For the old lesson, continue reading.
We are going to take a look at the different types of IELTS Writing Task 2 questions, starting with opinion type tasks. For each type of question, you can see how you should structure your answer. There are also example essays that demonstrate the different structures. There are many possible ways to structure your academic essays so you can modify our suggestions to fit your style if you like.
The best way to improve your writing is by practicing so try and use what you have read here next time you write an essay. If you need some help with your writing email IELTStutors.org to get personalised IELTS writing feedback that will help you to achieve your goals.
If you have any questions or tips that you would like to share then please leave a comment at the bottom of the page.
Type 1 – Give your Opinion
- To what extent do you agree?
- Do you agree?
- Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
- Is it a positive or negative phenomenon?
Introduction |
|
Body Paragraph 1 |
|
Body Paragraph 2 |
|
Conclusion |
|
Let’s have a look at an example:
First of all, certain types of programs can have a harmful effect on children’s emotional and behavioural development. Police stories and action movies, for example, often contain a great deal of violence. People are beaten up and killed with guns, knives and even cars. Seeing this, some children might think that these things could easily happen to themselves at any time and therefore become frightened. Moreover, some might begin to think that violence is a normal, acceptable form of behaviour because they see it so often on television. As a result, they may become aggressive and may hurt both themselves and their playmates.
Second, television can impair children’s reading ability. Reading requires skills and brain processes that watching television does not. If children watch television for too many hours each day, they do not have the chance to practice the skills that they need in order to learn how to read.
Finally, television may impact on children’s schoolwork in other ways. If they spend too much time watching television, they may get behind in their homework. In addition, if they stay up to watch a late night movie, they may fall asleep in class the next day. Consequently, they will not learn their lessons and they could even fail in school.
To summarize, if children watch too much television or watch the wrong programs, their personalities can be harmed. Furthermore, their progress in school can be affected. It is vital, therefore, that parents should find out what programs their children are watching and take appropriate steps to counteract any harmful effects. This should include turning off the television so that their children will study.
Second, television can impair children’s reading ability.
Finally, television may impact on children’s schoolwork in other ways.
It is vital, therefore, that parents should find out what programs their children are watching and take appropriate steps to counteract any harmful effects. This should include turning off the television so that their children will study.
Give your opinion with a concession paragraph
Introduction |
|
Concession Paragraph (not your opinion) |
|
Your opinion Paragraph |
|
Conclusion |
|
One of the main arguments in favour of television is the role it can play in educating children. For example, programs broadcast on channels such as Cbeebies and BabyTV, which are dedicated to pre-school education, can help young children learn to speak, count and read and are very popular. Although educational programs may be beneficial I think that it is better to educate children through books or, these days, through interactive computer games designed for the purpose. Both of these examples are more active and encourage deeper use of cognitive abilities than passively watching the TV.
A major cause of concern among parents is the amount of violence on television. Even so-called “children’s entertainment” programs frequently involve battles between the “goodies” and the “baddies”. This has a very harmful effect on children’s moral, social and behavioural development, because it teaches them to label people as “good” or “bad” and condones the use of violence as a way of resolving disagreements. Such programs simply encourage hatred and aggression instead of promoting tolerance and conciliation. The danger is even greater if children watch violent programs that are meant for adults, such as crime stories, action movies and the like.
Another danger with television is the impact of advertising. Children are bombarded with advertisements for snacks and toys. As a result, they are likely to demand a diet of junk foods high in MSG, and clamour for toys which their parents cannot afford to buy.
In conclusion, certain television programs are beneficial for children while many others are harmful. It is vital, therefore, that parents supervise their children when watching television and take appropriate steps to counteract any harmful effects.
In my opinion, the effect of television is at best neutral and often negative…
The first argument is against the writer’s opinion, so it is a concession.
WRITING TASK
Write a response to the question below. If you would like some free feedback, copy and paste your essay into the comments section below, and we’ll get back to you with our ideas. Happy writing!
Question:
Some people think the government are responsible for the rise in childhood obesity, while others think it is the fault of the parents.
Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
The next post on Writing Task 2 ‘Types of Task’ is about how to structure an essay to describing a problem and its solutions. Follow the link to keep studying.
