Writing Task 2 carries twice the marks of Task 1 and is the section where the gap between a 6.0 and a 7.0 is most clearly defined. Here is what examiners are actually looking for — and what most preparation courses get wrong.
What Examiners Are Marking: The Four Criteria
Your Task 2 essay is scored equally across four criteria, each worth 25% of your Writing band:
Task Achievement (TA): Did you fully address all parts of the question? Did you present and develop your position clearly?
Coherence and Cohesion (CC): Is your essay logically organised? Do ideas flow naturally? Do you use cohesive devices (linking words) without overusing them?
Lexical Resource (LR): Do you use a variety of vocabulary? Do you use less common words accurately? Are there errors in word choice or spelling?
Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA): Do you use a variety of sentence structures? Do you produce error-free sentences frequently?
Warning: Most students over-focus on vocabulary and ignore Task Achievement. A beautifully written essay that does not directly address the question cannot score above Band 5 for TA, which caps your overall Writing score significantly.
The Band 7 Essay Structure
The structure that reliably produces 7+ essays for most question types:
Introduction (2–3 sentences):
- Paraphrase the question (do not copy it — this is penalised)
- State your clear position or overview
Body Paragraph 1 (5–7 sentences):
- Topic sentence (your main point)
- Explanation of why this point is valid
- Specific example (can be hypothetical — "for instance, a student who...")
- Mini-conclusion linking back to the question
Body Paragraph 2 (5–7 sentences):
- Either a second supporting argument OR a concession + rebuttal
- Same structure as paragraph 1
Conclusion (2–3 sentences):
- Restate your position (differently from the introduction)
- Briefly summarise the two main points
- Do NOT introduce new ideas
Total length: 260–320 words. Essays under 250 words are penalised. Essays over 350 words waste time and rarely improve scores — use the extra time for Task 1.
Question Types and How to Handle Them
Opinion essay ("To what extent do you agree or disagree?"):
Take a clear position in your introduction and maintain it throughout. Partially agreeing in paragraph 1 and partially disagreeing in paragraph 2 is fine, but wishy-washy conclusions are penalised. Band 7+ requires a clear thesis.
Discussion essay ("Discuss both views and give your opinion"):
Paragraph 1 = View A + your evaluation. Paragraph 2 = View B + your evaluation. Conclusion = your overall position. Many students forget to give their own opinion — this directly costs TA marks.
Problem/Solution essay:
Paragraph 1 = main problem + cause. Paragraph 2 = solution + expected outcome. Do not list 5 problems briefly — develop 1–2 in depth.
Advantages/Disadvantages essay:
Follow the same principle: develop 1–2 advantages and 1–2 disadvantages in depth, with examples, rather than listing many points shallowly.
Vocabulary That Signals Band 7
Band 7 requires "sufficient range of vocabulary to allow some flexibility and precision." The key word is precision — using the right word, not just a rare word.
Replace these overused words:
- "good/bad" → "beneficial / detrimental / advantageous / counterproductive"
- "big/small" → "significant / substantial / marginal / negligible"
- "show" → "illustrate / demonstrate / indicate / reflect"
- "think" → "contend / argue / assert / maintain"
- "because" → "given that / due to the fact that / as a result of / owing to"
Useful multi-purpose phrases for Band 7:
- "This trend can largely be attributed to..."
- "A significant proportion of [people] tend to..."
- "While it is true that... , it does not necessarily follow that..."
- "This has far-reaching implications for..."
- "The evidence strongly suggests that..."
Grammar Patterns That Examiners Reward
Band 7 requires "a variety of complex structures" with "frequent error-free sentences." This means you need at least 3–4 different sentence structures in your essay.
Include these structures:
- Conditional: "If governments were to invest more in education, the long-term economic benefits would be considerable."
- Relative clause: "Students who study abroad, particularly those from developing countries, often develop greater cultural awareness."
- Passive voice: "This issue has been widely debated by economists and policymakers alike."
- Gerund as subject: "Implementing stricter regulations would require significant financial investment."
Most common grammar errors that cost bands:
- Subject-verb agreement with collective nouns ("the government have" vs "the government has")
- Article errors (missing "the" or using "a" incorrectly)
- Run-on sentences without proper punctuation
- Confusing "their/there/they're" or "its/it's"
Time Management
40 minutes for Task 2. Allocate it as follows:
- 3 minutes: plan (write a quick outline — topic sentence for each paragraph, one example per paragraph)
- 30 minutes: write
- 7 minutes: review (check grammar, spelling, coherence — make corrections neatly)
Students who skip planning produce disorganised essays that hurt their CC score. Students who skip review lose easy marks on spelling and grammar errors that they would catch on re-reading.
Practice Strategy for Band 7
Write one Task 2 essay per day for 3 weeks before your test. After each essay:
1. Self-assess against the four band descriptors (available on the IELTS website)
2. Read a model answer for the same question (IELTS Simon's website has free examples)
3. Identify 3 specific improvements for your next essay
Avoid generic preparation ("I need to improve my English") — specific, measurable improvement targets ("I will use three different cohesive devices per paragraph and zero instances of 'good/bad'") produce faster band score improvement.
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Frequently Asked Questions
How long should an IELTS Task 2 essay be?
The minimum is 250 words — essays below this are penalised. The ideal length is 260–320 words. Writing more than 350 words rarely improves your score and wastes time you need for review and Task 1. Quality of argument and language use matters far more than word count beyond the 250-word minimum.
Should I give a balanced or one-sided argument in IELTS Task 2?
It depends on the question type. For "to what extent do you agree or disagree" questions, a clear position (even if you acknowledge some nuance) is rewarded more than a vague "on one hand, on the other hand" non-answer. For "discuss both views" questions, you must address both views AND give your own opinion. Always re-read the specific question — it tells you exactly what structure is required.
How do I improve my IELTS Writing score from 6.0 to 7.0?
The most common gaps between 6.0 and 7.0 are: (1) insufficient development of ideas — Band 6 essays often list points without explaining them; Band 7 develops fewer points in more depth; (2) over-reliance on simple sentence structures; (3) repetitive vocabulary. Write one timed essay per day, self-assess against the band descriptors, and compare to model answers. Focus on developing one or two ideas with specific examples rather than listing many shallow points.
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