Writing Task 2: Essay Structure and Argumentation

Writing Task 2 is a 250-word (minimum), 40-minute essay, worth roughly twice as much as Task 1 toward your Writing band. Prompts generally fall into a few types: opinion ("to what extent do you agree"), discussion ("discuss both views"), problem-solution, and advantages/disadvantages. Correctly identifying the type matters, because a discussion essay that only argues one side, or an opinion essay that never states a clear position, both lose marks on Task Response even with excellent grammar.

A reliable four-paragraph structure: Introduction (paraphrase the prompt, state your position/the essay's scope), Body paragraph 1 (one main idea with a specific example or explanation), Body paragraph 2 (a second main idea, similarly developed), Conclusion (summarize your position, no new ideas). Each body paragraph should develop one idea thoroughly with a concrete example, rather than listing many shallow points.

The single most common Task Response mistake is not directly answering the question asked. If the prompt asks "to what extent do you agree," a response that only lists pros and cons without ever stating a personal position doesn't fully answer the task -- Task 2 usually expects your actual stance, argued with reasons.

Practice a full opinion-essay prompt using the Writing self-review tool on this course's exam-practice page.