Main Types of Task 2 essay questions:
- For- Against (Discuss both views and give your opinion)
- Problem- solution
- Advantages- Disadvantages, Positives-negatives
- Agree-Disagree
- Cause- Effect
When should you give your opinion?- Discuss both views and give your opinion, Agree/Disagree, they specifically ask for your opinion in the essay question
The essay should be written in four paragraphs
- First paragraph: Introduction (General statement- paraphrase the question using synonyms)+ Thesis statement (Your opinion/what you think/what you will argue/What you are going to explain in the essay)
- Second paragraph: Opposite side argument/Problems/Advantages/Causes/Reasons to disagree or agree
- Third paragraph: Your opinion/Solution/Disadvantages/Effects/Reasons to agree or disagree
- Fourth paragraph: Conclusion- Reiteration of your main ideas and opinion. (Use complex words like although, even though, due to, since). You can write a final statement such as recommendation or a consequence (use conditional sentence like “if”, “even if”)
Model essay
In many countries plastic bags are the main source of rubbish, causing pollution on land and in the water, so many people think they should be banned.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
The polluting effects of plastic are often featured in the news nowadays. Due to the realization of the harmful effects of plastics, there is a strong public reaction in favour of reducing plastic waste. Many people opine that plastic bags should be banned in order to deal with the problem. However, in my opinion, there are other, more effective strategies that could be implemented, targeting not only consumers but also the manufacturers and retailers of plastic products.
The main problem with plastic bags is that they take many years to decompose and are often only used only once for convenience and then discarded, ending up in rivers and seas where they cause particular harm to marine creatures such as whales and turtles. The obvious response might be to ban plastic bags straightaway. If shops stopped supplying them, customers would be forced to re-use existing bags or find other ways of carrying their shopping. This has had a great of success in many countries. In contrast a ban has not been quite successful in countries like India. Although the Indian government imposed stringent rules to ban private companies and consumers from using plastic bags, it has been quite unsuccessful as many are still resorting to plastic usage. Moreover, unless this ban is extended to all plastic which is used in packaging like the unnecessary covering for fruits and vegetables at supermarkets, there wouldn’t be constructive results.
While banning plastic bags would be beneficial, this measure would not be enough to solve the problem. People also need educating about littering and recycling in general. Many people still do not dispose of plastic properly and as a result, even if less plastic is produced, much of what is in existence finds it way into the natural environment. Heavy fines should be introduced for those who do not respect the laws regarding the protection of the environment. Moreover, more research has to be conducted to find a biodegradable alternative to plastic.
In conclusion, the required approach should be to both limit the production and use of plastic and also to ensure that people understand the impact that it can have on the environment if plastic is not correctly managed.
Some people claim that not enough of the waste from homes is recycled. They say that the only way to increase recycling is for governments to make it a legal requirement.
To what extend do you think laws are needed to make people recycle more of their waste?
Waste recycling has been followed by many due to importance that many place on it. However, there is no legal requirement so far that controls and demands reusing of rubbish in order to preserve and protect the environment. Nowadays, people complain that waste recycling should be enforced by law, but this view has been criticized as being dispensable and even oppressive. In my opinion, waste should be managed and recycled effectively which can only be possible through enactment of laws.
The main reason for having a public policy on waste reprocessing is that it can result in quick and effective action from the people. If there will be a legal rule for recycling of household waste, there will be no other option for people rather than to recycle it. In other words, people must follow the rule otherwise they will have to face legal consequences or a penalty for not adhering to the rule. Having negative ramifications will of course force people to adapt and take responsibility for the plastic waste they use and normally discard. Unless and until it is forced by law, tonnes of household waste will end up in landfills.
Having said that, I am not suggesting that people should be controlled and monitored as if they live in a “big brother” state as it could have a detrimental effect and result in people “fly-tipping” and dumping their waste illegally to avoid fines. To make it more clear, I do not think people will be willing to follow proper recycling methods unless it is enforced by law provided that it is lenient which include warning notifications followed by home inspection and even awareness classes before taking strict actions, hence making the weekly recycling less of an ordeal.
10 Rules to follow while writing your Task 2 essay
- Give your opinion clearly and strongly. Never stay on the fence. You must say whether you agree or disagree with REASONS
- Your opinion should be given in the introduction
- Give reasons to your points with strong and relevant examples (2 examples per essay)
- Do not use personal stories such ” me and my friend buy online because its very cheap, so I think online shopping is much cheaper than offline shopping”- WRONG. Write general examples: One of the major benefits of online shopping is faster delivery and low cost due to the minimum resources such as physical presence and labour needed for online retail when compared to offline retail
- Do not use don’t, won’t, isn’t- always use do not, is not, will not
- Show the opposite side argument, but clearly mention why you think the other point of view is WRONG
- Carefully read the question and make sure you do not go off topic and and make sure answer your question throughout the essay in all main points.
- Write minimum 250 words, but you can go beyond- that will give you more marks. However, you should not sacrifice your time that you might need to check the essay. (Average: 300 words). Leave at least 5 minutes to check the essay
- Spend full 40 minutes on task 2 as it carries majority of your marks. Always do Task 1 before task 2 so that you can focus on Task 2 in the last 40 minutes.
- Never follow a pattern based learning method and by-heart the essay parts. Do not memorize the essays. You will lose marks as IELTS examiners are trained to identify it.
Most importantly,
Use connectors or linking words and complex sentences.
Connectors: Moreover, Furthermore, However, Additionally, In addition, Nevertheless
Variety of sentence structures: Although, so that, because, rather than, even though, whereas, whether, unless, until, since, whenever, while, even if, provided that, which, If, As long as, despite, in spite of, similar to, otherwise, Due to, as a result of, so that, in order to, with the result that, which resulted in, which means that, which leads to,
When, As soon as, By the time
