Making a Plan
Mastering IELTS Writing Task 2: A Comprehensive Guide
Introduction
Writing a well-structured essay is crucial for achieving a high score in the IELTS Writing Task 2. This guide will walk you through the three essential stages of planning your essay: Question Analysis, Idea Generation, and Structure. By following these steps, you can ensure that your essay is coherent, well-organized, and addresses the question effectively.
Question Analysis
Before you start writing, it’s essential to analyze the question thoroughly. This involves identifying the keywords, micro-keywords, and instruction words. Let’s break this down with an example:
Example Question 1
One of the consequences of improved medical care is that people are living longer and life expectancy is increasing. Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
- Keywords (General Topic): Improved medical care
- Micro-keywords (Specific Topic): Living longer, life expectancy is increasing
- Instruction Words: Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
By identifying these elements, you can ensure that your essay stays focused and directly addresses the question.
Idea Generation
Once you’ve analyzed the question, the next step is to generate ideas. Imagine you’re discussing the topic with a friend. What would you say? Let’s apply this to our example:
Example Ideas for Question 1
- Advantages: Friends and family live longer, allowing more time together.
- Disadvantages: Increased demand for food and resources, potential for prolonged illness.
It’s important to weigh the strength of each argument. For instance, while the advantage of longer life expectancy is strong, the disadvantage of resource depletion can be mitigated by technological advancements.
Structure
After generating ideas, the next step is to organize them into a clear structure. For an opinion essay, you can use the following format:
Essay Structure for Question 1
- Introduction: Introduce the topic, present both sides of the argument, and state your opinion.
- Body Paragraph 1 (Advantage): Discuss one advantage with an explanation and example.
- Body Paragraph 2 (Disadvantage): Discuss one disadvantage with an explanation and example.
- Conclusion: Summarize your discussion and restate your opinion.
This structure ensures that your essay is logical and easy to follow.
How to Write Each Section of Your Essay
Introduction
The introduction should clearly communicate the topic, outline the main points, and state your opinion. Here’s how to write a strong introduction:
- Background Sentence: Introduce the topic using key elements from the prompt.
- Ideas Sentence: Outline the main points you will discuss in the essay.
- Opinion: Clearly state your opinion in the third person.
Example Introduction for Question 1
New technologies, and in particular the Internet, are undoubtedly having a major impact on the way goods and services are retailed. In many territories, purchasing products online has now become a mainstream activity. Some argue that this isn’t transformatory and merely an extension of what has already occurred. However, this essay concludes that it is in fact a paradigm shift for two primary reasons.
Body Paragraphs
Each body paragraph should focus on one main idea, supported by explanations and examples. Here’s how to structure your body paragraphs:
- Point: State the main idea or reason for your opinion.
- Explanation: Explain why this point is important.
- Example: Provide a specific example to support your point.
- Link: Connect the discussion back to your opinion.
Example Body Paragraph for Question 1
The development of online shopping has meant that the market for goods available to the individual has grown dramatically. It is possible to buy virtually anything from what has effectively become a world-wide retail market: exotic foods, art works, rare books, adventure holidays; the list is endless. Previously, accessing certain types of products was impossible for remote communities and many islanders would have to travel vast distances to purchase essential items such as life-saving medicine. This shows how much happiness a longer life brings.
Conclusion
The conclusion should summarize your discussion and restate your opinion. Avoid introducing new ideas in the conclusion.
Example Conclusion for Question 1
In conclusion, while there are some disadvantages to increased life expectancy, such as higher demand for resources, the advantages, such as the happiness that comes from spending more time with loved ones, far outweigh them. As technology continues to advance, many of the challenges associated with longer lifespans will likely be mitigated.
Final Thoughts
By following these steps, you can create a well-structured and coherent essay that effectively addresses the IELTS Writing Task 2 question. Remember to practice regularly and seek feedback to improve your writing skills.
For more detailed guidance, consider enrolling in our IELTS Writing Task 2 Course, designed by a former IELTS examiner with hundreds of 5-star reviews.
