By English Test Coach · Updated
Original questions · practical guidance
IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics
Build an argument, not a memorised essay. Explore original questions about education, work, technology, communities and the environment, then plan a response to the exact question asked.
Aim for at least 250 words in about 40 minutes. These are original teaching tasks, not recalled exam questions or predictions.
Academic vs General Training writing: compare the tasks and choose the right practice format.
Word count and revision: develop a short response or trim repetition while keeping the information the task needs.
Choose a topic and develop an argument
These worked guides connect original questions, complete answers and vocabulary in context. A topic tells you what the essay is about; read the instruction to decide what your answer must do.
- Education: develop ideas about curriculum, assessment and access to learning, then test the limits of the policy you support.
- Work: distinguish remote work, a compressed week and a longer career before weighing their effects.
- Environment: connect an action to its intended effect and address the cost or practical condition that matters.
- Cities: test transport proposals, weigh housing and park uses, and match noise measures to their sources.
- Technology: identify the digital activity, match responses to causes and distinguish universal use from exclusive use.
- Communities: compare a service’s purpose, shared access and the effects of local change on different residents.
- Health: compare food policies, weigh remote-appointment access and match sports proposals to participation barriers.
For a wider choice, browse every original Task 2 question by topic. The question-type guides below help you match the structure to the instruction.
Start with the instruction, not the topic
A question about education might ask for your opinion, both views, causes or solutions. Underline every part you must answer before choosing ideas. The same prepared essay will not fit all of those instructions.
Develop two useful ideas
Choose reasons you can explain. For each, connect the claim to a consequence and a specific, plausible example. You do not need invented studies or impressive statistics; clear reasoning is more useful than a list of undeveloped points.
Make your position easy to follow
When the question asks for a judgement, state it clearly and keep it consistent. Acknowledge a limitation if it strengthens your reasoning, but explain why your overall conclusion still follows.
How does the instruction change your essay?
Compare opinion, discussion, outweigh, problems, causes and two-part questions with original worked plans. See what each answer needs to do before choosing your topic.
Task 2 question types: worked examples →- Opinion essays: compare three positions and develop a reason.
- Discussion essays: explain both views fairly and justify your judgement.
- Advantages and disadvantages: weigh consequences rather than count points.
- Problems, causes and solutions: identify the requested focus and connect each response to a mechanism.
- Positive or negative development: explain reasons where requested and judge the exact change.
- Two-part questions: develop a separate answer to each instruction and keep the actors clear.
33 original questions
Choose what to practise
Each question has its own planning ideas, vocabulary in context and a complete annotated sample. Try writing first, then compare the approach.
Health
- Question & guidance
Opinion / agree or disagree
Sharing school sports facilities
Local councils should give priority to opening school sports facilities for public use outside teaching hours rather than building new sports centres. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- Question & guidance
Discuss both views
Healthy food choices
Some people believe governments should make unhealthy food more expensive. Others believe education is a better solution. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
- Question & guidance
Advantages / disadvantages
Remote medical appointments
More medical consultations are taking place by video or telephone instead of in person. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
- Question & guidance
Problems / causes and solutions
Increasing community sport
Many adults would like to exercise more but rarely take part in local sports activities. Why might this happen, and what could communities do to increase participation?
Education
Compare the decisions behind these questions in the education essay guide with developed ideas and vocabulary in context.
- Question & guidance
Two-part questions
School visits to zoos and wildlife centres
A school is considering replacing one classroom lesson each term with an organised visit to a zoo or wildlife centre. What educational benefits might these visits offer? What concerns should the school address before arranging them?
- Question & guidance
Discuss both views
Universities and practical skills
Some people believe universities should focus on academic subjects, while others think practical skills are more important. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
- Question & guidance
Opinion / agree or disagree
Financial education at school
Some people think that managing personal finances should be taught as a compulsory subject at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- Question & guidance
Discuss both views
Projects or final examinations?
Some teachers think students should be assessed mainly through long-term projects. Others think final examinations provide a fairer assessment. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
- Question & guidance
Two-part questions
Learning alongside a full-time job
Many adults would like to take evening classes while continuing to work full time. What difficulties might they face? How can education providers make these classes easier for working adults to attend?
- Question & guidance
Two-part questions
Volunteering during university
Some university students spend part of their free time volunteering in the local community. What benefits can this bring to students? How can universities encourage more students to take part?
- Question & guidance
Causes and evaluation
Starting the school day later
Some secondary schools are beginning the school day later than they did in the past. Why is this change being considered, and is it a positive or negative development?
Ageing population
- Question & guidance
Discuss both views
Local services for an ageing population
A town with a growing proportion of older residents is reviewing its community budget. Some residents think extra money should go to organised social activities for older people. Others believe practical support at home should receive priority. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Crime and society
- Question & guidance
Problems / causes and solutions
Finding employment after prison
Some people who have served a prison sentence struggle to find stable employment after their release. Why might this happen, and what could employers and public services do to help them find suitable work?
Culture
- Question & guidance
Advantages / disadvantages
Museum admission and public access
A town museum plans to remove admission charges for its permanent collection while continuing to charge for temporary exhibitions. Do the advantages of this arrangement outweigh the disadvantages?
Media
- Question & guidance
Discuss both views
Advertising on children’s learning websites
Some people support allowing advertising on free learning websites designed for children because it helps pay for the service. Others believe these websites should contain no commercial advertising. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Technology
- Question & guidance
Advantages / disadvantages
Live online evening courses
A community education centre plans to move all of its evening adult courses from classrooms to live online lessons. Do the advantages of this change outweigh the disadvantages?
- Question & guidance
Problems / causes and solutions
Children and technology
Children now spend more time using digital devices than playing outdoors. Why is this happening, and what can be done to encourage outdoor activity?
- Question & guidance
Opinion / agree or disagree
Automated feedback in education
Schools and universities should use automated systems to give students feedback on all written assignments. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Work
Distinguish changes in location, hours and career length with the work essay planning guide.
- Question & guidance
Advantages / disadvantages
Remote work and society
In many countries, working from home is becoming increasingly common. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
- Question & guidance
Causes and evaluation
A longer working life
In some countries, people are expected to work until a later age than in the past. What are the reasons for this change, and do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
- Question & guidance
Advantages / disadvantages
Working four longer days
Some employers allow staff to complete the same weekly working hours over four longer days instead of five shorter days. Do the advantages of this arrangement outweigh the disadvantages?
Cities
- Question & guidance
Opinion / agree or disagree
Free public transport
Some people think public transport should be free in cities to reduce congestion and pollution. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- Question & guidance
Discuss both views
Green space in growing cities
As cities grow, some people believe that new housing is more important than preserving parks and green spaces. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
- Question & guidance
Problems / causes and solutions
Reducing noise in growing cities
Noise from traffic and construction is increasing in many cities. What problems can this cause, and what measures could local authorities take to reduce it?
Travel
- Question & guidance
Causes and evaluation
Tourism and local culture
International tourism can sometimes cause local traditions and cultures to become less distinctive. Why does this happen, and is this a positive or negative development?
Science
- Question & guidance
Opinion / agree or disagree
Who should fund research?
Scientific research should be funded and controlled by governments rather than private companies. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Business
- Question & guidance
Problems / causes and solutions
Local shops and online retail
More people are buying goods online instead of using local shops. What problems can this cause for communities, and what measures could encourage people to shop locally?
Environment
Connect actions to effects and test policy limits in the environment essay planning guide.
- Question & guidance
Problems / causes and solutions
Reducing household food waste
Households sometimes throw away food that could still be eaten. What are the main reasons for this, and what could households and food retailers do to reduce the waste?
- Question & guidance
Opinion / agree or disagree
Repairable everyday products
Manufacturers should be required to make everyday products easy to repair, even if this raises their purchase price. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- Question & guidance
Opinion / agree or disagree
Green roofs on university buildings
Universities should be required to include planted green roofs on all suitable new buildings, even if this increases construction costs. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Communities
- Question & guidance
Causes and evaluation
Moving from cities to small towns
Some people with jobs based in large cities are choosing to live in smaller towns while working remotely. Why might they make this choice, and is the change positive or negative for the towns receiving them?
- Question & guidance
Discuss both views
The future of public libraries
Some people think public libraries should focus mainly on books, while others believe they should provide a wider range of community services. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
- Question & guidance
Advantages / disadvantages
Community tool libraries
Some communities provide libraries where residents can borrow tools and household equipment instead of buying their own. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?
Before you finish
- Have I answered every part of the question?
- Does each paragraph develop a clear point rather than repeat it?
- Do my examples support my position?
- Does the conclusion follow from my argument?
Turn reading into writing
Choose a question above to open a ready-to-use writing workspace. The original questions, samples and planning tools are free to explore without an account. AI assessment is not currently publicly enabled.
Open the writing checker →