In IELTS Writing Task 2, you encounter various types of essays, some requiring you to provide an opinion and others not. Many students often find it challenging to identify the essay type and distinguish between opinion-based and non-opinion-based essays. Let’s clarify this confusion.

1. Read the Question Carefully:

A common mistake students make is not carefully reading the question before starting to write. By doing so, they miss out on scoring well in the task response criterion. To understand the question effectively, it is crucial to read it at least 2-3 times.

2. Underline Keywords and Identify Tasks:

During your second reading of the essay question, underline the main keywords. This helps you focus on the key points and the main topic of the essay. Additionally, you can identify the tasks presented in the question. Here’s an example to understand task identification:

Question: Global warming is increasing at an alarming rate. What are the reasons for global warming? What are its possible solutions?

In this IELTS Writing Task 2 question, you can observe the underlined keywords. “Global warming is increasing at an alarming rate” is the topic or essay statement. The subsequent questions, “What are the reasons for global warming?” and “What are its possible solutions?” indicate the tasks you need to address in your essay. Therefore, you can discuss the reasons in the first body paragraph and the possible solutions in the second body paragraph.

3. Indicators of Opinion-Based Essays:

To identify whether your personal opinion is required in the question, look for the pronoun “you” in the question. For example:

“To what extent do you agree with this statement?”

The use of “you” here indicates that you need to express your views on the topic. While some IELTS training institutes advise avoiding personal pronouns like “I,” “we,” and “you” and writing opinions in the passive tone, reputable tutors online do not see a problem with writing in a personal tone. You can choose either approach to express your opinions.

For instance, consider the question:

“Burning of fossil fuels is the most important factor of global warming. To what extent do you agree with this statement?”

To answer in the passive tone, you might write:

“Though there are many causes of global warming, it is considered to be mostly caused by the consumption of fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum.”

To answer in the personal tone, you could write:

“Though there are many causes of global warming, I believe that it is mostly caused by the consumption of fossil fuels such as coal and petroleum.”

Other forms of opinion-based questions in IELTS Writing Task 2 may include:

– “What do you think about this statement?”

– “Do you agree?”

– “Do you think so?”

– “What is your opinion?”

– “Discuss the two views and provide your own opinion.”

By understanding these indicators and being familiar with different question types, you can effectively address the essay requirements and provide a well-structured response in your IELTS Writing Task 2.