In Academic Task 2 of the Writing module, you are given brief details of an opinion, an argument or a problem, and have to produce an extended piece of discursive writing in response.
For example, you may have to consider an opinion or weigh the pros and cons of an argument before presenting your own view on the matter. You may also have to discuss various aspects of a problem and then outline your ideas for solving it.
IELTS-Writing.info is a fully comprehensive resource for passing the writing section of the IELTS exam with a grade of 6.5-7.0 or higher. Students are guided step-by-step through the different tasks in the writing module, using material developed in the classroom, by authors with many years’ experience in helping hundreds of IELTS candidates achieve a high IELTS score.
Here Below we are presenting you the example of Writing Task 2. We suggest you to take this example as a reference for you. We will regularly update more example here.
Types OF Task 2 Essay
| Problem/Solution | What challenges/What strategies/How can this problem be addressed..? | Explain some aspects of the issue./ Suggest suggestions/Make recommendations |
| Agree/Disagree | Do you agree or disagree?
Why?
Justify your opinion | Take a position, defend it strongly. Offer several reasons to support it. |
| Preference | Some say A, some say B, Which do you prefer? | Mention why you prefer one better… |
| Two sides of an argument | Discuss/Compare/Contrast/ Advantages/Disadvantages | Give a balanced presentation. Indicate your position in conclusion |
| Make choices and justify | Choose any ….and justify | Each of the choices becomes the topic of one paragraph. Give reasons. |
| Evaluate an argument | To what extent..?/
How important….?
What do u think? | You will probably take a position which is somewhere in between agreement and disagreement |
What should you do before you begin writing essay?
Remember!
Make a planning!
Different steps of planning
- Understand the question/its parts and decide what you want to write
- Decide the number of paragraphs
- What supporting ideas/examples to write
- What should be the order of the points
- Then focus on how to write
- Remember the following elements while writing]
- grammar
- vocabulary
- spelling
- punctuation
Some frequently asked questions
- People today move to new cities or new countries more than ever before. What challenges do they experience? What strategies are there to meet these challenges?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant ideas from your own knowledge or experience.
Apply the following methods to deal with this question
- Analyze this question/parts/key vocabulary etc.
- What type of essay is it? What are the key words?
- What are the question parts?
- Form logics/ideas
- What are the challenges?
- What are the strategies?
- Design your paragraphs in order
- Introduction- Give a background information why people move. Present the parts of the questions and then answer in brief
- Paragraphs topics – challenges and strategies
- Conclusion - Summarize and re-state opinion
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Remember, it doesn't matter if you can write an essay like this if it takes you one hour -- you need to do it in about 40 minutes.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Example 1
Successful sports professionals can earn a great deal more money than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.
The world of sports is a multi million dollar industry. Around the globe, people flock to sporting events or watch their favorite teams faithfully each week on television. As a result, professional sports athletes receive huge salaries – well above, for example, those of doctors, lawyers, teachers or social workers. There is some debate about whether such outrageously high salaries are justified.
On the one hand, sport is viewed as a professional career, in which the top players should rightly earn high salaries. Athletes train rigorously from an early age to become peak performers in their field. They face tremendous pressure in each and every game, match or competition. Their personal lives are compromised and they lose all privacy. At the same time, their strong achievements bring honor and attention, not only to themselves, but also to their teams, schools, cities or countries.
On the other hand, various professions contribute to making our world run smoothly. Doctors put in at least ten years of grueling study and internship; their work saves lives. Teachers educate and inspire young people to be responsible citizens: their efforts produce the citizens of tomorrow. Social workers rescue individuals facing physical, mental and psychological challenges: their intervention creates safer societies.
Yet, professionals in the fields above usually struggle to get by, despite their meaningful and critical contribution to the world.
In my view, paying enormous salaries to sportspeople is unnecessary. We need to reconsider our social priorities and eliminate the great disparity in income received by diverse professionals. By doing so, we can build societies in which each one feels valued, appreciated and appropriately compensated for their own vocation or specialization.
Example 2
Using a computer every day can have more negative than positive effects on children. Do you agree or disagree?
In today's modern world, computers are an essential part of everyday life. Around the globe, children often use computers from a very young age. Although it is important for children to participate in various well-balanced activities, in my opinion, children who use the computer daily are actually developing a critical skill for future success. The bases for my views are personal, academic, and professional.
From a personal point of view, computers are an invaluable resource to help young people explore the world around them. For example, children who use Internet to satisfy their curiosity about diverse topics are already becoming independent learners. No child with a computer is ever bored! By starting early in their lives, children feel totally at ease around computers; they are also able to take advantage of the wide range of services computers provide.
From an academic viewpoint, children have no choice but to master this technological invention. For instance, when I was in university, students brought their laptops to class to take notes, do research and exchange information. They wrote assignments, created presentations and developed databases. Children who build early confidence and experience in these abilities are at a distinct advantage over those who have not.
From a professional perspective, the computer has found a permanent place in the workplace. Today, employers still pay to provide computer training to their employees. Tomorrow, corporations will expect prospective job applicants to already possess these critical job skills. Consequently, parents who encourage their child to use the computer for a reasonable period of time daily are in fact investing in the child's future career.
In conclusion, there is no doubt that the computer as a technological tool is here to stay. The sooner children become computer-literate, the better for many aspects of their future lives.
Example 3
In some countries, young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this.
Taking a “gap year” off between high school and university has become a popular option among many young people. This time off provides a break after many years of formal study. Some students use this time to travel around the world, others volunteer and still others begin working. The idea behind each of these activities is to do something hands-on and refreshing, which enables young people to learn more about themselves and their place in the world around them.
The benefits of taking a year off are plentiful. On a personal level, students who travel away from home develop their independence and self-confidence. On a cultural level, they learn about viewpoints, traditions and perspectives different from their own. Professionally, students get a taste of diverse workplaces, which might inspire a possible career interest. Intellectually, they examine their own beliefs and ideas in relation to those of others in a new environment. All these advantages combine to make a strong case for taking the one-year break.
Nevertheless, there are also dangers involved in taking such a long break. Academically, the main drawback is that students can get sidetracked from their studies. A year is a long time and students could lose the good study habits and sense of discipline they had when they were in a formal academic structure. If they begin working, they could also be deluded into thinking that they’re making a lot of money. They could lose the benefit of college or university education and the chance to earn a higher income all their lives.
In conclusion, whether to take a year-long break or not is an individual decision. Each young person should consider his or her motivations carefully and decide on what’s most desirable. Time is a precious resource and people of all ages, including young people, should treat it with respect.
Example 4
Universities should accept equal numbers of men and women in every subject.To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Gender issues have been increasing in importance through the centuries. In almost every sphere of human activity, there has been a movement towards greater equality between men and women. Although I agree that universities should open their doors to all students alike, in my view, they need not set a fixed limit on the number of men and women they accept in each subject. The bases for my views are psychological and personal.
Psychologically-speaking, men and women are simply different, though they have the same potential for greatness. For example, women tend to be more intuitive, sensitive to others and caring. This means they may feel drawn, on the basis of their personalities, to certain kinds of professions such as teaching, nursing, or psychology, even if all fields are open to them. In such a context, it is best for universities to choose the best applicants, regardless of gender.
Personally, students need to discover their true calling. This is an individual matter and is not influenced by the universities reserving seats for men or women. For example, if the majority of women shy away from math or engineering, perhaps it has to do with their upbringing, which has influenced their interests. The universities will not be able to reverse this trend, though they should always look out for the most qualified candidates.
In conclusion, equality cannot be forced upon people – not in the area of education, employment or family life. Equality is about having choices and those who prove themselves capable will qualify for university, regardless of gender. It is only right that universities reflect and respect these free and natural choices being exercised by their students.
Example 5
The rising levels of congestion and air pollution found in most of the world cities can be attributed directly to the rapidly increasing number of private cars in use. In order to reverse this decline in the quality of life in cities, attempts must be made to encourage people to use their cars less and public transport more. Discuss possible ways to encourage the use of public transport.
In a world of increasing environmental awareness improved public transport represents the way of the future. Although people do enjoy the convenience and privacy of traveling in their own private vehicles, in my opinion they may choose public transport if it fulfills certain conditions. These conditions fall into three broad categories: attitudinal, financial and logistical.
From an attitudinal perspective, people must first be convinced of the benefits of public transportation. An educational or public relations campaign must be launched to sensitize those who might have disregarded this possibility before. People should be familiarized with the environmental, social and personal benefits for present and future generations. This is one step.
From a financial perspective, public transportation must be a clear and viable benefit to consumers. In other words, it must be more affordable than driving to work every day. For example, if people know that by using bus and subway, they can save enough money to take a free holiday each year, many more individuals would be persuaded to travel in this way. This is another critical step.
From a logistical perspective, public transportation should be convenient for commuters. City planners and transport officials must ensure that frequent and reliable public transportation is available for each citizen. For people to make the habit of traveling by bus or subway, they must know that they will be able to get to various places on time. Transport vehicles must be well maintained, subway and bus drivers should be customer-oriented and service must be punctual and efficient. This is an additional important step.
In conclusion, through a multi-pronged approach, it is possible to increase the use of public transportation. City officials and politicians can lead the way by utilizing these forms of transport themselves and bringing about change through personal example. Then, more citizens will follow suit and we may all hope to live in a cleaner, less polluted environment.
Example 6
Many people believe that women make better parents than men and that this is why they have a greater role in raising children in most societies. Others claim that men are just as good as women at parenting. Write an essay expressing your point of view. Give reasons for your answer.
A child is born to two parents – a man and a woman. Both sexes play a crucial role in raising the child. Although fathers can make excellent parents, in my opinion, mothers are in reality better parents based on their natural intuition and compassionate tendencies.
Firstly,for a wide variety of social-cultural reasons, women tend to have more intuitive intelligence than men. It is this intuition that enables the mother to know when her child needs her.In addition,women often know how to read non-verbal signals in human behavior, which can alert them to issues and problems in the child’s life. All of these “perceptive skills” play a major role in making the mother a close, responsible and responsive parent.
Secondly, most mothers share a inimitable bond with their children. Perhaps this bond arises during the nine months of pregnancy; perhaps it is reinforced through the act of breastfeeding. Whatever the cause, there often appears to be a lifelong silver chord or psychic connection between mother and child. As a result, the mother is able to evaluate the child’s actions from the viewpoint of his/her intentions, and not just results. This empathy is priceless and cannot easily be replicated. Although fathers may form deep loving bonds with their children, they may not be able to match the depth of closeness shared by mother and child.
In conclusion, although both parents are certainly capable of caring for the child, the mother often makes a better parent. Anyone who has experienced the unconditional acceptance of a mother’s love can bear witness to this reality.
Example 7
Foreign language instruction should begin in kindergarten. Discuss.
According to a famous saying, “The limits of my language are the limits of my world.” Indeed, the ability to speak several languages is considered one of the hallmarks of a cultured person. From this perspective, foreign language instruction should begin as early as possible in order to achieve near-native fluency. The reasons behind this approach are intellectual, social and professional.
Intellectually, learning a foreign language at a young age enables children to develop their brain. At this age, children’s minds are like sponges and their capacities are limitless. They have less inhibition or biases against learning different subjects. They can learn one, two or three languages without confusion; it would only serve to expand their minds. Therefore, it is ideal to start teaching a foreign language in kindergarten.
Socially, learning a foreign language enables the young child to enter a wider cultural world. By learning to speak, think and understand a different language, the child develops greater cross-cultural awareness. This critical ability enables the child to make friends with, identify with and empathize with others who speak the additional language.
Professionally, by learning a foreign language in kindergarten, the child expands his/her future career horizons. In today’s increasingly globalized world, bilingual and multilingual individuals are in high demand. The child who achieves this fluency naturally and easily at a young age already has an edge over others in the job market.
In summary, numerous benefits flow from teaching a foreign language from kindergarten. The child will most likely grow up to thank those who made such a learning experience possible.
Example 8
Improvements in health, education and trade are essential for the development of poorer nations. However, the governments of richer nations should take more responsibility for helping poorer nations in such areas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion. Some countries may see the word help as opportunity to take advantage. And if you say to take more responsibilities in this context what do you mean?
Many reach nations use the bad situation in poor countries to make money from the low cost of labor and natural resources. They build factories, industrial zones that cause ecological damages by pollution and wrong using of fields, forests and rivers. Also they cause damage to human resources. People work many hours a day, in bad working conditions badly affecting health. So called assistance to poor countries by making new job opportunities and bringing new technologies in fact becomes destruction of human resources and the countries.
Other rich countries help to increase standard of living in weak countries by means of building political stability and investing money in health, education and tourism. Today we see the examples on Africa continent. The developed nations long term exploitation led to civil wars, diseases and starvation .And now a new era of prosperity begins due to new way of assistant, which is expressed not in taking advantage but in sharing knowledge, making the tourists trips, trading and having sport’s arranging. This way may bring the poor countries to wealth, education and economical growth, the more the reach countries take responsibilities in such areas the better living standard will be.
Taking into the regard the above said I believe that it is necessary to help poor countries to improve health, education and trade but do this with open heart and not persuade selfish interests.
Example 9
In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details.
I don’t think it is a good idea for teenagers to have jobs while they are still students. It can interfere with their studies, It can disrupt their home life, and it takes away part of their childhood that their can never replace. Education today is very complex and difficult. In order to learn and get good grades, a student must work very hard and concentrate, this means attending classes from early in the morning until late afternoon, then doing research for projects, then going home and doing homework. It’s a busy schedule for everyone. For someone trying to hold down a job, it’s even harder. Students need all their energy for their studies. If they’re working after class at night, they’re going to be tired the next day. They won’t be able to concentrate. This will have a negative impact on their learning, and eventually on their grades.
Having a job can also disrupt a teenager’s home life. Families spend less and less time together. If a teenager has a job to go to after school, he won’t be home for dinner. He won’t be home after dinner either, and may not get home until late at night, This means he doesn’t have a lot of time to spend with his family .If he doesn’t have a car, it can mean changes in his parents’ schedule ,too. They have to drive him to work and pick him up.
The main drawback of a teenager having a job while he’s still a student is that he’s missing out on the fun of being young. He has a whole lifetime in which he’ll have to earn a living. This is the last free time he’ll have, it’s the last chance he’ll have to hang out with friends and just enjoy himself. Soon enough he’ll have to worry about paying the rent and buying food. Jobs bring money, but money isn’t everything. A teenager with a job gives us too much. No one should spend all his time at working, and especially not a teenager.
Example 10
It is generally accepted that families are not as close as they used to be. Give some reasons why this change has happened and suggest how families could be brought closer together. Include any relevant examples from your experience
It becomes normal in our days that the majority of the families are not as closed as they used to be. The family ties gradually fall apart and the families spent less time together today.
There are several reasons for this problem. First reason is intensive life and work competition. Human population permanently rises, so there are not enough opportunities to find good vacancies. The modern employers demands to stay many hours at work and frequently to work on holidays. How many times have you planned to have a fun with your family in a public garden or visit parents and your boss asked you to arrive to the work? ?The work is our second house someone said? I believe it is the first one. In addition women became an important part of labor market nowadays; this is not like it was in the past, when woman ran and kept family traditions and unity. This is the main reason of degradation of family closeness and ties.
There is another reason weakening family relationships. Before traveling from place to place took much time, today it takes a dozen of minutes, so family’s members often move to other cities or countries. For example I have relatives in three different cities, and we seldom see each other. In fact the technology progress seriously distances us.
Less and less natural places are remained for the population growth. Megalopolises demand more and more space, thus suburbs and countries disappear. For this reason it is no chance for families to spend the time together and strengthen their connection. It takes three hour to my family to get to the public garden, and I don’t have this time.
I have several suggests according to said above: First, arrange the four days working week, second, the family members have to dwell in the same area close to each other, at last, appeal to the authorities to preserve the green isles of real nature in sea of concrete and steel.
To sum up, it is very important to keep close relations within family and assist each other and rise the new generation in good ambiance.
Example 11
Most young people without a partner would prefer to have a boyfriend or girlfriend. Yet being in a relationship when you are young is not always a good idea. Write about whether you agree or disagree.
Being a single it is contradictory to the human nature. People always attempt to have a couple since an ancient time. Today young boys and girls commence affection to opposite sex early. And sometimes it leads to complicated life situations.
A time young people want to meet boyfriend or girlfriend, is very important for their future. They have to finish high school. But for majority the future is less interesting, and they prefer falling in love and having fun. Teenagers don’t have enough experience how to cope with conflict situations and sometimes the love affair may break the children’s future and bring them to tragedy. There are many examples of youngster’s relationships in classic literature for instance William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and such classical cases are common in our days. It is important that parents assist children to handle their fillings, in such a way to avoid tragedies.
New experiences and discoveries are obtained during studding in the high school. And this time is most beautiful and remarkable in the life. In addition to experiences and knowledge teenagers learn how to deal with opposite sex. And gained experience offsets to whole youngsters’ life. For instance the young man who had no problems with the opposite sex and could avoid any complications he would succeed in the life on the other side if the person had problems they would reflect in his life in future. I am certain that any restriction mustn’t be applied on young people in their relationship with opposite sex.
I agree with statement: Being in a relationship when you are young is not always a good idea, but it is almost impossible to change something when it has occurred. The only things we can do as parents are to give our children relevant information about life situations they can fall into and not to influence on the taking their own decisions.
Regarding to above said, I think that whatever attempts we had taken the life would claim what is necessary. Pushing the teenagers towards the solutions or actions we consider right will cause only the opposite effect resulting the gap between generations.
Example 12
People work because they need money to live. What are some other reasons that people work? Discuss one or more of these reasons. Use specific examples and details to support your answer.
Although people work to earn money, money is not the main reason people stay in their jobs. They also work because they enjoy working, they receive job satisfaction, and they like the sense of accomplishment.
Most people work for work’s sake. They enjoy going to an office, or store, or school each day. They like to interact with other people. They like to help people solve problems, learn something, or get a product. People like to help other people.
A lot of people keep the same job because the job gives them a lot of satisfaction. They genuinely enjoy what they do. This is true for most teachers. A teachers pay is not very great, but the job satisfaction can be very high. Helping someone learn is one of the greatest things anyone can do.
People enjoy their work because they like the sense of accomplishment. They like to know what they finished a project. People, who work in factories, take pride in the car they produce or the television they assemble. When they see a car on the street, they can feel a sense of accomplishment. They helped make that car.
Money is nice, but it is not the only reason people get up and go to work each day. I believe that people work because they enjoy the act of working; they find their work personally rewarding; and they like the feeling of a job well done.
Example 13
Research is an essential part of completing assignments. The essential part of assignment is research. There are many techniques and tutorials explaining how to do the research. But most of all is important the completing report getting good and informative source. There is a plenty sources in the science world, divided in two categories: the written researches and observations.
The written sources are being kept in the libraries or being bought in the book stores. These kinds of sources are commonly used and contained boundless quantity of helpful information. The approach to information is convenient and facile. But due to huge variety of books and researches, it is difficult to choose the right source. So it is extremely recommended to ask the course tutor for list of useful books.
In addition there is possibility of getting staff from the internet. This is contemporary way to get information. You can use the powerful search engines to obtain interested sources. The best search engine today is Google. This engine has option for advanced search that is very helpful in finding the more useful information on your behalf. If you chose this way completing your research you find it very helpful and useful.
The observation is another way to gather the information for your research. In the contrary to written sources, commonly used, observation demanded high skills and much time. The main idea to make observation is choosing object of your study work, and describe the behavior changes occurred due to experiment. This source mostly used in quality researches, because this is the only way to get information about process named behavior. In order to get correct information making observation, apply to you tutor or use professional books explaining use of this facility.
The written resources have all necessary information preferable, and the only thing you require to do is locate where they are and make your opinion due to your research. To perform the assignments and ground you opinion with explicit facts, always attach a list of sources to your research, in light of showing, how serious and professional you approach is.
Example 14
Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spends more money on improving public transportation ( buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.
Governments should definitely spend more money on improving all forms of public transportation. These include buses, subways and trains. This is the best way to preserve natural resources and reduce pollution.
As a planet, we?re dealing with a finite amount of natural resources. Once they’re gone, they can’t be replaced. They can’t fill our need for oil and gasoline forever. But we seem to forget that and consume them at an incredible rate. In wealthier counties, some families have two or three cars. As soon as teenagers get their driver’s licenses, they?re given cars so their parents won’t have to drive them places.
Public transportation hasn’t been sufficiently developed. Because of this, suburban areas surrounding cities have been allowed to sprawl more and more widely. This means that people can’t even go to the store without having to hop into the car. Everything is too far away from where they live. If there were better and more frequent public transportation, people would be able to give up their cars for local driving.
As a result of all the cars being driven, we?re dealing with terrible pollution problems. In big cities, there are days during the summer when the elderly and people with respiratory problems are advised not to leave the house. Ten years ago this was unheard of! Now it’s the norm. Public transportation would cut down considerably on air pollution.
Public transportation also encourages a sense of community. People who travel to work together all the time get to know each other. Car isolate us from neighbors. However, people feel they need to drive because they can’t depend on public transportation to fit their schedules. If more money were available, buses, subways and trains could run 24 hours a day. Then they would be available all the time to the people who need them. I always try to take public transportation whenever possible, and I encourage friends and neighbors to try it too. I think we must support public transportation in order to create a better world.
Example 15
Some British families decide not to buy televisions because they influence the development of the creativity of children. What do you think?
With the rapid development of science and technology, television, as a new invention in the 20th century is becoming very populous in people’s life. People can be informed of the latest news and enjoy the colorful programs at home. In my opinion, television will not affect children’s creativity as exaggerated.
Firstly, television is the most effective tool to inform children of the latest news and scientific development over the world. Television tells us the recent development of some researches, such as clone technology, Genetic breakthroughs, the new computing technology and so on, which can stimulate the imagination of children and encourage them to carry out relevant experiments, making new findings and breakthroughs in their study.
Secondly, some programs like adventures and geography can enlarge children’s knowledge of scope. With the emerge of information technology, the knowledge in textbooks cannot satisfy children’s curiosity any more. Children need to learn wider knowledge and know more about our world. Programs like adventures can cultivate children’s creativity and the ability to tackle difficulty; programs like geography can teach children knowledge about different countries in the world and initiate their aspiration to know about the nature; programs about science can inspire children’s interest in science and technology.
However, the improper programs on television sometimes play negative role in the growth of children. The shots about violence, crimes and pornography contents are making children walk on the criminal road.
Example 16
Some people believe that the world is much less safe today than it used to be. There are still many wars being fought, and high-tech weapons are sold openly to any country that wants to buy them. In cities, violent crime is increasing every year. It is not very safe world in which to bring up children. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer.
Indeed, it is not safe world to bring children up. Today people are running wars and making crimes as they did years before. But in the contrary to the ancient time the quantity of wars is decreased as much as the crimes. So probably there are other reasons making this world unsafe. Down below I will try to find out these reasons and discuss them.
In my opinion, the main danger in nowadays world is the lack of ecological safety because of pollution and non correct using of natural resources. All these are the main reasons for nature disasters and deadly diseases that bring the world today to be more unsafe than it was before. We know how to cope with crimes and violent and how to stop war’s escalation, but we never know when the next quake will occurred. Thus the possibility to die from nature disaster is greater than to be killed in the war or by assassination.
Another source of unsafe feelings is uncontrolled technological and science development. Who knows how cloning people and developing nuclear technologies could affect our future? The possible answers we can see in the Hollywood’s movies for instance. The Clone’s Attack. In addition, the developing of artificial intelligence could lead the war of people and machine. Thus the uncertainty caused by uncontrolled technology progress fills our hearts with fears for the children’s future.
To conclude the said above, I think there are many reasons to unsafe feelings, and all that reasons have the same sources human nature.
To sum up, we can see many examples of people’s efforts to turn the world into safer place, and it gives us the hope and the power to continue bringing new life.66
