IELTS Writing Task 2: A Step-by-Step Plan for a Band 8 Essay

Writing Task 2 is worth twice as much as Task 1, so it deserves the full 40 minutes. Here's the plan our Band 8 students use.

Step 1: Identify the essay type (1 minute)

1. Opinion — "To what extent do you agree or disagree?"
2. Discussion — "Discuss both views and give your own opinion."
3. Problem & solution — "What problems does this cause? What can be done?"
4. Advantages & disadvantages — "Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?"
5. Two-part question — two separate questions to answer.

Every part of the question must be answered. Missing one part limits Task Response to around Band 5.

Step 2: Plan (4 minutes)

Decide your position before you write. Then note one main idea for each body paragraph, with a reason and an example. Two well-developed ideas beat four undeveloped ones.

Step 3: Write four paragraphs (30 minutes)

• Introduction (2 sentences): paraphrase the question, then state your position clearly.
• Body paragraph 1 & 2 (90–110 words each): topic sentence → explanation → specific example → link back to the question.
• Conclusion (1–2 sentences): restate your position. Don't add new ideas.

Aim for 260–300 words. Longer essays usually contain more mistakes.

Step 4: Check (5 minutes)

Look for your personal error patterns — articles, subject-verb agreement, plurals, and punctuation. Accuracy is half of the Grammatical Range & Accuracy score.

What moves an essay from Band 6 to Band 8

Our IELTS Writing Mastery course shows Band 6 and Band 8 answers side by side for every essay type.