Tips, Practice Test, and Band 8.0 Essay for IELTS General Writing Task 2: Discursive Essay

Tips and Practice Test for IELTS Writing Paper (General Training) Task 2: Discursive Essay with Band 8.0+ Model Answer
Tips for IELTS General Writing 

Test Tips

• Underline the key parts of the task. Make sure you cover all these points in your answer.
• It is important that you give examples and offer evidence to support what you are saying. Examples help readers follow what you are saying.
• In Task 2 you will be marked on:

–   Task Response
so answer all parts of the task, make points relevant and your argument clear.

–   Coherence and Cohesion
so plan your writing and make clear links between paragraphs and points.

–   Lexical Resource
so use relevant vocabulary and think about words/phrases while you plan.

–   Grammatical Range and Accuracy
so use a range of structures and write accurately

• Do NOT begin your essay by repeating the language of the question in the opening lines. Candidates who do this find it much harder to develop their own ideas.
• Make a short plan which covers the main points you wish to include in each paragraph. Also allow time to read through your answer when you finish writing. You can then check for simple errors of spelling, grammar choices and missing words.
• You must spend the full recommended time (i.e. 40 minutes) on this answer. It counts for twice as many marks as Writing Task 1. Candidates who fail to do this do not perform well in the test and candidates who do not write at least 250 words lose marks.
• Remember it is NOT appropriate to say who you are and why you are writing this task. Write the essay as if you were writing for a course tutor.

Preparation Tips

• When writing Task 2s at home, take time to plan. Show your plans to your teacher or to other students for them to comment on. Also check your plans against the task to make sure you cover all the points.
• In your reading on different topics, make a note of language that seems useful to you in presenting and supporting arguments in discursive essays. Look particularly for language that is good for opening and linking paragraphs.
• Make an effort to read ‘serious articles’ in magazines such as Time and National Geographic and on websites such as www.dailvnewspaoer.co.uk to develop your ideas on current issues.

IELTS Writing Task 2 – Discursive Essay (Band 8.0+) & Analysis:

Band 8.0+ Model Essay (from Mission IELTS 1)

Nowadays young people have too much freedom. They do not show enough respect for or listen to the views and advice of older people. Do you agree or disagree?

People of different generations have always looked at things differently. This is particularly true today because modern technology now gives young people access to all kinds of different information and ideas.
Young people in modern society now have far more independence than they used to. Generally speaking, they do not have to work or do very much to help their parents. Through the Internet and mobile technology it is easy for them to develop interests and social networks and this can lead them to challenge their parents’ ideas and wishes.

It is wrong, however, to think that family relationships are less important today. Parents and older relatives will always be the main source of security for young people as they grow up. Young people, therefore, need to try and understand the feelings of older people in their families and not always put themselves and their own feelings first.

Personally, I think older people should support younger people in the family in making decisions. They should not try to make important decisions for them about where they live and work or when and whom they marry. In my family, my parents have always been very supportive of my older brothers and sisters. They have never forced them to do things and everyone in our family is still very close.

In conclusion, I would say older and younger generations need to respect each other. Young people should listen to their parents and respect their values and opinions, but older generations have to listen too. They should also accept that as the world changes young people may want to do things differently and have different hopes and dreams.

Essay Analysis: 

Question analysis and planning:
In writing discursive essay link Writing Task 2, it is important that your writing follows a clear structure. A typical structure for essays like these is as follows:

Introductory paragraph

Main Body:
– Two paragraphs detailing main points/issues
– (Possibly) One paragraph relating issues to you/your personal experience

Concluding paragraph

In every essay paragraph there is:
a, a topic sentence (expressing the main idea)
b, supporting sentences (developing the main idea)

Practice:
Look at these topic sentences, then complete the following supporting sentence with your own ideas.
Think about the connection between the supporting sentence and the topic sentence in each case.

1 The kinds of jobs people do are changing. This…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

2 Not everyone, however, has access to these new technologies. In my country, for example, ……………………………………………………………………….

3 Traffic congestion is another major problem for cities. More and…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

4 Schools play a major role in helping students make decisions about their futures. Every school, therefore,……………………………………………………………………………………………………….

5 Some countries put the rights of individuals above the state’s rights. One example………………………………………………………………………………….

6 Modern societies produce too much waste. The main…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

7 The number of people working from home has increased. This…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

8 Many countries have now banned smoking in public places. This means…………………………………………………………………………………………………………..

IELTS General Writing Practice Tests

Practice Test 1:
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task
Write about the following topic:

In some countries in Europe, some children from the age of 11 or 13 go to schools to learn more practical skills that will help them get a job. Other children stay in schools which provide a more general academic education.
What should schools do to prepare students for the world of work?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.

Practice Test 2:
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task
Television dominates the free-time of far too many people. It can make people lazy and prevent them from socializing with others. 
Do you agree or disagree?
Write at least 250 words.

After completing your essay, you can post it in the comment box so that our team can help you correct and score it.