In this post: How a positive/negative question differs from an advantages/disadvantages question, how to choose a position with four questions, and how the second sentence of the introduction states it.
Positive/negative essays · 3 parts
- 1. Question type, position, introduction (you are here)
- 2. Reasons, concession and conclusion
- 3. Worked example, mistakes, practice
✦ In this post
Positive/negative development is one of my most consistent question types. Essay 6 (Cam18-4, people moving from the countryside to cities) scored 7 in all four criteria. Essay 39 (Cam19-4, supermarkets selling food from all over the world) got TR 8 and CC 8, with 7.5 overall. Essay 41 (Cam15-1) was a two-question essay, but its second question was simply “is this home-owning culture good or bad?”, and it also scored 7.5.
The three essays have one thing in common: I chose “negative” every time, I made the position clear in the second sentence, and every paragraph after that proved the same point. With this question type, a large part of the score is decided in the first three minutes, before you write anything: have you chosen a position, and have you found two reasons that are genuinely different?
I have already broken down each essay’s score in the sample posts (countryside to cities, Band 7, global food, Band 7.5 and owning a home, Band 7.5), and the four-paragraph skeleton is briefly introduced in the two-question essay post. This post sets out the order of decisions for this kind of question: decide the position, write the second sentence, arrange the two reasons, and finally decide whether to add a concession.
“Essay N” refers to the order in which I submitted essays for marking. The scores are the four criterion scores (TR / CC / LR / GRA) and the overall band given by my marking teacher; the explanations behind the scores are my own analysis against the public IELTS band descriptors.
1. Identifying the question type: how it differs from advantages/disadvantages and agree/disagree
A positive/negative question first describes a trend that is already happening and then asks whether it is good or bad. Common wordings:
Is this a positive or negative development?
Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
Is this a positive or negative situation? (the second question of Essay 41)
Do you think this trend is positive or negative?
It looks similar to several other question types. These are the three that are most easily confused with it:
| Question type | What it asks | Do you need a position? | Body paragraphs |
|---|---|---|---|
| Positive/negative | Is this trend good or bad overall? | Yes, an overall judgement | Two reasons supporting one position (a concession is optional) |
| Pure advantages/disadvantages | What are the advantages and disadvantages? | No | Two advantages | two disadvantages |
| Outweigh | Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? | Yes, and you must weigh the two sides | Two paragraphs for the side you support + one concession paragraph |
| Agree/disagree | Do you agree with a statement? | Yes | Two reasons supporting one position |
The way you write a positive/negative essay is actually closest to agree/disagree: state your position in the introduction, give two reasons, and restate it in the conclusion. The difference is that you are judging something that is “already happening”, so your reasons should ideally answer “what effect does this trend have, and on whom?” rather than just arguing in the abstract.
2. Decide your position first: three options and four decision questions
| Position | Direction of sentence 2 | Paragraph plan | When it suits | Risk |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fully negative | this is a negative development | 4 paragraphs: two negative reasons | The negative effects are concrete, easy to illustrate, and it is clear who is affected | Sounding too absolute (always, definitely, the whole) |
| Fully positive | this is a positive development | 4 paragraphs: two positive reasons | The trend clearly improves people’s lives, and the downsides are small or easy to fix | Only covering the benefits and ignoring obvious problems, which weakens the argument |
| Largely positive but with a concern (or the reverse) | largely positive, although … | 5 paragraphs: two main reasons + a concession paragraph; or 4 paragraphs with one or two concession sentences at the end of Body 2 | Both sides have strong examples, and writing only one side would look one-sided | Wavering, so the conclusion turns into “there are good and bad sides” |
I chose fully negative and a four-paragraph structure in all three essays. That was not because negative scores higher, but because the negative reasons in those three questions happened to be easier to illustrate. In the exam, I decide my position by asking myself four questions in order:
| Question | Ask yourself | Trying it on Essay 39 (global food) |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Who does it affect? | Does the trend affect individuals, a particular region, the whole country, or the environment? | Consumers (positive: more choice); local farmers and the environment (negative) |
| 2. Long term or short term? | Which lasts longer, the benefits or the drawbacks? | More choice is an everyday convenience; carbon emissions and the decline of local industry are long-term |
| 3. Can it be managed? | Is there a simple solution to the drawbacks? | Transport emissions are hard for individuals to solve |
| 4. Can I give examples? | Which side can I describe with concrete situations? | Long-distance shipping and imported produce pushing down local prices are both easy to illustrate |
After the four questions, the negative side wins on three of them (“long term”, “hard to manage” and “easy to illustrate”), so choosing negative makes sense. The positive side (more choice, lower prices) does exist, and if you want a more complete essay, it is the best candidate for a concession (see the example in section 4, in Part 2).
3. The second sentence of the introduction: choose a pattern for your position
The second sentence is your answer. The safest version is “position + a preview of the two reasons”, so that the reader has a map of the whole essay after the introduction.
Patterns for each position
Fully negative: I firmly believe that this is a negative development because it A and B.
Fully positive: In my view, this is a positive development, as it A and B.
Largely positive: I believe this trend is largely positive because it A and B, although it may also C.
Largely negative: Although this trend brings C, I consider it a negative development overall because it A and B.
My three second sentences
I firmly believe that this is a negative development, this is because it not only reduces the labor productivity in the countryside but also makes the quality of living in cities poorer. (Essay 6)
I firmly believe that this is a negative development because it creates pollutions and posts a threat to domestic industries. (Essay 39)
The purpose of this essay is to analysis potential reasons of this phenomenon and explain the reason why I consider this is an adverse development. (Essay 41)
What the three sentences have in common: the position word (negative / adverse) appears directly in the second sentence. Essays 6 and 39 also preview the two reasons, and the two reasons belong to different groups or angles (countryside vs cities; environment vs local industry). That is what allows the two body paragraphs to stay clearly separate later on.
What needs fixing: Essay 6 joins two complete sentences with a comma (this is a negative development, this is because…); simply replace “, this is because” with “because”. In Essay 39, “pollution” is uncountable and “posts” should be “poses”. In Essay 41, “analysis” should be “analyze” and “consider this is” should be “consider this”. Be careful that your paraphrase in the first sentence does not drift either: Essay 6 turned the countryside into “suburban areas”, which I explain in detail in the sample post.
Continue reading · Part 2 of 3
IELTS Notes in English · Task 2 Structure (post 9 of 9)
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✦ Target Your Future
Some days you practise for hours and the score still does not move. I hope these notes remind you that the setbacks are part of the road: every recording you replayed, every essay you rewrote and every sentence you finally dared to say is progress you have already made.
I wrote this down so the next person can take fewer detours. You do not have to follow my method exactly. Find a rhythm that works for you, rest when you need to, and come back for the next small step.
I hope what you take away is more than a number on a score report: a little more confidence in yourself, and the courage to step a bit closer to the world.
— Ting
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