There are 5 types of IELTS essays which can appear in IELTS writing task 2. These types of essays are for both GT and Academic writing task 2. Below you will find sample essay questions for each type of essay and links to model answers.
Please note that IELTS teachers sometimes divide essays into different categories based on how they teach. This means IELTS and teachers give essays different names and categorise them differently.
1) IELTS Opinion Essay
This type of essay is where you are presented with someone else’s opinion and you are asked if you agree or disagree with it. The opinion is often flawed or extreme in its views. Some teachers call this the Argumentative Essay. The instructions can be written in a number of ways. Below are a few examples:
- Do you agree or disagree?
- Do you agree?
- What do you think?
- To what extent do you agree?
- To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- What is your opinion?
No matter how the instructions are written, you can take any position you want: agree, disagree or partial agreement (balanced view). Below is an example essay question:
Some people think that only electric cars should be allowed on the road by 2040. Do you agree?
Note:
- IELTS will not tell you which type of essay you are given. You must identify the essay type yourself by looking at the instructions and the task given.
- The biggest mistake for an opinion essay is not giving a clear opinion. Writing “this essay will show that…” does not express your own opinion. Your opinion must be clear and remain the same opinion throughout the entire essay.
- Another problem is when people sit on the fence without any clear opinion. A balanced view does not mean you agree with both sides fully. You can’t turn an opinion essay into a discussion essay.
2) IELTS Discussion Essay
This type of essay presents you with a statement and you must present the two sides. This might be two sides of the same issue:
Some people think there should be free health care for all people, but others disagree. Discuss both sides.
Or it might be two separate issues which you need to discuss:
Some people think that urban spaces should be used for parks rather than for housing. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
3) IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essays
There are two types of questions in this category.
i) Advantage and Disadvantage Essay
This is similar to a discussion essay where you are given a statement must present the positive and negative side of the issue:
Some people think it is good for students to take a gap year before going to university. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?
ii) Outweigh Essay
This is by far the most difficult of the two essay types in this category. It requires you to present an opinion and explain your opinion.
Some people think the world will eventually have only one language. Do you think the advantages of having one global language outweigh the disadvantages?
4) IELTS Solution Essays
There are a number of types of possible questions in this category:
i) Solution Only Essay
Some children have serious weight problems. What are the possible solutions?
ii) Cause Solution Essay
Children in rural areas are being left behind in their academic development. Why is this is the case? What solutions can you suggest?
iii) Problem Solution Essay
More and more people are moving to cities to look for work. What problems does this cause? What are the possible solutions?
iv) Cause Effect Essay
More and more people are moving from the countryside to cities. Why is this? What problems does it cause?
5) Direct Questions Essays
Some teachers call these the Double Question Essays or Two Question Essays. However, these types of essay questions might contain one, two or three questions for you to answer. Below are some examples.
Pollution around the world is becoming a serious problem. Do you think this is a problem that should be solved internationally or on a local level?
In the question above, you are asked one specific question. Your whole essay must tackle this question only.
More and more people are choosing to work from home. Is this a positive or negative development?
This essay question has just one issue and one question. You must explain what type of development you think working from home is.
Some people spend a lot of money on weddings. Why do they do this? Do you think it is good to spend a lot of money on weddings?
Above, you will see you have been presented with two questions to answer: reasons and opinion (evaluating if it is good or not.)
News editors decide what to print in newspapers and what to broadcast on TV. What factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more news was reported?
It is not common to be given three questions. However, it has appeared in the test before so I’ve included it in this list.
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Practice Essay Questions for IELTS
You can find over 100 essay questions to practice on this page: 100 IELTS Essay Questions. The questions are divided first into topics and then into essay types. This way you can get lots of practice before your actual test day.
Model Essays & Tips
You can find model essays for each type of IELTS writing task 2 on this page: IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Essays & Tips. You’ll also find tips for essay structure, paragraphing, linking words etc. Everything on this website is free for you to use.
