IELTS Writing Task 2: a band 7 essay plan with a sample answer

Writing Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1, so it deserves about 40 of your 60 minutes. Examiners score four things equally: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. A clear plan helps with all four.

Plan for five minutes before you write

1. Underline every part of the question. A “discuss both views and give your opinion” question has three parts, and missing one limits your score.
2. Decide your opinion and write it as one sentence.
3. Choose one main idea for each body paragraph, with an example for each.

A reliable four-paragraph structure

• Introduction (2–3 sentences): paraphrase the question and state your position.
• Body paragraph 1: main idea, explanation, example.
• Body paragraph 2: main idea, explanation, example.
• Conclusion (2 sentences): restate your position in new words.

Sample question

Some people believe that university education should be free for all students, while others think students should pay for their own studies. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Sample answer (about 280 words)

Whether higher education should be funded by the state or by students themselves is a widely debated question. While there are reasonable arguments on both sides, I believe that university should be free, or nearly free, for students who meet the academic requirements.

Those who argue that students should pay point out that graduates usually earn higher salaries, so it seems fair for them, rather than taxpayers, to cover the cost. They also suggest that paying fees encourages students to take their studies seriously and to choose courses that lead to employment. In countries with limited public budgets, these funds may be needed for schools and hospitals.

On the other hand, free university education gives talented young people from low-income families the same opportunities as wealthier students. When fees are high, many capable students never apply, and a country loses the doctors, engineers and teachers it needs. Moreover, a well-educated workforce benefits the whole of society through higher productivity and tax revenue, so public spending on education can be seen as an investment rather than a cost.

In conclusion, although the argument that graduates should repay the cost of their education has some merit, I am convinced that free university education is the fairer choice, because it rewards ability rather than wealth and benefits society as a whole.

Why it scores well

• Every part of the question is answered: both views, plus a clear opinion in the introduction and conclusion.
• Each body paragraph has one clear focus, introduced with a topic sentence.
• Linking is varied and natural (“On the other hand”, “Moreover”, “although”).
• Vocabulary is precise (“low-income families”, “productivity”, “has some merit”) without forced idioms.