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IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: The Complete Guide

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This document provides a guide to the IELTS Academic Writing Task 2. It begins by explaining that Task 2 is more challenging than Task 1 for most students. The guide then covers the basics of Task 2, including that it involves writing a formal five-paragraph essay in 40 minutes worth 2/3 of the writing score. It notes Task 2 requires more thought as questions have no clear answer. The guide provides tips on handwriting responses, meeting the 250-word minimum, and allocating time between planning, writing, and editing.

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IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: The Complete Guide

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yash pal
36 views3 pages
This document provides a guide to the IELTS Academic Writing Task 2. It begins by explaining that Task 2 is more challenging than Task 1 for most students. The guide then covers the basics of Task 2, including that it involves writing a formal five-paragraph essay in 40 minutes worth 2/3 of the writing score. It notes Task 2 requires more thought as questions have no clear answer. The guide provides tips on handwriting responses, meeting the 250-word minimum, and allocating time between planning, writing, and editing.

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This document provides a guide to the IELTS Academic Writing Task 2. It begins by explaining that Task 2 is more challenging than Task 1 for most students. The guide then covers the basics of Task 2, including that it involves writing a formal five-paragraph essay in 40 minutes worth 2/3 of the writing score. It notes Task 2 requires more thought as questions have no clear answer. The guide provides tips on handwriting responses, meeting the 250-word minimum, and allocating time between planning, writing, and editing.

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© All Rights Reserved
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
Download as docx, pdf, or txt
36 views3 pages

IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: The Complete Guide

Uploaded by

yash pal
This document provides a guide to the IELTS Academic Writing Task 2. It begins by explaining that Task 2 is more challenging than Task 1 for most students. The guide then covers the basics of Task 2, including that it involves writing a formal five-paragraph essay in 40 minutes worth 2/3 of the writing score. It notes Task 2 requires more thought as questions have no clear answer. The guide provides tips on handwriting responses, meeting the 250-word minimum, and allocating time between planning, writing, and editing.

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Home › IELTS Writing › IELTS Writing Task 2: Academic & General Training › IELTS

Academic Writing Task 2: The Complete Guide

IELTS Academic Writing Task 2: The


Complete Guide
By Eliot Friesen on June 2, 2017 , UPDATED ON March 10, 2020, in IELTS Writing Task
2: Academic & General Training

IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 is the second of two writing tasks on the IELTS. Even
though Task 1 is by no means easy, most students find IELTS Writing Task 2 more
challenging. The purpose of this guide is to help you master the IELTS Writing Task 2 skills
you need in order to do well on this important section of the IELTS exam.
In addition to the basics of IELTS Writing Task 2, we’ll cover how to organize your essay,
the question types you’ll see on test day, and share our favorite practice resources. Check out
the video below to get you started!

Table of Contents
Click on a section in the table of contents to skip directly to that topic, or continue reading
below to start learning all about IELTS Writing Task 2. If you’re looking for IELTS Writing
Task 1 tips, click here!

 IELTS Writing Task 2 Basics


 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Organization and Example
 Sample IELTS Task 2 Essay
 IELTS Writing Task 2 Question Types
 Improving Your IELTS Writing Task 2 Score (By Scoring Category)
 IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice Resources

IELTS Writing Task 2 Basics


IELTS Writing Task 1 vs. IELTS Writing Task 2

IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 involves composing a formal five-paragraph essay in 40


minutes. The first section—Task 1—should take you only 20 minutes. Why spend more time
on IELTS Writing Task 2? This basic comparison offers a few reasons:

 Points: Task 2 counts more towards your Writing band score


Task 1 = 1/3rd of your score
Task 2 = 2/3rds of your score
 Word count minimums: Task 2 is longer
Task 1 = 150 word minimum
Task 2 = 250 word minimum
 Planning your response: Task 2 questions require more thought
Task 1 = transfer of information from a visual into writing
Task 2 = answer an open/abstract question with no clear or “correct” answer

Let’s look at some basic IELTS essay writing tips for IELTS Writing Task 2:

Handwritten Responses (for paper-based IELTS)

Although the computer-delivered IELTS is becoming more wildly available, the majority of
test takers still take the IELTS on good old fashioned papr. If your IELTS is a pencil and
paper exam, your responses will be handwritten. In that case, it is essential that you handwrite
(don’t type!) your practice essays for Task 2. Writing by hand helps you develop a sense of
pacing. In other words, you will learn how quickly (or slowly!) you write with pencil and
paper in English. (Paper-based IELTS test takers can go to this article for more information
on handwritten IELTS responses.)
Importantly, as you’re probably aware, precious points will be deducted if you do not meet
the minimum word requirements in the Writing section. But it is a huge waste of time to
actually count your words on exam day. If you take the additional step of using official
IELTS Writing Task 2 response sheets (download and print them here), you can see how
many words you typically write on each page. You won’t have to count because you will
know what that number of words looks like on the IELTS answer sheet.

Timing

Writing speed varies a lot from student to student. How you allocate time depends a lot on
how fast you can write. The more you practice Task 2 responses, the quicker you will
become. Your goal should be to allow enough time for these three things:

 Essay planning 2 – 10 minutes


 Writing 25 – 32 minutes
 Editing 5 minutes (or more if possible)

As you practice, try very hard to cut down on the amount of time it takes to plan your
responses before writing. Some students can take up to 10 minutes to brainstorm and plan.
For most people, however, using 10 minutes at the beginning will take away too much time
from writing and editing. I usually recommend three to five minutes of planning as a
reasonable target. The more practice questions you answer, the faster you will become at
generating ideas before you write.

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