Writing Task 2 · session 5 of 8

Plan a Band 7 Task 2 in Six Minutes

GoalBy the end you can turn any Task 2 prompt into a named question type, a stated position, and a paragraph plan before you write your first sentence.

How this session runs

flowchart TD
  A[Count the parts of the task] --> B[Name the question type]
  B --> C[State your position]
  C --> D[One main idea per paragraph]
  D --> E[Weigh each idea both ways]
  E --> F[Concede then restate]

Think of it likeA Task 2 essay is an RFC: the question is the review request that fixes what you must return, each body paragraph is one section with a single responsibility, and the band 7 move is the same one that gets an RFC approved, weighing each option's cost against its benefit and recommending one rather than listing three options neutrally.

Count the parts, then name the type

For exampleRania in Amman drew a repeat-driving-test task in a Dubai mock and wrote 290 words listing 6 advantages. She never answered part two, whether they outweigh the disadvantages. Content capped at Band 5. Counting 2 parts first would have given each 145 words.

The ruleBefore you write anything, count the questions inside the task and name its type: propose a solution, evaluate a given solution, present your ideas, or evaluate an idea. Answering only one part of a two-part task caps your content at Band 5 however good your English is. (Collins Writing for IELTS, p. 14; New Insight Part 3 Writing, pp. 119, 93)

TrapRania's 6 advantages were all relevant and all wasted, because a task asking whether they outweigh the disadvantages scores the comparison, not the list.

flowchart TD
  A[Can you rephrase it with should] -->|Yes| B[Is a solution already given]
  A -->|No| C[Does it ask causes or effects]
  B -->|No| D[Propose solutions]
  B -->|Yes| E[Evaluate that solution]
  C -->|Yes| F[Present your ideas]
  C -->|No| G[Evaluate the idea]

One nameable idea per paragraph

For exampleTariq in Dubai wrote 4 body paragraphs on immunisation, each mixing cost, freedom and herd immunity. His examiner could not name any paragraph's topic, so organisation capped at Band 6. One idea per paragraph plus 2 supporting points would have freed the score.

The ruleSelect two to four main ideas and give each one its own paragraph, opened by a topic sentence and followed by at least two supporting points that are reasons for it or examples of it, because the examiner checks for both. Paragraphs with no clear central topic cannot exceed Band 6, and using no paragraphs at all caps you at Band 5. (New Insight Part 3 Writing, pp. 93, 121, 124; Collins Writing for IELTS, p. 78)

TrapTariq knew all 3 arguments; the cap came from spreading each one thinly across every paragraph instead of giving it a paragraph an examiner could name.

Weigh the ideas, do not list them

For exampleKarim in Cairo listed 3 solutions to city flight, firstly, secondly, thirdly, each with a reason and an example, 280 words, and scored 6. Adding one drawback to solutions 1 and 2, then reordering them weakest to strongest, is the 7.

The ruleListing main points with reasons and examples is enough for Band 6; from Band 6.5 upward the examiner wants critical thinking, meaning you discuss the advantages and the disadvantages of each solution or idea, run them weakest to strongest, and close with a conclusion that concedes the difficulty before restating your position. (Collins Writing for IELTS, pp. 12-13, 30, 69)

TrapKarim's strongest solution came last by luck rather than design, and his drawback-free paragraphs read as enumeration, which is exactly the Band 6 description.

flowchart TD
  A[Weakest solution first] --> B[Advantage then drawback]
  B --> C[Stronger solution next]
  C --> D[Advantage plus real example]
  D --> E[Concede the difficulty]
  E --> F[Restate your position]

Situation

It is minute 3 of Task 2. The task reads: some people believe governments should ban private cars from city centres. What is your view on this practice? You have 6 ideas in your head, 37 minutes left, and a strong feeling that a ban is wrong.

Decide: Which of the four question types this is, and therefore whether your body paragraphs must weigh the ban against an alternative measure or simply argue against it.

Teach it back

I scored 6.5 on Task 2 twice and the examiner said my English was fine. What do I actually change?

Count the parts and name the question type before writing, because missing one part of a two-part task caps content at Band 5
One main idea per paragraph with at least two supporting points, so every paragraph has a central topic the examiner can name
Replace listing with evaluation: advantages and disadvantages of each idea, ordered weakest to strongest, and a conclusion that concedes before it restates

Check yourself

Answer, then see immediately whether you were right and why.

You are 32 minutes into Task 2. The task asked what the advantages of repeat driving tests are and whether those advantages outweigh the disadvantages. You have 3 strong paragraphs, all on advantages, 260 words. You have 8 minutes left. What do you do?

Why If you fail to write about one part of a two-part task you cannot score more than Band 5 for content (New Insight Part 3 Writing, p. 119), so the only move that changes your band is covering part two, however briefly. Option 1 is the tempting one because you are already past 250 words and checking your work for 3 to 4 minutes is normally the right habit (Collins Writing for IELTS, p. 14) - but proofreading raises grammar and vocabulary, and it cannot lift a content score that is capped.

The task reads: many people believe that boys and girls learn better when they are educated separately. What is your view on this practice? Which plan do you commit to in your 6 minutes of thinking?

Why The question rephrases as should boys and girls be educated separately, and a solution is already supplied, so it is an evaluate-a-solution task and you weigh the given solution against an alternative (Collins Writing for IELTS, pp. 14, 21). Option 1 is genuinely tempting because the prompt opens with a belief statement, but the evaluate-an-idea type is signalled by to what extent do you agree; here the words this practice point at a practice, which is a solution, not a truth claim.

You have 3 solutions to youth unemployment, each with a reason and an example, and about 30 minutes of writing left. You are aiming for 7, not 6. What is the highest-value change to your plan?

Why Simply listing main points with reasons and examples is described as sufficient for about Band 6; Band 6.5 and above is far more likely if you demonstrate critical thinking, which means discussing advantages and disadvantages of different solutions (Collins Writing for IELTS, p. 30), and the band-7 model answer runs from a possible but not ideal solution to a more feasible one (Collins, pp. 12-13). Option 2 tempts because cohesion is one of the four criteria, but connectors such as in addition and moreover should be used sparingly if at all, since overusing them makes writing heavy and hard to read (Collins, p. 75).

With 4 minutes left you count 252 words, of which 31 are copied word for word from the task statement in your introduction. What do you do with those 4 minutes?

Why The examiner ignores copied sections of the question paper and does not include those words in the total count (New Insight Part 3 Writing, p. 124), so your real length is 221, and a Band 5 script is criticised for exactly this - excessive use of the rubric reduces the word count and incurs a penalty (Improve Your IELTS Writing, p. 92). Option 3 is the tempting near-miss because a conclusion is genuinely essential, but 221 plus 20 is still only 241 counted words, so you stay under the minimum and keep an introduction that shows no paraphrasing.

Your plan has 5 relevant ideas and you have 30 minutes of writing time. You intend to pack all 5 into 2 body paragraphs. What is the real risk and the fix?

Why A paragraph is built around one main idea plus supporting points that are reasons for or examples of it, and you cannot score above Band 6 if your paragraphs do not have a clear central topic (New Insight Part 3 Writing, pp. 93, 121). Option 4 is the tempting mirror error: it does give each idea a topic, but the book tells you to select two to four main ideas for the paragraphs between introduction and conclusion (New Insight, p. 124), and 5 paragraphs inside roughly 280 words leaves no room for the supporting points the examiner is also checking for.

It is minute 36. You have an introduction and 2 body paragraphs totalling 240 words, plus a third body paragraph half planned. You have 4 minutes. What do you do?

Why Make sure you complete your essay by writing a conclusion, even if it is only one sentence; if you are short of time it is better to shorten or omit one of your body paragraphs than to fail to complete the task (Collins Writing for IELTS, p. 69). Option 1 is tempting because Task Response rewards developed ideas and you are still 10 words under the 250 minimum, but an unfinished essay is marked as an incomplete task, and one concluding sentence both closes the argument and carries you over the minimum.

Not started

In one sentence, now that you've seen itBand 7 on Task 2 is not better English; it is answering every part of the question you were actually asked, in paragraphs an examiner can name, weighing each idea instead of listing it.

Collins Writing for IELTS, pp. 12-15, 20-23, 29-30, 68-70, 74-78; New Insight Part 3 Writing, pp. 93, 119-124; Improve Your IELTS Writing, pp. 34-35, 92-94.

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