Ielts Writing Task2

IELTS Writing Task 2 Coach

Task 2 is a 40-minute, minimum-250-word academic essay. The candidate must respond to a prompt with a clear position, well-developed arguments, and supporting details. Task 2 carries roughly twice the weight of Task 1 in the final Writing band score.

Use this when

• The user shares a Task 2 prompt and wants a draft or critique.
• The user wants a band estimate with actionable feedback.
• The user asks how to structure any Task 2 essay type.
• The user wants help with argument development, thesis statements, or conclusion writing.
• The user asks about Task 2 vocabulary, avoiding repetition, or paraphrasing the prompt.

Do not use this when

• The user is working on Task 1 (data description). Use ielts-writing-task1.
• The user is asking about Speaking. Use ielts-speaking-coach.

Band Descriptors (Task 2)

Scores are averaged equally across four criteria. Task 2 is weighted more heavily than Task 1 in the overall Writing band.

Full band-by-band reference (bands 5–9, all four Task 2 criteria) with links to the official IELTS descriptors: references/ielts-band-descriptors.md. Consult it before assigning a band so scoring stays anchored to the public criteria, not impression.

Task Response (TR)

Coherence and Cohesion (CC)

Lexical Resource (LR)

Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA)

Essay Types and Structures

1. Opinion / Agree–Disagree

Prompt signals: "To what extent do you agree or disagree?", "Do you think…?", "Give your opinion."

Structure:

1. Introduction — Paraphrase prompt + clear thesis (your position)
2. Body 1 — First reason supporting your view + example/explanation
3. Body 2 — Second reason supporting your view + example/explanation
4. Conclusion — Restate position + final thought (no new information)

Avoid sitting on the fence unless you have a genuine nuanced position — vague "it depends" responses score lower on TR.

2. Discuss Both Views

Prompt signals: "Discuss both views and give your opinion."

Structure:

1. Introduction — Paraphrase prompt + state you will discuss both sides + hint at your view
2. Body 1 — First view + supporting points
3. Body 2 — Second view + supporting points
4. Conclusion — Your opinion + synthesis

The opinion must be explicit; omitting it drops TR.

3. Advantages and Disadvantages

Prompt signals: "Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.", "Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?"

Structure:

1. Introduction — Paraphrase + state you will examine pros and cons (+ your view if asked)
2. Body 1 — Advantages + development
3. Body 2 — Disadvantages + development
4. Conclusion — Overall judgement

4. Problem–Solution

Prompt signals: "What are the causes…? What solutions can be suggested?", "What problems does this cause and how can they be solved?"

Structure:

1. Introduction — Paraphrase + state you will examine problems and solutions
2. Body 1 — Problems (2–3 well-developed)
3. Body 2 — Solutions (matched to problems)
4. Conclusion — Summary

5. Two-Part Question

Prompt signals: "Why is this the case? What can be done about it?"

Structure:

1. Introduction — Paraphrase + state you will address both questions
2. Body 1 — Answer question 1 fully
3. Body 2 — Answer question 2 fully
4. Conclusion — Summary

Both questions must be answered or TR is penalised.

Workflow

Step 1 — Identify essay type and all parts of the task

Read the prompt carefully:

• How many questions does it ask? (Missing TR penalty)
• What type is it? (Affects structure)
• What position or balance does the prompt expect?

Step 2 — Plan before writing

Spend 5 minutes planning:

• Thesis/position
• 2 body paragraph topics
• 1–2 supporting points per paragraph with a specific example or explanation

A good plan prevents off-topic essays.

Step 3 — Draft or critique

When drafting:

• Introduction: paraphrase + thesis. Never copy the prompt verbatim.
• Each body paragraph: topic sentence → explanation → example → link back.
• Stay at ≥250 words. Under-length essays are penalised on TR.
• Avoid bullet points — examiners expect continuous prose.

When critiquing a user's essay:

• First check TR: does the essay answer all parts? Is the position clear and consistent?
• Then check CC: is the progression logical? Are discourse markers appropriate (not mechanical)?
• Then LR and GRA.

Step 4 — Score and feedback

Report a band estimate for each criterion and an estimated overall band:

Task Response:        X / 9
Coherence & Cohesion: X / 9
Lexical Resource:     X / 9
Grammatical Range:    X / 9
Estimated overall:    X.X / 9

For each criterion below 7, give 2–3 specific, actionable improvements with examples drawn from the user's actual text.

Key language banks

Discourse markers for essays

• Adding: Furthermore, Moreover, In addition, Additionally
• Contrasting: However, Nevertheless, On the other hand, Conversely, Despite this
• Cause/effect: As a result, Consequently, Therefore, This leads to
• Exemplifying: For instance, For example, To illustrate, A case in point is
• Conceding: Although, While it is true that, Admittedly
• Concluding: In conclusion, To conclude, Overall, In summary

Paraphrasing the prompt

Replace key words with synonyms or restructure the sentence:

• "increasingly common" → "becoming more prevalent / widespread"
• "young people" → "the younger generation / adolescents"
• "government" → "authorities / policymakers"
• "important" → "crucial / significant / vital"

Expressing opinion

• It is argued that / It can be contended that (distancing)
• I firmly believe that / I strongly agree that (direct)
• While X has merit, Y is more convincing because…
• The evidence suggests that…

Common mistakes to flag

1. Answering only part of the task — re-read the prompt for multiple questions; address all.
2. Unclear or absent thesis — the examiner must know your position by the end of the introduction.
3. Mechanical discourse markers — "Firstly… Secondly… Thirdly…" used without real development scores low on CC.
4. Unsupported generalisations — every claim needs either an example, a reason, or a concession.
5. Under 250 words — explicit penalty to TR.
6. Bullet points or numbered lists — write in paragraphs.
7. Changing position mid-essay — the position should be consistent throughout.
8. Copying the prompt — introduction must paraphrase, not copy.

Output format

When producing a model essay:

• Label each paragraph (Introduction / Body 1 / Body 2 / Conclusion).
• Provide a word count.
• After the essay, give a brief note on structure and language choices.

When giving feedback on the user's essay:

• Quote the user's original text when identifying issues.
• Provide a corrected or improved version of the problem sentence.
• End with the scored table and top 3 priorities for improvement.