Recent IELTS Task 2 Questions, Grouped by Type

Most lists of IELTS Writing Task 2 questions are sorted by date. That is the least useful order possible, because the date tells you nothing about how to answer. What decides your structure is the question type, and there are only five of them.

Learn the five shapes and every new question becomes a question you have already planned. This page gives each shape, several question wordings that use it, the position the instruction demands, and the paragraph plan that fits.

One honest note before the list. Nobody publishes the real question paper, so any page promising "the questions from last Saturday" is reporting what candidates remembered. The wordings below are written in exam style and cover the ground the exam covers. Practise the shapes, not the specific topics.

The five shapes in one table

The weighting is the same for all five. Task 2 is worth two thirds of your Writing band, the minimum is 250 words, and the guidance is 40 minutes.

1. Opinion questions

These contain "to what extent do you agree", "do you agree or disagree", or "what is your opinion".

1. Some people believe that university education should be free for all students. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Many companies now allow employees to work from home. Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?
3. Governments should spend money on public transport rather than on new roads. To what extent do you agree?

The plan. Introduction with a paraphrase and a thesis. Two body paragraphs, each giving one reason for your position with an example. Conclusion restating the position in different words.

The failure that costs the most. Sitting in the middle. An answer that says "there are advantages on both sides and it depends" has no position, and Task Response marks the clarity of your position directly. You may partially agree, which is a real position, but you have to say which way you lean and then argue that way. See To what extent do you agree for the wording of a partial agreement.

2. Discussion questions

These say "discuss both views and give your own opinion". The last six words are an instruction, not a suggestion.

1. Some people think children should start school at the age of four. Others believe seven is early enough. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
2. Some argue that prisons should focus on punishment, while others say rehabilitation is more effective. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
3. Some people prefer to study online, while others prefer a traditional classroom. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

The plan. Introduction naming both views and stating yours. One body paragraph for view one, reported fairly, even though you disagree with it. One body paragraph for view two. Conclusion restating your own view.

The failure that costs the most. Reporting one view in four sentences and the other in one. The two sides do not have to convince you equally, but they have to be developed equally. There is a worked answer at Discuss both views essays.

3. Advantages and disadvantages

Read the final sentence carefully, because two different instructions hide in this type.

1. More people are choosing to live in cities rather than in the countryside. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?
2. Online shopping has replaced high street shops for many products. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
3. Many students now take a gap year before university. What are the benefits and drawbacks?

Question 1 asks you to describe both sides and does not require a judgement. Question 2 uses "outweigh", which is a comparison, and an answer without a verdict is incomplete. Question 3 is question 1 in different words.

The plan. One paragraph of advantages, one of disadvantages, and a conclusion that either summarises or delivers the verdict, depending on the instruction. More detail at Advantages and disadvantages essays.

4. Problem and solution

These ask what causes something and what can be done about it.

1. Traffic congestion is getting worse in many large cities. What are the causes and what measures could reduce it?
2. Obesity rates among young people are rising in many countries. What problems does this cause and what solutions can you suggest?
3. Many languages are disappearing. Why is this happening and what can be done?

The plan. One paragraph of causes or problems, one paragraph of solutions, and the two must match. If your problem paragraph names cheap car ownership and poor public transport, your solution paragraph solves those two things, not something else.

The failure that costs the most. Solutions with no agent. "Something should be done" is not a solution. Name who acts: the government, schools, employers, parents. See Problem and solution essays.

5. Two part questions

These contain two direct questions and no "agree", no "discuss", no "advantages".

1. Many people work in jobs they dislike. Why does this happen, and how can people find more satisfying work?
2. Fewer young people are taking up manual trades. What are the reasons for this, and is it a negative development?
3. Some families now eat together less often. What has caused this, and what effect does it have on children?

The plan. One paragraph per question. Answer both. Question two of question 2 above is an opinion question inside a two part question, so it needs a position.

The failure that costs the most. Answering the interesting half and forgetting the other. Underline both questions on the paper before you start. There is a full breakdown at Two part question essays.

How to identify the type in ten seconds

Read the final sentence of the prompt first. It carries the instruction; the sentences before it only supply the topic.

1. Does it contain "agree" or "your opinion" alone? Opinion.
2. Does it contain "discuss both views"? Discussion.
3. Does it contain "advantages", "disadvantages", "benefits" or "drawbacks"? Advantages and disadvantages, and check for "outweigh".
4. Does it ask "why" and "what can be done"? Problem and solution.
5. Are there two question marks, or two questions joined by "and"? Two part question.

A question planned in five minutes

Prompt. Some people think that governments should ban advertising aimed at children. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Type. Opinion, so one position held throughout.

Position. Mostly agree, with a limit on how far a ban can go.

Body paragraph 1. Children under about eight cannot tell advertising from programme content, so consent is not meaningful. Example: toy advertising around cartoons.

Body paragraph 2. Advertising shapes food preferences early, and those preferences last. Example: sugary cereal marketing.

Limit, placed in the conclusion. A ban on television advertising leaves social media untouched, so regulation has to follow children to where they actually are.

That plan took about four minutes and it fixes the whole essay. Each body paragraph now has one idea, one reason and one example, which is what Coherence and Cohesion rewards. If you want the planning method on its own, see The five minute essay plan.

What to do today

Take ten Task 2 questions from any practice book and do not write a single essay. Label each one with its type and write the thesis sentence only. Ten minutes, ten theses. Type recognition is the skill that transfers to the question you have not seen.

Then write one full answer under timed conditions and put it into Bandly, which returns an estimated band for each of the four criteria with the sentences behind each estimate. The bands are model estimates rather than marked results, so use them to find your weakest criterion and read whether Task Response found a clear position in what you wrote.