In the first part of this lesson, we will look at the instructions for Task 2 IELTS. Here’s an example of a Task 2 essay question.
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Studying business or science related subjects at university level is more important than arts related courses like literature.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
The first of the 4 instructions for Task 2 IELTS is that You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. The writing test takes one hour in total – 20 minutes for Task 1 and 40 minutes for Task 2. This is because Task 2 is more heavily weighted – meaning that Task 2 is worth more to your final result than Task 1. However, notice that the the instructions DO NOT say which Task you should do first. We strongly recommend you start with Task 2, then complete Task 1 (because Task 2 is worth more points, it’s better to make sure that’s completed well).
The second instruction is that you should Write about the following topic. After this, of course, comes your essay title. We will talk more about staying on topic and the penalty of including irrelevant information later in this course.
The third instruction is that you should Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples or evidence from your own knowledge and experience. This means that whatever comments or opinions you put in your essays, they must be supported with examples. However, the instructions are a little misleading – although it says ‘your knowledge and experience’, you should not use phrases like ‘I had a friend who experienced this…’ or ‘My neighbour used to…’ – these are much too informal. We’ll look at how to talk include examples and experience in the correct way later in this course.
The final instruction is You should write at least 250 words. This is very important as writing fewer than 250 words is a certain way to lose points.