This article will help you answer task 2 opinion essays and give you two sample answers.
This will focus on IELTS task 2 opinion (agree or disagree) essays. It will recommend a sentence by sentence structure to help you in the exam, as well as two sample answers.
The two example questions are:
- Governments should spend more money on education than on recreation and sports. Do you agree or disagree?
- Most high-level positions in companies are filled by men even though the workforce in many developed countries is more than 50 per cent female. Companies should be required to allocate a certain percentage of these positions to women. Do you agree?
I recommend that students should completely agree or disagree with the statement in these kinds of questions. This will lead to a clear argument and a more coherent essay. You can show the other side of the argument in concession statements, but these should be only one or two sentences. Concession statements are used to briefly show the other side of the argument. Also, don’t let personal feelings get involved. The examiner does not have to agree with your opinion and you do not have to write about how you actually feel about the issue. Pick the side you feel most comfortable writing about i.e. the one you can back up with explanations and examples.
Structure
I recommend a simple four paragraph structure.
Paragraph 1- Introduction
- Sentence 1- Paraphrase Question
- Sentence 2- Thesis Statement
- Sentence 3- Outline Statement
Paragraph 2- Supporting Paragraph 1
- Sentence 1- Topic Sentence
- Sentence 2- Explain Topic Sentence
- Sentence 3- Example
- Sentence 4- Concession Sentence
Paragraph 3- Supporting Paragraph 2
- Sentence 1- Topic Sentence
- Sentence 2- Explain Topic Sentence
- Sentence 3- Example
- Sentence 4- Concession Sentence
Paragraph 4- Conclusion
- Sentence 1- Summary
- Sentence 2- Prediction or Recommendation
Question One
Governments should spend more money on education than on recreation and sports. Do you agree or disagree?
Reasons why governments should spend more money on education than on recreation and sports:
- Education benefits an economy in the long term
- Education has social benefits
- Education is a human right
- Education is more costly than recreation and sports
Reasons why governments should spend more money on recreation and sports:
- Sports and recreation have health benefits
- Sports and recreation can promote learning too
- Education always receives a higher budget and sports are overlooked
I agree with this statement and I will, therefore, use ideas in the first list. I am working on a four-paragraph structure, therefore, I only need two supporting ideas for my two main body paragraphs. I can also use ideas in the second list but these will only be concession statements.
Answer
It is argued that countries should allocate more funds to education than to leisure and competitive games. It is agreed that national budgets should prioritise schools and universities over sports and play. This essay will discuss firstly, the economic benefits education can bring to a nation and secondly, the social benefits it has; followed by a reasoned conclusion.
Investment in its education system is one of the best ways to improve a country’s economy in the long term. The more students entering third-level education, the more skilled a workforce will be and this leads to higher innovation and productivity. For example, South Korea and Finland took the decision to invest a large proportion of their budget in education and this has reaped benefits in the form of high-tech companies such as Samsung and Nokia. However, people cannot work hard all the time and these companies do provide leisure facilities for their workers.
Education is not just about improving the economy it also has many social benefits. Well educated people tend to be more aware of social evils such as drugs, alcohol and sexual health. For example, Singapore educates all of its citizens on the dangers of drugs and this has resulted in one of the lowest levels of drug abuse in the world. Despite this, sports can also teach children valuable soft skills, such as teamwork and work ethic which also help curb social ills.
In conclusion, education should take precedence over sports when it comes to funding due to the many socio-economic benefits it brings. It is recommended that governments continue to pump money into schools and universities in order to realise long-term goals.
Question Two
Most high-level positions in companies are filled by men even though the workforce in many developed countries is more than 50 per cent female. Companies should be required to allocate a certain percentage of these positions to women. Do you agree?
Idea Generation
Reasons why companies should be required to allocate a certain percentage of high-level positions to women:
- Equal pay for equal performance
- Women can bring qualities to the workplace that men do not have
- Women currently outperform men at university
- A balance of genders leads to higher productivity and a more harmonious workplace
Reasons why companies should not be required to allocate a certain percentage of high-level positions to women:
- Certain jobs require skills only men have
- Positions should be allocated to people on merit, not gender
- Women can take large amounts of time off to have children
Answer
It is argued that corporations should be compelled to give a certain proportion of their executive-level roles to females given that that over half of the workforce is female in the West. It is agreed that businesses should be obliged to assign a significant percentage of top-level posts to women. This essay will discuss firstly, that women should be paid an equal amount of money for doing the same job as a man, and secondly, the fact that girls are currently outperforming boys on many university courses; followed by a reasoned conclusion.
Despite years of so-called ‘equal rights’ for women in the workplace they continue to be underpaid. Many women who do exactly the same job as their male colleagues earn less money and this is unfair. For example, a recent survey of accountancy and legal firms in the United Kingdom found that women earn on average 17% less than men with identical roles. However, this may be due to women taking maternity leave and falling behind their male counterparts.
This unfairness is compounded by the fact that females are currently getting higher grades in most university courses. Even previously male-dominated fields, such as law and medicine, now see women in the ascendency and they should, therefore, be rewarded with top roles. For example, females recently outperformed males for the first time in law in U.K. universities. Despite this, employers should bear in mind that roles should be handed out on merit, not gender alone.
In conclusion, women do deserve an equal share of the good jobs available, namely because they are capable of doing an equally good job as men and are achieving higher academic standards than men at university. It is recommended that companies heed the advice in this essay and make their hiring practices fairer.
