PIA IELTS EXPERT COURSE

[Writing Task 2]



TABLE OF CONTENTS

TABLE OF CONTENTS --------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1

INTRODUCTION ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

2

WRITING INTRODUCTION IN TASK 2 ----------------------------------------------------------

5

PARAPHRASING ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

6

BODY PARAGRAPHS IN TASK 2 -------------------------------------------------------------------

16

WORKSHOP ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

32

CONCLUSION --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

42

PRACTICE ESSAY WRITING ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 47

APPENDICIES
Appendix A – Sample Questions & Answer ------------------------------------------------------

61

Appendix B – Essay questions by Topic ----------------------------------------------------------- 65
Appendix C – Vocabulary ---------------------------------------------------------------------------

77

REFERENCE ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

81

BASIC IELTS WRITING TASK 2(5.5)

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INTRODUCTION
IELTS WRITING TASK 2
The Writing Task 2 of the IELTS test requires you to write at least 250 words. You will be
presented with a topic and will be tested on your ability to respond by giving and justifying an

opinion, discussing the topic, summarizing details, outlining problems, identifying possible
solutions and supporting what you write with reasons, arguments and relevant examples from
your own Knowledge or experience.

QUESTION TYPES
It is very important to identify the question type in order to build ideas properly before starting
to write.

 Agree or Disagree (Outweigh)
 Agree or Disagree (Discuss both views)

 Advantages and Disadvantages (Outweigh)
 Advantages and Disadvantages (Discuss both views)

 Cause & Effect
 Problem & Solution

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HOW TO PRESENT YOUR ESSAY
Your essay should have at least four paragraphs. The paragraph should include an
introduction, two (body) paragraphs that show your opinions, arguments and examples. It is
important that you need to include a conclusion paragraph.

BASIC STRUCTURE GUIDE
The introduction consists of 3 sentences including general
statement, outline and stance.

INTRODUCTION
It is important to set a good image for your essay through
your introduction.
The body paragraph should be structured in a logical way
in order to present your idea clearly.
Have a topic sentence for each paragraph that briefly
introduces what the paragraph will be about.
BODY PARAGRAPHS
1&2

Provide an explanation to your topic sentence and
elaborate.
Provide an example to support your explanation. This can
be a personal experience or news or well known facts.
You must have a mixture of complex and simple
sentences.
Briefly summarize the main points that you have talked in
body paragraphs.

CONCLUSION

Write a concluding statement.
Do not include any new ideas in this paragraph.

TIPS
1) You should spend no more than 40 minutes on a writing task 2 and you should write at
least 250 words.
2) Interpret the question and understand essay structure.
3) Brainstorm and plan your answer briefly. Spend at least 5 minutes doing this. It is okay
for fast writers to spend up to 10 minutes, but no more.

4) Stick to your opinion. Introduction & conclusion must be in the same direction.
5) Use synonyms and paraphrases where possible. Try not to repeat words often.

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RECOMMENDED TIME FRAME FOR TASK 2
1. Question interpretation

2min

2. Brainstorm

5~10mins

3. Introduction

3mins

4. Body 1

10mins

5. Body 2

10mins

6. Conclusion


3mins

7. Grammar check

2mins

MARKING RUBRIC
1. Task Achievement / Task Approach (TA)
Possible problems in:
Idea building – the ideas you present are off-topic or not specific enough
Tone – sounding like you have changed your mind about your ideas while you are writing

2. Coherence & Cohesion (CC)
Coherence: Make sure that anybody who reads the essay has the same understanding
Cohesion: How well it connects
- Use of technical devices (connective words) :

It is not just about using

connective words, it‟s important to know how to use them correctly.
- Use of ideas which can be related or linked each other.
- Make sure your essay is in a logical organization (Introduction & Conclusion
must be stating the same direction).

3. Lexical Resource (LR)
Make sure you are using vocabulary in the right context.
Paraphrasing is an important skill that examiners consider when assessing your essay.

4. Grammatical Range & Accuracy (GRA)

The most common mistakes amongst students are
- mis-matching the subject with the verb
- mistakes in writing active and passive forms
- missing articles or prepositions

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WRITING INTRODUCTION IN TASK 2
1. The introduction is a way for you to introduce readers to your essay in order to convince
them through your arguments.

2. It must provide a general statement which show the context in which you are arguing from.
3. You must introduce all the concepts and topics you wish to bring up within your essay‟s body.

4. Make it clear to the reader what your stance is / Make it clear what your essay will be
discussing.

Structure of Introduction
1) General Statement:
This should be a broad statement which is not as specific as the actual background
provided to you in the question.

2) Paraphrase
A sentence should be paraphrased from the question itself, HOWEVER, you need to
include more detailed topics about the perspective you will be taking to approach th e
question.


3) Thesis:
Write a sentence which clearly states your stance/attitude towards the stimulus the
question and this will outline the direction of your essay.

General statement
Paraphrase
Thesis

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PARAPHRASING
1. Find the key words in the task question

2. Find synonyms for those key words which are in the correct context

3. Try to change the sentence structure and length
- If you are given a task question which includes background, combine the two sentences
into one shorter sentences.
- If you are given a task question which is rather short, then add a little more detail as to
which context you will write your essay from.

Practice 1
Task: Some people think that teenagers should do unpaid work to help society because this
will help them to get better individuals and also improve the society as a whole. Discuss the
advantages and disadvantages.
* underline the key words or phrases to paraphrase


Answer

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Practice 2
Task: Some people believe that the media, such as the press, TV and internet, should be
more strictly controlled. Others feel that control should be loosened to give people free
access to information. Do you agree or disagree?
* underline the key words or phrases to paraphrase

Answer

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Practice 3
Task: Some people think environmental problems are too big for individuals to solve, while
others think that governments cannot solve these environmental problems without
individuals‟ active participation. Give your ideas and relevant experiences or examples.
* underline the key words or phrases to paraphrase


Answer

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Practice 4
Task: Computers are being used more and more in education and some people believe
there will soon be no role for the teacher in education. To what extent to do you agree or
disagree?
* underline the key words or phrases to paraphrase

Answer

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
Practice 5
Task: A person should never make an important decision alone. Discuss it and present your
opinion.
* underline the key words or phrases to paraphrase


Answer

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Practice 6
Task: Modern lifestyle means that many parents have little time for their children. Many
children do not get as much attention from their parents as children did in the past. Do you
agree or disagree?
* underline the key words or phrases to paraphrase

Answer

_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
_______________________________________________
BASIC IELTS WRITING TASK 2(5.5)

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USING TEMPLATES
To meet the requirements in the marking rubric, use of a template is quite effective to start with
IELTS writing Task 2. Template gives you a clear direction in your writing which already
contains phrases that assist you with connecting ideas and making less error. Without
understanding of a template is, however, dangerous to use. Here are the steps to utilize the
template!

1. Understand the phrases first!!


2. Apply it into your own writing

3. Adjust it to your own writing style

4. Write it so many times that you go crazy

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Useful templates for Introduction
1) General or Background statement
 With the advent of ______, there has been a growing concern on…
 The increasing attention concerning ______ is a common situation throughout the
world in our modern society. Particularly, (paraphrase)…
 The question of _______ has emerged as one of the most discussed issues of
the modern era.

2) Essay Outline or Paraphrase
 Some people believe that _______, while others say that ______.
 Some are of the opinion that… whereas others insist that _______.
 In relation to the trend, some hold the opinion that _______.
 It is often argued / considered / thought /said that _______.
 These days, there is no doubt that _______.
 A popular belief is that _______.
 It is widely believed that _______.

3) Thesis statement or Stance
a. agree or disagree/ to what extent / what is your opinion

 I personally believe/ agree / disagree that _______. There are two main reasons
for this. (These reasons are twofold.)
 From my point of view, _____________.
 It seems to me that ______ is an acceptable idea for the following reasons.
 This essay agrees/disagrees that ______ because of the following grounds.

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b. both views (and give your opinion)
 This essay will explore / discuss both points of view.
 In this essay, both points of view will be explored before

c. advantages and disadvantages
 This essay will explore / discuss the advantages and disadvantages of ______.
 In this essay, both points of view will be explored.
 This essay will discuss the (main) advantage(s) followed by an analysis of the
(main) disadvantage(s).

d. cause and effect / problem and solution
 This essay will explore / discuss the (causes / problems) and (effects / solutions)
of _______.
 In this essay, both [(possible causes and effects) / (problems and possible
solutions)] will be explored.
 This essay will analyze the principal problem(s) and offer solutions to this issue.

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Sample Question
There is a good deal of evidence that increasing car use is contributing to global warming
and having other undesirable effects on people‟s health and well-being. To what extent do
you agree or disagree with this statement?

Sample answers (introduction)

1. With the advent of technology, there has been a growing concern on health and
environment. There is no doubt that the rise in global temperatures and human health
and fitness problems are often viewed as being caused by the expanding use of
automobiles. I personally believe that the increase in the use of car has caused these
situations / this phenomenon. The reasons are twofold.

2. The increasing attention concerning the use of cars is a common situation
throughout the world in our modern society. Particularly, the rise in global
temperatures and human health and fitness problems are often viewed as being caused
by the expanding use of automobiles. From my perspective, I agree with the
statement for two main reasons.

3. The question of the use of cars has emerged as one of the most discussed issues
of the modern era. It is widely believed that the rise in global temperatures and
human health and fitness problems are caused by the expanding use of automobiles. I
personally agree with this statement. The reasons are twofold.

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Practice writing an introduction

Practice Question 1
Professional athletes in popular sports like football (soccer) and basketball are overpaid. To
what extent do you agree or disagree?

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Practice Question 2
An increasing number of students choose to spend time away from school to live abroad or
gain some other meaningful experience before attending college. What are the advantages
and disadvantages of this choice?

_______________________________________________
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Practice Question 3
These days technology performs many kinds of work that people once performed. Many
workers have lost their jobs and lack the necessary training to get a new job in the new
technological economy. What should be done to solve this problem?

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Practice Question 4
Some people prefer to save money. Others prefer to use their money on things they will enjoy.
What is the best approach towards money? Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

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Practice Question 5
Many children have access to the internet and devices like smart phones, even at very young
ages. Do you think this is a good trend? What rules should children follow related to internet
and gadget use?

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Practice Question 6
Some people think that the government is wasting money on the arts and that this money
could be better spent elsewhere. To what extent do you agree with this view?

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BASIC IELTS WRITING TASK 2(5.5)

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BODY PARAGRAPHS IN TASK 2
CONSTRUCTING THE BODY PARAGRAPH

The body paragraph should be structured in a logical way in order to present your idea clearly.
1) Topic sentence
-

This sentence briefly introduces what the paragraph will be about.
This point should reflect the main argument / point that you will be making
throughout the particular paragraph.
Your point must be simple and have a clear understanding for all readers as well as
provide a starting point for readers to catch onto your ideas.

2) Idea 1 & 2
-

These sentences provide an explanation and elaboration to your topic sentence with
more specific details.
Include 2 ideas which are not redundant and the 2 ideas need to reflect the idea of the
paragraph.

3) Example
-

The evidence should be a realistic example that you are able to relate to.
Can be a personal experience or news or well known facts.
Your examples do not have to be factually true, but try to avoid using facts which
are obviously false.

4) Concluding statement
-

This sentence briefly concludes what the paragraph talked about.


Topic sentence
Idea 1

Idea 2
Concluding statement

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IDEA BUILDING
Idea building is such a broad area and is the key to successfully construct your body
paragraphs. The most important thing is that you start to build an overall interest in social
issue of society.

Practice Idea building
“Some people think that planting trees in open spaces in cities and towns is more important
than building houses. To what extent do you agree or disagree?”
Ex) completely agree – use city space for trees

Structure

Answer

Topic sentence

can make the living environment more pleasant
which promotes better health


Supporting details

Trees produce oxygen which can counteract against
heavy pollution in cities and create better quality of air. It
also encourages people to enjoy their neighborhood and
be more active in outdoor activities.

Example

Some people prefer doing some exercises in
the parks where there are a lot of trees to enjoy
fresh air

Concluding sentence

So, trees give a better environment to live in
and play a part in helping people stay healthy.

BASIC IELTS WRITING TASK 2(5.5)

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Your Turn
“Some people believe that governments should ban dangerous sports even though others
claim they should have the freedom to choose a sport to their liking. To what extent do you
agree or disagree?”

Structure


Answer

Topic sentence

Supporting details

Example

Concluding sentence

BASIC IELTS WRITING TASK 2(5.5)

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“Some people think that more money should be spent on protecting endangered species while
others think it is a waste of valuable money. What is your opinion?”

Structure

Answer

Topic sentence

Supporting details

Example

Concluding sentence


BASIC IELTS WRITING TASK 2(5.5)

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Transitions or Cohesive Devices

1) Topic sentence
First / Second / Third
The main reason is…

Another reason is...

One reason for this is that…

Not only that, but also…

This can be explained by…

Following this,..

This can be attributed to the fact
that…

Another point worth mentioning is the
fact that…

One major factor is…


Another key point that I would like to
emphasize is the fact that…

To begin with…

Equally important

On one hand,…

On the other hand,…

2) Supporting details or explanation
Furthermore / Also / In addition

In other words…

Besides / Moreover…

To put it differently,…

What is more

To put it in another way…

In other words

3) Example
For instance, ... / For example, ...

A relevant example is…


To illustrate, …

A striking example is…

As an illustration, ...

A clear illustration is…

To cite someone‟s case as an
example, ...

A frequently cited instance of this is…

This illustrates how…

A good illustration of this is…

This example shows how…

A common example for this is…

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4) Others

a. Effect / Result / Consequence

As a result, ...

Therefore, ...

Under those circumstances, ...

Then, ...

For this reason, ...

Consequently, ...

In that case, ...

b. Opposition / Limitation / Contradiction
Although this may be true, ...

Despite...

In contrast, ...

However, ...

On the other hand, ...

Rather, …

On the contrary, ...

Nevertheless, ...


even so, ...

be that as it may

Even though

but then again

c. Cause or Condition
if / when / whenever / since

provided that ...

in order to

in the event that ...

in case

BASIC IELTS WRITING TASK 2(5.5)

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Sample Task
Q: “Computers are being used more and more in education and some people believe there will
soon be no role for the teacher in education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?”
Body 1:
Topic sentence


The main reason why I think that teachers are essential is
because they encourage and discipline students.
Many people find it difficult to be interested in learning new

Supporting details things. Therefore, educators are needed to make classes more
interesting and stimulate students‟ desire for learning.
A frequently cited instance of this is in the case of young
Example

people in the cities, teachers often need to force students to
learn through the use of punishments.

Concluding
sentence

So, teachers have an important part in classroom education.

Body 2:
Topic sentence

Another reason why teachers are needed is because they can
teach young people important skills and values.
This is because educators serve as role models to their

Supporting details

students and teach them how to appropriately interact with
peers. In the event that people learn using machines, they will
lose opportunity to learn important social skills and values.

To cite Japanese elementary pupils’ case as an example,

Example

they are taught basic house chores in school to develop social
skills and values of working together.

Concluding

This illustrates the importance of what is taught in a classroom

sentence

setting that can never be learned through the use of computers.

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Practice 1

Read the following sentences and choose the best transition:

1. Polls show that Tony Blair is the most popular Prime Minister in this century. _________,
there are even members of his own party who are uneasy with his approach.
a. In particular
b. However
c. For instance


2. There are some slight variations in temperature, but __________ 26 to 27° should be
expected.
a. Consequently
b. Otherwise
c. As a rule

3. The two main Channel Islands, _________ Jersey and Guernsey, are much closer to
France than to England.
a. for example
b. namely
c. in particular

4. It was announced that nurses‟ working hours would be increased by 25%. _________,
even fewer trainee nurses are expected to join the profession.
a. As a result
b. So that
c. Likewise

5. Sales of CDs have experienced a small but steady fall over the past 12 months.
_______ vinyl records have seen an increase in their share of the market, up to 1.7%.
a. Above all
b. Correspondingly
c. In contrast

BASIC IELTS WRITING TASK 2(5.5)

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