There are 5 types of IELTS essays which can appear in IELTS writing task 2. These types of essays are for both GT and Academic writing task 2. Below you will find sample essay questions for each type of essay and links to model answers. Please note that IELTS teachers sometimes divide essays into different categories based on how they teach.
1) IELTS Opinion Essay
This type of essay is where you are presented with someone else’s opinion and you are asked if you agree or disagree with it. The opinion is often flawed or extreme in its views. Some teachers call this the Argumentative Essay. The instructions can be written in a number of ways. Below are a few examples:
- To what extent do you agree?
- Do you agree?
- Do you agree or disagree?
- What is your opinion?
No matter how the instructions are written, you can take any position you want: agree, disagree or partial agreement (balanced view). Below is an example essay question:
Opinion Essay Question:Some people think that only electric cars should be allowed on the road by 2040. Do you agree?
2) IELTS Discussion Essay
This type of essay presents you with a statement and you must present the two sides. This might be two sides of the same issue:
Some people think there should be free health care for all people, but others disagree. Discuss both sides.
Or it might be two separate issues which you need to discuss:
Some people think that urban spaces should be used for parks rather than for housing. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
3) IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essays
There are two types of questions in this category.
i) Advantage and Disadvantage Essay
This is similar to a discussion essay where you are given a statement must present the positive and negative side of the issue:
Some people think it is good for students to take a gap year before going to university. What are the advantages and disadvantages of doing so?
ii) Outweigh Essay
This is by far the most difficult of the two essay types in this category. It requires you to present an opinion and explain your opinion.
Some people think the world will eventually have only one language. Do you think the advantages of having one global language outweigh the disadvantages?
4) IELTS Solution Essays
There are a number of types of possible questions in this category:
i) Solution Only
Some children have serious weight problems. What are the possible solutions?
ii) Cause Solution
Children in rural areas are being left behind in their academic development. Why is this is the case? What solutions can you suggest?
iii) Problem Solution
More and more people are moving to cities to look for work. What problems does this cause? What are the possible solutions?
5) Direct Questions Essays
Some teachers call these the Two Question Essay. However, these types of essay questions might contain one, two or three questions for you to answer. Below are some examples.
Pollution around the world is becoming a serious problem. Do you think this is a problem that should be solved internationally or on a local level?
In the question above, you are asked one specific question. Your whole essay must tackle this question only.
More and more people are choosing to work from home. Is this a positive or negative development?
This essay question has just one issue and one question. You must explain what type of development you think working from home is.
Some people spend a lot of money on weddings. Why do they do this? Do you think it is good to spend a lot of money on weddings?
Above, you will see you have been presented with two questions to answer: reasons and opinion (evaluating if it is good or not.)
News editors decide what to print in newspapers and what to broadcast on TV. What factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more news was reported?
As you can see there are three questions to answer in this essay question. It is not common to get three questions. If you get three, just tackle them one at a time in a logical order.
Practice Essay Questions for IELTS
You can find over 100 essay questions to practice on this page: 100 IELTS Essay Questions. The questions are divided first into topics and then into essay types. This way you can get lots of practice before your actual test day.
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