Get An 8+ On IELTS Writing TASK 2— The Simple IELTS Essay Writing Template

In the second writing task of IELTS, you get 40 long minutes to logically and clearly express your thoughts on a given issue in at least 250 words.  You are expected to construct an argument/debate—proving your stance in opposition to the other side of the argument.

 Admittedly, this could be confounding for people who are new to essay writing. No doubt, you have been taught the rudiments at primary and secondary school, but who says the writing style you have been taught so far works just as well for IELTS?

The IELTS writing examiner has been trained to be on the lookout for Logicality of thought, structure and development, mechanical accuracy, coherence, and adequacy of response.

Here, I will be giving you the precise steps to follow to outline a high-scoring essay—the structure and development of the essay—this has such an overarching impression about your writing skills—it is the building block! It proves that you simply know how to comprehensibly order your ideas.

For the record, the essay can come in a variety of question types ranging from

• Preference— “A lot of people would choose to eat at a restaurant because of their busy work schedules.”

Would you prefer to patronize food vendors or make your meals yourself?

• Agree or Disagree— “Some people think that a person improves intellectual skills better when doing group activities”

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

• Problem and Solution— “With the development of social media, more and more youngsters are being allowed unsupervised access to the internet to meet and chat with friends which can lead to potentially dangerous situations.”

 What solutions can you suggest to deal with this problem?

• Advantages and Disadvantages— “More and more business meetings are taking place online.”

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?

• Good Idea or Personal Opinion— “Some celebrities feel that the media violates their personal space and shares their private life publicly while others feel it is just part of being famous.”

What is your opinion?

• Discussing Both Views— “Some people believe that environmental problems should be solved on a global scale while others believe it is better to deal with them nationally.”

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Communication & Personality Essay Titles (ieltsliz.com)

100 IELTS Essay Questions (ieltsliz.com)

Regardless of the question type, the following structure remains relevant.

Now let’s begin,

Your writing should have

• An Introduction
• Two or three body paragraphs
• A conclusion

The introduction should have

• A hook statement: a catchy line that could be a quote or a general statement of fact that points to your main point. It could also be discounting the other side of the argument.
• A thesis statement: this is where you get to clearly state the side of the argument you are on, using the language of opinion.
• A background or transitory statement leading to the subsequent paragraphs: Here you get to mention in single words or phrases the reasons for which you have taken your stance. Or you can simply indicate to the examiner somehow that the next paragraphs will explore your justifications for your stance.

A typical body paragraph should have

•  A topic sentence— Here you get to state in a good sentence one of the reasons you intend to explain further in line with your thesis statement. This is one of the details you have already captured in your introduction but in a paraphrased form.
• Background: Illustrative examples, supporting details: justify your stance with personal examples—not storytelling— general facts from what you have read, watched, or seen. Ensure to be logical at this point. In other words, your examples or supporting details must be in line with your topic sentence. Also, invalidating the other end of the argument concerning your topic sentence at this point is highly encouraged.

A conclusion should have

• A restatement of the thesis statement and main points as explored in the previous paragraphs briefly captured in different word choices: the less wordy this is, the better

Now, let’s work with the first question under the preference question type.

A WEAK INTRODUCTION 

I would prefer to make my meals than patronize food vendors for the following reasons

FLAWS

• Too brief
• Lacks a strong background
• Repeats the same words from the question

A STRONG INTRODUCTION

It is a common fact that a good number of working-class people would gladly eat out to save them the perceived trouble of making their meals as well as give them time to face their jobs. I would rather eat my self-made meals regardless of my work demands as this sort of food is certain to be made under the best hygienic conditions and is more affordable.

Just so you identify the different constituents of this introduction:

HOOK STATEMENT: It is a common fact that a good number of working-class people would gladly eat out to save them the perceived trouble of making their meals as well as give them time to face their jobs

THESIS STATEMENT: I would rather eat my self-made meals regardless of my work demands

SUPPORTING DETAILS: this sort of food is certain to be made under the best hygienic conditions and is more affordable.

Or...

Health is wealth, and where you get your meals guarantees how effectively you would work to earn money. Although many would choose to feed on already-made meals because they perceive they can be gotten at ease while they maintain their pace at work, I would insist on eating home-cooked meals because of their hygienic potential and the cost involved. 

BODY PARAGRAPH 1

To start with, homemade meals are often prepared under more healthy conditions. For instance, the cook’s kitchen is well-cleaned and the ingredients for the meal are carefully hand-picked, choice ingredients that are also properly washed during the cooking process. With such healthy culinary habits, a worker is sure to be in the best state of mind and body to execute assigned tasks at the office.  This is not to say that meals made in good restaurants are always unhealthy, but there are more cases of food poisoning occasioned by eating out than there are for self-made meals. Also, since these restaurants deal with backlogs of orders, there is certainly no guarantee that the cooks pay as much attention to cleanliness and quality of food additives as much as self-cooks do.

TOPIC SENTENCE: To start with, homemade meals are often prepared under more healthy conditions.

SUPPORTING DETAIL 1: For instance, your kitchen is well-cleaned and the ingredients for the meal are carefully hand-picked, choice ingredients that are also properly washed during the cooking process.

SUPPORTING DETAIL 2: With such healthy culinary habits, you are sure to be in the best state of mind and body to execute your tasks at the office.

INVALIDATING THE OTHER SIDE: This is not to say that meals made in good restaurants are always unhealthy, but there are more cases of food poisoning occasioned by eating out than there are for self-made meals. Also, since these restaurants often have a lot of demands within a short time, there is certainly no guarantee that the cooks pay as much attention to cleanliness and quality of food additives as much as self-cooks do.

BODY PARAGRAPH 2:

Additionally, making meals from the comfort of your home can come at cheaper rates compared to what one might incur in getting such meals outside regularly. A full pot of good meal with the right amount of seasoning and condiments could cost about six thousand naira to prepare for a working single man or lady. This could serve more than one full meal, although not consecutively, especially since it can be preserved in the refrigerator. This would reduce frivolous spending and help one save funds for other life plans.  On the other hand, having a plate of meal for no less than 3000 naira every other day could be very detrimental to an employee’s saving spate.

TOPIC SENTENCE: Additionally, making meals from the comfort of your home can come at cheaper rates compared to what one might incur in getting such meals outside regularly.

SUPPORTING DETAIL: A full pot of good meal with the right amount of seasoning and condiments could cost about six thousand naira to prepare for a working single man or lady. This could serve more than one full meal, although not consecutively, especially since it can be preserved in the refrigerator,.

SUPPORTING DETAIL 2: This would reduce frivolous spending and help one save funds for other life plans.

INVALIDATION OF THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ARGUMENT: On the other hand, having a plate of meal for no less than 3000 naira every other day could be very detrimental to an employee’s saving spate.

CONCLUSION:

Conclusively, to forestall the possibility of frequent sick breaks that may hamper efficiency at work and to manage your funds more appropriately, it is advisable to always strive to eat from home as meals made elsewhere can engender health risks, not to mention the expense one has to incur sometimes to get them. 

POINTER

So, there you have it…   an essay that...

• is logically and comprehensively structured
• fully addressed the question,
• explores paraphrasing and a variety of word choices and sentence structures
• gives coherent supporting details
• has almost no grammatical errors.

Following this template, you can structure and complete your essay on any of the aforementioned topics.