IELTS Essay Task 2 Samples

Here you will find IELTS Sample Essays for a variety of common topics that appear in the writing exam on both Academic and General IELTS tests.

The model answers all have tips and strategies for how you may approach the question and comments on the sample answer.

Looking at IELTS essay topics with answers is a great way to help you prepare for the test. 

IELTS Sample Essays

These IELTS sample essays have been categorized in a way that makes it easy for you to see how certain essay question types require you to provide certain responses to ensure the question is fully answered. 

Specifically, these are:

Opinion Based Questions:

  • Discuss Two Opinions
  • Agree / Disagree
  • Advantages and Disadvantages
  • Evaluation (Pros and Cons)

Idea Based Questions

  • Cause Types
  • Problems and Solutions

Hybrid

Discuss Two Opinions Type Questions

In this essay question type, you are given two opinions, and you have to discuss both of these and then give your own view:

The Aims of University

Reducing Crime

Animal Rights

Child Development

Diet and Health

Childcare

Animal Testing

Agree / Disagree Type Questions

In these types of questions, you are given one opinion, and you then have to state the extent to which you agree or disagree with that opinion:

Advertising

Alternative Medicine

Arts Spending

Human Cloning

Social Interaction and the Internet

Airline Tax

Free University Education

Scientific Research

Banning Smoking in Public Places

Employing Older People

Becoming a Vegetarian

Paying Taxes

Formal Examinations or Continual Assessment

Multinational Organizations and Culture IELTS Essay

Advantages & Disadvantages Type Questions

In this type of question, you are asked to discuss the positive and negative sides of a particular topic. You will usually be asked this in the context of giving an opinion (e.g., Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Is it a positive or negative development?): 

Traffic Problems

Food Additives

Age Discrimination at Work

Are Tablets and Computers Good for Children

Influence of Children’s Friends

Pros & Cons (Evaluation):

Maintaining Old Buildings

Cause Type Questions

There are a variety of ’cause type’ essay questions. In these, you first have to give the reasons why something has happened, in other words, the causes, but then discuss a different aspect of it, such as the effects, solutions, or the extent to whether it is a positive or negative development:

Causes & Effects:

Obesity in Children

Skin Whitening Creams

Family Size

Having Children Later in Life

Time Away from Families

Causes and Solutions:

Youth Crime

Global Warming

Stress

Paying Attention in Class

International Travel and Prejudice

Museums and Historical Places

Problems & Solutions Type Questions

In these types of questions, instead of discussing the causes of a problem, you need to discuss the problems related to a particular issue in society and then suggest what can be done to solve these problems:

Overpopulation

Competing for Jobs

Immigration

‘Hybrid’ Types of Essay Questions

There are sometimes questions that don’t fit easily into a particular category, as above. I’ve called this ‘ hybrid’, as they are of a mixed character, are composed of different elements from other types of essay, or are perhaps just worded differently. 

Computer Games (Advantage & Disadvantage + Solutions)

Family Values (Causes + Advantage & Disadvantage)

Living Alone (Causes + Evaluation of pros and cons)

Rural to Urban Migration (Causes + Evaluation of pros and cons)

Fear of Crime (Opinion + Solution)

Communication Technology (Effects + Evaluation)

Influence of Children’s Friends (Evaluation + Solution)