The key to IELTS Writing Task 2 success is to give the examiner exactly what they want and nothing else.
Below you will find everything you need to achieve a high score in IELTS Writing Task 2.
It includes:
- 5 Step Approach Video
- Writing Task 2 Tips
- Essential Skills
- Sentence-by-Sentence Structures
- Common Topics
- Full Lessons On All Question Types.
- Grammar
- Sample Answers
- Correction Service
- Easy to Understand Infographic
IELTS Writing Task 2: 5 Step Approach
IELTS Writing Task 2 requires you to write an academic-style essay on a common topic. You have 40 minutes to write at least 250 words.
Task 2 can be broken down and thought about more easily in 5 steps:
1. Question Analysis
You must first understand the question to know exactly what the examiner is looking for. One of the biggest mistakes students make is not answering the question properly. If you do not answer the question fully, you can’t score higher than a Band 5.
In order to do this, you must first identify the question type, then identify the keywords in the question and finally identify the instructions words in order to find out what the examiner wants you to do with the question. We will look at these skills in more detail below.
2. Planning
The students who get the highest marks plan before they write and they often plan for up to 10 minutes. Planning helps you organise your ideas and structure before you write, saving you time and helping you write a clear essay.
3. Introduction
The introduction should tell the examiner what the rest of the essay is about and also answer the question directly. This tells the examiner that you know what you are doing straight away and helps you write your main body paragraphs.
4. Main Body Paragraphs
This is where you give the examiner more detail. You do this by stating your main points and supporting these with explanations and relevant examples.
5. Conclusion
Here you provide a summary of what you have already said in the rest of the essay.
That’s it you’re done!
See below for articles on the specific skills you need to do this and full lessons on each different question type.
Essential Writing Task 2 Skills
No matter how good your English is you still need to learn some IELTS writing skills before you do Writing Task 2. Below are helpful guides that will take you through each of these skills step-by-step.
Making a good plan actually saves you time when you write your essay. If you don’t plan you are more likely to get lost half way through your essay and the result is normally a very confused piece of writing that is difficult to read. This guide will show you how to write a clear essay every time.
How to Think of Relevant Ideas
Thinking of good ideas is one of the most challenging parts of the test for some people. This guide provides 5 different methods to help you quickly think of relevant ideas that are directly linked to the question.
How to Write a Complex Sentence
Complex sentences help you boost your score for grammar. Complex sentences are actually very simple to write and are not complex at all- in this article we show you how.
Paraphrasing is one of the most essential IELTS skills, not just in Writing Task 2, but in all parts of the IELTS test. You should paraphrase the question in every essay and I recommend doing this in the very first sentence to help boost your vocabulary score.
How to Write a Supporting Paragraph
Supporting paragraphs are the main body paragraphs and are the meat in the sandwich. This is where you provide the detail the examiner is looking for in the form of explanations and examples.
How to Write a Thesis Statement
A thesis statement tell the examiner your opinion. Many IELTS Writing Task 2 questions specifically ask for your opinion and if you don’t write it clearly you have not answered the question properly. This article shows you how, where and when to give your opinion.
How many words should I write?
Around 250 words? Exactly 250 words or over 250 words? How many words over? How do I know how many words I have? This article answers all those questions.
How to Understand and Analyse Any Question
A critical part of answering any question. This article shows you how to break down any Task 2 question and identify the keywords, micro-keywords and instruction words to help you answer the question effectively.
How to Write a Great Introduction
The introduction is the first thing the examiner reads and it is therefore essential that we give them a good first impression. I have a very specific sentence by sentence structure that I share in this article to help you write introductions quickly and effectively.
Do you know how Task 2 is marked? What is the difference between a Band 5 and a Band 8 answer? This article breaks the marking criteria down for you and explains it in simple language so you can give the IELTS examiners exactly what they want.
A good conclusion should be a summary of your main points. The conclusion is the last thing the examiner reads and if you can write a good one you will leave them with a very good impression.
Each of your supporting paragraphs should have a specific example that supports and illustrates your main point. This is an essential skill to learn if you want to get one of the higher band scores.
Cohesive devices, sometimes called linking words, are one of the most misunderstood and misused elements of writing. Learn how to use them and when to use them here.
Synonyms are very important, but they can also really reduce you mark if used incorrectly.
Learn how Tina went from a Band 6 to and Band 8 in IELTS Writing in just 6 weeks.
How to Think Like an IELTS Expert
I recorded a video of me answering a Task 2 question live and thought out loud as I recorded my computer screen. This will give you an insight into how someone with lots of IELTS experience thinks about these questions.
This article will show you how to make your writing as clear and as easy to read as possible. It will also give you advice on whether to use a pen or pencil.
I have compiled these tips after years of teaching IELTS and all of them have been approved by IELTS examiners.
Writing Task 2 Structures
These structures give you a sentence-by-sentence structure for all the main Task 2 question types, making your job much easier on exam day.
Writing Task 2 Common Topics
Knowing the common topics can help you prepare for the test more efficiently. Here are the 10 most common topics over the last few years. Studying hard is great, but don’t forget to study smart.
The article below will show you the top 10 most common IELTS topics.
The article below will show you how you can use the most common Task 2 topics to your advantage.
Posted by IELTS Advantage on Tuesday, January 10, 2017
Full Task 2 Lessons
Here are some lessons that I have used when teaching students about Task 2. I have changed them so that you can easily learn at home. They are very long but combined with the skills above, they contain all the information you need.
Agree or Disagree (Opinion) Lesson
Problem and Solution Essay Lesson
Advantages and Disadvantages Lesson
Writing Task 2 Exercise with Video
Grammar and Vocabulary
Grammar is one of the four things you will be marked on in the Writing test. Finding out what your common grammar mistakes are and then fixing them is a very powerful way to boost your score in this area. Here are some common grammar mistakes I have found after making hundreds of tests.
Sample Answers
It’s very important that you have some good examples so that you can compare your writing and see if you are on the right track. Click the link below for lots of sample answers and over 100 questions.
Official Sample Test Questions
Essay Correction Service
Need help writing essays like these? Check out our ESSAY CORRECTION SERVICE.
Summary
We are constantly adding to our collection of IELTS Writing Task 2 resources, so if you have a suggestion please let us know. In the meantime, thanks for your patience 🙂
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