In this post: from prompt to outline in three minutes, common mistakes in identifying the type, and 20 practice prompts with answers.
Task 2 Question Types · 3 parts
- 1. Why and how to identify the type
- 2. Confusing pairs and each type's task
- 3. Outline in 3 minutes and practice (you are here)
✦ In this post
7. From prompt to outline in 3 minutes
In the exam I gave myself 40 minutes for Task 2, and the first 3 minutes were only for identifying the type and outlining. I did not write a single English sentence. This is how those 3 minutes went:
| Time | What to do | Output |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–0:30 | Box the question, circle the key verbs (agree, discuss, outweigh, what, is this) and count the question marks | The question type |
| 0:30–1:00 | Write the essay’s task in one sentence, including the key words from the prompt | The task sentence |
| 1:00–2:30 | Decide the number of paragraphs from the type, and note two key words for each body paragraph (the point + the direction of the example) | A paragraph outline |
| 2:30–3:00 | Check against the prompt: does every question have a paragraph answering it? Does the position sentence match the type? | Confirm, then start writing |
Example 1: Essay 41 (Two questions: causes + good or bad)
Type: two question marks → Two questions; the second question is positive or negative → a position is needed
Task sentence: explain why people in some countries value buying rather than renting a home, and judge whether this is good or bad (I chose negative)
Paragraph 1: paraphrase the background + preview: analyse the reasons + I think it is negative
Paragraph 2 (reasons): ① the heavy burden of rent and related costs ② a home signals financial status
Paragraph 3 (negative): ① unfriendly to young people (house prices are too high) ② widens the wealth gap and puts too much weight on family background
Paragraph 4: answer both questions again: the two reasons + the two reasons it is negative
This was exactly the structure I used for Essay 41: TR 8, overall 7.5. Every paragraph in the outline matched one part of the prompt, so nothing got left out while I was writing.
Example 2: Essay 23 (Two questions: causes + disadvantages)
Type: two question marks → Two questions; the second asks only about disadvantages, so no position is needed
Task sentence: explain why more and more people choose to work for themselves, and the possible disadvantages of self-employment
Paragraph 2 (reasons): ① flexible hours ② a sense of achievement
Paragraph 3 (disadvantages): two disadvantages, no advantages
Check: “flexible hours” from paragraph 2 must not reappear in paragraph 3 as an advantage
8. Common mistakes in identifying the type
- Classifying by topic: “this is an education question” is not a question type. The type can only be identified from the question.
- Seeing advantages and writing Outweigh: without outweigh, there is no need to weigh (Essay 43); with outweigh, you must weigh (Essay 15).
- Writing Both views as the pros and cons of one view: the two sides are two views, not the two sides of one thing (Essay 1).
- Assuming Some people think means Both views: if there is only one view and the question asks agree or disagree, it is Agree/Disagree (Essays 10 and 12).
- Answering only one of two questions: or brushing off the second in a sentence or two. Both questions deserve roughly equal weight.
- Losing the judgement words when paraphrasing: words like too much, only, always and should are the heart of the prompt (Essay 25).
- An introduction that does not match the type: writing The purpose of this essay is to analyze both sides for a Positive/Negative question pushes your position further down the essay.
- Changing position in the conclusion: agreeing in the introduction and then saying both sides have a point in the conclusion. TR requires a position that is clear throughout.
9. Practice: identify 20 question types
All 20 prompts below are my own examples. The backgrounds are paraphrased; the questions are given in full, because that is the sentence you have to judge in the exam. Cover section 10 first and write down for each one: ① the type ② the number of paragraphs ③ the essay’s task in one sentence.
- Some people think university education should be completely free. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- Some people think children should start learning a foreign language at primary school; others think it is better to wait until secondary school. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
- More and more companies are letting employees work from home. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?
- More and more cities are banning private cars from the city centre. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
- Traffic congestion is getting worse in many big cities. What problems does this cause? What measures could be taken to solve them?
- More and more young people are getting married later. Why is this happening? Is this a positive or negative development?
- More and more people pay by mobile phone and rarely use cash. Is this a positive or negative development?
- Some people say the government should spend money on the arts rather than on sports facilities. Do you agree or disagree?
- In many countries, more and more older people now live alone. What are the reasons for this? What can be done to help them?
- Some students work for a year after finishing secondary school before going to university. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion.
- More and more people shop online instead of in physical shops. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
- Some people think celebrities have a positive influence on young people; others think the influence is negative. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
- Some people think all students should learn computer programming. What is your opinion?
- More and more tourists are visiting remote rural areas. What problems can this cause for local people? How can they be reduced?
- People today spend more and more time on social media. Why do people do this? What effects does it have on relationships?
- Average life expectancy is increasing in many countries. Is this a positive or negative development?
- Some people think technology makes life simpler; others think it makes life more complicated. Which view do you agree with? Give reasons.
- Some companies have started a four-day working week. Does this have more advantages than disadvantages?
- Some people think history lessons are not important at school. Do you agree or disagree? Which subjects should be given more importance?
- More and more students go abroad for university. What are the benefits for the students? What are the drawbacks for their home countries?
10. Answers to the practice
| No. | Type | Paragraphs | The essay’s task |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Agree/Disagree | 4 (5 if you partly agree) | Say whether I agree that university should be completely free, with two reasons |
| 2 | Both views | 4 | Explain the reasons behind “start early” and “start later”, then say which I support |
| 3 | Advantages/Disadvantages | 4 | Set out the advantages and disadvantages of working from home; no weighing needed |
| 4 | Outweigh | 5 | Say whether the benefits of banning cars from city centres outweigh the drawbacks, and weigh them |
| 5 | Problems/Solutions | 4 | Give two problems caused by congestion, then a matching solution for each |
| 6 | Two questions (causes + good or bad) | 4 | Explain why young people marry later, and judge whether this is good or bad |
| 7 | Positive/Negative | 4 | Judge whether cashless payment is good or bad overall, with two reasons |
| 8 | Agree/Disagree | 4 or 5 | Take a position on “money for the arts rather than sport”; two things are mentioned, but there is only one claim |
| 9 | Problems/Solutions (causes + solutions) | 4 | Explain why older people live alone, and suggest matching ways to help them |
| 10 | Advantages/Disadvantages + opinion | 4 | Set out the pros and cons of working for a year first, and give my position in the introduction and conclusion |
| 11 | Outweigh | 5 | Say whether the benefits of online shopping outweigh the drawbacks, and weigh them |
| 12 | Both views | 4 | Explain the reasons on each side (celebrity influence is positive / negative), then take a position (do not write it as Positive/Negative) |
| 13 | Agree/Disagree | 4 or 5 | What is your opinion? asks for a position on a claim, so it is the same as Agree/Disagree |
| 14 | Problems/Solutions | 4 | Give the problems tourists cause for local people, with a matching solution for each |
| 15 | Two questions (causes + effects) | 4 | Explain why people spend time on social media and its effects on relationships |
| 16 | Positive/Negative | 4 | Judge whether longer life expectancy is good or bad overall (not a comparison of pros and cons) |
| 17 | Both views | 4 | Which view do you agree with? still requires you to explain both views before choosing one |
| 18 | Outweigh | 5 | more advantages than disadvantages is just another way of saying outweigh |
| 19 | Two questions (agree/disagree + another question) | 4 | Take a position on “history lessons are not important” and suggest subjects that deserve more weight (the same kind as Essay 25) |
| 20 | Two questions | 4 | One paragraph on the benefits for the students themselves, one on the drawbacks for their home countries; it looks like advantages/disadvantages, but the two sides concern different groups, so no weighing is needed |
When you check your answers, pay most attention to numbers 8, 12, 13, 17, 18 and 20, which are all “non-standard” prompts. Number 8 mentions two things but makes only one claim; number 12 contains positive/negative but is really Both views; numbers 13, 17 and 18 use less common wording; and number 20 looks like advantages/disadvantages but is really two separate questions. If you got all six right, your type identification is already solid.
Further reading
- The Task 2 essay framework: four or five paragraphs, and how to write the second sentence of the introduction
- How to write Agree/Disagree essays
- How to write Both views essays
- How to write Outweigh and advantages/disadvantages essays
- How to write Two-question and Positive/Negative essays
- Essay 1 sample: why a Both views essay got only 6
- Essay 43 sample: a plain advantages/disadvantages essay can still get 7.5
- Essay 41 sample: the home ownership essay at 7.5
- How to check your IELTS sub-scores (in Chinese)
- My successful IDP re-mark (in Chinese)
- Review of my tutor Ali: streamlining my essay structure (400 → 300 words) (in Chinese)
- My full IELTS preparation notes (in Chinese)
This is the last part of “Task 2 Question Types”. To start again, go back to Part 1.
IELTS Notes in English · Task 2 Structure (post 1 of 9)
Next →: The IELTS Task 2 Essay Framework: Introductions, Topic Sentences, Logic Chains and Conclusions
Task 1 Structure · Task 2 Structure · Topic Guides · Writing Language · Band Score Samples · Practice Methods · Speaking & Study Tips
✦ 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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