perspective, the government would rather reform these types of offenders than deter them as a kind of punishment. It is better to have an alternative that perceptively impacts these people’s awareness which is to make them do community service. Jailing these criminals just increases their hatred and develops antisocial personality. By keeping and controlling them in a community, besides learning new skills, they amend their bad manner as well as develop more empathy and care towards others.

Given these points, the application of punishment should be based on the nature of each specific crime. Prisons should only be used for perpetrators committing directly dangerous crimes to people's lives. Making non-violent criminals do community service is more of a practical way to optimize tax wasted for prisons as well as give them a chance to fix their wrong behaviors.

There are several types of crimes and for each of them, a different sentence is dictated. A paramount question to be considered is whether community servers are more accurate than prisons for some crimes.

To begin with, community servers would help and support criminals through specialized psychologists. Not only would community servers help and support them, but also it would give them jobs to help them give the society back a contribution in return.

In addition, prisons only contribute to worsening the situation owing to the fact that criminals will commit crimes again. The key to excellent behavior is learning. If they learn suitable habits, they will adapt to society and help it.

Furthermore, it is necessary to have empathy with criminals and not judge them because their hate increases when they are condemned in prison. A further reason for this is that hate feeds hate. Nevertheless, some criminals must be in jail due to their danger on the streets. It is difficult to know that a person who kills someone else, is going to change even if he/she receives help from psychologists.

In contrast, most of society believes that all criminals should be in prison. However, prisons must be all comfortable like a hotel in order to bring for the prisoners a place to recover themselves. The reason why they must live in appropriate conditions is due to his mental health. For instance, in Norway, prisons are like hotels because the government considers that criminals need a second chance to live in a community

To conclude, it would be suitable for all criminals to live in accurate prisons in order to recover themselves. Despite the cost that kind of prisons are supposed to take, they are worth paying for them. In my opinion, safety is priceless and is more important than the cost.

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IELTS Opinion Essay Sample Questions

Below are some IELTS opinion essay sample questions which can come in writing task 2. Another name for these essays is argumentative essays.

Opinion Essays Tips

spend at least 5 minutes analysing the words and ideas in the statement
make sure your answer is a complete answer which addresses all parts of the task
give a clear opinion
stay true to your opinion throughout your essay
follow a safe opinion essay model

Opinion Essay Questions

“Prevention is better than cure”. Researching and treating diseases is too costly so it would be better to invest in preventative measures. To what extent do you agree.

With the increased global demand in oil and gas, undiscovered areas of the world should be opened up to access more resources. To what extent do you agree?

We live in a world of technology these days. While the internet brings with it clear advantages, the problems in terms of control and security of information outweighs the advantages. To what extent do you agree?

In many countries today, parents are able to choose to send their children to single-sex schools or co-educational schools. Some people think that children going to single-sex schools have disadvantages later in life. To what extent do you agree?

Scientists and technology experts seem to be more valued by modern society than musicians and artists. To what extent do you agree?

Some people think that success is the best measure for intelligence, while others think that intelligence can be measured in other ways. What is your opinion?

Some people believe that men and women are equal and so women should be able to do any job they want. Others feel that men and women are not equal and therefore there are certain jobs which are not suitable for women. What is your opinion?

Some people think that more money should be spent on protecting endangered species while others think it is a waste of valuable money. What is your opinion?

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How to Structure Your IELTS Essay

A lot of students feel added pressure when preparing for the IELTS exam as they often have a lot riding on their success or failure in the exam. Students often take the IELTS Exam to provide proof of their English skills for either immigration or academic purposes .

When students start preparing for IELTS Writing , I often discover that they don’t know where to start when it comes to structuring their essays. In this post, I would like to share a simple but very useful method to help you structure your essays.

Read and understand the question

One key element is to understand the question and to be clear about what you want to say in your response. Clear thinking leads to clear writing . The first step is to read and understand the question. Let’s look at this question as an example:

Despite advances in medicine there are concerns that certain diseases such as diabetes are increasing and some people believe future generations will face greater problems with health and die younger than we do today. What is your opinion?

This question asks you:

about your opinion – this must be clear in the introduction and the conclusion
about whether health will be better in future – this means that you need to talk about the future and now – there must be some comparison
about whether people will live longer – this needs to be mentioned too

All these things must be included.

Think about the examiner – make your opinion clear

IELTS essays get marked quickly. You don’t want to allow the examiner to make a mistake. So make life easy for him/her by showing the structure of your essay as clearly as possible. There are three places you do this. This is what I refer to as the spine of the essay (your spine is your backbone – it’s what keeps you upright and gives you your structure).

the introduction – that’s the first thing they read and where you make your first impression and first impressions count
the first sentence of each paragraph (x2) – examiners are taught that each paragraph should have one main idea – show them what it is in the first sentence
the conclusion – that’s the last thing they read and the first thing they remember!

The key is to link these things together so that:

the introduction matches the conclusion – the opinion/point of view is the same: you just need to change the language
the two body paragraphs link to the opinion/point view in the introduction

Think clearly about your opinion/point of view

You want your point of view to be clear. My basic rule is that if you can’t say in it two sentences, it’s too complex. So part of the planning process may be deleting ideas that are too complex or that you can’t express clearly in English.

See my example:

I’m going to go for a balanced type essay with an argument that health and longevity (living for a long time) will get worse in the West but better in developing nations. Before I start writing I make sure I can say this simply:

I think health will get worse in the west but better in developing countries and this will affect how long people live.

Build the spine of your essay – here is my example

All you need to do now is build the spine of the essay: the intro, first sentences and conclusion. I really do do this using my essay structure plan above. I ended up with this. Take a look at it. See:

how simple it is – that’s good, you do want a simple structure
how things repeat – that’s good too
I crossed out my idea about stress and mental health. It’s a good idea, but would make the essay too complex

Now get the words

This lesson wouldn’t be complete if I didn’t show you the “end-product”. Your plan is only good if it helps you write well. Take a look at my opinions (in red) and the balance between developing countries (in green) and the industrialised nations (in blue).

Introduction There is no question that medicine has progressed dramatically over the last century, but this does not mean that all our medical problems have been solved. Indeed, my belief is that the average life span in the Western world may actually fall in the 21st century. This is in contrast to the situation in developing countries where I expect health provision to improve and longevity to increase.

Paragraph 1 The main reason why overall health may become worse in the industrialised nations of the West relates to modern lifestyles there.

Paragraph 2 The situation in the developing world is, however, quite different and overall health is likely to improve.

Conclusion My conclusion is therefore a mixed one. While it is true that people may face greater problems with their health in the future, this only applies to industrialised nations and not to the developing world where life expectancy may increase.

This is just a simple but very effective method for helping to create a structured and coherent essay for your IELTS exam. Preparing for IELTS might be daunting but it is possible to succeed!

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IELTS Discussion Essays [Discuss Both Views/Sides]

Posted by David S. Wills | Jun 14, 2021 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 3

In this lesson, I’m going to explain what an IELTS discussion essay is and how you can write a good one. I will talk about structure and content, as well as looking briefly at discussion essay thesis statements, which many people find tricky. I’ve also written a sample essay, which you can find at the bottom of this page.

What is a Discussion Essay?

As the name suggests, a discussion essay is an essay that discusses things! More specifically, it is a type of IELTS writing task 2 essay that requires you to look at two different points of view . You can easily recognise these essays by the following phrase:

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Sometimes it is phrased a little differently. It might say:

Discuss both sides and give your opinion

Discuss both points view and give your opinion

The important thing is that these all mean the same. When you see any of these, you know that you need to write a discussion essay. Importantly, this instruction tells you that you need to do two things:

Discuss both views (there will have been 2 views mentioned in the previous sentence(s))
Give your opinion (i.e. state which view you agree with)

If you failed to do either of these things, you would not have satisfied the basic criteria for Task Achievement .

Example Discussion Essay Questions

Here is a list of 5 discussion essay questions either from the IELTS exam, reportedly from the IELTS exam, or from reputable publications that have copied the IELTS question style. (Not that you absolutely should avoid fake IELTS questions when practising.)

Some people say that parents should encourage their children to take part in organised group activities in their free time. Others say that is important for children to learn how to occupy themselves on their own. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding change. Others, however, think that change is always a good thing. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Some people feel that manufacturers and supermarkets have the responsibility to reduce the amount of packaging of goods. Others argue that customers should avoid buying goods with a lot of packaging. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Some people believe that higher education should be funded by the government. Others, however, argue that it is the responsibility of individuals to fund their higher education. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Some people believe that it is important for children to attend extra classes outside school, while others believe that they should be allowed to play after school. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

You can see in these questions that there is a similar pattern. In each case, the question phrase (“Discuss both views and give your own opinion”) is the same and in the previous sentence or sentences, there are two opposing views. This, then, makes “discuss both views” questions a sort of opinion essay .

How to Answer IELTS Discussion Questions

First of all, it is important when answering any IELTS task 2 question that you read the question carefully so that you understand it, then provide an answer that directly responds to the question, following its instructions carefully.

As discussed above, you are required to do two things: 1) Discuss both views, and 2) Give your own opinion. You absolutely must do both of those. It doesn’t really matter what your opinion is or whether you give equal weighting to both sides of the argument. Instead, you must cover both sides and also give some sort of opinion. (It is important, though, according to the marking rubric , that you are consistent in your opinion.)

Your answer of course should be structured carefully so as to present your ideas in a thoroughly logical way that is easy for your reader to interpret. I almost always use a four-paragraph structure in my essays, but some people prefer to use five paragraphs in this sort of essay. The difference would look like this:

You might be wondering why I have given my opinion in the body of the five-paragraph essay but not in the four-paragraph essay. Well, actually I would give my opinion in the body of both. However, my opinion would be more subtly woven into the text of the four-paragraph essay. I personally find this to be a better method, but it is equally possible that you could write an amazing five-paragraph essay. That issue is discussed further in this video:

Discussion Essay Thesis Statement

In academic writing, a thesis statement (sometimes called an essay outline ) is the part of the essay where you insert your opinion. It typically comes at the end of the introduction and guides the reader by explaining your opinion on the issues that have been introduced.

But do you really need to provide one in such a short essay? Well, a 2018 study into successful IELTS essays concluded that thesis statements were “obligatory” – i.e. you absolutely do need one. In fact, that study found that thesis statements appeared in 100% of successful IELTS discussion essays! Therefore, we can conclude they are very important.

Because a discussion essay will tell you to “Discuss both views and give your opinion,” you must introduce the two views and then give your opinion in the introduction. Here is an example:

Introductory paragraph:

In some parts of the world, children are forced to go to cram schools and other facilities of extracurricular learning, but many people believe that this is unfair and that they should be allowed to enjoy their free time instead. This essay will look at both perspectives and then conclude that it is indeed unfair.

My first sentence clearly introduces two different ideas:

Children should do extra classes
Children should not do extra classes

Note how I have successfully used synonyms to avoid repeating anything from the question. I have also framed the issue in a new way so that I am not just paraphrasing. (You can learn why paraphrasing is not always helpful here .)

My second sentence is the thesis statement. In this sentence, I outline what the essay will do (“look at both perspectives”) and then give my opinion (“it is unfair”). This is a simple but effective thesis statement.

Thesis Statement Advice

Your IELTS discussion essay thesis statement should do two things:

Tell the reader what the essay will do
Present your opinion

Because this is a formal essay, it is best not to be too personal. Instead of saying “I will…” or “I think…” it is better to say “This essay will…” Here are some simple templates that you can follow most of the time:

This essay will look at both sides and then argue that…
This essay will discuss both views but ultimately side with…

Just make sure to avoid being overly vague. You are required to give your opinion consistently throughout the essay, so don’t say “This essay will look at both sides and then give my opinion .” It is not really the best approach because the examiner wants to see that you can be consistent in presenting an opinion. That is clearly stated in the marking rubric. For band 7, it says:

presents a clear position throughout the response

It could be concluded, then, that your opinion is not clear from the start and so you have not done enough to warrant a band 7 for Task Achievement.

Body Paragraphs

As I mentioned above, there are really two main approaches you could take to the body paragraphs:

Discuss one view per paragraph and incorporate your opinion into each.
Discuss one view per paragraph and then have another for your opinion.

I suppose there is also a third option:

Compare and contrast the two viewpoints in each paragraph.

This last one may be a little harder to do successfully without jeopardising your score for Task Achievement or Coherence and Cohesion , but advanced candidates may find it useful.

Remember that there is no single perfect formula for an IELTS essay. That’s not how languages work and that’s not how IELTS works. Different people could come up with different ways to present a successful essay. The most common essay structures are mere guidelines for particularly useful methods of approaching an essay.

Does a Discussion Essay Have to be Balanced?

Because the question says “Discuss both views,” it is quite logical to think that you must provide some degree of balance, but you certainly don’t need to give equal weighting to both sides. Remember that you are also going to give your opinion, so if you come down strongly on one side of the issue, it might be odd to give equal attention to both.

If you do feel very strongly about one side, you might want to present your discussion of the other side as quite negative. However, IELTS is a thinking exam as well as an English exam and an intelligent person can always look at both sides of an issue and explain – at the very least – why someone might believe a thing that is different to his own view. This seems quite important, but there is nothing explicitly mentioned in the marking rubric.

I would suggest that if you think a two-sided issue is basically one-sided (i.e. you strongly disagree with the other view), you should still write one or two sentences about why people believe that and then devote the rest of your essay to disputing their view.

Another approach is to write BP1 as a very short paragraph that explains why people might think one thing, but then have BP2 as a very long paragraph that debunks the opposing view and then explains why the other is correct.

(You can read more about IELTS essays and balance here .)

Sample Answer

Here is my full sample answer to the above question about whether or not children should be made to do extracurricular activities:

In some parts of the world, children are forced to go to cram schools and other facilities of extracurricular learning, but many people believe that this is unfair and that they should be allowed to enjoy their free time instead. This essay will look at both perspectives and then conclude that it is indeed unfair. In countries like South Korea, most children are made to go to an array of cram schools outside of regular school hours. Their parents do this in order to give their child a better future because it helps the child to learn more and thus gives them the academic advantages needed to apply to the best universities or jobs in future. These schools often provide children with an advantage over their peers because they improve their foreign language or math skills more quickly, and thus the children who do not attend these schools might have comparatively poor grades. However, whilst this attitude may result in better academic performance, it is certainly not good for the mental health of these children. It is no coincidence that places like South Korea have the highest rates of suicide among their young populations. The fact is that children are not equipped to spend fourteen or sixteen hours per day in classrooms, memorising facts and figures. In a sense, it is a form of child abuse. Children should be allowed to go home and spend time with friends and family to build social skills. They should be allowed to occupy themselves in order to become more creative and learn how to understand their own mind instead of being trained to repeat what they are told. In conclusion, it is understandable that some parents want their children to go to extra classes, but this is damaging to children and they should be given the freedom to play and socialise outside of regular school hours.

In BP1, I have looked at the topic of cram schools (ie the side of the argument in favour of extra lessons). I explored why parents might want their kids to do this and show the supposed benefits. Note that I never embraced any of these benefits. I was careful to use language that distanced these ideas from my own opinion, which was the opposite, so I said “Their parents do this in order to…”

In BP2, I looked at the opposite side. I was careful to make sure that my first sentence linked to the previous paragraph, highlighting that the benefits are quite minor compared to the drawbacks. All of my sentences here justify my position, which is that it is cruel to force these extra lessons on children.

My conclusion ties all of this together. The first clause references BP1 and the second summarises the main argument in BP2.

You can find two more sample essays here:

A discussion essay about sports facilities
A discussion essay about sports abilities

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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It is sometimes debatable whether asking children to get extra education after school or letting them play that is actually beneficial for them. Even though both viewpoints have benefits and drawbacks but I believe ,in the childhood age, children have to take rough and discipline education after school to be succeed in the future.

To begin with, many educational experts believe that playing is one of the essential aspects that have to be gotten by children to grow and happy. By using the playing approach, children can have a good mental and psychic health. Besides, letting children play after school can also support them to increase their emotional stimuli and get a positive social interaction. With this way, experts believe children can grow as a better adult in the future and have a freedom to get a better life in the upcoming times.

However, I completely contra with the first idea because I believe childhood is a better time to train children about academic or other skills that benefits them in the future. Based on scientific journal that I read, the ability of children in learning new things are more spectacular compared to adults. A lot of artists, scientist, and even football player who currently becoming a superstar in this era is a string of process that is began since their in the childhood. For instance, nowadays, I am working in the field of election supervision, it because since in my childhood my father love to force me learning about social and political issues by getting additional class. Thus, making children to get extra class after school is an appropriate preference if parents desire to see their son getting a good future.

To conclude, based on experts children have to get a freedom to play after schools but in my viewpoint it will be more advantages if they utilize the playing time with joining additional class after school.

VERY GOOD MR DIRWAN But actually you mixed both of the ideas , you need to take one side for this sort of essay writting, as it is mentioned in the above instruction. By the way WELL DONE . love from Pakistan to my sweet brother.

I have not checked in here for some time because I thought it was getting boring, but the last few posts are really great quality so I guess I’ll add you back to my everyday bloglist. You deserve it my friend. ??

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IELTS Discuss Both Views Essay Structure + Sample Answers

The next big thing after learning about IELTS discuss both views essays is – How do you structure them?

IELTS Discuss Both Views Essay Structure

Please be aware though, the perfect structure alone will not make you a band 7+ achiever. Your vocabulary and English proficiency still plays a key role in IELTS writing task – 2.

But the good news is… Here we’ve outlined an easily comprehensible step-by-step format to logically present a discussion essay and give your opinion effectively.

This post will clear your doubts over:

Essay Structure
Sample Question(s)
Task Explanation

Sample Answer

Discuss both views – essay structure.

There are hundreds of ways to structure a Discuss both views essay in the writing part . However, we’ll use this 4-paragraph foolproof band 7+ structure:

INTRODUCTION

Paraphrase the question statement or use a general statement relevant to the topic.
State both viewpoints
Write your opinion statement (only if specified in the statement).
Write an outline sentence

BODY PARAGRAPH 1

State first viewpoint
Explain the viewpoint
Provide a logical example

BODY PARAGRAPH 2

State second viewpoint
Write concluding remarks and your opinion
State which viewpoint is more significant

RELATED: IELTS Writing Task-1 Formal Letters With Sample Answers

Sample Questions

Now that you’ve understood the discussion essay structure, let’s look at some recently asked topics to give you an idea of how the ‘discuss both views and give your opinion’ essay looks like.

Some people believe that children should spend all of their leisure time with their families. Others believe that this is not required and a negative development. Discuss both viewpoints and give your opinion. Support your answer with the help of relevant examples.

Explanation of the Task

This is Opinion>Discussion type essay. Hence, You should introduce the topic, provide relevant ideas explaining arguments on both sides of the discussion, and then write your opinion in the conclusion. Always remember that these Opinion>Discussion tasks might be expressed differently; look for keyword ‘discuss’ and its synonyms like ‘debate’, ‘consider’ and ‘review’.

Topic Vocabulary

foster parents – people who officially take a child into their family for a period of time, without becoming the child’s legal parents. The child is referred to as their foster child.
guardians – people who are legally appointed to protect child’s interests in the absence of parents.
role models – people that children look up to as examples
ground rules – basic rules governing the peoples’ behaviour
conventions – traditions or social norms that most people follow
codes of conduct – voluntary rules acceptable to people
bullying – when children attack and intimidate other children
truancy – when a pupil leaves school without permission
delinquency – minor crime
dual-income – a situation when both mother and father working
child-minding – informal care for children (outside of schools)
peers – people in the same age group or level
behavioural patterns – ways of acting and doing things
well brought-up – to grow, educate and behave in a socially acceptable manner.

We hope that understanding this ‘Discuss both views essay structure’ will help you organize your writing task – 2 better and ultimately fetch you a high band score. And, don’t forget to download the IDP IELTS Writing answer sheets !

2 thoughts on “IELTS Discuss Both Views Essay Structure + Sample Answers”

Very good guidance. Could include one more sample answer.

Thanks! Yeah…sure. More stuff lined up 🙂

5 Reasons for a Low Band Score in IELTS Essay Writing

IELTS Essay Writing: IELTS writing tasks are the second segment of the IELTS examination. In this segment, you have to show and convince the examiner that you have a great vocabulary and grammatical skills. In this IELTS segment, you need to write a balanced, coherent, and structured writing. You have to use your vocabulary and grammatical skills in your writing in a clear way. The IELTS writing part consists of two different tasks. But task 1 is different for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. Individually in IELTS writing if you score 6.5 bands, it is considered a good score.

In this article, we are going to discuss the top 5 reasons why you can get Low Band Score in IELTS Essay Writing.

Table of Content

5. Bad Time Management
4. Including Too Many Ideas
3. Rushing into Writing Without a Plan
2. Memorizing Prepared Answers
1. Not Understanding the Test Well

Understanding The IELTS Writing Segment And Structure

Pattern of the ielts writing module, how to avoid low band score in ielts essay writing – tips for writing section.

Final Thoughts – 5 Reasons for a Low Band Score in IELTS Essay Writing
FAQs – 5 Reasons for a Low Band Score in IELTS Essay Writing

Why do people score low in IELTS Writing?

Why is my ielts score so low, what is the lowest band in ielts writing, why am i stuck at 6.5 in ielts writing, is it hard to get 6.5 in ielts writing, can you get 0 in ielts, what are the 4 criteria for ielts writing.

To perform well in the IELTS writing task , you need to understand the thought of the question and what the examiner wants to know through your writing. Here we are going to discuss the top 5 reasons why will receive a Low Band Score in IELTS Essay Writing.

Bad Time Management

Time management is a crucial thing in IELTS writing. In the writing segment, you will get only 60 minutes to complete both tasks. You need to divide the allocated total time into two parts. Usually, you need to complete task 1 in the first 20 minutes, and then rest 40 minutes you can apply for task 2. This time management process is applicable for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. You need to develop the habit of generating ideas after reading the question and frame your whole response. If you are unable to do it, you will not be able to produce a good response to secure a good band score.

Including too Many Ideas

Including Too Many Ideas in the same article is not a good move for IELTS writing. You need to create a proper framework and style of approach to write a draft response. When you read the question, you need to develop an idea regarding the given topic. You should stick with the core idea and have to produce the proper example and supporting logic to back your response. Break down your response into the main points and try to write them as a response. A well-written essay with good flow and vocabulary, helps you to create a great impression about you. A fluent response and relevance to the question always help you to get a high band score, or else you will get low bands.

Rushing into Writing Without a Plan

When you get the question paper, you need to read the question first and develop a proper skeleton of the response. Without the proper view and skeleton, you will not be able to produce a great response. You need to put certain keywords and aspects to back your writing with the proper examples. If you do not plan well and start writing without thinking anything, it will not help you to get a high band score. Rushing into Writing Without a Plan will lead you to a low band score.

Memorizing Prepared Answers

Memorizing Prepared Answers is harmful to you if you are doing that. Those candidates who think that the premade answers on a certain topic will help them receive a high score are wrong. Premade answers can give you an idea about the framework and the way of writing you can use in IELTS. But it does not have the credibility to bring you a high score. In IELTS writing, examiners want natural responses that will be fluent and coherent at the same time. For this you need to think, develop the idea on the given topic and you need to write. Premade’s answers do not sound natural at all.

Not Understanding the Test Well

Not Understanding the Test Format is the major problem with so many candidates. If you are preparing for the IELTS, you need to understand the test format and need to know the related information with it. You need to understand what is the actual thing the examiners are looking for. You should read the testing methods and related information like marking and regulations. If you understand them properly, you will create a path for you towards the high band score. If you are unable to understand the whole process you should get help or else you not not get a high band score.

Before discussing the IELTS Writing Common Mistakes, you need to know about the format and structure of the whole segment efficiently. The problems and the mistakes are deeply rooted in this. Here is the proper structure of the IELTS Writing Segment for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training as mentioned below.

Read More: IELTS Exam Syllabus 2024: General & Academic

For both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, you need to complete two individual tasks. For IELTS Academic task 1 is related to the data representation and in IELTS General Training you need to write a letter on the given situation. For both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training, you need to answer an opinion-based essay question. Here is the breakdown of the IELTS Writing Module as mentioned below.

Here are some master Tips for Writing Sections as mentioned below.

In IELTS, you need to avoid using common terms and words.
You need to work on your vocabulary. It is needed to secure a good band score in the writing section.
Use the passive voice with new words in your writing. In this, the examiner will understand that you have prepared well with your vocabulary.
There are two writing tasks you need to complete in IELTS in 60 Minutes.
The word limit is 150 and 250 for Task 1 and Task 2.
You need to stick to the word length but it is recommended to add 10-20 words more during writing.
Less word count may cause low band scores.
There is no place for grammatical mistakes. You need to fix it up in an early stage of your preparation.
Focus on writing the various ranges of tenses with good sentence formation.
You need to remember that for task one you have to spend only 20 minutes not more than that. Use timer to do that.
Follow the proper format for the writing section.
A good introduction and conclusion always say that you can create balance in your writing. So focus on them.
You have to develop proper analyzing skills because short and small data are always important for IELTS writing.

IELTS writing tasks are the second segment of the IELTS examination. In this IELTS segment, you need to write a balanced, coherent, and structured writing. You have to use your vocabulary and grammatical skills in your writing in a clear way. The IELTS writing part consists of two different tasks. But task 1 is different for IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training. To perform well in the IELTS writing task, you need to understand the thought of the question and what the examiner wants to know through your writing.

If you are preparing for the IELTS, you need to understand the test format and need to know the related information with it. A good introduction and conclusion always say that you can create balance in your writing. So focus on them. You have to develop proper analyzing skills because short and small data are always important for IELTS writing.

Also Check: How to prepare for IELTS? IELTS Exam Pattern 2024: Section-wise IELTS Exam Paper Pattern, Question Types IELTS Exam Fee 2024 How to Apply for IELTS 2024| Step-By-Step Guide IELTS Academic vs General Tests – What’s the Di fference? Top 5 Recommended IELTS Preparation Books How to Write IELTS Essays to Score Band 9!

Reasons for a Low Band Score in IELTS Essay Writing- FAQs

Most candidates generally don’t write anything in their life. That is the main reason they score less in writing. In IELTS the candidate’s handwriting should be legible, spelling mistakes should be avoided, sentences should be grammatically correct and punctuation should be followed.

Memorized answers are another big issue. Often, students will use IELTS phrases that they learn in training centers. Examiners hate these phrases and you will be penalized for using them. Misreading the question is also quite a problem.

IELTS scores are reported as band scores on a scale from 1 (the lowest) to 9 (the highest). You will be given a band score from 1 to 9 for each section of the test – Listening, Reading, Writing and Speaking.

There are a few reasons why you might be stuck at a 6.5 in IELTS Writing. Here are a few possibilities: You may not be using a wide enough range of vocabulary. In order to score a 7 or higher in IELTS Writing, you need to use a wide range of vocabulary.

IELTS 6.5 band comes with extensive practice, determination, hard work, and perseverance. You should emphasize suitable daily learning modules while also taking cues from practical life. It is easy to score 6.5 bands for a non-native speaker in the first attempt with proper strategy and consistent practice.

When you get your IELTS test results you will be given an overall test score of between 0 and 9 on the IELTS scale. You will also get a score for each of the four sections of the test – Listening, Reading, Writing, and Speaking. The IELTS scale helps organisations understand your level of English.

Your answers in Writing Task 1 are assessed against the following criteria: task achievement, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource and grammatical range and accuracy.

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Opinion The Supreme Court makes a dangerous ruling, delighting progressives

The justices, endorsing the CFPB’s structure, are feeding the executive branch’s sense of entitlement.

Last week, “the least dangerous” branch (Alexander Hamilton’s description of the judiciary ) did something dangerous. By ratifying the unprecedented structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the Supreme Court incentivized additional slipshod congressional work that will feed the executive branch’s sense of entitlement to unaccountable discretion in making laws and policies. The decision , which some progressives will praise as “judicial restraint,” demonstrates that this anodyne phrase often denotes a dereliction of the judicial duty to compel the other branches to act constitutionally.

In 2010, Congress created the CFPB with a flamboyantly unconstitutional, and (Woodrow) Wilsonian, structure. The first president to radically criticize the Founding , Wilson was especially impatient with the separation of powers, one purpose of which is to inhibit unconstrained executive power.

The CFPB is empowered to regulate and define , without congressional hindrance, “financial products and services,” and “abusive,” “unfair,” “deceptive” or discriminatory business practices. The CFPB is a legislature, with enormous regulatory and punitive powers, lodged within the executive branch by a Congress uninterested in lawmaking or even oversight.

Last week, the court actually held, 7-2, that congressional progressives failed in their proclaimed attempt to pioneer a novel form of unaccountable autonomy for this appendage of the administrative state. Justice Clarence Thomas, joined by Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Brett M. Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett and Ketanji Brown Jackson, said there is nothing importantly new about the CFPB’s structure. Either Thomas contradicts himself when referring to the CFPB’s various “novel structural features,” or he has unearthed a novel “original meaning” of “novel.”

The CFPB is doubly insulated from accountability through the appropriations process. The bureau funds itself by its director asserting its congressionally bestowed entitlement, in perpetuity , to up to 12 percent of the Federal Reserve’s operating expenses. These are not appropriated ; they are assessments on banks and interest on the Fed’s holdings.

This, Thomas says approvingly, simply means nothing “forces” the CFPB “to regularly implore Congress” for funding. Implore? When did it become optional, even an indignity, for a federal agency to have to ask the people’s representatives for the people’s money?

The Constitution’s appropriations clause says: “No Money shall be drawn from the Treasury, but in Consequence of Appropriations made by Law.” Thomas says in effect: A law established the CFPB, so the clause is satisfied.

Thomas, a strict originalist, says the Constitution’s words should be construed by their public meaning in 1787. Then, however, there was no federal institution remotely like the Federal Reserve, even as it was when created in 1913 . And it then was nothing remotely like the freewheeling economic policymaker that the Fed is 111 years later.

Regarding the CFPB, Thomas makes originalism implausible by his mechanical (Jesuitical, casuistic, rabbinical, recondite — pick your adjective) attempt to tickle from the word “appropriation” an answer other than the obvious one: legislative control over the source and disposition of money to finance the government. Thomas’s originalist approach to legitimizing the CFPB is less a way of thinking than a way to avoid thinking about what “appropriation” should mean in the context of today’s administrative state.

Wandering deep in the weeds of medieval etymology (“Throughout the Middle Ages …”), Thomas misses the salutary point of judicious originalism, which is to discern and respect the appropriation clause’s original intent : to preserve the legislative branch’s core power in maintaining a Madisonian equilibrium between the branches — control of the public purse.

Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., joined in dissent by Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, also unpacks the meaning of “appropriation” but comes to the correct conclusion that the Constitution’s framers would be “horrified” by the CFPB’s structure, which reduces the appropriations clause to “a minor vestige.” The CFPB does not even have to return unspent funds to the Treasury but can build an endowment from unspent funds. As the majority reads it, Alito writes, the appropriations clause “imposes no temporal limit that would prevent Congress from authorizing the executive to spend public funds in perpetuity.”

Critics often call today’s court “imperial” — guilty of institutional aggrandizement. Actually, when the court insists that Congress use the powers vested only in it, such as control of public moneys and oversight of executive agencies, the third branch is telling the first branch to defend its primacy. The CFPB is yet another, but especially flagrant, act of self-diminishment by Congress.

The court has now authorized the creation of more such. Progressives are elated . Soon, however, they will resume their shrill warnings about the imminent danger of anti-constitutional lawlessness (by non-progressives).

IMAGES

IELTS Essay Planning: 4 Step Approach
How-to-Start-an-Opinion-Essay
How To Write A Discussion Essay
3 IELTS Essay Structures that strengthen your argument
Easy IELTS Writing Task 2 essay structures for any question
IELTS opinion essay, model answer, structure and analysis.

VIDEO

How to express your opinion correctly in IELTS
Day 9_ Writing (Essay structure & Opinion essay): B2 K39 W VSTEP Task 2 Essay structure
IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion essay (6)
IELTS Writing: Opinion Essay Structure
IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion essay (5)| Language Barriers
Two Opposing opinions and Your Opinion Essay in IELTS Writing Module Task 2 in Urdu/Hindi|اردومضمون

COMMENTS

Essay Write
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IELTS opinion essay, model answer, structure, and analysis
IELTS opinion essay: structure, model answer, and analysis. Updated: February 2023 There are 5 types of essays in IELTS writing task 2 and a common one is an opinion essay. So how do you know if it is. How to write an opinion essay in IELTS writing task 2. This includes a logical structure and a model answer for IELTS opinion essays. ...
IELTS Opinion Essay
Tips to Answer IELTS Opinion Essay Questions. In the IELTS opinion essays, you need to write your opinion about a topic and back it up with proof and examples. If you use a clear structure and good writing methods, you can improve your chances of doing well! Spend 5 minutes on a mind map before writing. Stick to one viewpoint throughout the essay.
IELTS Opinion Essays
IELTS opinion essays, also known as 'agree or disagree' essays, come up frequently in the writing exam. In this lesson, I'm going to show you how to plan and write them step-by-step. Here's what we'll be covering: 3 Common mistakes. Essay structure. How to plan. How to write an introduction. How to write main body paragraphs.
Opinion IELTS Essay Type
Example Opinion Essay and Exercise. 5.1 Complete the sample opinion essay. 5.2 Opinion Sample Essay. 1. Opinion Essay Overview. An opinion essay is also known as an agree or disagree essay. As with all writing task 2 essays, you will have 40 minutes to write at least 250 words. Read on to find out how to produce a great opinion essay.
Opinion Essay IELTS Writing task 2: overview, structure and tips
IELTS Opinion Essay Structure . The structure below is highly recommended besides other ways to structure an IELTS opinion essay. You should follow the four-part essay with four different paragraphs: 2.1. Introduction - Paraphrase the statement (e.g. It is argued that IT is playing an ever increasing role in schools and universities and one ...
IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essay Guide
Here are the most proven tips to help you get high marks in the IELTS opinion essay task. Make the most of your time: You have an hour (60 minutes) to finish the IELTS Writing Test. Because the IELTS Writing Task 2 is more important for your overall band score, we recommend devoting no more than 20 minutes to Task 1 and 40 minutes to task two.
Opinion Essays [IELTS Writing Task 2]
How to Write an Opinion Essay. As with all IELTS writing task 2 essays, you need to do several things: Read the question carefully in order to analyse it. Think of a reasonable answer. Create a coherent structure. Put your ideas forth clearly and consistently. Use appropriate language.
How to Write An IELTS Opinion Essay, Band 9
Happy writing, and best of luck on your IELTS journey! Discover the secret to a Band 9 score in the IELTS Opinion Essay with our in-depth guide. Uncover the ideal IELTS Opinion Essay Structure to express your viewpoints effectively. Leverage our meticulously crafted IELTS Opinion Essay Outline and Template to build a winning essay from scratch.
PDF Writing Task 2 Essay structure and writing an introduction
Procedure: introduce focus of the lesson: Writing Task 2 - Essay structures and introductions. give each student a copy of Worksheet 1 and one minute to read the Task 2 question. elicit possible next steps before writing i.e. brainstorming ideas. draw attention to the True / False task and clarify the importance of spending time with the ...
IELTS Opinion Essay: tips, common mistakes, questions & sample essays
This simply means deciding which main ideas to put in which paragraphs. A 4 paragraph structure for an IELTS opinion essay could look like this: Paragraph 1: introduce essay and briefly state your views. Paragraph 2: give a 1st reason for your view. Paragraph 3: give a 2nd reason for your view.
IELTS Opinion Essay Structure: Expert Guidelines
Official IELTS essay structure in relationship with Writing Lab. I have written a band 8+ and am sharing this below. The question has been taken from official IELTS test material. Opinion Essay Sample (Academic) Academic Writing Sample Task 2A You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Children who are ...
PDF Writing Task 2 Developing arguments
Procedure: introduce focus of the lesson: Writing Task 2 - developing an argument. give each student a copy of Worksheet 1 and one minute to read the Task 2 question. elicit possible next steps before writing i.e. brainstorming ideas. draw attention to the True / False task and clarify the importance of spending time with the question before ...
Opinion Essay IELTS
Conclusion. The opinion essay IELTS problem takes commitment, repetition, and a systematic strategy to master. By following the step-by-step instructions in this article, applicants can confidently and proficiently traverse the complexity of opinion essay writing. Understanding the goal, structuring thoughts, and using efficient writing ...
How to Write an IELTS Opinion Essay
How to Structure an IELTS Opinion Essay. Well, now we can know if the essay type is opinion. So, let's learn ways to structure opinion essays. IELTS opinion essays always ask you to discuss two viewpoints, so make sure to write about both viewpoints. We recommend that you write four paragraphs. The first paragraph is an introduction.
How to Write an IELTS Essay: The key steps
1) Introduction. You should keep your introduction for the IELTS essay short. Remember you only have 40 minutes to write the essay, and some of this time needs to be spent planning. Therefore, you need to be able to write your introduction fairly quickly so you can start writing your body paragraphs.
IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Structures + Band 9 Essays
The five most common IELTS Writing Task 2 questions are: Opinion (Agree or Disagree) Advantages and Disadvantages. Problem and Solution. Discussion (Discuss both views) Two-part Question. Below I will outline examples and a structure approved by experienced IELTS teachers and examiners for each type of question.
An opinion essay
If the essay asks you to what extent do you agree?, make your opinion clear throughout. You can either agree, partially agree or disagree with the statement, explaining and justifying your opinion. The structure should be: Introduction. The first reason why you agree/disagree. The second reason why you agree/disagree.
Opinion Essay: Finding Main Points
Opinion Essay: Finding Main Points. by Liz 42 Comments. This lesson shows you how to find ideas for your IELTS opinion essay and organise them into paragraphs. It is important to spend time analysing the statement before you decide your opinion. You should look at the essay question carefully and think about the issues in the statement.
IELTS Essay Introduction for an Opinion Essay
The introduction is the easiest part of any IELTS essay as it follows a similar content for all IELTS task 2 types. This lesson is a follow-on lesson from last week. Learn how to find main points before continuing with this introduction lesson: Finding Main Points for an Opinion Essay: Every one of us should become a vegetarian because eating ...
7 Steps to Structuring an IELTS Task 2 Essay
IELTS Essay Structure: The Basics. Before we begin with the 7 steps, I would like to give you a short overview. Writing an IELTS essay requires many skills and you have a lot of different criteria to meet in order to get a band 7 or above. Your essay will be judged in four ways, each accounting for 25% of the total score: Task Achievement
IELTS Opinion Essay Sample Questions
Below are some IELTS opinion essay sample questions which can come in writing task 2. Another name for these essays is argumentative essays. Opinion Essays Tips. spend at least 5 minutes analysing the words and ideas in the statement. make sure your answer is a complete answer which addresses all parts of the task. give a clear opinion.
How to Structure Your IELTS Essay
about your opinion - this must be clear in the introduction and the conclusion. about whether health will be better in future - this means that you need to talk about the future and now - there must be some comparison. about whether people will live longer - this needs to be mentioned too. All these things must be included.
IELTS Discussion Essays [Discuss Both Views/Sides]
First of all, it is important when answering any IELTS task 2 question that you read the question carefully so that you understand it, then provide an answer that directly responds to the question, following its instructions carefully. As discussed above, you are required to do two things: 1) Discuss both views, and 2) Give your own opinion.
IELTS Discuss Both Views Essay Structure + Sample Answers
There are hundreds of ways to structure a Discuss both views essay in the writing part. However, we'll use this 4-paragraph foolproof band 7+ structure: INTRODUCTION. Paraphrase the question statement or use a general statement relevant to the topic. Write your opinion statement (only if specified in the statement).
IELTS Writing Task 1 & Task 2 Tips- Tricks to Write Good Essay
Task 1 involves Report Writing for IELTS Academic and Letter Writing for IELTS General. Task 2 includes Essay Writing for both Academic and General. You must understand the structure of the test first and then begin your pratice accordingly. Allocate time for planning, writing, and reviewing your response within the 60-minute timeframe.
Recent Most Popular 100+ IELTS Essay Topics of 2024
Fashion: Often featuring worldwide themes, fashion is one of the best subjects to hone your public speaking abilities.. Education. Education: The IELTS Essay on Education is one of the hardest assignments, with erratic questions throughout the test. Education: The Significance of Extracurricular Activities and School Values. Opinion-driven, these education essay topics—such as the value of ...
5 Reasons for a Low Band Score in IELTS Essay Writing
Essay Writing For Both Academic and General Training IELTS. The essay type of the IELTS is the common section in writing. The section asks for your opinion on a certain topic which can be descriptive and argumentative. Candidates are advised to maintain a word strength of 250 - 260 for this particular segment.
Opinion
Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr., joined in dissent by Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, also unpacks the meaning of "appropriation" but comes to the correct conclusion that the Constitution's framers ...

How to write an IELTS opinion essay

Instruction words

What is an effective opinion essay structure?

Tips on structure:

Which body paragraph is better?

Analysing the question.

Model Answer

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How to Plan & Write IELTS Opinion Essays

The Question

3 Common Mistakes

Essay Structure

How To Plan IELTS Opinion Essays

# 2 Generate ideas

# 3 Vocabulary

How To Write an Introduction

2) Thesis statement

1) Paraphrase the question

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

Main Body Paragraph 1

Main Body Paragraph 2

How To Write a Conclusion

5 More Model IELTS Opinion Essays

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IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essays- Benchmark IELTS

Table of Contents

3.2 Organise your ideas

5.2 Opinion Sample Essay

2. Essay Structure for Opinion Essays

3. Planning your Opinion Essay

3.1 Identify keywords and phrases

4. Writing your Opinion Essay

5. Example Opinion Essay and Exercise

5.1 Complete the Sample Opinion Essay

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Exam Updates & Tips!

Opinion Essay IELTS Writing task 2: overview, structure and tips

2. IELTS Opinion Essay Structure

2.1. Introduction

2.2. Body 1

2.3. Body 2

2.4. Conclusion

3. IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Strategy

3.2. Write a complete IELTS opinion essay

3.3. Recheck your IELTS opinion essay

4. IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Tips

How to Write an IELTS Opinion Essay: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding an IELTS Opinion Essay

Why You Need to Know How to Write an Opinion Essay

Key Elements of a High Band Opinion Essay

Writing an IELTS Opinion Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Understanding the Question

Planning Your Response

Writing the Introduction

Developing the Body Paragraphs

Crafting a Conclusion

IELTS Opinion Essay Tips for a High Band

Maintain Formal Language

Consistency is Key

Time Management

An IELTS Opinion Essay Band 9 Sample

Summary of the IELTS Opinion Essay Template

IELTS Opinion Essay: tips, common mistakes, questions & sample essays

What Is Your Task?

How To Plan An IELTS Opinion Essay

Step 1: Understand The Task

What is the topic about?

Step 2: Decide Your Position

Step 3: Extend Your Ideas

Step 4: Structure Your Essay

How To Write Your IELTS Opinion Essay

How To Write The Introduction To An IELTS Opinion Essay

Introduce The Topic

How To Paraphrase