IELTS Writing Task 2

What Examiners Count  ·  Module 1 · Lesson 2

The four things every examiner is counting

Your final mark in IELTS Writing Task 2 is the average of four separate scores. Each one is worth exactly the same — 25%. If one of them is much weaker than the others, it pulls your whole mark down. So you cannot afford to ignore any of them.

1. Task Response

Did you actually answer the question that was asked — fully, all parts, with a clear position?

Ask yourself: "If the examiner only read my essay, would they know exactly what I think and why?"

2. Coherence & Cohesion

Can the reader follow your thinking smoothly from one sentence to the next, and from one paragraph to the next?

Ask yourself: "Could a tired reader, on the bus, follow my essay from start to finish without stopping?"

3. Lexical Resource

Is your vocabulary wide, accurate, and used naturally — not basic, not memorised, not the wrong word?

Ask yourself: "Would a native speaker say it this way, or would they choose a different word?"

4. Grammatical Range & Accuracy

Are your sentences both varied (not all the same shape) and correct (not full of errors)?

Ask yourself: "Have I used at least three or four different sentence shapes — and would my grammar pass without changes?"

The hidden truth

Most students lose marks not because their English is weak, but because they ignore Task Response. They write a fluent essay — but it doesn't fully answer the actual question. That single failure can cost a full point off the average. So this lesson spends most time on it.

Discuss:

Of the four criteria, which do you think you are strongest in? Which is your biggest weakness? How do you know?

Task Response — the most common failure

Most Task 2 questions have more than one part. If you only answer one part, your Task Response score drops sharply, no matter how beautifully you write. Three patterns appear again and again.

The three question patterns:

1. "To what extent do you agree or disagree?" — you must state HOW MUCH (fully, partly, mostly, etc.) and defend that extent.
2. "Discuss both views and give your own opinion." — you must cover BOTH sides AND say which one you favour. Not one. Not the other. Both, plus your view.
3. "What are the causes of this problem? What measures can be taken to solve it?" — two questions, two answers. Skip one and you lose half the marks.

Phrases that prove full coverage

These are the safety phrases that make it obvious to the examiner that you've covered every part of the question. Click each card.

To a large extent… Use after the question "To what extent...". Tells the examiner exactly how much you agree.
"To a large extent, this essay agrees with the view that..."
Only partly Signals partial agreement — you agree with some parts of the claim but not others. Strong move for nuanced essays.
"This essay only partly agrees, accepting that... but rejecting the claim that..."
There is merit on both sides… Use for "Discuss both views" questions. Acknowledges balance before stating your own position.
"There is merit on both sides of this debate, but on balance..."
On balance, this essay believes… Signals you are now giving YOUR opinion — essential after discussing both views.
"On balance, this essay believes that the second view is more persuasive."
Turning to the causes… Use as a paragraph opener when the question asks for causes. Makes coverage obvious.
"Turning to the causes, three factors stand out..."
As for possible solutions… Pairs with "Turning to the causes". Shows the examiner you have moved to the second part of the question.
"As for possible solutions, the most realistic approach involves..."

Spot the missing answer

Each example below is a partial answer to a question. Identify what part of the question is missing, then check.

Question: Some people think that the government should pay for healthcare. Others think people should pay for their own care. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Student answer (summary): "This essay will discuss why the government should fund healthcare. Public funding ensures fairness, and... [continues with two paragraphs both supporting government funding]."
The student has skipped the second view entirely. The question says "discuss BOTH views". The student must spend at least one body paragraph on the case for personal payment — even if they personally disagree — before giving their opinion. As written, this answer would lose heavily on Task Response.
Question: Air pollution is a serious problem in many cities. What are the causes of this problem? What measures can be taken to solve it?
Student answer (summary): "Air pollution has many serious causes. The main ones are vehicles, factories, and burning fuel for heat. These cause health problems for millions of people..."
The student has only answered the "causes" half. The question is two questions in one — "What are the causes?" AND "What measures can be taken?". The body needs separate paragraphs for each. Without solutions, only half the task is done.
Question: Exams are the best way to assess a student's ability. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Student answer (summary): "Some people think exams are the best way to test students. Others think exams are not fair. Both views have strong points..."
The student has dodged the question. "To what extent do you agree or disagree?" requires the student to take a position — fully agree, mostly agree, partly agree, mostly disagree, fully disagree — and defend that extent. Sitting on the fence ("both views have strong points") is not an answer.

Discuss:

Why is it tempting to "sit on the fence" in IELTS? What does the examiner actually want to see?

Two paragraphs, same topic — what's different?

Both paragraphs below answer the same question: "Working from home has more advantages than disadvantages. To what extent do you agree or disagree?" Read both before clicking the analysis.

Paragraph A

Working from home is good because people can save time. They don't need to travel, so they can work more hours. Also, they can spend more time with their family which is good. Many people like this. Also, you can wear comfortable clothes which is nice. So working from home is very useful for many people.

Paragraph B

The strongest argument in favour of remote working is the time it returns to employees. A typical commute in a major city consumes between one and two hours each day, time that can be redirected into either productive work or, more importantly, family life. This shift has produced measurable improvements in employee wellbeing: surveys conducted since 2020 consistently show higher reported satisfaction among remote workers, particularly parents of young children.

Paragraph A weaknesses: Vague vocabulary throughout ("good", "nice", "very useful"). Repetition of "Also". No specific evidence. Sentences are all roughly the same shape. The argument doesn't develop — it just lists.

Paragraph B strengths: Precise vocabulary ("returns to employees", "redirected", "measurable improvements"). Specific detail ("one to two hours", "parents of young children"). Sentence variety — short, long, with subordinate clauses. The argument has a clear shape: claim → mechanism → evidence. Notice that Paragraph B is harder to write but isn't using rare or showy vocabulary — it's using ordinary words used precisely. That's what scores well.

The four shifts that lift writing

Compare A and B again. The shift from one to the other is built on four moves: vagueness → precision, repetition → variation, opinion → evidence, and same shape → varied shapes. Every body paragraph you write needs all four.

Discuss:

Which of the four shifts is hardest for you personally — precision, variation, evidence, or sentence shape? Why?

The slips that cost real marks

These are the mistakes examiners see in almost every weak essay. Each one is small on its own, but combined they pull a competent writer down by a full point. Click each card to see the slip and how to avoid it.

Memorised opening phrases The slip: Starting with "Nowadays, in this modern era of technology..." — examiners spot these instantly and the score drops.
Fix: Write a real opening sentence about the actual topic, in your own words.
Copying the question The slip: The first 20 words of the essay are word-for-word from the question prompt.
Fix: Paraphrase. Change at least three or four content words and restructure the sentence.
Vague vocabulary The slip: "Many things are very important and good." This sentence says nothing.
Fix: Replace every "good", "bad", "many", "thing" with a precise noun, verb, or adjective.
No examples The slip: Body paragraphs make claims but never give a specific instance, country, person, or piece of data.
Fix: Every body paragraph needs at least one concrete example introduced with "For instance" or "A clear example of this is...".
"I think" everywhere The slip: "I think this is good because I think it helps people and I think it is important."
Fix: Use opinion phrases sparingly. "This essay argues that...", "It is clear that...", "There is strong evidence that...".
Comma splice The slip: "Many students struggle with maths, they need more support." Two complete sentences joined by just a comma.
Fix: Use a full stop, a semicolon, or a connector — "Many students struggle with maths; they need more support." or "Many students struggle with maths, so they need more support."
Linking-word salad The slip: Using "Furthermore", "Moreover", "In addition", "Additionally" all in the same paragraph. Examiners see this as overcompensation.
Fix: One linker per paragraph is plenty. Vary them across paragraphs, not within.
No conclusion The slip: Running out of time, the essay just stops after Body Paragraph 2. The examiner sees an unfinished piece.
Fix: Always leave 4 minutes for a conclusion — even a two-sentence one is better than nothing.

Discuss:

Which two of these slips do you make most often? What could you change in your writing process to catch them?

Self-edit drill — find the problems

Below is a body paragraph from a student essay. It has at least six problems from the categories you've just studied. Read it, identify the issues, then check the analysis. You have twelve minutes. In the exam you will have only about five minutes to check a whole essay — so this is practice at spotting problems fast.

Question:

Some people believe that international tourism does more harm than good. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Body paragraph (with problems):

"Nowadays, in this modern era, international tourism is a very important thing for many countries. I think tourism is good because it brings money to the country, also it creates jobs for many people, also it helps local businesses, also tourists learn about new cultures which is good. For example many people travel to Thailand and Spain every year. Furthermore, tourism is very useful, additionally it helps the economy, moreover it is good for everyone. So tourism is more good than bad in many ways."

12:00

Find and copy the exact words:

Issues found:

1. Memorised opener: "Nowadays, in this modern era" — replace with a real sentence about tourism.
2. Vague vocabulary throughout: "very important thing", "good" (used four times), "useful". Every one of these needs a precise replacement — "valuable source of revenue", "creates employment", "stimulates local enterprise".
3. Linking-word salad: "also" four times in one sentence, then "Furthermore… additionally… moreover" stacked in another. The connectors are joining ideas that are not really different, and the commas between them create comma splices.
4. Thin example: "many people travel to Thailand and Spain" — what does this prove? A real example would specify a number, an effect, or a case.
5. "I think" plus repetition: the second half just lists "useful → helps the economy → good for everyone" — three ways of saying the same thing.
6. Grammar slip: "more good than bad" should be "more beneficial than harmful" or "more advantages than disadvantages".

Improved version: "International tourism is, on balance, a positive force for most receiving countries. It generates substantial foreign-exchange revenue, creates employment in hospitality and transport, and gives local businesses access to a much wider customer base. The Thai economy, for instance, derives roughly twelve percent of its GDP from tourism, supporting millions of jobs in coastal regions where alternative work is scarce. While the environmental costs are real and must be managed, the economic case in favour of tourism remains strong."

Discuss:

In the exam you have about five minutes to check your whole essay. Which of these problems would you look for first, and why?