Module 2 · Lesson 1 of 11

What Writing Task 2 asks for

The four marking criteria in plain English, what lifts an essay from about band 6 to 7, and five common mistakes that cost marks.

40 minFree lesson

In this lesson

Know exactly what Task 2 asks for: length, timing and how much it counts
Explain the four marking criteria in plain English, and what moves each one from about band 6 to about band 7
Spot five common mistakes that cost Task 2 essays marks, and know how to fix each one
Write an opening that answers the question and states a clear position

On this page

What Task 2 asks you to do
The four criteria, in plain English
Task Response: answer this question, fully
Coherence and Cohesion: make it easy to follow
Lexical Resource: precise, natural vocabulary
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: variety you can control
One habit per criterion
Five common mistakes that cost marks
A weak and a better opening
Your turn
What comes next in this module
Remember and mark as done

If you only have time to improve one part of IELTS Writing, make it Task 2: it is longer, it counts for more, and it rewards habits you can learn. This lesson shows you what the examiner looks for, in plain English, and the avoidable mistakes that hold many essays back.

What Task 2 asks you to do

In Task 2 you write an essay that responds to a point of view, an argument or a problem. It is an essay in both Academic and General Training. You must write at least 250 words, and about 40 minutes of the 60-minute Writing test is suggested for it. Task 1 takes the other 20 minutes or so.

One fact should shape your approach: Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 in your Writing band, so about two-thirds of your Writing result comes from this one essay. Taking time from Task 2 to polish Task 1 is almost always a bad trade.

Task 2 at a glance

Feature	The rule	What it means for you
Length	At least 250 words; no maximum	Under 250 is penalised. Aim for about 270 to 300: safely over, with time to check. Far more wastes time and adds errors.
Time	About 40 of the 60 Writing minutes	You manage the hour yourself. Try about 5 minutes to plan, 30 to write and 5 to check.
Weight	Twice as much as Task 1	If something has to be rushed, do not let it be Task 2.
Marking	Four criteria, equal weight	One weak area pulls the whole mark down, so good grammar alone is not enough.
The task	Respond to a view, an argument or a problem	There is always a specific question to answer, not just a topic to write about.

Quick checkYou have 60 minutes for the Writing test. Which plan best matches how the marks are weighted?

About 35 minutes on Task 1 to make it perfect, then the rest on Task 2About 20 minutes on Task 1 and about 40 minutes on Task 230 minutes on each task, to be fair to bothFinish Task 1 completely first, however long it takes, then start Task 2

Use the arrow keys to choose, then press Enter or Space to answer.

Fill the gaps

Check the basics. Type one word or number in each gap.

Task 2 needs at least words.
About minutes of the Writing test is suggested for Task 2.
In your Writing band, Task 2 counts as much as Task 1.
There is no word limit, but writing far more than you need leaves less time to check.

Tip

You are not marked on being right

There is no correct answer to a Task 2 question. The examiner is not checking whether they agree with you, and you do not need real research or statistics. A sensible position you can explain well beats a clever one you struggle to express. Everyday examples and general knowledge are enough. A situation the reader can picture (‘someone who spends an hour each way on a crowded train’) works well; an invented statistic or a vague ‘studies show that...’ adds nothing, because you are marked on your reasoning and your English, not on data.

The four criteria, in plain English

A trained examiner marks your essay on four criteria. They carry equal weight, so each is worth a quarter of your Task 2 mark. Here is what each one is really asking.

Task Response: did you answer this exact question, every part of it, with a clear position and properly developed ideas?
Coherence and Cohesion: can the reader follow your thinking easily, from paragraph to paragraph and sentence to sentence?
Lexical Resource: is your vocabulary wide enough, precise and natural, and are your words spelt and formed correctly?
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: can you build different kinds of sentence, simple and complex, and are they correct, punctuation included?

Note

Our explanation, not the official wording

The criteria are public, and the official version is on the official IELTS website. What follows is our own plain-English explanation. We say ‘about band 6’ or ‘about band 7’ because real essays rarely sit neatly at one level, and any band we mention is our estimate, never an official result.

We focus on the step from about 6 to about 7 because it is a common target, and because it depends more on habits than on talent. All the examples use this original question:

Note

Example question (original, used for all the examples below)

More and more people now work from home for part or all of the working week. Some people believe this is a positive change for both workers and the companies that employ them. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Task Response: answer this question, fully

Task Response is about the question in front of you, not the general topic. The example question has two parts: is home working positive for workers, and for companies? It also asks to what extent you agree, so the reader needs to know how far you agree, not just whether.

At about band 6, the essay answers the question, but unevenly: workers get two paragraphs and companies get one sentence, or the writer’s view only becomes clear in the conclusion. Ideas are relevant but named rather than argued, often three or four squeezed into one paragraph.

At about band 7, the reader knows your answer after the introduction, and it stays the same to the end. Every part of the question gets real attention, and each body paragraph develops one main idea: you say why it is true and show it with a realistic example.

Task Response: listing ideas vs developing one

Weaker

Working from home has many advantages for workers. They do not need to travel, they can save money, they can spend more time with their family and they can work in a comfortable place.

Better

The clearest benefit for workers is the time they get back. Someone who used to spend an hour each way on a crowded train, five days a week, gains ten hours a week by working from home, and can use that time for exercise, childcare or simply rest. For many people, that extra time is the difference between a demanding job that feels exhausting and one that feels manageable.

Why: The weak version names four ideas and explains none, so the examiner sees relevant points but no argument. The better version chooses the strongest idea, explains why it matters and gives a concrete, everyday example with sensible numbers (an hour each way, five days a week, is ten hours). Two ideas developed like this do far more for Task Response than five in a list.

Quick checkAn essay on the working-from-home question is well organised and accurate, but it only discusses workers and never mentions companies. Which criterion is most affected?

Grammatical Range and AccuracyCoherence and CohesionTask ResponseLexical Resource

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Coherence and Cohesion: make it easy to follow

Coherence is the logic of your essay: ideas in a sensible order, one clear idea per paragraph, an argument that moves forward. Cohesion is the language that holds it together: linking words, and words such as ‘this’, ‘they’ and ‘such’ that point back to something you have already said.

At about band 6, the essay can be followed, but the linking feels forced: ‘Firstly’, ‘Moreover’, ‘Furthermore’ at the start of nearly every sentence, a paragraph that drifts into a second idea, or an ‘it’ that could mean two things. At about band 7, each paragraph has one job, the order makes sense, and linking words appear only where they show a real relationship, such as contrast, cause or result.

Coherence and Cohesion: stacked linkers vs real connections

Weaker

Firstly, working from home saves time. Moreover, it saves money. Furthermore, workers are happier. In addition, companies can save money on offices. Moreover, it is good for the environment.

Better

Working from home saves employees both time and money, since the daily commute disappears. This extra time can benefit employers too: staff who start the day less tired are often more focused. Companies can also cut their own costs, because a smaller office is enough when staff are rarely all in at the same time.

Why: The weak version uses five linking words in five sentences, ‘Moreover’ twice, yet nothing connects the ideas: it is a list dressed up with linkers, and it drifts off to the environment at the end. In the better version, ‘since’ and ‘because’ give reasons, ‘This extra time’ points back to the first sentence, ‘too’ moves the argument from workers to employers, and ‘also’ adds a separate benefit for companies. The off-topic point has gone. Fewer linking words, far better connections.

Quick checkWhich of these is mainly a Coherence and Cohesion problem?

A paragraph that begins with office costs and drifts into a separate point about pollutionWriting ‘do a mistake’ instead of ‘make a mistake’Never saying whether you agree or disagreeWriting ‘the companies has’ instead of ‘the companies have’

Use the arrow keys to choose, then press Enter or Space to answer.

Lexical Resource: precise, natural vocabulary

Lexical Resource is your vocabulary: enough words to discuss the topic without repeating yourself, the word that means exactly what you mean, words combined the way fluent writers combine them, and correct spelling and word forms. British and American spelling are both accepted; pick one and be consistent.

At about band 6, the key phrase is repeated again and again, and attempts at impressive vocabulary sometimes misfire: in ‘home working brings a plethora of merits to the workforce’, every word is real, but they do not sit naturally together. At about band 7, the writer varies the key idea (‘home working’, ‘remote work’, ‘staff who work from home’) and uses natural word partners, called collocations: ‘cut costs’, ‘face-to-face contact’, ‘a growing number of’.

Lexical Resource: vague and repetitive vs precise

Weaker

Working from home is very good for workers because it is good for their life, and it is also good for the money of the company.

Better

Home working can improve employees’ work-life balance, and it also allows companies to cut the cost of office space.

Why: The weak version uses ‘good’ three times, plus vague phrases such as ‘good for their life’ and ‘the money of the company’. The better version names the exact benefit for each side with natural partnerships: ‘improve work-life balance’, ‘cut the cost of’. None of the better words are rare. Precision comes first; less common words help only when they are accurate and sit naturally in the sentence.

Quick checkA student wants to raise their Lexical Resource. Which habit is most likely to help?

Replacing simple words with the longest synonyms they can find in a thesaurusLearning ten impressive phrases to fit into every essayWriting in a relaxed, informal style so that the essay sounds more naturalUsing precise topic words and natural word partners, and varying how they refer to the key idea

Use the arrow keys to choose, then press Enter or Space to answer.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: variety you can control

This criterion has two halves. Range is the variety of your sentence structures, including complex sentences built with words such as ‘although’, ‘which’, ‘unless’ and ‘if’. Accuracy is how correct those sentences are, punctuation included.

At about band 6, the writer tries some longer sentences, but small errors in articles, verb endings, plurals and commas turn up in most paragraphs; the reader notices them but can still follow. At about band 7, sentences built with ‘although’, ‘which’ or ‘if’ appear often and are well controlled, most longer sentences have no mistakes at all, and the errors that remain are occasional slips rather than repeated patterns.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy: ambitious but broken vs controlled

Weaker

Working from home have many benefit, it make workers more happier because they don’t need go to office everyday.

Better

Although working from home has drawbacks, it makes many workers happier because they no longer need to travel to an office every day.

Why: The weak sentence has eight errors: ‘have’ should be ‘has’; ‘benefit’ should be ‘benefits’; the comma joins two complete sentences (a comma splice); ‘make’ should be ‘makes’; ‘more happier’ should be ‘happier’; ‘need go’ should be ‘need to go’; ‘office’ needs an article (‘an office’); and ‘everyday’ (an adjective) should be ‘every day’. The contraction ‘don’t’ is also too informal for an essay. The better sentence adds range with ‘Although’ and has no errors. Range only helps when you can control it.

Quick checkWhich sentence shows the best combination of grammatical range and accuracy?

Working from home is popular. It saves time. It saves money.Working from home have became popular since it save the time.Working from home, which it has become popular, it saves the time and money for workers.Working from home has become popular because it saves workers both time and money.

Use the arrow keys to choose, then press Enter or Space to answer.

One habit per criterion

Moving towards about band 7: the habit to build for each criterion (our summary)

Criterion	The question it asks	The habit to build
Task Response	Did you answer every part, with one clear position?	Underline every part of the question, write your position in one sentence before you start, and develop two ideas well rather than four briefly.
Coherence and Cohesion	Can the reader follow you easily?	Give each paragraph one job, link through meaning (‘this extra time’), and cut any linking word that adds nothing.
Lexical Resource	Are your words precise and natural?	Prepare three or four ways to say the key idea, learn words in partnerships, and choose the precise everyday word over an impressive one you are unsure of.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy	Are your sentences varied and correct?	Use a few complex structures you can control, and hunt for your two most common errors in your last five minutes.

Quick checkWhich statement about the four criteria is correct?

Vocabulary is judged mainly by how many rare or long words you useThey carry equal weight, so a weakness in any one of them holds the whole mark backTask Response is mainly about reaching 250 wordsGrammar counts the most, because the test is really checking your English

Use the arrow keys to choose, then press Enter or Space to answer.

Fill the gaps

Fill each gap with one word from this lesson. The first three ask which criterion a problem mainly affects.

An essay whose introduction agrees but whose conclusion disagrees loses marks mainly under Task .
Starting almost every sentence with ‘Moreover’ or ‘Furthermore’ is mainly a weakness in Coherence and .
Writing ‘a plethora of merits’ where ‘many benefits’ would sound natural is mainly a Resource problem.
A natural word partnership such as ‘cut costs’ or ‘face-to-face contact’ is called a .
Joining two complete sentences with only a comma is called a comma .

Think firstWorked diagnosis. This body paragraph comes from an essay on the working-from-home question. What would you fix first, and why? ‘Secondly, the companies. Companies can save money. Also they can hire people from everywhere. Also workers are more happy so they work more hard. But some workers feel lonely at home, it is a big problem for the society.’Show the answer Hide the answer

Fix Task Response and Coherence first. The paragraph lists four ideas and develops none, and its last point, about loneliness and ‘society’, has left the topic of companies altogether. The language needs work too (‘Secondly, the companies’ is not a sentence; ‘Also’ starts two sentences in a row; ‘more happy’ and ‘more hard’ should be ‘happier’ and ‘harder’; the last sentence is a comma splice; ‘the society’ should be ‘society’), but a paragraph of perfectly correct lists would still be held back. A stronger version develops one idea: ‘Employers can also benefit financially. A firm whose staff come in only two or three days a week can move to a smaller building or introduce shared desks, and the money saved on rent and energy can then go on salaries or training.’

Five common mistakes that cost marks

Many Task 2 essays lose marks not because the English is weak, but because of a handful of avoidable mistakes. Here are five common ones, each with a simple fix.

Writing about the topic, not the question. An essay on ‘how technology has changed work’ is on the right topic but answers a different question. Fix: finish the sentence ‘This question wants me to...’ before you write, and check every paragraph against it.
An unclear or changing position. ‘There are advantages and disadvantages’ in the introduction, then ‘working from home is a disaster’ in the conclusion. Fix: write your position in one sentence in your plan. ‘I partly agree’ is fine, as long as the reader knows which part.
Writing under 250 words. Short essays are penalised and usually underdeveloped too, often because Task 1 took too long. Fix: keep to your time plan, and if you take the test on paper, learn in practice how many lines of your handwriting 270 words fills.
Memorised phrases. Openers such as ‘In this modern era’ or ‘Every coin has two sides’ could start any essay on any subject. They use up words, answer nothing, and are easy to recognise. Fix: make your first sentence about this question’s topic, in your own words.
Repetition. The same key phrase eight times, the same point in two paragraphs, or lines copied from the question. Fix: prepare three or four ways to say the key idea, and plan two genuinely different main ideas.

Watch out

Do not copy the question

Copied sentences add words but show nothing about your own English, and they delay your answer. Introduce the topic in your own words; the introductions lesson shows you how.

Think firstSpot the mistakes. These are the introduction and conclusion of one essay on the working-from-home question. Which of the five mistakes can you find? Introduction: ‘Nowadays, technology is everywhere and it has changed our lives in many ways. There are many advantages and disadvantages of technology.’ Conclusion: ‘In conclusion, working from home is a very bad idea and workers should go back to the office.’Show the answer Hide the answer

There are three. Off-topic: the introduction is about technology in general, not home working for workers and companies. Unclear position: the introduction gives no view at all, then the conclusion suddenly takes a strong negative one the reader never saw coming (and still says nothing about companies). Memorised opener: ‘Nowadays, technology is everywhere’ could begin almost any essay. The repair: open with home working specifically and state the same view in both places.

Quick checkWhich first sentence is most likely to help your score on the working-from-home question?

Working from home for at least part of the week has become normal for many office employees.In this modern era, working from home is a hot topic all over the world.Every coin has two sides, and working from home is no exception.Working from home is a topic with many advantages and disadvantages which I will discuss in this essay.

Use the arrow keys to choose, then press Enter or Space to answer.

A weak and a better opening

Think firstLook again at the working-from-home question. Before you read the examples below: what three jobs must the opening of a Task 2 essay do?Show the answer Hide the answer

1. Introduce the topic of this question in your own words, without copying it. 2. Answer the question: for a ‘to what extent’ question, say how far you agree. 3. Show where the essay is going, usually by hinting at your main reasons. Two or three sentences are enough, with no stock phrases.

Opening for the working-from-home question

Weaker

Nowadays, in this modern era, working from home is a hot topic all over the world. More and more people now work from home for part or all of the working week. Some people believe this is a positive change for both workers and companies. In this essay I will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this topic.

Better

Working from home for at least part of the week has become normal for many office employees. I largely agree that this is a positive change for workers, who gain time and flexibility, but I believe the picture is more mixed for employers, because teamwork and the training of new staff can suffer when colleagues rarely meet.

Why: The two openings are almost the same length, but the weak one does very little with its 58 words: two stock phrases, two sentences copied from the question, no position, and a promise of an ‘advantages and disadvantages’ essay, which is a different question. The better opening introduces the exact topic in fresh words, answers ‘to what extent’ for both workers and employers, and previews the two body paragraphs. The examiner knows the writer’s answer before the first body paragraph begins.

A balanced position: vague vs clear

Weaker

Working from home has both advantages and disadvantages for workers and companies.

Better

I agree that home working benefits most employees, but I disagree that it is equally positive for the companies they work for.

Why: Both are balanced, but only the better one answers the question. The weak version could open any essay on the topic and leaves the reader guessing. The better version says exactly where the writer stands on each part, which is what ‘to what extent’ asks for. Partly agreeing is a strong position when it is this precise.

Tip

Make your conclusion match your opening

Reread your introduction just before you write your conclusion: the position should be the same, in different words. If your view changed while you were writing, change the introduction to match, rather than leaving the reader with two answers.

Your turn

Writing practice

Write an opening (8 minutes)

Write the opening of an essay for this original question. Spend about 2 minutes underlining the parts of the question and deciding your position in one sentence, then about 6 minutes writing two or three sentences. Question: Some people believe that children under the age of twelve should not have their own smartphone. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

8:00 left

Your answer

0 words · aim for at least 40

Check your answer

I decided my position in one sentence before I started writing
My first sentence is about children and smartphones, not technology in general
I used my own words and did not copy the question
By the end of my opening, the reader knows to what extent I agree
I hinted at my main reasons, so the reader can predict my body paragraphs
I used no stock phrases such as ‘In this modern era’ or ‘a hot topic’

Think firstCompare: one possible opening for the smartphone question. Read it only after you have written your own.Show the answer Hide the answer

‘Many children now receive their first smartphone while they are still at primary school. I strongly agree that under-twelves are better off without one of their own, mainly because unlimited time online can harm their sleep and concentration, and because a simple phone for calls and messages can meet their parents’ need to stay in contact.’ Notice the specific first sentence, the clear position (‘strongly agree’), and the two different ideas the body paragraphs will develop. A writer who disagreed could do just as well, as long as their position was equally clear and well supported.

If you can spare another 40 minutes, today or tomorrow, write the whole essay. It becomes your starting point: at the end of this module, rewrite it with everything you have learnt and see the difference for yourself.

Writing practice

Optional: your baseline essay (40 minutes)

Write a full essay on the smartphone question. You may reuse the opening you just wrote. Spend about 5 minutes planning, 30 minutes writing and 5 minutes checking. Question: Some people believe that children under the age of twelve should not have their own smartphone. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Write at least 250 words.

40:00 left

Your answer

0 words · aim for at least 250

Check your answer

I wrote at least 250 words (aiming for about 270 to 300)
My position is the same in the introduction and the conclusion
Every paragraph answers this question, not just the general topic of technology
Each body paragraph develops one main idea with an explanation and a realistic example
I used no memorised phrases and copied nothing from the question
In my last few minutes I checked for my most common grammar mistakes
I saved the essay with today’s date, ready to compare later

What comes next in this module

The five question types: recognise each one and what a full answer needs.
Plan your essay in five minutes: from question to paragraph plan, fast.
Write a strong introduction, Build body paragraphs that score and Finish with a clear conclusion: one lesson for each part of the essay, with weak and better examples.
Coherence and cohesion, Vocabulary that sounds natural and Grammar for a higher band: a full lesson on each of the other three criteria.
Example essays with notes and Timed practice: six essay questions: three essays at different levels (our band estimates), then six timed questions and a way to mark your own work.

Remember

Task 2 is at least 250 words in about 40 minutes, and counts twice as much as Task 1: protect your time for it.
Four criteria, equal weight: answer the whole question, make it easy to follow, choose precise words, write varied sentences you can control.
Moving from about 6 to about 7 is mostly habits: one clear position throughout, fewer ideas developed more deeply, natural linking, fewer repeated errors.
Answer the exact question, not the general topic, and make your introduction and conclusion agree.
Skip memorised openers and never copy the question: a specific first sentence in your own words is worth more.
Aim for about 270 to 300 words: under 250 is penalised, and far more leaves no time to check.

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