IELTS General Training Writing – Task 2
Task Description
Is Task 2 compulsory?
Yes, it is. Because Task 2 carries more mark, candidates who fail to attempt to answer this task will greatly reduce their chance of achieving a good band.
What do candidates need to do to answer Task 2?
They need to write a discursive piece of at least 250 words.
How long does it take?
Candidates are asked to spend no more than 40 minutes on this task.
How do candidates know what to write about?
The task instructions give information about a point of view, argument or problem. The instructions then tell candidates how to discuss this.
What does the discussion involve?
To discuss, candidates may need to do one of the following:
- provide general factual information
- outline and/or present a solution
- justify an opinion
- evaluate evidence and ideas.
What kind of topics do candidates need to write about?
General interest topics, such as:
- whether children’s leisure activities should be educational
- why families are not so close as they used to be and how they could be brought closer
- who should pay for the care of old people
- whether smoking should be banned in public places
What style must candidates write in?
Semi-formal/neutral. Discursive writing is usually written in this style, even when a specific reader is not identified.
What other skills must candidates have to complete this task?
- Analysing exam questions accurately.
- Following exam instructions.
- Following English discursive writing conventions, i.e. what order to put information in, what style to use, how to start and finish discursive writing, how to paragraph.
- Organising and linking information coherently and cohesively.
- Using language accurately and appropriately.
How are answers assessed?
Examiners assess the answers according to these criteria:
- Task Response (i.e. how fully and appropriately the candidate has answered all parts of the task; the extent to which the candidate's ideas are relevant, developed and supported; the extent to which the candidate's position is clear and effective)
- Coherence and Cohesion (i.e. how well the information and ideas are organised and presented, including paragraphing; how well the information is linked)
- Lexical Resource (i.e. the range of vocabulary used, how accurately it is used and how appropriate it is for the task)
- Grammatical Range and Accuracy (i.e. the range of structures used, how accurately they are used and how appropriate they are for the task)
Are there any other regulations the candidate needs to know?
- They must write their answers on the answer sheet provided.
- If candidates write less than the minimum word limit they will be penalised.
- They will be penalised for irrelevance if the response is off-topic.
- Any writing which is plagiarised (i.e. copied from another source) will be severely penalised.
- They will be penalised if their answer is not written as full connected text (e.g. using bullet points in any part of the response, or note form etc.)
Understanding the Task
Writing Task 2 takes the form of a statement or statements on a specific theme or topic followed by 1 or more related questions. Candidates must be sure to read the question carefully and respond appropriately to the task. They should organise their ideas well and make sure to support their argument with relevant examples or evidence. For this task, students need to be able to communicate more abstract and complex ideas and use a range of vocabulary and grammatical structures. They must be sure to draw upon their own personal experience and should NOT attempt to produce a learnt response.
To understand better how candidates need to approach this task, it may help you to do the activity yourself and analyse what you had to do to produce a good answer.
Look at this sample Task 2. Complete the task, thinking about how you are doing it.
Things to consider
Now look at these questions about how you approached the task and consider your answers.
- Why is it so important to follow the instructions for Task 2?
- Why is it useful to write a plan before starting to write your answer to Task 2?
- Why is it necessary to provide examples or evidence in your answer?
- How can you structure your answer clearly?
- What is the purpose of editing?
