Writing — Task 2
Develop and defend a position.
You'll be marked on Task Response, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource and Grammatical Range & Accuracy. Aim for at least 250 words. Take 40 minutes.
Some people believe that universities should focus only on providing knowledge and skills relevant to future employment. Others argue that the true purpose of university education is broader — to develop students as thinkers and citizens, regardless of career application.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Write at least 250 words.
Before you write
3 techniques from Russell's
Plan for 5 minutes before you write. Yes, really.
There's a strong instinct to start writing immediately to save time. This costs band scores. Spend five minutes outlining your introduction, one main idea per body paragraph, and your conclusion. A planned essay scores higher than a longer unplanned one, every time.
"Good English" isn't formal English — it's clear English.
There's a temptation to use "moreover," "furthermore," "henceforth" to sound academic. IELTS examiners actually mark these down when overused — they signal memorised phrases. Use clear connectors: "but," "also," "for example." Natural fluency beats forced formality.
Aim for 270 words. Not 250. Not 350.
Below 250 is an automatic band drop. But 350 words of repetition is also penalised — and rushed grammar suffers when you're padding. Aim for around 270 words: comfortably past the minimum, tight enough that every sentence does work.
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3 more techniques in the full course
The 4-paragraph structure examiners reward.
Different prompt types (opinion, discussion, problem-solution) need different shapes. The full course teaches each one with worked examples — and the most common mistake Indian candidates make on each.
Using complex sentences without breaking grammar.
Grammatical Range rewards subordinate clauses and conditionals. But rushed complex sentences are where most band-6 candidates lose marks. A drill that builds complex grammar reliably, sentence by sentence.
Position statements: the line that decides your Task Response score.
"In my opinion, both have merit" is the most common Indian Task 2 opener — and the worst. Examiners want a clear position. A formula for stating one without sounding aggressive or unbalanced.