IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Organise

Your Answer
A common mistake is to have lots of ideas that are not
explained properly.

First paragraph: Introduction

Do not begin an essay with I believe, I agree, or In my opinion in IELTS Writing Task 2. These
indicate your thesis statement and should go at the END of your introduction, after you have
introduced the topic and problem to be discussed. As a rule, start generally and take several
sentences to build to your main idea. Note that the style of thesis statement will vary depending
on the question type. Study the question carefully first to determine if you should give your
opinion in the introduction or in the conclusion.

Introductory sentence: What topic is to be discussed? Recently, there have been

Narrow the focus: What issue concerning the topic is to be resolved? However, some
people argue that

Thesis statement (opinion essay): What is your opinion on this issue? This essay will
argue that

Thesis statement (argument or advantage/disadvantage essay): What will happen in

Thesis statement (problem/solution essay): What are you going to write about? The
main problems are X and Y and I will propose solutions to both in this essay.

Hint: You can choose either to write in the first person (I believe...) or third person (This essay
will). The third person sounds more objective and academic.

Hint: Dont include your main reasons or arguments in the introduction, these should go in each
of the body paragraphs.

Body paragraphs
Key technique: Make a paragraph plan
In IELTS Writing Task 2, you will need to write between two and four body paragraphs. Each
paragraph should express one main idea in relation to the thesis statement (see above) and how
you order these paragraphs is also important for the overall coherence of the essay.

In an opinion essay, if you express a strong opinion (I firmly believe), then all body paragraphs
should support it. However, if your opinion is weak (I agree to some extent), consider writing
one paragraph against followed by two paragraphs in favour (see hint below).

In an argument essay, it is best to give equal space to both sides of the argument, which means
writing either two or four body paragraphs. If you write three body paragraphs, i.e. there is
clearly a bias towards one side of the argument, make sure your final opinion is in favour of that
side!

In a problem/solution essay, make sure you give equal treatment to all parts of the question. Two
problems and two solutions are enough. It is best not to write about problems you cant offer
solutions to. There are many ways to organise such an essay. You can write about a problem
and its solution in one paragraph or you can deal with all the problems first and the solutions
later.

Once you have decided on a paragraph plan, make sure each paragraph is organised as
follows:

Link to the previous paragraph: First, Furthermore, On the other hand, etc.

Topic sentence: Describe the main idea of the paragraph in general terms.

Supporting sentences: Use examples or further explanation to support the claim made
in the topic sentence.

Qualifying sentence: Sometimes it is clear that an idea isnt perfect or there may be
exceptions. You can point this out as long as you dont destroy your main idea
completely.

Summarising sentence: If you have included a qualifying sentence, or if you have

Hint: If one of your body paragraphs goes against your main idea, put this paragraph first so
that the remaining body paragraphs flow logically to your conclusion. The same is true in an
argument essay. Discuss the side you dont agree with first, so that the opinion expressed in
your conclusion follows naturally from what has come before.

Final paragraph: Conclusion

One habit of IELTS test-takers is to end with a simple summary of their opinion and main ideas.
This is absolutely fine and can add essential extra coherence, but try also adding some kind of
concluding comment. This will leave the examiner with a powerful final impression of your essay
when he or she comes to score it. A full conclusion should contain:

Concluding signal: In conclusion, In summary, Overall, etc.

(Re)state opinion: In an opinion essay, you can simply paraphrase your original thesis
statement. In an argument essay, this is where you state your opinion, often using a
phrase such as Having considered both sides of the argument, I believe

Summary: Paraphrase the main idea of each body paragraph in very brief terms. Never
include examples or explanations. These go in the body of the essay.

MNi

mportance of the issue you have just discussed. Ask the reader to consider the future
consequences if the issue is not resolved. Recommend a course of action that the
reader or society should follow.

Hint: Dont include anything in the introduction that is completely new or requires detailed
explanation. This is also true for the concluding comment. Keep it obvious. Dont write an idea
that you then need to explain.