Source: Adapted from publicly available articles on https://www.ieltsadvantage.com/ (Christopher Pell). This is an original, condensed summary — not a copy of their site. For full courses and personalised feedback, see the original site.
This page condenses one specific, useful idea from that site: Task 2 has five recurring question types, each with its own skeleton, and the difference between a Band 5 and a Band 8 essay is not "better ideas" — it's a handful of specific, checkable habits.
The Five Question Types
Nearly every Task 2 prompt is one of these. Identify which one you've got before you write a word.
| Type | Typical wording | What it demands |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion | "Do you agree or disagree?" / "To what extent...?" | Pick one side. Don't sit on the fence. |
| Advantages / Disadvantages | "Discuss the advantages and disadvantages." | Cover both sides evenly. |
| Discussion | "Discuss both views and give your own opinion." | State both views, then clearly favour one. |
| Problem / Solution | "What problems does this cause and what solutions...?" | Problems in one paragraph, solutions in the next. |
| Two-Part | Two separate direct questions in one prompt | Answer each question in its own paragraph. |
Opinion (Agree / Disagree)
Introduction: Paraphrase the question. State your opinion clearly.
Body 1: Topic sentence → Explanation → Example.
Body 2: Topic sentence → Explanation → Example.
Conclusion: Restate your opinion and summarise.
Advantages and Disadvantages
Introduction: Paraphrase. Outline that you'll cover both sides.
Body 1: State two advantages → explain each → one example.
Body 2: State two disadvantages → explain each → one example.
Conclusion: Summary. No new opinion needed unless the question asks for one.
Discussion (Discuss Both Views)
Introduction: Paraphrase both views. Thesis statement (which view you favour). Outline sentence.
Body 1: State view one → discuss it → say why you agree/disagree → example.
Body 2: State view two → discuss it → say why you agree/disagree → example.
Conclusion: Summary + state which view is stronger.
Problem and Solution
Introduction: Paraphrase. Outline sentence (problems + solutions).
Body 1: State the problems → explain each → example.
Body 2: State the solutions → explain each → example.
Conclusion: Summary.
Two-Part Question
Introduction: Paraphrase. Outline sentence mentioning both questions.
Body 1: Answer question 1 directly → explain why → example.
Body 2: Answer question 2 directly → explain why → example.
Conclusion: Summary.
No structure guarantees a band score by itself — a skeleton only earns you the coherence and organisation marks. The content still has to answer the question and be well explained. But using the same skeleton every time, until it's automatic, is what frees up your attention for the parts that actually vary: the ideas, the vocabulary, the grammar.
How to Plan (Before You Write a Single Sentence)
Planning has four stages. Aim to spend 5–10 minutes here out of your 40.
1. Question Analysis
Find three layers in the prompt:
- Keywords — the general topic. Useful for knowing what not to wander into.
- Micro-keywords — the specific phrase you must actually address. ("Living longer" and "life expectancy is increasing" — not just "medical care" in general.)
- Instruction words — what you're being told to do with the topic ("do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?", "discuss both views", etc.).
Missing any part of the instruction caps your Task Response score at Band 5, no matter how good the English is.
2. Idea Generation
Skip open-ended brainstorming — it wastes time and produces irrelevant ideas. Instead, turn the question into one or two direct "Why?" questions and answer them the way you'd answer a friend in a café. You need one or two solid, relevant ideas per body paragraph — not a long list.
3. Structure
Slot your ideas into the skeleton for the question type (above). Write it out as a bare outline first — just the one-line gist of each sentence — before writing full prose.
4. Vocabulary
Scan the question for words you'll need to repeat (the topic itself, key verbs) and prepare one synonym for each in advance, so you're not repeating the question's own wording throughout the essay.
Writing a Thesis Statement
Your thesis statement is the sentence — usually the second sentence of your introduction — that tells the examiner exactly where you stand. It should be one clear sentence, not a hedge.
| Question type | Thesis statement pattern |
|---|---|
| Opinion | "This essay agrees/disagrees that..." |
| Discussion | "Some argue X, while others feel Y. This essay agrees that..." |
| Advantages/Disadvantages | "The principal advantage is... The main disadvantage is..." |
| Problem/Solution | "The principal problem is..., and a possible solution is..." |
For an Opinion question, pick agree or disagree — not "I both agree and disagree." A single clear position produces a tighter, more coherent essay than trying to hold both sides at once. Avoid "I think" in the thesis statement itself if you're avoiding personal pronouns; "This essay argues/agrees/disagrees" does the same job.
Band 5 vs. Band 8: What Actually Changes
The IELTS Task 2 rubric has four criteria, each worth 25%. Here's what separates a Band 5 from a Band 8 answer in each one — concretely, not vaguely.
Task Response
| Band | What it looks like |
|---|---|
| 6 | Relevant idea, but not explained or supported with an example. |
| 7 | Idea is explained and has an example, but the example is generic and not specifically tied to the point. |
| 8 | Idea is explained precisely, and the example is specific (a real-sounding place, number, or scenario tied directly to the claim). |
If your example could be swapped into any other essay on any other topic, it's a Band 6–7 example, not a Band 8 one. (The examiner does not verify a personal anecdote or illustrative scenario — a specific, plausible example scores as well as a true one. But keep it plausible: a fabricated statistic or a made-up institution presented as fact is a factual error inside your argument, not a strength.)
Coherence and Cohesion
- One idea per paragraph. Band 5 essays cram several ideas into one paragraph; Band 7–8 essays don't.
- Sentence-level pattern inside a body paragraph: Topic sentence → Explanation → Example.
- Cohesive devices (however, for example, moreover...) are not a "more is better" feature. Band 5 essays overuse or misuse them. Band 8 essays use only the ones they need, used correctly, with no repetition.
Lexical Resource
- Band 5: repeats words straight from the question because no synonyms are known.
- Band 8: uses topic-specific vocabulary precisely (e.g. "unemployment," "recession," "economic downturn" instead of just "no jobs" and "no money").
- Long or rare words used incorrectly score worse than plain words used correctly. Precision beats impressiveness.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy
- Band 5: mostly simple sentences; frequent errors whenever a complex sentence is attempted.
- Band 7: a variety of complex structures, and roughly half the sentences are fully error-free.
- Band 8: a wide range of structures, most sentences error-free.
- The practical rule: only use a grammar structure in the exam if you're confident it's error-free. A simple, correct sentence beats an ambitious, broken one.
Related: for how to build the actual sentences (complex sentences, cohesive devices, paraphrasing, common grammar mistakes), see Writing Mechanics.