The IELTS writing task 2 is the second question of the writing section and is considered the most important question of the IELTS exam. It weighs 66% of your score on the writing test. The essay must have a word limit of 250 words and it will take around 40 minutes to answer the question. The essay must be written in a formal style. Continue reading this article to know more about IELTS essay questions and their different types.
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How to Answer Essay Questions in IELTS?
Answering the IELTS essay questions is not an easy task. You must understand the topic before you answer it. Before you start answering the question, you must understand what the examiner wants from you. If you don’t answer the question accordingly then you won’t be able to score a good band in your writing section. You also need to brainstorm your answers. Students who score the maximum marks in the IELTS exam are the ones who prepare 10 – 15 minutes beforehand. By doing this you can save a lot of time and write a concise essay.
You need to follow a basic structure while answering this question. You must start with a basic introduction to the topic, followed by a statement supporting your opinion. Once you have made your choice clear, provide facts to justify your choice of opinion. You must also state the opposing point once to let the examiner know about it. Conclude the essay by summarizing your opinions.
Does the IELTS Essay Question Repeat in the IELTS Exam?
Students often wonder whether the essay questions are repeated or not. The answer is No. The essay questions never repeat, but the topic might. You may receive a question on recycling like “ Recycling is seen as too little too late. To what extent do you agree with this statement?” and another question like “Recycling is obligatory in many countries these days. However, in some it is not. How can we encourage other countries to recycle more”. Some of the most common topics in the IELTS writing section are mentioned below:
- Health
- Environment
- Education
- Development
- Globalization
- Public Transport
- Criminal Justice
- Youth Crime
- Technology
- Government Spending
Also Read: IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics with Answers: Here’re the Previous Year Question Paper at Your Rescue
IELTS Agree or Disagree Essay Questions
In the IELTS agree or disagree essay you must either agree or disagree with the statement, or you can give your opinion which contains a balanced answer to the statement in question. This does not mean that you can support both sides. You must mention a clear opinion to receive a good score. An example essay is mentioned below.
Sample
Big salary is much more important than job satisfaction. Do you agree or disagree? Provide relevant examples if necessary.
It is often argued that it is more advantageous to choose a job with a high wage, even if it doesn’t appeal to you at all. I completely disagree with this opinion and think that job satisfaction is much more important than salary.
First of all, I believe that job satisfaction gives people a sense of fulfilment that no money can guarantee. Even if someone is earning a high salary, but feels tensed and compromises with his conscience, this person won’t enjoy his life. While pursuing one’s interests will always bring pleasure and a feeling of satisfaction. For example, a lot of famous researchers made their career choices, not because of appealing wages, but because they were passionate about science.
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That’s why it’s more important to choose the kind of work that makes you happy than to look only at a high salary.
Secondly, doing what you like keeps you motivated and therefore leads to career growth. In other words, there is a strong relationship between job satisfaction and productivity. People who love their jobs can easily excel in their fields of work and achieve better results than those, who put a salary in the first place. For instance, Henry Miller decided to leave his everyday job despite a good wage and ventured to become a writer. And after enduring years of ups and downs, he became one of the most famous and well-paid authors of the twentieth century. Thus, the advantages of jobs that keep you satisfied outweigh the drawback of a low salary from a long-term perspective.
To conclude, I strongly believe that job satisfaction is more beneficial than a high salary because it makes people happy and motivated.
Problem Solution Essay IELTS Question
In this type of question, you need to discuss the problems in a particular topic and you must suggest possible solutions to these problems. You must read the instructions carefully, and give time to constructing both, the causes and the solutions. You must spend an appropriate amount of time planning both the main and supporting points. You must also use language that is flexible of course and consequences. A sample essay is given below for your reference.
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Sample
The internet has transformed the way information is shared and consumed, but it has also created problems that did not exist before. What are the most serious problems associated with the internet and what solutions can you suggest?
The enormous growth in the use of the internet over the last decade has led to radical changes in the way that people consume and share information. Although serious problems have arisen as a result of this, there are solutions.
One of the first problems of the internet is the ease with which children can access potentially dangerous sites. For example, pornography sites are easily accessible to them because they can register with a site and claim to be an adult. There is no doubt that this affects their thoughts and development, which is a negative impact on children and society. Another major problem is the growth of online fraud and hacking. These days, there are constant news stories about government and company websites that have been hacked, resulting in sensitive information falling into the hands of criminals.
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Action must be taken to combat these problems. Governments should ensure that adequate legislation and controls are in place that will prevent young people from accessing dangerous sites, such as requiring more than simply confirming that you are an adult to view a site. Parents also have a part to play. They need to closely monitor the activities of their children and restrict their access to certain sites, which can now be done through various computer programs. Companies must also improve their onsite IT security systems to make fraud and hacking much more difficult by undertaking thorough reviews of their current systems for weaknesses.
To conclude, the internet is an amazing technological innovation that has transformed people’s lives, but not without negative impacts. However, with the right action by individuals, governments and businesses, it can be made a safe place for everyone.
Conclusion
This article might have given you a clear idea of how to answer the essay questions asked in the IELTS writing task 2 questions and how to use question sentences in essay writing. IELTS writing task 2 is the most important part of the writing section hence you must concentrate while answering this question. You can read more about the IELTS essay questions here.
I was doubting practicing previous year’s questions but now I am looking at it from a new lens. Even if the questions don’t repeat the topic may or may not repeat. You all also provided us with other topics which I should look into, I am really thankful for that !!
Thank you for the helpful and informative blog and yes many think that IELTS question repeats, and I also think it is true though never gave a real test, what do you think?
Thank you for providing such a deatiled article, it was very helpful and valuable, can you also help with some material to boost your vocabulry?