There are THREE types of question types asked in IELTS writing task 2, one of them
is statement essay where you need to proof your stance whether you agree or
disagree with the given statement. Now, we will learn how to make a good introductory
paragraph for this type of essay. First, you need to read and understand the question.
Then, you need to identify the keywords (what is being discussed in the statement/
topics/ controlling words), qualifying words (what can you learn more about the
keywords/ how the various ideas relate together), action words (what you need to do)
and thesis (your stance) for your essay. Look at the following example:
Public transportation is a great way to travel, particularly within a metropolis.
The metro is the most convenient way to get around a city. Do you agree or
disagree?
Keywords : public transportation, metro
Qualifying words : most convenient
Action words : Do you agree or disagree?
Thesis : I disagree that a subway system is the most convenient way to
get around a large city.
After you identify the keywords, qualifying words, action words and thesis, you can
start writing your introductory paragraph by:
1. Paraphrasing the statement (1st and/or 2nd sentence)
2. Inserting your thesis statement (2nd or 3rd sentence)
3. Providing at least TWO reasons to support your thesis statement
4. Outlining how your essay is organised (optional)
Example:
Population dense cities around the world require developed transportation systems for
public mobility. Underground rail has proven to be a very effective example of one
such system. It is agreed that the metro is the most convenient way to get around a
city. This will be shown by looking at a how a metro seamlessly blends into a city’s
underground and allows the rider to avoid traffic. In this essay, I will elaborate these
reasons and support them with examples.
If you have difficulties in paraphrasing the statement, you can skip that step and start
your introductory paragraph from step 2 (inserting your thesis statement). Look at the
following example:
I agree that subway is the most convenient way to get around the city because it
connects many different routes in the middle of the city and allows the passengers to
avoid the traffic jam. In this essay, I will show the reasons and support them with some
examples.
The second type of IELTS Writing Task 2 essay question type is a problem essay
where you need to provide reasons and solutions to a specific problem. There’s a
slight difference in writing an introductory paragraph for this type of essay from the
one we usually do for a statement essay. Please take a look at the example below.
Nowadays many people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a
company or organisation.
Why might this be the case?
What could be the disadvantages of being self-employed?
Keywords : self-employed rather than in a company
Qualifying words : choosing
Action words : find reasons and disadvantages of being self-employed
After you identify the keywords, qualifying words, action words, you can start writing
your introductory paragraph by:
1. Paraphrasing the statement given
2. Providing what is being asked (reasons, measures, opinions, etc)
Example:
Being self-employed rather than working for a company or organisation is becoming a
trend nowadays as more and more people are doing it. This is because they can get
higher income and work in more flexible working hours than if they work in a company.
However, by choosing to be self-employed success is not guaranteed and there is a
high risk of losing a lot of money.
Another way of writing an introductory paragraph for this type of essay is by:
1. Paraphrasing the statement given
2. Outlining how your essay is organised
Example:
Being self-employed rather than working for a company or organisation is becoming a
trend nowadays as more and more people are doing it. In this essay, I will discuss the
reasons for this and also the drawbacks with this choice of career.
The third and last type of IELTS Writing Task 2 essay question type is two sides of
an argument. Writing an introductory paragraph for this type of essay is much simpler
than writing an introductory paragraph for statement and problem essays. Please take
a look at the example below.
Some people say that the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of
particular species of plants and animals. Others say that there are more
important environmental problems.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Keywords : environmental problem, loss of species
Qualifying words : problem of our time, more important environmental problems
Action words : discuss both views and give personal opinion
After you decide the keywords, qualifying words and action words, you can start writing
your introductory paragraph by:
1. Paraphrasing the statement given
2. Outlining how your essay is organised
3. Stating what you believe is true between both views
Example:
While many believe that the extinction of certain species is the greatest threat to our
environment, others feel that there are more pressing environmental issues. This
essay discusses both perspectives and why I believe that there are more critical issues
than the loss of species.
Since this type of essay question asks you to give your own personal opinion, you can
either write it in the fourth paragraph or join it in the conclusion.
In writing supporting paragraphs, there are few things that you need to keep in mind.
First, outline your ideas. This needs to be done to make sure that your essay can
fully address the task given. Secondly, use cohesive devices to connect ideas within
the paragraph in order to make your essay easily understood. In addition, using
cohesive devices also helps show logical progression in your essay.
Lastly, provide explanation, real life example and discussion of the example
(optional) to support your answers. Please take a look at the example below:
Some people say that the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of
particular species of plants and animals. Others say that there are more
important environmental problems.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
There are two main reasons why people might believe that the extinction of certain
plants and animals is the most serious issue. The first of these concerns the way that
plants and species are interrelated and how the loss of one species can lead to the
loss of other species. For instance, if coral dies many of the fish and marine life that
feed off it also die. Moreover, many people note the importance of the biodiversity of
the planet and point out that when a species dies this is reduced. This biodiversity is
important because we are constantly finding that certain species have important
applications such as in the field of medicine.
The conclusion paragraph is the easiest paragraph to write in the entire essay because
most of the information being presented is just a repetition of the information delivered
in the introduction and supporting paragraphs. The conclusion paragraph only has two
to three sentences:
1. Summary
2. Summary of thesis (optional)
3. Prediction or recommendation
The summary sentence restates the topics that were discussed in supporting para-
graphs 1 and 2. It should begin with a linking phrase, such as ‘To summarize’, ‘In
summary’, ‘To conclude’ or ‘In conclusion’.
The restatement of thesis simply repeats the thesis in different words, reinforcing the
central argument of the essay. (optional)
The final sentence can be written as a prediction (a logical guess as to what will hap-
pen to your essay subject in the future) or a recommendation (what you hope will
become true concerning your essay subject).
The conclusion paragraph is sometimes confusing. Therefore, you need to remember
that this is not repetition but amplification. It is also a strategy that creates essay unity.
Example:
Nowadays many people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a
company or organisation.
Why might this be the case?
What could be the disadvantages of being self-employed?
Conclusion
In conclusion, many people are venturing out on their own due to their interest in
running their own business and believing that they will have a better career. However,
it should be kept in mind that this can be risky and stressful. Therefore, this type of
career is not suited to all people.
SAMPLE ESSAYS
Do you agree or disagree that in the near future the role of teachers will be taken
by technology?
The use of technology is increasing rapidly in the modern world. Growing technological
influence can even be seen in the classroom. Despite this, it is disagreed that
technology will completely replace the classroom teacher in the foreseeable future.
Analysing the inability of a technology-driven teacher to both cater to student learning
needs and instil motivation will show this.
Firstly, a teacher powered by artificial intelligence would have difficulty interpreting the
educational needs of a classroom of students. For example, Honda Asimov, one of
the world’s most advanced robots, has trouble distinguishing simple human emotions.
If today’s most advanced artificial intelligence cannot categorize these basic physical
cues, it is difficult to believe that a robot could be capable of altering study plans and
teaching styles in a dynamic classroom setting. Thus, this makes it clear that a
technology-driven teacher is not going to be operational anytime in the near future.
Secondly, a robotic teacher would not be able to establish the emotional connection
needed to motivate students. The American scientific theory of education plays a good
example here. This widely supported theory argues that young learners are most
motivated when they share an emotional relationship with their instructor. As most
would agree expecting children to form emotional ties to machinery is unrealistic, the
argument that technology will replace the teacher in the classroom can be debunked.
In summary, a robotic teacher would lack the classroom dynamism and emotional
intelligence needed to be an effective instructor. Thus, it is clear why having a class
run entirely by a machine is an idea that will not be realized anytime soon. It is
predicted that computer technology will not replace traditional human teachers in the
foreseeable future.
Nowadays many people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a
company or organisation.
Why might this be the case?
What could be the disadvantages of being self-employed?
Recently, more and more individuals start working for themselves instead of working
for a company or an institution. The increase number of self-employed workers is
resulted from several different reasons. However, working as a freelancer can also
lead to unpleasant consequences to the workers.
One of the pleasures of becoming self-employed is being able to choose the hours
when you work, which indicates a greater freedom in terms of planning the schedule.
More specifically, this allows people to organize their tasks according to their strengths.
For example, if a person feels himself being most productive in the morning, he can
simply choose to complete the most demanding tasks in the morning instead of
following a strict schedule given by a company. On the other hand, working for oneself
also means a potential decrease in the daily costs. For instance, it is likely that a
freelancer is able to save some of the expense that might have occurred at the office,
such as the money he invests in uniform, and the traffic fee that he need to pay for
everyday commuting.
However, choosing to be self-employed may also have some disadvantages. One
major problem in this case is the unstable income attached to this style of working.
There is no guarantee that a self-employed person will earn enough to live a
comfortable life. When people work for a company, they have the assurance of a
guaranteed salary at the end of each month. However, this guarantee is missing when
people decide to work for themselves. Another problem of self-employment is the
feeling of isolation which many self-employers find themselves difficult to conquer after
working along for a long time. In addition, as working along simply means less
opportunities of meeting new friends, it may also negatively affect your communicative
ability.
In conclusion, although many people prefer working as self-employers because they
are likely to enjoy a more flexible schedule and save money in some circumstances,
working as a freelancer can still bring some negative effects such as unstable income
and feeling of isolation.
Some people say that the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of
particular species of plants and animals. Others say that there are more
important environmental problems.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
While many believe that the extinction of certain species is the greatest threat to our
environment, others feel that there are more pressing environmental issues. This
essay discusses both perspectives and why I believe that there are more critical issues
than the loss of species.
There are two main reasons why people might believe that the extinction of certain
plants and animals is the most serious issue. The first of these concerns the way that
plants and species are interrelated and how the loss of one species can lead to the
loss of other species. For instance, if coral dies many of the fish and marine life that
feed off it also die. Moreover, many people note the importance of the biodiversity of
the planet and point out that when a species dies this is reduced. This biodiversity is
important because we are constantly finding that certain species have important
applications such as in the field of medicine.
However, others consider that there are more serious environmental issues. One of
the reasons is that the extinction of a species can be considered a part of nature. For
instance, we know that the dinosaurs died out due to naturally changing weather
patterns, and life of our planet still continues. In addition, man-made problems are
emerging such as Global warming that are so serious they have the potential to wipe
out all life on our planet. If the earth continues to experience rising temperatures it will
start to become uninhabitable even for humans.
In conclusion, in my opinion both sides of this argument have their merits. However, it
seems that man-made global warming is the most serious problem because it
ultimately threatens to not only destroy certain species but also destroy all life on our
planet including humans. Moreover, it seems that we are not taking enough steps to
mitigate this catastrophic problem.