In writing task 2 you will be asked to write a discursive essay (250 words minimum). You will be given a question asking you to give your opinion and discuss a problem or issue. You could also be asked to provide solutions, evaluate a problem, compare and contrast different ideas or challenge an idea. In this post, we will be focussing on how to write an agree/disagree/opinion essay.
One of the first things you should do is read the marking criteria to see what the examiners expect. This is really important, as you need to know what they are looking for in the band 7+ boxes.
You should be able to give the examiners exactly what they want, in order to get a 7+ band score.
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Writing Task 2 Agree/Disagree Essay Structure
The structure that I advise my students to use, will be sure to get you a band score of 7+. You need to practice using this structure, with as many questions as you can, before sitting your IELTS test. This writing task 2 structure has been proven to be successful for my students and when perfected, can easily help you to achieve a high band score.
TIP >> Before you start writing, plan your ideas so that you can organise the information clearly. You must decide how much you agree or disagree and why. Take 5 minutes and plan out your ideas, opinions and examples.
TIP >> It is very important that spend a full 40 minutes on this task as the score you get for writing task 2 is two-thirds of your total writing score. You also need to write a minimum of 250 words and use your own ideas.
TIP >> Remember to write in a formal tone, this is an academic essay, and therefore your writing should be formal.
IT IS A 4-PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE
Paragraph 1 – The Introduction
This is the introduction to the essay and where you should start off by paraphrasing the question.
Do you understand what I mean, when I say ‘paraphrase’ the question?
This means that you rewrite the question in your own words using synonyms. You can’t just copy the question again or use the same words in the question. Paraphrase and show off your vocabulary knowledge by using synonyms. When practising your essay writing, use an online thesaurus to help you. This is a great tool and can help you to learn many new words.
Then your next sentence should give your view/opinion on the issue. A good way to say this is to start with…I agree…. or I disagree…… or In my opinion, I believe that……..
The third sentence in the introduction should outline for the examiner exactly what you will discuss in the main body paragraphs. For example, Firstly this essay will discuss……… Secondly, this essay will discuss…….
There are three sentences you need in the introduction >>
- Paraphrase the question
- Give your view/opinion
- Outline the specific topics that will be discussed in the main body paragraphs.
Paragraph 2 – Main Body Paragraph 1
In this paragraph, you should write about your first main idea (opinion A) that supports your opinion on the issue from the question. You should give specific information and only write about one main idea in each main body paragraph.
Start the paragraph by introducing the topic. This is where you need to have a topic sentence. The next sentence(s) should explain the topic, going into detail. The third sentence should give an example that supports the view.
The example you give could be something from your own experience or made up – it is ok to make up something as the examiners will not fact check your information. They want to see your ability to use English at a certain level. You could make up an example from a report, journal, newspaper or University study to support your view.
This is how the paragraph should look >>
- Introduce the topic (topic sentence – opinion A)
- Explain/give detail
- Example
Paragraph 3 – Main Body Paragraph 2
In this paragraph, you should write about your second main idea (opinion B) that supports your opinion on the issue from the question. You should give specific information and only write about one main idea in each main body paragraph.
Start the paragraph by introducing the topic. This is where you need to have a topic sentence. The next sentence(s) should explain the topic, going into detail. The third sentence should give an example that supports the view.
The example you give could be something from your own experience or made up – it is ok to make up something as the examiners will not fact check your information. They want to see your ability to use English at a certain level. You could make up an example from a report, journal, newspaper or University study to support your view.
This is how the paragraph should look >>
- Introduce the topic (topic sentence- opinion B)
- Explain/give detail
- Example
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Paragraph 4 – The Conclusion
In the fourth paragraph, you write the conclusion giving a summary of your main points and restate your opinion/views and justify them. You should not enter any new information or ideas in this paragraph.
- Summary of the main points
- Restate own views/opinion/justify
Expressing your opinion
To get a high score in IELTS academic writing task 2, you should use as many different structures, collocations and idioms as you can.
Sequencing ideas
You can use phrases like these to make statements, for example; On the one hand sunbathing can give your body vitamin D, on the other hand, it can also be very dangerous for your health.
Sample Agree/Disagree essay
**All questions have been reported by students who have taken the IELTS exam.**
Obesity has become a huge concern as an increasing percentage of the population have become overweight and this has put a tremendous strain on the healthcare authorities, leading to increased costs. One solution that is being implemented is the introduction of more sports lessons in the school curriculum. In my opinion, I strongly agree that the integration of active lessons will greatly assist in kerbing obesity. Firstly, this essay will discuss how sports lessons will increase awareness of the benefits of having a healthy lifestyle. Secondly, this essay will discuss, the importance of combining exercise with a healthy diet.
On the one hand, I believe that the best way to fight health care problems is by utilising health education. By integrating physical education classes into the curriculum, impressionable young children and adults will be exposed to healthy lifestyle practices of sport and exercise, whereas they will also learn about teamwork and see their self-confidence grow. For example, at Westminster primary school in the UK, 10-minute exercise intervals were introduced between classes. The children must run laps around the playground before going to their next lesson. This formed part of a study by Cambridge University, where it reported that 85% of the children performed better on tests and obesity records were at an all-time low.
On the other hand, in my view having more physical education classes in the curriculum is not the only way to teach young people how to have a healthy lifestyle. The children should be educated how to balance exercise with a healthy diet, so that this could extend, not only to the students in the schools but also to the parents. For instance, the NHS in the UK regularly hold talks in schools for both parents and students to educate communities on how to have a balanced diet. They also promote proper exercise, involvement in sports, and having an active lifestyle. As a result of this program, in some areas, they saw a decrease in the number of overweight health issues.
In conclusion, I strongly agree that having more sports lessons in schools will help to fight the growing number of overweight people. By combining this with a healthy diet, the students will be encouraged to be healthy, from a young age, right through into adulthood.
(Word Count = 385 / Band Score 9)
- Task Achievement – The answer provides a paraphrased question, to begin with, followed by a clear opinion. The opinion is fully supported in the main body paragraphs in the essay, with fully extended and well-supported ideas
- Coherence and Cohesion – The answer has been divided into clear logical paragraphs and each main body paragraph only has one main idea. There are cohesive links between the main body paragraphs and between most sentences.
- Lexical Resource – There is evidence of a wide range of vocabulary, with no errors in the text.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy – The answer has no grammatical errors. The sentences have a wide range of structures.
TIP >> Remember to give your opinion, state your opinion in the introduction clearly and develop your main body paragraphs around it. Use each of the main body paragraphs to support your opinion, giving examples that are relevant. In the conclusion, summarise your main points and restate your opinion.
Writing Task 2 Band Score 9 Criteria
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