Chapter 4.2: Task 2 of the Writing Test

Introduction to Writing Task 2:

In this section of the Writing Test, you need to write an academic essay, (a short piece of writing written in formal language), with a clear structure and purpose. You should show that you understand the question and you should answer it by taking a position and giving reasons and examples to support your points. You have to write at least 250 words and your essay should be organised logically. Now, you have about 40 minutes to do all of this, so you need to approach this task quickly and efficiently. You’re also told that when you answer the question, you should support your position by giving reasons and examples. These can come from your own knowledge and experience of this topic.

An academic essay has a standard format or structure that writers are expected to follow. You should write in full sentences; no notes or bullet points, and your essay should be organised into paragraphs.

The IELTS Task 2 essay is only 250 words, so four or five paragraphs for your essay is sufficient.

The essay begins with an introduction. 

• This should introduce the topic and  
• briefly give some background information, followed by  
• your position and 
• a very brief outline of the main points of the essay.

The next part of the essay is the body.  

• This contains the main points that you're using to support your position.  
• Two or three paragraphs is sufficient here, depending on how many main points you have in your argument.

Final paragraph is your conclusion. 

• You sum up your main points and re-state your position.

How to do writing task 2:

• Step 1: Read the question carefully. Note the topic and the task. How many parts are there to the question?  
• Step 2: Think about your response to the question. What is your position?  
• Step 3: Note down some ideas. Choose two or three main ideas that you will use to support your position.  
• Step 4: Make a brief essay plan. Plan to write 4 to 5 paragraphs, including 1 paragraph for the Introduction, 2 to 3 paragraphs for the Body, and 1 paragraph for the Conclusion.  
• Step 5: Write your essay. Write at least 250 words. Try to use a range of grammar and vocabulary and try to be as accurate as you can.  
• Step 6: Allow a minute or two to read over your answer and check it before handing it in.

How the essay is assessed?

The examiner will assess your essay in four different areas. 

• Firstly, task response; in other words, how well you answered the question. Your essay should address the question and have a clear position, supported by reasons and examples.
• Secondly, coherence and cohesion. This means that your essay is organised logically and has a clear structure, with an introduction, a body and a conclusion. Your essay should be divided into paragraphs, with each paragraph having a clear central idea.
• Thirdly, your lexical resource, that is, your ability to use a range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately.
• And finally, grammatical range and accuracy, or how well you can use English grammar.

Paragraph Structure:

In Task 2 of the IELTS Academic Writing Test, one of the four areas on which your essay is assessed is coherence and cohesion. One important aspect of this is paragraphing, that is, how well you can organise your ideas into paragraphs. Remember, your essay will probably consist of four or five paragraphs. You’ll have an introduction and a conclusion paragraph, as well as two or three body paragraphs. So now, let’s focus on how you can write a well-organised paragraph.

So let’s begin with a brief overview of the structure of a paragraph. First, a paragraph should contain one central idea. This main idea should come in your first sentence, the topic sentence. The topic sentence should be a general statement, it shouldn’t be too specific. You should develop the idea in the paragraph with about three supporting sentences. These sentences may give reasons, examples, effects, or details. Now, let’s take a look at an example paragraph.

In this paragraph, which is from an essay about the benefits of education, the writer begins with a topic sentence. Notice how he uses the phrase 'generally speaking' to show that this is a general statement. In other words, it may not be true for all people, but it is true for most people. So the main idea of this paragraph, is that it is not until people get older that they appreciate the value of their education. When you’re a child or a teenager, you may not realise how important school is. After the topic sentence, the writer uses the remaining sentences in the paragraph to develop the main idea. As you can see, the writer gives an example of a useful skill that is learned at school, reading. Notice how the writer uses a linking expression, 'For example', to show that he is giving an example of the main idea. The writer then gives an additional reason, and uses the word 'also' to show this. And finally, notice how the writer gives a personal example from his own experience. He uses the expression, 'In my case' to signal this.

Structure of A Good Paragraph:

1. Topic sentence
2. Supporting Sentence 
3. Supporting Sentence 
4. Supporting Sentence  
5. Concluding sentence (optional)

Notice the final sentence here, a concluding sentence. Now this is optional, but you can include a concluding sentence at the end of your paragraph, which sums up the main idea. Think of it as a re-statement of your topic sentence.

This is the same paragraph on the benefits of an education, with the addition this time of a concluding sentence. Can you see how the writer uses the linker, 'Therefore' to begin the concluding sentence? And notice how the concluding sentence is a general statement, like the topic sentence. So the purpose of the concluding sentence is to remind the reader of what the paragraph is about. Now remember, a concluding sentence is optional, but it can help to make your argument a clear one.

You might find it helpful to think of your paragraph as a hamburger. The topic sentence and the concluding sentence are the buns, and the supporting sentences are the filling, the meat and the salad.

This paragraph would be part of the body of the essay, and you would have two or three of these paragraphs in the IELTS Section 2 essay.

Complex Sentence :

In Task 2 of the IELTS Academic Writing Test, one of the four areas on which your essay is assessed is Grammatical Range and Accuracy. One important aspect of this is sentence structure. It is important to use complex sentences. If your sentences are all simple, then you will lose marks for grammatical range. 

 A simple sentence contains only one main or independent clause, for example, 'The baby cried'. A complex sentence contains one main or independent clause and at least one subordinate or dependent clause. For example, 'Although I was tired, I stayed up late studying.' As the name suggests, the independent clause can stand on its own, while the dependent clause cannot.

• Independent Clause: I stayed up late studying
• Dependent Clause: Although I was tired. 

We could use a relative pronoun like 'where', 'which', or 'that' to create complex sentences. Another way to make complex sentences is to use linking words and phrases to link your ideas and show the relationships between them. The kinds of relationships you can show include comparison and contrast, cause and effect, additional information, and opposition.

https://courses.edx.org/asset-v1:UQx+IELTSx+3T2015+type@asset+block@Linking_Words_and_Phrases_Handout.pdf