IELTS Writing Task 2 comes in various forms and types and being able to determine the essay type is very important as your essay writing style would depend on it. While an IELTS essay asks you to agree/ disagree with a given statement, another one might ask you to analyse two views. There are a variety of situations and all the IELTS essay types could be categorised into a total of 10 different types.
This tutorial aims to give you comprehensive details of the types of essays you might encounter in a real IELTS exam and then tips on how to approach these different types of essays. IELTS essay types are then categorised with the sample question and model answer so that you can practice comprehensively.
10 types of IELTS Writing Task 2:
- Agree / Disagree.
- Compare & Contrast.
- Problem & Solution.
- Advantages and Disadvantages.
- Discuss two views.
- Discuss two views and give your opinion.
- Causes & Solutions.
- Causes and Effects.
- Opinion
- Mixed.
Agree/ Disagree
This type of essay gives a statement/ opinion and asks you whether you agree with this opinion/ statement or disagree with it.
Sample Agree / Disagree Essay:
In many countries traditional foods is replaced by international fast foods. This has adverse effects on families, individuals, and the society.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
The above essay question clearly asks you how far you agree or disagree with the given opinion.
Click here to get the list of the Agree/ Disagree type essays with model answers.
Compare & Contrast
This type of essay asks you to show the comparisons and contrasts of a given topic.
Sample Compare / Contrast Essay:
It has been said, “Not everything that is learned is contained in books.” Compare and contrast knowledge gained from experience with knowledge gained from books. In your opinion, which source is more important? Why?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Click here to get the list of the Compare & Contrast type essays with model answers.
Problem & Solution
Problem & Solution type essays give a general issue that is related to a common problem and then ask you to propose solutions to this problem.
Sample Problem & Solution Essay:
Crime rate is increasing against the young women. Who is to blame? What are the possible solutions?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
In the above essay, the general issue is “Crime rate is increasing against the young women”. The part ‘ Who is to blame’ expects you to give background details of this problem while the possible solutions should be described as it is asked in the third sentence of the essay question.
Click here to get the list of the Problem & Solution type essays with model answers.
Advantages & Disadvantages
This essay type asks you to present the advantages/ merits and disadvantages/ drawbacks of a particular issue. You would often find phrases like:
- What are the advantages and disadvantages…
- Does this have more advantages than disadvantages…
- Describe the merits and demerits….
- Does the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?….
Sample Advantages & Disadvantages Essay:
Nowadays, parents send their children abroad for further education. At what age should they send their children abroad? What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Click here to get the list of the Advantages & Disadvantages type essays with model answers.
Discuss two views
This type of essay gives you two opposite opinions and asks you to give details of both sides. This is a bit different from the ‘Discuss both views and give your opinion’ type essay. For the latter one you need to discuss both views and then must give your own opinion. However, for the ‘Discuss two views’ essay, you need to present viewpoints of both sides but you are not bound to present your own opinion.
Sample Discuss two views Essay:
Some people say that public libraries should be free, otherwise they are just a waste of money, especially because modern technologies and the internet allow easy access to resources.
Discuss and give your point of view.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Click here to get the list of the Discuss two views to type essays with model answers.
Discuss two views and give your opinion
This essay type is pretty much the same as the previous one. The only difference is that it asks you to first discuss both views and then give your own opinion or own views.
Sample Discuss two views and give your opinion Essay:
Some people think the most efficient way to reduce the industrial pollution is to tax the companies which cause the pollution. Others think that there are better ways to reduce the pollution.
Discuss both sides of the argument and give your views.
Causes & Solutions
The ‘Causes & Solutions’ type essay asks you to present the causes of a given situation or issue and then you need to present the possible solution to this problem.
Sample Causes & Solutions Essay:
In some countries young people have little leisure time and are under a lot of pressure to work hard in their studies.
What do you think are the causes of this? What solutions can you suggest?Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Click here to get the list of the Causes & Solutions type essays with model answers.
Causes and Effects
Unlike the Causes and Solutions essay type, this essay asks you to give the causes and then the effects of this cause rather than presenting the solution. An issue of situation is given as an argument in this type of essay and then the question asks you to write the possible causes and effects of it.
Sample Causes and Effects Essay:
Childhood obesity is becoming a serious problem in many countries.
Explain the main causes and effects of this problem and suggest some possible solutions.
Click here to get the list of the Causes and Effects type essays with model answers.
Opinion
The opinion essays give you a scenario and ask you to write down your opinion.
Sample Opinion Essay:
People tend to watch foreign movies more than local movies these days. Should government financially support local movies?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Click here to get the list of the Opinion type essays with model answers.
Mixed
Sometimes an IELTS essay combines two or more essay types and for this type of essay, the question parts should be individually answered.
Sample Mixed Essay:
Is ambition a positive or negative characteristic? Is it necessary for success?
What is your point of view on this topic?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Click here to get the list of the Mixed type essays with model answers.