IELTS Writing Task 2: answer the exact question, every time
Task 2 is a 250-word essay in about 40 minutes, and it counts twice as much as Task 1. The single most common reason for a lower Task Response band is answering a slightly different question from the one printed.
IELTS Writing Task 2 opinion essay with feedback
Original prompt. Some people think cities should make public transport free for everyone. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Allow about 40 minutes and write at least 250 words. Decide whether you support free fares in all cases or only in specific circumstances. Use one example to explain each main reason.
Read the model answer
Removing fares sounds like a straightforward way to persuade people to take buses and trains. I support free travel for people who struggle to afford it, but I disagree with making every journey free. In many cities, the quality of the service is a bigger obstacle than the price of a ticket.
Free travel can make a real difference to people on low incomes. A job seeker, for example, may need to attend several interviews in different parts of a city before receiving an offer. Even modest fares can add up when that person has no regular income. A free or heavily discounted travel pass would make those journeys easier and could also help people reach training courses and medical appointments. Offering that support to people who need it most would cost less than subsidising every passenger.
However, a commuter who owns a car is unlikely to switch to a bus that comes once an hour or stops running before the end of their shift. If a transport agency loses fare revenue and has to cut services, the policy could make public transport less attractive to exactly the people it hopes to reach. Spending the same money on more frequent buses, safer stops and later services would give many commuters a practical reason to leave their cars at home.
Overall, I would retain fares for most passengers and offer free passes where cost is a genuine barrier. For everyone else, I would make the network more reliable before considering a citywide fare reduction.
Sample feedback report
This example illustrates the feedback format using an original practice answer.
- Task Response. The opening establishes a clear position. The interview example explains why targeted help matters, and the bus example supports keeping some revenue for services.
- Coherence and Cohesion. Each body paragraph develops one main reason. The conclusion returns to the same distinction between affordability and reliability.
- Lexical Resource. “Fare revenue,” “discounted travel pass” and “cut services” express specific ideas. “Make those journeys easier” could specify the benefit more precisely.
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The conditional sentence about losing fare revenue explains a consequence. A short sentence after it would make the recommendation easier to scan.
Try this revision. “A free travel pass would remove one immediate cost of attending interviews. The same pass could also help people on low incomes reach training courses and medical appointments.”
Identify the question type
Each type has a different obligation. Underline every instruction before planning.
- Opinion — 'To what extent do you agree or disagree?': a clear position held throughout
- Discussion — 'Discuss both views and give your own opinion': both views developed, then yours
- Advantages and disadvantages — 'Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?': a weighed judgement
- Problem–solution or cause–solution: each part answered with developed examples
- Two-part question: two direct questions, both answered fully
A reliable structure
Introduction with a clear thesis, two or three body paragraphs each built around one central idea with explanation and an example, and a short conclusion that restates the position.
What separates Band 6 from Band 7
At Band 7 the position is clear throughout, main ideas are extended and supported, cohesive devices are used flexibly rather than mechanically, vocabulary includes less common items, and many sentences are error-free.
Common questions
Should I give my opinion in a discussion essay?
Yes, when the question asks for it ('and give your own opinion'). Leaving it out limits Task Response.
Can I use memorised templates?
Memorised phrases that do not fit the question are not credited and can lower Coherence and Lexical Resource. Practise flexible structures instead.
Practise the way the exam actually tests you
Exam-order modules, real question types, explanations for every answer, and feedback that quotes your own work.