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IELTS Conclusion Paragraph for Opinion Essay

This lesson looks at how to write an IELTS conclusion paragraph for an opinion essay given below. Before you practice the conclusion, make sure you have completed the other lessons for this topic:

Finding Main Points
Introduction Model
Writing body paragraphs

Every one of us should become a vegetarian because eating meat can cause serious health problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

An IELTS conclusion paragraph should summarise the main opinion that you gave in your opinion essay – both in the introduction and the body paragraphs. The conclusion repeats the main points in brief and maintains your position.

This is the introduction for this essay: Eating meat is considered by some to damage our health and for that reason they believe all people should adopt a vegetarian diet. In my opinion, although a vegetarian diet is certainly a healthy option, having a balanced diet, which contains vegetables and some healthy meat, is the key.

The above introduction explains the main points and the position of this essay. Now you must restate the main points again for your conclusion paragraph. Use the tips below to help you.

Tips for an IELTS Conclusion Paragraph

Paraphrase the main points introduced in your introduction
Don’t put new main points in your conclusion
Don’t change your opinion in the conclusion
Don’t write over 40 words
You can write either one or two sentences
Can you have a concluding statement which is a predicting if you wish

Write your conclusion before you check the model. Model Conclusion In conclusion, by balancing both vegetables and healthy meats, for instance fish and chicken, people will be able to adapt their diet more easily in order to benefit their health.

Recommended Lessons

IELTS Video Lesson: IELTS Conclusion Linkers IELTS Video Lesson: Using the official answer sheet

Hi Liz, just finished my exam today. I did wrote a few sentences to conclude( therefore, I think that…). However, I did not write them as an independent paragraph. Is this ok? or an independent paragraph of conclusion is necessary? Thank you.

The conclusion is an independent paragraph. If you don’t use paragraphing well, it will affect your score for Coherence & Cohesion. Which score you will get in that marking criterion will depend on other factors as well as paragraphing. If the examiner can find no conclusion at all, you will score band 5 in Task Response which is 25% of your marks. If your conclusion is present but incomplete, there are no set rules for scoring this and your score will depend on a number of factors. I hope this helps. Good luck with your results !!

Hi Liz. I noticed a lot of my students introducing new ideas in their conclusions – often students would relent from their argument to add the down the middle: “but there are two sides to every coin”. I was preparing a lesson on essay writing tips to correct this habit. But while researching, I was reading a IELTS prep book which states that a “good conclusion generally includes”: 1) general summary 2) a focused summary 3) something new/your opinion

I can hardly believe it! “Something new”! What is this abomination? Can you shed any light? Would some IELTS essays benefit from adding a sprinkling of something new?

I suggest you stop using that book immediately. But let me give you some details first: 1) The conclusion must not include a new main point that has not been explained in the body paragraphs. If a student does this, they will struggle to get a high score in Task Response which is largely about expanding and supporting main points. That is the reason body paragraphs should be of equal length (more or less) – no main point should be less developed that another. 2) An IELTS essay is a short essay. It is usually between 13 and 15 sentences in length. The bulk of those sentences must be for the body paragraphs so that you sufficiently develop them. The introduction and conclusion provide specific functions only and should not be long. A long conclusion is not only a waste of time, it will lack focus which will lower your score. Adding more padding is great for IELTS Speaking and terrible for IELTS Writing. 3) The conclusion serves the function of restating (summarising) the main points you have already explained in the body paragraphs. This should be done in one sentence. It should be a very brief, focused summary. 4) You should not have two summaries of the same points – you do not have a general one and a focused one. You should have one only. One summarising statement. IELTS essays are all about each sentence being highly focused and highly relevant – without padding. A one sentence conclusion is 100% normal for IELTS. 5) It is possible to add a concluding statement, but it should not be a new main idea. If you are writing an opinion essay, which is all about your opinions, and then you add another new opinion in the conclusion, you will get a low mark in Task Response as I explained above. 6) If you are writing an essay without any opinion required at all, a concluding statement might actually be an opinion. 7) Most concluding statements are predictions. For example, “If XXX isn’t implemented soon, this problem is likely to continue or worsen.” This is not a new main point. It is simply an end of the conclusion which adds stress to what you’ve already said. 8) If students do not grasp the concept of a concluding statement and if they can’t write one safely, it is better to have no concluding statement at all. 9) Putting a concluding statement at the end of a conclusion will not increase a task 2 score. As I explained the conclusion serves a very limited function in an IELTS essay. 10) Direct your students to this page and this response if you need to. There is a lot of advice in books and online – be very careful what advice you follow. Not all of it will increase a task 2 score and some of it will actually lower a task 2 score.

Is there only one ideal answer for each question?

For instance, while attempting this essay, I wrote on the affordability aspect as well – not all societies can easily turn vegetarian as for many poor people, meat offers the best and the cheapest form of nutrition. And isn’t the affordability of food is also linked to health?

Well this is about diet and health problems. I’m not sure that affordability of food is relevant. Sometimes it depends on how you present your ideas. It’s how you link them to the issues in the question. No, there is not one possible answer. But if your ideas are not 100% relevant, then you will be marked down.

hi liz ,,would really aprreciate if u cud help me in formulating this phrase,,,what was outdated yesterday is a fashion in the tomorrow world,,,,is it correct or is there a different way of putting it,,thank you

Please do not learn phrases to use in your essay. Liz

Hello Liz, I think there is a typo somewhere at the very last sentence in the second option above. ‘a healthily’ Kindly help me and check it. Thank you Ma.

Well spotted! You are a good proof reader 🙂 Liz

Thank you Liz.

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IELTS Opinion Essay – Topics, Structure and Sample Answers

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Updated On Feb 22, 2024

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IELTS Opinion Essay – Topics, Structure and Sample Answers

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IELTS opinion essays mainly focus on agreeing or disagreeing with a particular fact or information. It presents two opposite views and you have to develop your argument supporting one view (strictly one!) You get 40 minutes to complete this task. You have to write at least 250 words on the topic given.

Given below are some examples of IELTS Writing Task 2 opinion essays along with their structure. So, let’s understand how to frame the IELTS opinion essay from the sample answers given in the blog!

What is the IELTS Opinion Essay Format?

If you’re gearing up to tackle the Opinion Essay in IELTS Writing Task 2, know that it’s all about writing your opinion on a specific topic with supporting examples. To make sure your essay ticks off all the criteria of a band 8+ essay, organizing it in the right way is key!

Let’s now look at a proper format to learn the structuring of an IELTS opinion essay.

Introduction:

Keep it short, usually around 2-3 sentences.
Introduce the topic and clearly state your opinion.
Provide a brief overview of the main points you will discuss in the body paragraphs.

Body Paragraphs (Usually 2 paragraphs):

Each paragraph should focus on a single main idea that supports your opinion.
Start with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea.
Provide evidence, examples, and reasoning to support your main idea.
Aim for coherence and cohesion within each paragraph by using appropriate transition words.
Make sure to use appropriate vocabulary and grammar while explaining an idea in the body paragraphs.

Conclusion:

Summarize the main points discussed in the body paragraphs.
Restate your opinion, emphasizing its importance or relevance.
Avoid introducing new ideas in the conclusion.

IELTS Opinion Essay Sample Answers

Given below is an example of an IELTS Writing task 2 opinion essay. Let’s understand how to frame the essay from the ideas we have.

Sample Question 1

In the future, nobody will buy printed newspapers or books because they will be able to read everything they want online without paying. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Given below is a brief outline of what to write in the essay after identifying the essay type.

Opinion Essay

Introduction

Paraphrase the topic of the essay using synonyms for the words used in the topic statement. Clearly state the view on the topic.

Body Paragraph 1

Technological improvements have increased the level of ease and convenience to a point where people can access news and information at the click of a button. This has led to print media becoming outdated.

Body Paragraph 2

The development of news websites and sites that freely distribute information and print media in a digital form has led to a trend of availing such services and content without paying.

Summarize the essay and re-state the opinion on the topic.

Struggling to Crack the IELTS opinion essays? Our 8+ band trainers have got you! Sign up for a FREE demo now!

Sample Answer

Presently, newspapers, books, journals, magazines, etc. are still actively used by a section of the global population. However, with the arrival of news sites and the availability of books, magazines and other forms of media online, totally free of cost, many believe that such forms of media are on their way to becoming outdated. I agree with this statement, and will explain it further with relevant examples in the essay.

It is a well-known fact that in this day and age if an individual wants to read a book or just go over the news of the day, the first step that they take is to search the internet. Devices such as smartphones and tablets have improved the time efficiency of searching for information online to such an extent that a person can access their preferred form of media in the comfort of their homes in a matter of minutes. Consequently, people have started to abandon their preference for print media due to the presence of much more convenient alternatives.

Additionally, the various forms of print media enjoyed by people can often be availed free of charge on several websites. For instance, most news organizations publish their daily news on their official website, which can be accessed by anyone. Also, some numerous sites and databases provide popular books, journals and magazines in a digital form to the public for a nominal subscription fee or sometimes even for free, leading to a majority of readers of such forms of media shifting away from buying hard copies.

Nevertheless, there is still a sizable chunk of the population that enjoys the conventional forms of print media. That being said, with the cost-effective nature of making such information and content available online, organizations will soon completely shift to internet-based services.

In conclusion, I would like to say that people always prefer the more comfortable alternative that is available. Therefore, it can be safely said that in the coming years, there will be a complete shift from traditional print media to online media services and products.

Sample Question 2

Some people say that international sporting events contribute greatly to peace and stability in the world. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Paraphrase the topic sentence using synonyms.

Mention the view on the topic.

Body Paragraphs

International sports tournaments are events where teams and the general public of various countries come together and collectively participate in the event.

Sports events, especially cricket and football help distract the minds of the citizens from the ongoing difficulties in their country and enjoy these events.

Summarize the essay and state the final view.

Sample Answer

Sports has always been a magnificent platform for the finest talents of a country to showcase their skills and represent their nation. At the same time, sports is also one of the few occasions where every citizen of the country unites in support of their favourite teams. It is considered by many that sports are a great approach to maintain stability among countries. This essay will elaborate on the given topic and justify why sports can successfully bring and preserve global peace.

One of the greatest characteristics of any popular sporting event is that supporters of every team involved in the tournament almost always attend the matches that are organized in their cities. Some veteran fans even travel to different parts of the country to witness a match between their favourite teams. These events also unite the populace of a nation as every patriotic individual prays for the success of their national team. For instance, the entire nation wishes for the victory of their national team in the Olympic Games as winning an Olympic Medal is one of the most prestigious honours that can be bestowed upon a country.

It is a well-known fact that the people of a country collectively face several challenges on a day-to-day basis. These issues can be caused by numerous factors and are the typical difficulties that ordinary citizens have to overcome. Sports help people enjoy a few moments of excitement and take a break from the monotony of everyday life.

That being said, sometimes the passion of overenthusiastic sports fans ends up leading to harmful and conflicting situations among communities. Nevertheless, the overall impact of sports on our lives is undoubtedly positive.

Finally, sports are one of the aspects of human life that bind a whole community together. This is enough evidence to understand that sports help maintain peace and stability in a nation.

Ready to grab the latest IELTS writing task 2 question papers of 2024?

Sample Question 3

Our personalities are predetermined as a result of our genes before we are born and there is nothing that can be done to change our character traits. To what extent do you agree?

Paraphrase the topic and mention the view.

Genetics are only a part of the entire list of factors that affect a person’s personality.

One of the most important influences on an individual’s personality is their childhood and upbringing.

Summarize the essay and mention the final view in brief.

Even between small periods of time, there are subtle variabilities in our disposition. Such alterations are quite natural and are a part of a human being’s existence. However, it is often assumed that our personality is entirely dependent on genetics. The following paragraphs will explore the different aspects of personality and justify why genetics are not the only factor influencing our personality.

An individual has countless experiences in their life from childhood to adulthood and finally until death. Every one of these experiences has an impact on a person’s mind, no matter how giant or small. The kind of people present in a person’s immediate surroundings also has a huge influence on their nature and characteristics. Thus, it can be safely surmised that a person’s genes are not the only contributing factor when it comes to personality.

One of the most significant influences on our personality is our childhood experiences and the teachings of our parents. Children are always known to follow in the footsteps of their parents. Thus, if the parents of a child are successful in teaching their children the right values and morals, they are bound to grow into responsible and decent individuals.

It is true that the personality traits of an individual are determined by the features of their parents. Nevertheless, these traits can be altered over the course of many years and different experiences.

In conclusion, genetics affect our personalities in a trivial manner as compared to all the other aspects of our temperament. That being said, our life experiences and learnings are the consequential factors in developing our character.

The Latest IELTS Opinion Essay Topics of 2024

A few IELTS opinion essay topics are listed down below, which you can practice. These opinion essay questions may appear in the actual examination.

In the future, it seems more difficult to live on Earth. Some people think more money should be spent on researching another planet to live on, such as Mars. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Many people say that the only way to guarantee a good job is to complete a course in university education. Others claim that it is better to start work after school and gain experience in the world of work. How far do you agree or disagree with the above views?

Although more and more people read the news on the internet, newspapers will remain the most important source of news for the majority of people. Do you agree or disagree?
Students in schools and universities learn more from their teachers than through other means such as the Internet, libraries, and TV. To what extent you agree or disagree?
Nowadays university education is very expensive. Some people say that universities should reduce their fees, especially for the less fortunate students or for those coming from rural areas. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Some people think that governments must insist on preserving the traditional appearance of old buildings undergoing renovation or redevelopment. To what extent do you agree or disagree with the statement?
Some people believe that international trade and communication with other countries is a positive trend, while others think it is harmful to nations and they might lose their identities. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give your own opinion and relevant examples.
Many people believe that schools should teach children to become good citizens and workers rather than independent individuals. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give your own opinion and relevant examples.

People should follow the customs and traditions when they start to live in a new country. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is impossible to help all people in the world, so governments should only focus on people in their own countries. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Prevention is better than cure. Do you agree or disagree that out of the country’s health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and preventive measures?

Top 3 Common Mistakes of IELTS Opinion Essays

In IELTS opinion essays, it’s easy to make some common mistakes that can lower your band score. Getting aware of them is the key to not committing them knowingly or unknowingly while you prepare!

The top 3 common mistakes to avoid are:

Not giving a clear opinion.
Presenting arguments for both sides of the issue.
Failing to support your opinion with well-defined reasons and examples.

Tips to Answer IELTS Opinion Essay Questions

In the IELTS opinion essays, you need to write your opinion about a topic and back it up with proof and examples. If you use a clear structure and good writing methods, you can improve your chances of doing well!

Spend 5 minutes on a mind map before writing.
Stick to one viewpoint throughout the essay.
Use a single main idea to support the topic in each of the two body paragraphs.
Express your opinion throughout the essay, not just in the conclusion.
Keep the introduction short, a maximum of 50 words.
Ensure each body paragraph explains a main idea within 100 words.
The conclusion should be shorter than the introduction.
Write a complete essay following the given structure.
Aim for a word count of 280 words or less.

Here are the 10 Examples for the Opinion Essay Topics IELTS:

Also check:

Tips to write introduction in IELTS Writing Task 2
Tips to write great writing essay
IELTS Sample essays
How to get band 8 in IELTS Writing Task 2
IELTS Writing recent actual test
IELTS 2024 Study Plan for 1 month (30 Days) / 15 Days / 7 Days

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the structure for writing the introduction for an opinion essay?

Is it mandatory to state my opinion in the introduction? Can I skip it and introduce my opinion in the body paragraphs?

What are the words that I can use to state my opinion?

Can I underline the important sentences, to attract examiner’s attention?

Is it mandatory to write the essay in first person?

Practice IELTS Writing Task 2 based on Essay types

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Nehasri Ravishenbagam

Nehasri Ravishenbagam, a Senior Content Marketing Specialist and a Certified IELTS Trainer of 3 years, crafts her writings in an engaging way with proper SEO practices. She specializes in creating a variety of content for IELTS, CELPIP, TOEFL, and certain immigration-related topics. As a student of literature, she enjoys freelancing for websites and magazines to balance her profession in marketing and her passion for creativity!

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Post your Comments

Purnima Koli

Posted on Oct 5, 2021

In fast-paced global economy, it is imperative to have both knowledge and skill. Ability to learn on the job paves way for more hands-on training than discussing case studies at university. Doing a course can be time taking and can surely burn a hole in our parents’ pockets, the middle class knows it better. Getting straight to business of things, meaning starting to work soon after school is beneficial in many ways.

Working in office gives us professional perspective about how business processes are streamlines, turning creative ideas into tangible projects and most importantly getting paid for the amazing work I put out. I feel it’s great to have my ideas being incorporated as solutions to processual issues. Personal growth due to long years of work experience makes us future-ready for the big dream job. Alternatively, some also start their own business after getting gaining a good reputation for their work.

In my personal experience my university education looks good on my CV but has not been financially rewarding for I still have to even out my return on investment. I regret joining an elite institution where I felt out of place as I came from a humble upbringing. However, I learnt a lot about living away from home, managing finances, making new friends, living independently, honed my communication skills.

All in all, I feel it is better to join workforce early on than to do a full-fledged university course. This saves time, money and energy from studying on campus which can be channelized to working with a small business which has ample scope to learn on the job. Later, one can switch to bigger companies with the achieved industry experience after a few years of rigorous hands-on training and development.

In the future, it seems more difficult to live on Earth. Some people think more money should be spent on researching another planet to live, such as Mars. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

The available land for household, industrial and recreational usage is shrinking. We see large scale infrastructure development in India. But for all these activities we need more land on earth itself, not on some other worldly planet, Mars. I would have to disagree that Mars has answers to all our earthly problems. I think it’s more about gaps in planning, policy making and the way we conduct our lives on a day-to-day basis. If we base our routine on sustainable habits, we are already solving more problems than we create. The problems are created on earth so they need solutions on earth itself, I believe.

The problems like polluted resources such as air, water, land, soil have ample ways to be fixed as we read in scientific journals and other informational sources. The popular ‘3 Rs’ such as Recycle, Reuse and Reduce need to be inculcated for us to have clean air, water, soil, land. We need community development along with economic development so the civil society, environment and the development process can go hand-in-hand. Overcrowding in urban areas due to migration for work, education or marriage can be solved by having proper laws. On the other hand, achieving conservation targets for endangered flora and fauna is a vital step towards holistic saving the ecosystem.

Consequently, I strongly believe that having ideas about Mars being an inhabitable place in the future is surely fantastic idea. But It’s a childish way to think of a better world somewhere else than fixing problems at hand. Let’s face it, our survival instincts have made us exploit resources faster than the nature can replenish them. And we see the negative outcomes like sea-level rising, frequent coastal flooding, drastic weather changes, global warming. As a global community of conscious individuals, we need our planet more than it needs us.

Posted on Sep 11, 2021

In a new country one faces multiple challenges to overcome the culture shock. Different people may adopt the new ways of life at different pace. But I do agree that willing to accept and change with the circumstances can ease the burden.

As we know that change is inevitable, we need to get accustomed to the new culture. There’s no harm in getting the best of both worlds, from your country of origin to this new land of surprises. Festivals, celebrations, new people, new places, new things tend to broaden our perspective on life. We come out much stronger by dealing with the new possibilities. Initially, the surrounding might be tough to make sense of, but with time it should get better.

The decision of moving to a new country is yours so you’d be the person who needs to adapt to get the best possible advantage. Human psychology is common but mannerisms might be different. So, one can learn that through social observation, trial and error and asking questions.

To belong at a place, we must take the initiative to learn the traditions and customs of the new country. To feel welcomed, one must socialize with like minded individuals, take part in group activities at workplace or educational institute or even neighborhood social clubs. Try to get out there, find your niche, excel at what you do, travel and get to know people. It’s easy if you are willing.

Otherwise, you’ll end up losing new experiences which enliven our senses. To live more each day, we need to blend with the culture. Traditions tells us stories of the past which we could relate with stories back at our homeland as well. This way it’s going to be much easier to make bonds, live a cheerful life.

Posted on Sep 15, 2021

Okay. Thanks for your reply. The 4 paragraph structure goes for all other types of (Task 2) essays too?

Posted on Sep 13, 2021

Overall band: 6

Follow the 4 paragraph structure so that it is easy for the examiner to mark you for coherence. . For opinion essays, it is better to write one line after your opinionated paragraphs. Just one line that you are aware of the other side.

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How to write an IELTS opinion essay

Ielts opinion essay: structure, model answer, and analysis..

Updated: February 2023

There are 5 types of essays in IELTS writing task 2 and a common one is an opinion essay.

So how do you know if it is an opinion essay?. You will first need to study the instruction words. These words tell you what you should write about and this should be the first step to take before you even begin to plan. Analyse the task and especially the instruction words so you do not go off-topic or write a different essay altogether.

Here are 2 essay tasks below, which one do you think is the opinion essay?

1. Most people agree that money cannot buy happiness. Why is happiness difficult to define? How can people achieve happiness? 2. Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Looking at the instruction words we can see that the second one is an opinion essay as it asks ‘ To what extent do you agree or disagree? ‘

The first task is called a ‘Two-part question essay’ or sometimes called a ‘Direct question essay’.

Instruction words

Opinion essays will have various instruction words such as:

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Do you agree or disagree?

What is your opinion?

Do you think…?

What do you think….?

In your opinion what is ….?

In some cases the instruction words ask your opinion it may be a discussion essay such as:

‘Discuss both views and give your own opinion’

The structure of a discussion essay is different from an opinion essay as you will need to explain peoples views before you go into your own opinion.

This task below is a 2 part question essay and the second question asks your opinion.

Most people agree that money cannot buy happiness. Why is happiness difficult to define? How can people achieve happiness?

The opinion essay that I am referring to asks ‘ To what extent do you agree or disagree?’ means how much do you agree/disagree? , do you completely agree/disagree? or somewhat agree/disagree? or do you neither agree nor disagree?

You can write in your thesis statement something like: ‘ I completely agree because…..’ or if you don’t agree, something like: ‘ I absolutely disagree because…..’

What is an effective opinion essay structure?

There is no magic Band 9 structure but my students have found that the structure below works well in an opinion essay.

Tips on structure:

The main body paragraphs will cover the reasons for your opinion; however, do not list ideas just use one central idea and explain and support it.
Don’t wait until the conclusion to give your opinion. It must be throughout the whole essay .
Don’t give 2 different opinions. Do not agree then disagree as it will confuse the examiner. You can balance it with why someone would hold an opposing view but it is not a discussion essay.
I advise keeping the introduction under 60 words , each body paragraph should be approximately 90 to 105 words , the conclusion needs to be shorter than the introduction and no new ideas should be added to the conclusion
Aim for between 270 to 295 words , over 300 words is not realistic as you only have 40 minutes to write the essay .

Which body paragraph is better?

Take a look at these 2 main body one paragraphs to the task below, what do you think will score higher?

Task question:

Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices . To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

A long time ago people used to go to market places and they bought basic daily necessities, now people can buy online and go to many high street shops. In addition, we can choose any hotel we like at cheap prices. Also, businesses compete with each other which means customers can buy items at low cost as well as a bigger selection of goods. Furthermore, the economy benefits because people can select from so many different products. For example, Amazon.com has millions of products that are much cheaper than buying at a shopping mall.

Admittedly, these days there are far too many choices which can be overwhelming; however, I think that for consumers this is an advantage because it forces businesses to compete with each other. This means that shoppers can benefit greatly from lower prices. For example, over the past two decades, Ryanair and EasyJet budget airlines have considerably reduced the cost of airfares for flights all over Europe. Before this, there was only one airline to choose from at exorbitant costs. Presently, many more budget airline options are serving destinations worldwide with incredible bargains for customers.

Click below for the answer.

The 2nd example is better because I wrote one central idea (lower prices for consumers) and expanded on that. The example given is not entirely true but it looks very feasible. You can just make up examples but they have to be specific and realistic looking. The point of an example is to support your main idea.

At the start of the paragraph I mentioned that too much choice is overwhelming but then contrast that with my opinion (Admittedly, these days there are far too many choices which can be overwhelming; however, I think that…) .

To see how to balance the essay click here for a lesson on balancing your opinion .

In example 1 above this has too many ideas and too many points. It jumps around and is not focusing on one central idea. The points are relevant but there is too much going on.

You will also notice an opinion is not given directly in the first example (I think / I believe etc) the whole paragraph affects coherence and cohesion as well as task response. The example given about amazon.com is also quite weak and not well explained.

Analysing the question.

As with all IELTS essays, it is crucial to spend a couple of minutes analysing the task and underling the keywords so that you are writing relevant points in the essay. If you go off-topic or write irrelevant points it will affect your score.

This is the task question for my model answer below and it is clear that the essay is about having too many choices these days . This means that there is something negative about having many choices, as the word ‘too’ implies something negative. In my model answer, I disagree with this being a negative and in fact, many choices are beneficial.

Click here for the 5 steps you need to take before writing.

I advise 10 minutes of planning time, this includes time analysing the question and getting relevant ideas.

Click here for a lesson about examples in main body paragraphs.

Model Answer

Some people believe that n owadays we have too many choices . To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

It is argued that in recent times people are overwhelmed by so many choices. Although I agree with this to some extent, for consumers I believe that having so many options enables them to purchase more competitively priced and higher quality products.

Another reason why I believe that more choice is beneficial is that the quality of products has improved in recent years. This is because many businesses are vying for customers’ attention, so their main selling points are not only low prices but also much higher quality. For instance, smartphone costs have decreased in the past 5 years and these devices are more powerful and more durable than ever before. This is primarily because manufacturers have focused on quality control to compete with rival products. I would argue that this has been a benefit to consumers which would not have been possible with one or two companies monopolising the smartphone market.

To conclude, despite the argument that there is too much freedom of choice nowadays, I hold the view that this is a positive trend as so many options allows customers to buy inexpensive items without compromising on quality.

Click below to see more detail and an analysis

1. My thesis statement says: Although I agree with this to some extent, for consumers I believe that having so many options enables them to purchase more competitively priced and higher quality products.

I am giving a balanced opinion here and focusing specifically on choice for consumers.

2. I have covered the points about how more choices have resulted in lower prices in main body one, while in main body two I cover the point about higher quality products because of the fact there are more choices. Notice how I have balanced my view: Admittedly, these days there are far too many choices which can be overwhelming; however, I think that for consumers this is an advantage because it forces businesses to compete with each other. .

3. The examples I gave are made up and not entirely true but they look realistic, the examiner does not check your examples for validity. Examples are there to support your main ideas. Do not put statistics in the examples either.

4. The points I have made in the essay connect with consumerism and shopping, but I have linked them to the points about how having many choices are of benefit to customers or consumers , because my opinion is that having many choices is a good aspect

5. In this type of essay, you could write about other areas where having many choices are relevant such as the choices of universities we can attend, the choices of work we might engage in, The choice of health care options available….and so on.

Here is a good news article from ‘ Business Insider’ that connects with this task question. Reading is a very good way to get ideas for IELTS essays.

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How to Write an IELTS Opinion Essay: A Comprehensive Guide

Ready to master the art of writing an IELTS opinion essay? We've got the perfect roadmap to guide you through each step. From understanding what exactly an IELTS opinion essay is to crafting one that will wow the examiner, we’ve got you covered.

In this easy-to-follow guide, we'll break down all the crucial elements you need to understand. Wondering how to structure your essay? We've got an "IELTS Opinion Essay Template" designed by experts to set you on the right path.

But that's not all. We'll also dissect each section of your essay, from writing an attention-grabbing intro to creating compelling body paragraphs, and wrapping it up with a knockout conclusion. To make it even easier, we offer a convenient "IELTS Opinion Essay Outline" to keep your thoughts organized and your essay on point.

If you're hunting for even more insights, our comprehensive eBook is chock-full of tips and strategies tailor-made for you. And if you want professional eyes on your work, check out our IELTS Essay Correction Service . You'll get detailed feedback from an examiner, complete with a band 9 sample response to inspire you further.

So, whether you're a newbie still getting the hang of things or an advanced student aiming for perfection, this guide is your go-to resource. Get ready to craft an IELTS opinion essay that will leave a lasting impression. Let’s dive in!

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Understanding an IELTS Opinion Essay

Navigating the world of IELTS opinion essays can seem quite daunting at first. However, by acquiring a comprehensive understanding of what this type of essay entails, its importance, and the intricacies of writing it effectively, you can equip yourself to excel. Let's delve deeper into these essentials to gain a better understanding of the task.

An IELTS opinion essay, sometimes referred to as an argumentative essay, plays a vital role in the IELTS writing test. The key task here is to articulate your stance on a specific topic, which you then need to substantiate with solid arguments, evidence, or pertinent examples. Essentially, it's a platform for you to exhibit your ability to persuasively express and support your opinion.

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Why You Need to Know How to Write an Opinion Essay

Why is an IELTS opinion essay so crucial? The answer lies in its objective. The IELTS test aims to assess your English language proficiency, and the opinion essay is a vital component of this assessment. By evaluating your ability to write a convincing and well-articulated essay, examiners can gauge your language skills, coherence, cohesion, and overall command of the language. Therefore, mastering the IELTS opinion essay becomes essential to achieve a high band score.

Key Elements of a High Band Opinion Essay

Ready to dive into the nitty-gritty of a top-notch IELTS opinion essay? Let's break down the key ingredients that make your essay stand out from the rest.

First up, Cohesion: Imagine your essay like a smooth ride where one point effortlessly leads to the next. You'll want to use linking words and phrases like 'however,' 'furthermore,' and 'on the other hand,' to connect your thoughts. Need examples? Our eBook has a whole section dedicated to mastering cohesion!

Next, Structure: Your essay needs a solid framework to hold it up. That means an engaging introduction, well-thought-out body paragraphs, and a snappy conclusion. Don’t know where to start? Our "IELTS Opinion Essay Structure" discussed in detail in the eBook lays it all out for you.

On to Compelling Argumentation: Make sure you're not just stating your opinion, but backing it up with rock-solid reasoning and examples. This is where your essay shines. If you're struggling to find convincing arguments, our Essay Correction Service provides personalized guidance and tips from an actual examiner!

Clear Opinion: Your viewpoint should be obvious from the get-go and consistent throughout your essay. Don't beat around the bush—make your stance clear.

Last but not least, Language Proficiency: Your choice of vocabulary , grammar, and sentence structure can either make or break your essay. If you're looking to elevate your language game, our Essay Correction Service goes beyond just marking errors. You'll receive comprehensive feedback, including a band 9 sample essay to show you how it's done.

IELTS Vocabulary List with Meanings and Examples

Writing an IELTS Opinion Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing an IELTS opinion essay involves more than just pouring your thoughts onto paper. It requires strategic planning and execution to ensure that the reader fully comprehends your viewpoint and the evidence backing it. Below is a step-by-step breakdown of how to approach this task:

Understanding the Question

This is the critical first step that forms the foundation of your essay. A comprehensive understanding of the question is pivotal to crafting a coherent response. Here's how to do it:

Identify the Topic: Every essay has a central topic around which the argument revolves. Identify this and ensure your opinion relates directly to it.

Understand the Question Type: Is it asking for your opinion, a discussion, or a problem and solution? In the case of an opinion essay, the question will require you to provide your views on the topic.

Know What is Expected: Analyze the prompt to know precisely what is expected of your essay. Should it be entirely from your perspective, or do you need to consider others' viewpoints as well?

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Planning Your Response

Once you have understood the question, plan your essay strategically. A well-structured essay is easier to follow, makes your arguments clearer, and can significantly boost your score.

Outline Your Main Ideas: Identify the main points that will back up your opinion. These should form the core of your body paragraphs.

Identify Supporting Points and Examples: For each main point, find supporting ideas or examples. These should convincingly substantiate your claims and make your argument robust.

Organise Your Ideas: Arrange your ideas logically. Each paragraph should flow seamlessly into the next, creating a coherent and cohesive narrative.

Writing the Introduction

Your introduction sets the tone for your essay and should clearly state your opinion on the topic. Here's how to craft an engaging introduction:

Paraphrase the Question: Start by restating the question in your own words. This shows understanding and sets the context for your essay.

State Your Opinion: Explicitly present your opinion on the topic. Make it clear and concise so that the reader knows your stance from the outset.

Developing the Body Paragraphs

The body of your essay is where you make your arguments. Each paragraph should be dedicated to one main idea and supported with substantial evidence.

State the Main Idea: Start each paragraph with a topic sentence that introduces the main idea.

Provide Support: This can be in the form of facts, statistics, logical reasoning, or examples. It should convincingly back your main point.

Link to Your Opinion: Show how this point supports your overall opinion. This will tie your argument together and maintain a consistent perspective throughout the essay.

Crafting a Conclusion

Your conclusion provides closure and summarises the main points of your essay. Here's how to write an effective conclusion:

Restate Your Opinion: Reiterate your opinion to reinforce it in the reader's mind.

Summarise Main Points: Briefly revisit your main points to remind the reader of your arguments.

Do Not Introduce New Ideas: Your conclusion should only encapsulate the points made in your essay. Introducing new ideas can confuse the reader and dilute your argument.

Mastering each step of this process can ensure a well-crafted IELTS opinion essay that conveys your thoughts effectively and scores high.

IELTS Opinion Essay Tips for a High Band

Acquiring an excellent IELTS score demands more than just understanding the basics. To truly excel and obtain a high score, you need to pay heed to these expert tips and tricks:

Maintain Formal Language

Formal and academic language is the bedrock of IELTS writing. This demonstrates your proficiency in English and your ability to use a wide range of vocabulary:

Avoid Slang: Slang and colloquial language should be avoided in your essay. They make your essay sound informal and can impact your score negatively.

Use Academic Vocabulary: Try to incorporate advanced and topic-specific vocabulary. This can show your language proficiency and earn you higher marks.

Follow Grammar Rules: Be sure to use proper grammar, including correct tense usage, subject-verb agreement, and accurate punctuation.

Consistency is Key

Your viewpoint in an IELTS opinion essay should be consistent throughout. This aids in creating a coherent and logical argument:

Maintain Your Stance: Your opinion should not fluctuate or contradict itself in the essay. A steady viewpoint makes your essay easier to follow and understand.

Link Ideas: Ensure that all your arguments and evidence clearly support your opinion. They should form a cohesive narrative that consistently upholds your stance.

Time Management

The IELTS writing section is time-bound, and effective time management can make the difference between a good and a great score:

Allocate Time Wisely: Break down your allotted time for Task 2 (usually 40 minutes) into segments for understanding the question, planning, writing, and revising.

Don't Overwrite: Stay within the recommended word limit (at least 250 words for Task 2). We usually recommends for going around 300 words. Remember, writing too many words, such as 350 or more, can eat into your time without necessarily earning you extra points.

Save Time for Proofreading: Always leave a few minutes towards the end to review your work. Look out for grammatical errors, spelling mistakes, or any ideas that could be expressed more clearly.

Keeping these tips and tricks in mind while writing your IELTS opinion essay can help you attain a high band score. Remember, practice implementing these strategies to become more comfortable and efficient when it's time for the actual test.

An IELTS Opinion Essay Band 9 Sample

To better illustrate all the strategies, tips, and structures discussed so far, let's look at a high-scoring IELTS opinion essay example. For more hundreds of band 9 sample essays, visit here .

Some people think that developing countries need financial help from international organizations. Others, however, argue that countries should be left to resolve their economic issues independently.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

The global conundrum surrounding economic assistance extended to developing nations continues to ignite impassioned discussions among world policymakers. Diverse opinions float in this debate; one segment champions the cause of international aid, while another faction upholds the principle of self-reliance. As for my viewpoint, I posit that a judicious amalgamation of external support and indigenous initiatives presents the most advantageous solution for these nations' economic upliftment.

On one flank of the debate, endorsers of international assistance underscore the acute resource deficit confronting developing nations. They contend that socio-economic challenges such as widespread poverty, underdeveloped infrastructure, and limited educational access necessitate extensive capital investment, which often transcends these nations' fiscal capabilities. In this context, international organizations, with their resource abundance, can facilitate requisite financing for development-centric projects. Importantly, their assistance transcends monetary contributions, extending to invaluable expertise and technological exchange, significantly hastening these nations' developmental pace.

Conversely, detractors of international aid highlight its potential to engender dependency, thereby obstructing self-reliance. They assert that nations must navigate their economic difficulties independently, fostering a culture of sustainable growth. This perspective emphasizes that external aid can, at times, obscure pressing issues requiring immediate attention for long-term progress, such as corruption, bureaucratic inefficiency, and inadequate policy frameworks. Consequently, cultivating self-reliance can nudge nations towards systemic reformation, stimulating endogenous development.

To encapsulate, while international aid can offer a swift respite and a resources boost for developmental pursuits, endorsing self-reliance is instrumental in tackling the fundamental impediments to economic advancement. Thus, my conviction remains that a balanced methodology, marrying external assistance with internally driven reforms, emerges as the most sustainable antidote to the economic hurdles plaguing developing countries.

This example illustrates the structure of an IELTS opinion essay and demonstrates how to maintain a consistent perspective, provide supporting arguments, and use formal, academic language throughout.

Summary of the IELTS Opinion Essay Template

We've reached the end of our deep dive into the world of IELTS opinion essays, and we hope you're feeling a whole lot more prepared! From introducing you to our go-to "IELTS Opinion Essay Template" to breaking down each section, we've aimed to make this a one-stop shop for all your essay needs.

In a nutshell, a killer introduction sets the stage, where you rephrase the question and let your opinion shine. Your body paragraphs are the meat of your essay, where you back up your viewpoint with solid arguments and examples. And don't forget that grand finale, the conclusion, where you tie it all together.

If you’re looking for even more insider tips, you can't go wrong with our eBook . It’s like having an IELTS mentor right in your pocket! Plus, if you want real-time feedback on your writing, consider our Essay Correction Service . We offer personalized advice, a band 9 sample response, and tips to level up your essay game.

Remember, the secret ingredient to acing this is practice. The more you use our template and outline across various topics, the better you'll get at crafting essays that not only sound great but also score big.

So there you have it! With this guide and a bit of practice, you're well on your way to becoming an IELTS opinion essay pro. Happy writing, and best of luck on your IELTS journey!

IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essay Guide

Having a clear knowledge of how you structure your IELTS Opinion Essay Task is an essential skill that will make you attain your desired band score and eventually move to the country you are aiming for.

Since the IELTS Opinion Essay Task is one of the most challenging parts of the IELTS Writing Test , we have outlined for you everything there is to know about this part of the test, so read on.

What is IELTS Writing Task 2?

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The second and final task of the IELTS Writing Test is IELTS Writing Task 2 . It is similar for both the IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training modules.

You must write at least 250 words and should spend at least 40 minutes (out of the 60 minutes) on this task because it carries more weight.

You must write an essay in response to a point of view, argument, or problem in IELTS Writing Task 2. It assesses your ability to:

present a logical, relevant, and well-structured argument
provide facts or examples to back up ideas
use appropriate language

There are five types of questions that are posed in the IELTS Writing Task 2 and you will only find out the type of test you should answer on the day of the test itself. That is why prior to taking the IELTS Test , you should make yourself familiar with them.

The IELTS opinion essay task is also known as ‘agree or disagree’ or argumentative essay and is one of the most widely used types of IELTS Writing Task 2 questions. This type of query necessitates an answer.

A factual statement will nearly always precede the opinion to provide context. The next question will usually be something along the lines of ‘To what extent do you agree or disagree with…’ or anything along those lines.

One of the most common types of essays in the IELTS Writing Task 2 portion is the opinion essay. Usually, this question asks if you agree or disagree with the given topic.

As a result, rather than remaining neutral, you must choose a side. You are not correctly answering the question if you do not express whether you agree or disagree with the given topic.

Here are the most proven tips to help you get high marks in the IELTS opinion essay task.

Make the most of your time:

You have an hour (60 minutes) to finish the IELTS Writing Test. Because the IELTS Writing Task 2 is more important for your overall band score , we recommend devoting no more than 20 minutes to Task 1 and 40 minutes to task two. Allow time for planning and double-checking your work. When taking practice examinations, it’s a good idea to stick to a 60-minute time limit.

Answer the question directly:

Answer the question in a straightforward manner. Avoid writing an essay on a topic you have already prepared ahead of time. Ensure that your examples and ideas are valid. If you simplify too much and are not particular enough, it will alter how the examiner perceives your ideas.

Answer all the questions:

You must carefully evaluate the question to estimate the number of components it contains. To obtain a band 6 or higher, you must answer all portions of the question. Remember that it is critical to take a clear stance in response to the statement to demonstrate that you understand the subject and to maintain that position throughout the essay.

Use linking phrases:

You need to begin with an introduction and end with a conclusion. Your ideas must be clearly defined and structured. If you are expected to present both points of view and your viewpoint, begin with your perspective and then move on to the other points of view. The essay might then be finished by returning to your own point of view. This is the most logical order in which these thoughts should be presented.

Have your essay in paragraphs:

To separate your writing into various pieces, use paragraphs. The examiner should be able to read your essay easier as a result of this. Make sure each paragraph is well-organized and contains a well-developed topic of at least three sentences. It also shows that you can logically arrange and articulate your thoughts and ideas.

Make use of unusual vocabulary:

Avoid using old-fashioned words that are not used in everyday language. If you use a synonym, be sure it has the same meaning as the original and does not alter the meaning of the issue. When studying a language, use both common and uncommon words. You may also use phrasal verbs when discussing certain topics or using idiomatic language.

Avoid using memorized words, phrases, or examples:

Avoid using any memorized words, phrases, or examples in your writing. They do not show off your eloquence in writing. Examiners are well aware of this. Furthermore, because they are vague and do not sufficiently handle a task, they should not be utilized in writing. You should always utilize straightforward language and appropriate word choices to communicate your thoughts properly.

Make use of a variety of advanced sentence structures:

Using several frameworks, you should accurately explain your ideas and beliefs. Prove to the examiner that you can employ a variety of structures and that your sentences are error-free. In your writing, use a combination of smart and basic sentences.

However, keep in mind that your complicated sentences should not be excessively long or intricate. With perfect capitalization, commas, and full stops, your punctuation should likewise be perfect.

In writing essays, paragraphs are vital because they divide your thoughts into manageable pieces that a reader can grasp. Imagine reading a 250-word IELTS opinion essay in just one long block of text?!

As a result, many basic writing standards such as introductions and conclusions and the premise that each paragraph should contain only one idea apply. This makes it easier for a writer to provide clear information that a reader can comprehend.

Generally, you need to have at least four paragraphs in the IELTS opinion essay task. However, you may opt to have a five-paragraph essay, which is completely fine.

First Paragraph — Introduction

This paragraph gives the reader a sense of the essay as a whole and leaves an impression on the examiners. The first sentence is the question statement’s paraphrasing. The examiner should be able to recognize if you have fully understood the question by reading this sentence.

As a result, we recommend that you compose this paragraph so that examiners can acquire a clear picture of the essay.

Second Paragraph — 1st Body Paragraph

When composing your body paragraphs, you can choose one of these two options to construct each one: You can either submit two reasons for agreeing or disagreeing or write a single rationale with an example.

The side with which you disagree is discussed in the first body paragraph of the IELTS opinion essay task. Always remember to layout the first body paragraph’s structure before you start writing.

Third Paragraph — 2 nd Body Paragraph

You make an argument for the viewpoint with which you agree in the third paragraph. As a result, always consider either four or two reasons to support your position, each with an example.

Fourth Paragraph — Conclusion

This paragraph sums up your essay and wraps up your supporting points. To create an effective ending, include the thesis from the introduction, but in a paraphrased form to avoid using the same terms twice. Then, summarize the points from your second and third body paragraphs that support your argument.

Complete IELTS Opinion Essay Task:

How you plan and draft your IELTS opinion essay task will dictate the structure of your output. Remember that you only have 40 minutes for this task, and once you start writing, there is no going back. Hence, it is important that you follow the tips below to produce a quality essay.

Read and Understand the Question:

You will be asked if you agree or disagree with the question stated. That implies you will have to choose a side. Examiners will not evaluate what you are thinking or what you genuinely believe. They will simply look at the content of your essay.

As a result, after giving the question statement some thought, choose the side on which you have more strong points to discuss, even if you do not favor that side in real life.

Pick the Important Points :

You may have various points to discuss. However, you will not be able to write all of them. Examiners want you to clearly communicate your point of view, backed up with logic and examples.

Draft the Structure of your Essay :

Your IELTS opinion essay is finished by composing 14 sentences in four paragraphs. It is as easy as that. This is how we write a 4/14 essay.

The structure is simple to remember and apply in the IELTS Writing Test:

Introduction – 3 sentences

1 st Sentence: Paraphrase the given topic.

2 nd Sentence: Write a thesis statement.

3 rd Sentence: Write an outline sentence.

1st Body Paragraph – 4 sentences

1 st Sent ence: Topic Sentence 1

2 nd Sentence: Explain Topic Sentence 1.

3 rd Sentence: Present logic for Topic Sentence 1, including drawbacks.

4 th Sentence: Give a supportive example for Topic Sentence 1.

2nd Body Paragraph – 4 sentences

1 st Sentence: Topic Sentence 2

2 nd Sentence: Explain Topic Sentence 2.

3 rd S entence: Present logic for Topic Sentence 2, including drawbacks.

4 th Sentence: Give a supportive example for Topic Sentence 2.

Conclusion – 3 sentences

1 st Sentence: Summarize the body paragraph 1.

2 nd Sentence: Summarize the body paragraph 2.

3 rd Sentence: Give a final remark summarizing both body paragraphs.

As mentioned earlier, your introductory paragraph should be clear and concise. You are advised to have a maximum of 3 sentences. Do not elaborate too much so that you would not have anything to write in the succeeding paragraphs anymore. Moreover, it is also not recommended that you write your introduction in only one sentence.

The IELTS opinion essay task requires you to give your opinion in the introduction and conclusion paragraphs.

Opinion in the Introduction

Which side do you favor when you write your opinion in the initial paragraph of your essay?

Let us imagine you are an ordinary writer who does not show your point of view in the first paragraph. The examiner may interpret your points as they see fit in this situation. The reader also may be perplexed when they read in the last line which side you favor. This may cause you to lose points unnecessarily.

Opinion in the Conclusion

It is critical to write your viewpoint in the conclusion as well, as this is the final pronouncement. Finally, it persuades the examiner that your thinking is valid. However, remember that you should not repeat the terms you have already used in the introduction.

The last 5 minutes of the IELTS Writing Test could mean the difference between a 5 and a 6.5 band score. Utilize it well.

Ensure that by this time, you have finished writing your IELTS Writing Test and that you have enough time to double-check the following:

Punctuations
Number of Words
Sentence Structures

These may seem minor details, but you would not believe the number of candidates who have failed to recheck their essay and got a low band score. Do not commit the same mistake.

The use of appropriate words is an important component of effective essay writing. To explain thoughts more effectively, one should continually grow and strengthen one’s vocabulary.

The following are the top words and phrases to know to produce excellent IELTS opinion essays:

Expressing Opinions

I’d argue that…
In my opinion…
Personally, I believe…
It appears to me that…
I have to admit that…
As far as I can tell…
As for me, I believe…
That is something I cannot deny…
I’d like to emphasize that…
In my personal experience…

Proving Arguments

This is testified by…
This is evidenced by…
This establishes that…
This is attested/proven by…

Expressing General Point of View

It is commonly stated that…
According to popular belief…
It is commonly assumed that…
It is generally assumed that…
It is largely agreed upon that…
It’s a widely held assumption that…

Outlining Facts

It is evident that …
The truth is that …
It is obvious that …
This shows that …
There is no doubt that …

Giving Examples

As an example…
Take for instance…
We can see this in…
A good illustration of this is…
Evidence for this is manifested in…
To summarize…
In conclusion…
In general…
Taking everything into account…

Preparing for the IELTS Writing Test is not as difficult as you would imagine. It just takes enough practice and preparation.

The good news is that this is not the first time you are writing, and for sure, you already have the knowledge and skills for it. You just need to review and apply them when you take the IELTS Writing Test.

Make sure you understand the concepts you are discussing :

“If you won’t be able to make a six-year-old understand it, you don’t comprehend it yourself,” Albert Einstein once stated.

Take time to mentally explain the notion to a six-year-old who lives inside your head before you begin writing. If you want to attain a specific outcome with your writing, consider what that result should be. Have a clear objective in mind before you start writing. Then stay with it.

Learn how to brainstorm ideas and create an outline:

Unfortunately, having good English grammar and vocabulary is not enough. Because the IELTS examiner is evaluating your ability to generate cohesive and orderly responses, you should practice thinking of themes to write about. As a result, you should practice brainstorming and outlining ideas for your IELTS Writing Task 2 responses.

Do not go overboard with your explanations:

You should keep things simple if you have taken the effort to organize your thoughts ahead of time.

The goal is to provide readers with just enough information to understand what you are saying without overwhelming them with unnecessary information. If you are getting bogged down with unnecessary details, consider whether each piece of information is necessary to help your reader understand your point. Otherwise, get rid of it.

Avoid using too many prepositional phrases:

Prepositional phrases make your work overly wordy and difficult. It is a fact. Although prepositions are not difficult to grasp, they do necessitate some explanation. You should get clever about prepositions and strive to simplify them whenever possible. Your writing will gain a much-needed boost in clarity.

Know your strategy:

Each IELTS Writing task necessitates a distinct strategy.

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

You need to determine the major patterns and characteristics and rewrite the material from the task in the introduction using synonyms and grammar transformations. Describe only the facts that are relevant to the inquiry, not all of it. In conclusion, summarize the main themes from your body paragraphs.

IELTS General Training Writing Task 1

You need to analyze the question and brainstorm ideas using bullet points. Design paragraphs by addressing your bullet points, and write the letter.

IELTS Writing Task 2

Rephrase the question in the introduction and construct a thesis statement based on your viewpoint. Write topic sentences outlining your essential points – one for each theme – and use one of them to begin each body paragraph. Use explanations and examples to support the main sentence in the rest of the paragraph; in conclusion, summarize your points.

Improve your grammatical range and vocabulary:

Spend time reading different materials, such as commercials, articles, manuals, magazines, reports, and sample models from practice exams, in the weeks leading up to test day to learn new vocabulary in varied situations.

Practice making sentences with new words and difficult structures.

Keep your sentences short and simple:

Long, complex sentences can be written with style by literary experts. It is easier to read shorter, less convoluted sentences. Keep things simple.

However, vary the length of your sentences to create a smooth flow in your writing.

Practice, practice, practice:

The best way to enhance your writing is to figure out what makes it weak in the first place and then work on addressing (and eventually preventing) the flaws. You will improve your writing, editing, and proofreading skills as you write, edit, and proofread more. Practice as often as you can.

Before taking the IELTS Writing Test, you are advised to spend time reading the sample and model responses that receive high marks from the examiner. This will help you strategize and choose which technique to employ when you finally have to take the IELTS Writing Test.

How Do I Write an Opinion Essay for IELTS?

To write an IELTS opinion essay task, you first need to read and understand the question. Then, you have to plan and draft what you need to include in the essay.

Next, you will write the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion of your essay. Make sure you meet the required number of words, at least 250 words.

Can You Use Quotes, Idioms, or Proverbs in Your Essay?

In the IELTS Writing Test Task 2, you get a high score when you employ appropriate, natural language in the proper context.

As a result, avoid using quotes, idioms, or proverbs in your essays. Because these are not your own words, they are not appropriate for the IELTS Opinion Essay Task. Utilizing them in your essay will lead to low marks.

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Opinion Essay IELTS Writing task 2: overview, structure and tips

1. opinion essay ielts overview.

If questions like “Do you agree or disagree?”, “To what extent do you agree or disagree?”, or “What is your opinion?”, etc. appears, you are tackling with IELTS opinion essay , or Argumentative/Agree or Disagree essay.

This question type in IELTS Writing Task 2 asks you to give opinions after providing a statement or an argument. Following are general types of IELTS opinion essay:

Ask if you agree or disagree and how much you agree or disagree e.g. Some people think that rich countries should support poor countries in terms of aid for health care and education. To what extent do you agree? or Some people believe that schools should not assess a student’s ability through exams but instead assess them by their course work and project work over the whole academic year. Do you agree?
Ask you to discusss both sides impartially, not ask for your opinion e.g. While some people think that the problem with education in poor countries is the teaching methodology used, others believe it is the lack of resources that is the real issue. Discuss both sides.
Ask you to discuss both views and give your opinion e.g. Many children no longer read books and instead spend their time using modern technology. While some people think this is a positive trend, others think it is a problem. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

In terms of giving an opinion towards a statement, you have three choices:

Totally agree
Totally disagree
Partially agree or disagree

Let’s get started with our free IELTS online test to pass the exam on your first attempt.

2. IELTS Opinion Essay Structure

The structure below is highly recommended besides other ways to structure an IELTS opinion essay. You should follow the four-part essay with four different paragraphs:

2.1. Introduction

– Paraphrase the statement (e.g. It is argued that IT is playing an ever increasing role in schools and universities and one day teachers will be obsolete.)

– Thesis statement with the mention of reasons for your opinion (e.g. It is disagreed that technology will one day replace educators.)

– Outline statement (optional)

(e.g. This essay will discuss, firstly the limitations of technology in education and secondly, the essential role teachers play in maintaining discipline in the classroom, followed by a reasoned conclusion.)

2.2. Body 1

This paragraph will be the first reason you agree or disagree with the statement given:

– Topic sentence: state the first idea you agree or disagree (e.g. Technology may be able to help students with some things but it has many limitations.)

– Explain the topic sentence: elaborate the first idea

(e.g. I.T. can not educate people as effectively as real human beings because computers can not detect things such as context, emotions, and how an individual learns.)

– Example: support the first idea with an example

(e.g. A prime example is language learning, in which teachers need to explain not only individual words but how these words work in different situations. However, there may come a time in the very distant future when computers are able to carry out these tasks.)

– Brief summary of the first idea (optional)

2.3. Body 2

The body paragraph 2 will discuss the second reason you agree or disagree with the statement

– Topic sentence: state the second idea you agree or disagree

(e.g. Computers are also unable to ensure good classroom management.)

– Explain the topic sentence: elaborate the second idea

(e.g. A computer may be able to provide a student with lots of information, but it will not be able to motivate or discipline students when they display unacceptable behaviour.)

– Example: support the second idea with an example

(e.g. For instance, unruly students could simply switch the device off and do nothing for the rest of the class. Nevertheless, this may not be a problem for highly motivated adult students.)

– Brief summary of the second idea (optional)

2.4. Conclusion

The final paragraph of your IELTS opinion essay will summarize and reinterate your opinion.

(e.g. In conclusion, it is not likely that electronic devices will replace teachers in the future because of current limitations in technology and the requirement for teachers to maintain good behaviour in the classroom. It is predicted that computers will play an ever increasing role in the classroom but will never fully replace humans.)

➡️➡️ See more: IELTS Writing Practice Test

3. IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Strategy

3.1. make a short outline.

You had better read thoroughly the topic given and underline the key points in the first place.
Then, note down whether you agree or disagree with the statement.
Next, write two main points supporting your idea in the form of a phrase instead of a full sentence. Each point should be supported by an explanation and a example.

Your outline can be organized as a mindmap or a table or simply bullet points with words and phrases only in order to save time and give clearer overview.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Strategy

3.2. Write a complete IELTS opinion essay

Based on the IELTS opinion essay structure given in the previous part and the outline you have created, it’s now time for you to write your own IELTS opinion essay.

3.3. Recheck your IELTS opinion essay

Make sure your IELTS writing task 2 opinion essay will be correctly written in terms of spelling and grammar structures. Check your final essay at least once before handing in.

>>> Read more: IELTS Discussion Essay

4. IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Tips

Do not just list all the reasons without any explanation or example in the body paragraphs
Your opinion should be mentioned throughout the whole essay, not just in the conclusion part
Watch out the time limit and word count at the same time. You will be given around 40 minutes to write the essay, so the ideal word range should be 250 to 290 words.
You should have several words or phrases showing the opposing or supporting idea at your disposal, especially in the Introduction and Conclusion parts.
It is not recommended to give two distinctive opinions since your IELTS opinion essay will be much more like a discussion essay.

That’s the brief introduction and strategy to effectively produce an IELTS Writing task 2 Opinion essay , or IELTS argumentative/agree/disagree essay. IELTS Test Pro hopes that the above knowledge will help you conquer IELTS route with much success. Visit our website and download the app to practice now!

Opinion Essay Questions in IELTS Writing Task 2

Learn how to answer Opinion essay questions in IELTS writing Task 2 with an overview, recommended approach and practice question. by Tim Martyn

Example question

Recommended approach, practice question.

Opinion essay questions are a common question type in IELTS writing Task 2. You’ll be presented with a statement or opinion and be asked the extent to which you agree or disagree.

Here are some key points about Opinion essay questions:

You should spend no more than 40 minutes on the task.
You should write at least 250 words – you’ll be penalised if your answer is too short.
Task 2 is worth two thirds of your total writing mark; Task 1 is worth one third.
You must write in full sentences, not bullet points or note form.

Here’s an example Opinion essay question.

Write about the following topic: Governments should provide everyone with free healthcare. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Here’s my recommended approach for answering Opinion essay questions. We’ll use the example question to go through the steps you need to take.

IMPORTANT: The overall approach is the same for all Task 2 question types (i.e. discussion, opinion, advantages–disadvantages and two-part essay questions). This is important because, on test day, you could get a question that doesn’t fall neatly into any of these categories. However, if you learn and practise applying the overall approach, you should be able to respond flexibly to any question you’re presented with. Also, while I generally recommend writing 4-paragraph essays, there are other structures you can use to write an effective essay.

Step 1 > Analyse the question

The first step is to analyse the question. This is crucial – if you don’t take the time to analyse the question properly, you may misunderstand what it’s asking you or fail to respond to key parts of the question. Here’s our question prompt again.

You can see that we’ve been presented with a fairly straightforward opinion (i.e. that governments should provide everyone with free healthcare), and we’re being asked the extent to which we agree or disagree.

IMPORTANT: Opinion essay questions are sometimes worded differently, but what they have in common is that they ask you to choose a position. Here are some common variations: Do you agree or disagree? Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

Step 2 > Think of ideas

Once you fully understand the question and what you’re required to do, the next step is to spend a few minutes thinking of ideas for your essay. Don’t try to brainstorm as many ideas as you can – all you need is a few good ideas. If you’re having trouble coming up with ideas, try asking yourself these questions:

What are the most obvious ideas?
If you asked 100 people for their ideas, what do you think most of them would say?

For Opinion essay questions, you need to think of two reasons why you agree or two reasons why you disagree. Notice that the question asks To what extent you agree or disagree. This makes it perfectly acceptable to choose a middle position (i.e. partly agree and partly disagree), but this makes the essay much harder to write, so I recommend just choosing one side. Choose the side that you can think of the clearest arguments for.

Step 3 > Make a plan

Once you’ve thought of some ideas, it’s time to make a plan. I’d recommend that you spend about 5 minutes on your plan. It doesn’t need to be very detailed, but it’s important to think about what examples you’ll use and how you’ll explain your points. If you think of these things in advance, you’ll be able to connect your ideas more effectively when you’re writing your essay. Don’t try to write in full sentences – you can use symbols and abbreviations. The important thing is just to get your ideas down on paper. The plan for this essay might look something like this.

Step 4 > Write the introduction

Now that you’ve thought of ideas for your essay and made a plan, it’s time to write the introduction. IELTS doesn’t specify what you need to include in your introduction, but for Opinion essay questions, I recommend that you include:

a paraphrase of the statement or opinion given in the question;
a statement about whether you agree or disagree, including an outline of your reasons.

Let’s look at each of these parts one by one.

1. A paraphrase of the statement or opinion given in the question

An easy and effective way to start your introduction is to paraphrase the statement or opinion given in the question. At this stage, don’t state whether you agree or disagree – we’ll do that in the second part of the introduction. Keep in mind that you mustn’t copy the exact wording used in the question. Instead, you need to use synonyms and other forms of paraphrasing. You won’t be able find synonyms for everything. In fact, some words shouldn’t be replaced because doing so would change the meaning. Our paraphrase could be something like this: Some people argue that governments should be responsible for covering their citizens’ healthcare costs.

2. A statement about whether you agree or disagree, including an outline of your reasons

In the second part of the introduction, you should clearly state whether you agree or disagree and give your two reasons for holding this view. You can usually do this in a single sentence. Remember that the question is asking for your opinion, so don’t be afraid to use personal language such as I agree or I think . An easy way to introduce your reasons is to use because . For our question, we could write something like this: I wholeheartedly agree with this view because free healthcare makes society more equal and improves health outcomes.

If we put the two parts of the introduction together, this is what we have.

Some people argue that governments should be responsible for covering their citizens’ healthcare costs. I wholeheartedly agree with this view because free healthcare makes society more equal and improves health outcomes.

Step 5 > Write the body paragraphs

The next step is to write the body paragraphs. The first body paragraph should be about your first reason and the second body paragraph should be about your second reason. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that clearly states the reason that is the focus of that paragraph. Here are some possible body paragraphs for our example.

First of all, universal healthcare creates more social equality. In countries without universal healthcare, such as the United States, people from low socioeconomic backgrounds often avoid seeking medical care due to the prohibitive costs involved. This makes society unequal. However, when financial barriers to healthcare services are removed, individuals gain equal access to quality healthcare regardless of their financial status. This ensures that the most vulnerable members of society are able to receive essential medical attention and preventive care, which is a basic human right. Free healthcare also improves the health of the general population. When people, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds, have to pay for healthcare services, they are more likely to delay treatment or not seek treatment at all. In contrast, when healthcare is provided free by governments, people are more willing to make appointments with their doctor. These appointments may uncover the existence of health conditions such as diabetes and heart disease, which can then be properly treated by the doctor. By enabling the early detection of such chronic conditions through free healthcare, governments improve the general health of their citizens, which can even lower the costs of the healthcare system over time as fewer and fewer people require ongoing care for chronic conditions.

Step 6 > Write the conclusion

The next step is to write the conclusion. All you need to do here is restate your opinion and your two reasons. Don’t just copy the words you used in other parts of the essay – use synonyms and paraphrasing as much as you can. Start your conclusion with In conclusion or To conclude . Here’s a possible conclusion for our example.

In conclusion, I strongly believe that governments should ensure that all of their citizens have access to free healthcare. It creates more equality in society and leads to better health outcomes at the population level.

Step 7 > Check your work

The final step is to check your work. At this stage, you won’t have time to make any major changes, but it’s still an important step. Things to check for:

whether you’ve used an adequate range of grammar and vocabulary;
your word count.

Now it’s your turn to practise. Try the Opinion essay question below using the approach outlined above.

Write about the following topic: There should be a special tax on sugary drinks to make them more expensive and discourage people from consuming them. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

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Click below for a sample answer.

Some people believe that sugary drinks should be subject to a special tax in order to reduce their consumption. I agree with this approach because it would improve health outcomes and generate additional revenue, which could then be spent on health-related initiatives.

Firstly, implementing a special tax on sugary drinks would benefit the health of the general population. High sugar intake from these drinks has been unequivocally linked to health issues such as obesity, type 2 diabetes and dental problems. By raising the cost of these beverages through taxation, consumption and therefore sugar intake would decrease. Over time, this reduced consumption would lower the prevalence of chronic health conditions in the population. This would of course benefit individuals, but it would also gradually reduce the cost of the healthcare system as fewer and fewer people would require ongoing care for such conditions.

Not only would a special tax on sugary drinks lead to health benefits at the individual and population levels, but it would also generate additional revenue for the government. This newfound revenue could be used for a range purposes, including to upgrade hospital facilities and improve healthcare systems more generally. It could also be used to fund health promotion campaigns. For example, with the revenue raised from sugary drinks, the government could develop advertisements for television and social media to inform the public about the detrimental health effects of excessive sugar consumption.

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Essay Task 2

IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essays- Benchmark IELTS

Essay Types
Double Question
Advantage Disadvantage
Problem Solution
Essay Length

Opinion essays are a very common writing task 2 essay type. As you would expect from the name, you need to write a well-structured IELTS writing essay topics that give your opinion. We’ve put together a guide with everything you need to know to write a great IELTS writing task 2 opinion essay. Let’s get started!

1.1 understanding the question, 1.2 example opinion questions.

Essay Structure for Opinion Essays
3.1 Identify key words and phrases

3.2 Organise your ideas

3.3 identify vocabulary, 4.1 introduction, 4.2 main body paragraphs, 4.3 conclusion.

5.1 Complete the sample opinion essay

5.2 Opinion Sample Essay

1. opinion essay overview.

An opinion essay is also known as an agree or disagree essay . As with all writing task 2 essays, you will have 40 minutes to write at least 250 words .

Read on to find out how to produce a great opinion essay.

It is important that you first understand what writing task 2 essay question you have been given before you start writing. The type of essay question you get will slightly change the structure of your essay.

Remember, there are five main types of writing task 2 questions:

Advantage/disadvantage
Double question
Problem/solution

You will be given an IELTS statement and a question . Here are some common questions/sentence starters that tell you that you have been given an opinion essay:

What is your opinion
Do you think…

To what extent do you agree?

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

The main aims of this type of essay are:

Choose one side of the argument
To state your opinion about a given topic
Support your opinion with clear reasons and examples

A common mistake test takers make when writing an opinion essay is that they treat it like an advantage/disadvantage essay and try to write about both sides of the argument in detail (see our guide on advantage/disadvantage essays and compare the difference).

For an opinion essay, you need to pick a side : it does not matter which side of the argument you choose, just pick the one that you can develop the best argument for.

However, you should briefly acknowledge the other side of the argument, and will show you how to do this in your introduction , main body paragraphs, and conclusion .

You should not give reasons to support the opposing argument , only support one side with reasons and examples.

Make it clear to the examiner what your opinion is from the beginning to the end of your essay (this is called a thesis-led approach: leading with your opinion).

Here are some example opinion writing task 2 questions to help you recognize them in the IELTS exam:

Some people think that more money should be spent on protecting endangered species while others think it is a waste of valuable money.

What is your opinion?

Also, read the following IELTS Essay Writing Guides

IELTS Discussion Type Questions
Double Question IELTS Essay Topics
IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Type
Problem Solution IELTS Writing Task Statement

Systems of funding university education are different from country to country. While some countries charge students for studying at university, others offer university education for free.

Do you think students should pay for higher education?

Every school system in the world includes regular tests and exams, and many people think that it is important for students to take lots of exams.

Children should not start school until the age of six or seven because they need to have more time to play and develop before they go to school.

Scientists and technology experts seem to be more valued by modern society than musicians and artists.

2. Essay Structure for Opinion Essays

Although there is more than one way you could choose to structure your essay, we have provided you with a foolproof structure you can always use for opinion essays to score highly in Coherence and cohesion , as well as address all parts of the task to do well in Task achievement :

3. Planning your Opinion Essay

Don’t skip this step! Taking 5 minutes to plan your essay could be the difference between your desired score and a missed opportunity.

3.1 Identify keywords and phrases

By identifying the topic of your essay, you are making sure that you are going to write about the correct topic and not go off-course. Test takers that rush and panic can make the mistake of writing about a completely different topic to the one they have been asked to write about. Don’t be one of those test taskers and make a plan !

Let’s take a look at the question for our sample answer where we have underlined the topic words:

The topic words are underlined and show the general topic of this essay question is protecting endangered species .

Now that we have identified the topic sentence, we should also look for any other keywords or phrases that give more information about the topic. Look at the words in bold below:

Some people think that more money should be spent on protecting endangered species while others think it is a waste of valuable money .

So this question is not only asking you to give your opinion on protecting endangered species, but also the amount of money that is spent on this cause.

A test taker that had only addressed the first point would likely have scored poorly in Task achievement.

There are so many ways you could choose to organize your ideas. We have chosen to note down our ideas by paragraph:

We give more note taking and idea generation tips in Master Guide for IELTS writing task 2 .

If any useful IELTS vocabulary for writing comes to mind during the planning process, it is useful to write it down so you don’t forget (remember to cross out any notes or planning before the end of the 40 minutes so the examiner does not mark this as your essay).

4. Writing your Opinion Essay

Paraphrasing means being able to write something in your own words without changing the meaning . This is an essential skill needed for the IELTS exam, especially writing task 2.

There is no one right way to paraphrase an IELTS statement. You could choose to use synonyms or parallel expressions (phrases with more than one word but have the same meaning). You could also change the sentence structure, but make sure it is still grammatically correct. Another paraphrase technique is to change a word class, for example, a noun to a verb form.

Take a look at our example, can you see the main changes we have made?

Although this is a formal essay, you are still allowed the use of the first person ‘I’ and ‘my’, you will need to use this when giving your opinion (just don’t over-do it).

Notice that in this example, the opinion has been clearly stated whilst presenting both sides of the argument :

Opinion: However, my view is that more government funding should be used for wildlife conservation.

Other side of the argument: It is argued by some that the protection of endangered animals is wasteful.

Not all sample essays will show this, but you can choose to briefly state what your essay will do, for example:

This essay will explain my opinion in more detail.

Now let’s move on to the main body paragraphs.

A topic sentence is usually found at the beginning of your paragraph. This should give the reader the main idea of your paragraph in one sentence.

Here are two examples taken from the sample answer:

One reason that I believe more money should be spent on the conservation of wildlife is that animals are an essential part of maintaining the health of an ecosystem.
Another reason to support spending on wildlife protection is that it also benefits humanity.

The start of your sentence indicates to the reader that you are clearly stating a reason for your opinion and that you are going to develop this idea throughout the paragraph.

You could also choose to start your topic sentence with the following structures:

One reason that I believe…
One argument in favor of… is that…
The main reason that I think…
Another reason to second…. (note that second here means ‘ to agree with an idea ’ )

You could also use the grammatical structure ‘ Not only… but also…’ to avoid repetition and put emphasis on the second reason, for example:

Not only does spending money on conservation help the animal kingdom, but it also benefits society as a whole.

Not only will preventing the extinction of species help the animals themselves, but it will also have a positive effect on the quality of air, water, and agricultural land.

As this is an opinion essay, it is essential that you use a range of phrases to give your opinion. Far too often, candidates just repeat the phrase ‘In my opinion…’ Here are some other sentence starters you can use to impress the examiner

My point is that…
I am of the opinion that…
My argument is that…
As far as I am concerned,…
In my view…

Your conclusion is a very important part of your essay. You need to restate your opinion (in different words than your introduction) as well as choose the most convincing argument from your essay.

Remember to also briefly mention the other side of the argument to show the examiner that you understand there are two sides and you have clearly chosen one.

Here is a useful structure to do this:

Although it is true that… on balance I believe that/ I am of the view that/ another opinion phrase)…

And here is the full example from our sample essay :

… although it is true that there are valuable uses for funding that could aid environmental protection, on balance I am of the opinion that governments should invest in the protection of endangered species.

5. Example Opinion Essay and Exercise

Now it’s time to test your knowledge about IELTS writing task 2 opinion essays. We’ve created a model answer, but removed some of the keywords and phrases.

You need to select the correct missing words and complete the model answer. Good luck!

5.1 Complete the Sample Opinion Essay

These days, the number of species facing extinction is growing, and as a result, a larger number of people are becoming involved in environmental issues. It is argued by some that the protection of endangered animals is wasteful. However, my view is that more government funding should be used for wildlife conservation. This essay will explain my opinion in more detail.

One reason that I believe more money should be spent on the conservation of wildlife is that animals are an essential part of maintaining the health of an ecosystem. If a species becomes endangered, it signals that an ecosystem is out of balance. As a result, the loss of one species may trigger the loss of others and may lead to irreversible consequences for the animal kingdom.

Another reason to support spending on wildlife protection is that it also benefits humanity. For example, if the ecosystem is out of balance then the health of the environment is also negatively affected, for example, the loss of wildlife can affect the quality of clean water and air for a population. In addition, the fertility of agricultural land may also be reduced with the loss of certain species. Having said that, there are those that argue that this is a costly and inefficient use of public funds. They think that money would be better spent on other schemes such as renewable energy projects.

In conclusion, having looked at the topic in detail, although it is true that there are valuable uses for funding that could aid environmental protection, on balance I am of the opinion that governments should invest in the protection of endangered species. The main reason is that the protection of wildlife will not only benefit the animal kingdom, but also the human race and the environment we inhabit.

2 thoughts on “IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essays- Benchmark IELTS”

Hey. Thanks for a great material. I have one concern though. In the ” common questions in opinion essay” part, you mentioned this question ” Discuss both view and give your opinion.” But isn’t it included to the “Discussion essays”??

Hi, I just wanted to ask this question cuz it made to think about it thoroughly.

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How to Write an IELTS Opinion Essay

One of the forms of essays you may be asked to write for the writing task 2 of the IELTS Exam is the Opinion Essay. So, in this lesson, you will learn how to recognize the opinion essays and answer them.

You may encounter the term discussion essay. But, IELTS opinion essays and IELTS discussion essays are the same. There is no difference between them.

If you are not familiar yet with all the types of essays, and minimum requirements to achieve a high band when writing IELTS essays , you better first check them. Then, come back to this article to learn more about opinion essays.

How to Determine the IELTS Opinion Essay

The first and most important thing you should do when writing an IELTS essay is to determine the essay type. There are five types of IELTS essays , and one is the opinion essay.

As this article is about opinion essays, let’s understand how to know if the essay is opinion one.

If the essay question asks you to give your opinion or discuss both views, then that is an opinion essay. Let’s look at examples.

Below example is from official Cambridge book 8.

As you can see, it asks for discussing both views and giving your opinion. Whenever you see this statement, it’s surely an opinion essay. No need to hesitate.

Now, let’s take a look at another example. This example is from Cambridge book 10.

Again, it is asking for your opinion. So, when you see the statement: Discuss both views and give your own opinion , you can be certain that it is an opinion essay.

How to Structure an IELTS Opinion Essay

Well, now we can know if the essay type is opinion. So, let’s learn ways to structure opinion essays.

IELTS opinion essays always ask you to discuss two viewpoints, so make sure to write about both viewpoints.

We recommend that you write four paragraphs. The first paragraph is an introduction. Then you have two write two main body paragraphs and conclusion.

Let’s look at this with a real example question.

Here is an essay question which was taken from the Cambridge book 12:

Some people say that parents should encourage their children to take part in organised group activities in their free time. Others say that it is important for children to learn how to occupy themselves on their own.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

First, you should write the introduction. Paraphrase the question, and add your opinion. You can support one or another view. However, you also can have a balanced opinion. In a moment, we’ll write the introduction to this topic.

Second, you should write the first main body paragraph which will be about the first viewpoint. With the latest question, it will be about why it is good to encourage children to take part in organised group activities.

Then, you should write the second body paragraph supporting the second viewpoint. In this case, you should say why it is better for children to learn to occupy themselves on their own.

Last, you should write a conclusion. It shouldn’t be a long one. It should just paraphrase the introduction.

So, now, let’s follow this question and write a full essay.

How to Write an Introduction

As mentioned before, the first paragraph you should write is the introduction. You should aim to write two to three sentences for the introduction. Not more.

So, let’s paraphrase the essay question, and add our opinion. For our last essay question we could write:

Currently, there is a multitude of pastimes and games for children; however, it is a contentious issue whether they should be involved in collective or individual hobbies. This essay will consider each point of view and shall demonstrate that both types of activity are essential for young people.

First, we paraphrased the essay question. Then, we added our opinion. It’s crucial to give your opinion because the essay question asks to do so.

We have a balanced opinion, so our essay will support both views equally.

We used synonyms to avoid repeating the words which were in the question. In this way, we are aiming at a high score in the vocabulary criterion.

To check more how the IELTS writing task is assessed, check out this video .

How to Write the First Main Body Paragraphs

The first main body paragraph should support organised group activities for children.

We should add ideas about why it is good for children to participate in organised activities.

Here is our first main body paragraph:

With respect to the young interacting in groups, there are two principal benefits. First and foremost, spending time with those of a similar age facilitates the building of supportive relationships throughout childhood. For instance, laughing and playing together provides unique joy and the ultimate ability to comfort and protect each other if school or home difficulties are experienced. Moreover, integrating with others enables socialisation to occur. This includes building the skills of empathy, negotiation and teamwork, which will be of paramount importance in their future personal and working lives.

We supported the first view and added examples. We also used a wide range of vocabulary to aim at a high score.

Overall, we gave two ideas about why children should take part in organised activities. We recommend that you try to give from two to three ideas for each viewpoint. Not more.

Now, let’s move on and write the second body paragraph.

How to Write the Second Body Paragraph

In the second body paragraph, we should write about the advantages of children occupying themselves. Again, we should add some ideas and support them with examples.

So, for our question it would be:

In spite of this, encouraging children to appreciate time alone is certainly beneficial. Firstly, it promotes independence, which is a necessary survival skill. For example, it is unhealthy and unrealistic to expect others to be ever-present. Time without family and friends is inevitable and young people need to learn to tolerate this. In addition, functioning individually can be thoroughly rewarding. To illustrate, they are able to discover themselves and the world through various self-autonomous activities such as reading, painting and writing. In fact, doing so develops self-esteem, which is vital for the happiness and development of young people.

Again, we gave two ideas and supported them with examples. Our second body paragraph is also ready.

So, now is the time to write the conclusion to complete this essay.

How to Write the Conclusion

The conclusion should summarize your essay. It should lightly mention all that you have talked about previously. Then, it should state your concluding idea.

For our essay, the conclusion would be:

To summarise, this essay has discussed the merits of children engaging in collaborative and solitary interests. Evidence suggests that young people should be involved in a balance of each to enable the acquisition of mutual support, social skills, independence and self esteem. As society develops, there will be a greater diversity of activities on offer to them.

Now, it is time for you to practice what we have done together. Find new essays questions to answer on your own. Take into consideration the steps shown above, and write your own essay.

If you follow the steps outlined above, you should receive a high score on your essay. To be sure, have the essay looked at by an experienced IELTS examiner.

ALISTAIR BROWN: As a writing and speaking examiner for more than 10 years, I bring a lot of experience. I have seen the frustrations that students have with IELTS from a career where I have actively guided and corrected students’ studies. I am looking for the most effective ways to teach IELTS as I understand students’ needs.

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How to Plan & Write IELTS Opinion Essays

IELTS opinion essays, also known as ‘agree or disagree’ essays, come up frequently in the writing exam. In this lesson, I’m going to show you how to plan and write them step-by-step.

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

3 Common mistakes
Essay structure
How to plan
How to write an introduction
How to write main body paragraphs
How to write a conclusion

Click the links to see lessons on each of these Task 2 essay writing topics.

Once you understand the process, practice on past questions. Take your time at first and gradually speed up until you can plan and write an essay of at least 250 words in the 40 minutes allowed in the exam.

The Question

The first part of the question for an IELTS opinion essay will be a statement. You will then be asked to give your own opinion about the statement. Here is some typical wording that might be used:

What is your opinion?
Do you agree or disagree?
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Want to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

Here's a question from a past test paper.

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

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.

I’ll be using this question to guide you through the process of planning and writing an IELTS opinion essay.

3 Common Mistakes

These three errors are common in IELTS opinion essays.

Not stating an opinion.
Giving arguments for both views.
Not supporting your opinion with clear reasons.

The most common mistake that students make is not giving an opinion. The question will clearly state that you must choose one side of the argument. If you fail to do this, you will get a low score for task achievement.

It doesn’t matter which side of the argument you take or even, that you agree with it. Choose the one you can develop the best argument for.

Make sure that you don’t change your opinion part way through the essay, and don’t give reasons for the opposing view.

Essay Structure

Now let’s look at a simple structure you can use to write opinion essays. It’s not the only possible structure but it’s the one I recommend because it’s easy to learn and will enable you to quickly plan and write a high-level essay.

1) Introduction

Paraphrase the question
Give your opinion
State two supporting reasons

2) Main body paragraph 1

Topic sentence – outline 1st reason for supporting this view
Explanation – explain this idea
Example – give an example or expand the idea

3) Main body paragraph 2

Topic sentence – outline 2nd reason for supporting this view
Example – give an example or expand the idea

4) Conclusion

Summarise opinion and key reasons

This structure will give us a well-balanced essay with 4 paragraphs.

We now need some ideas to add into the structure and we’ll have everything we need for our essay.

How To Plan IELTS Opinion Essays

# 1 decide on your opinion.

The question I've chosen to work on is quite straightforward and easy to understand so we don’t need to spend time analysing it. The first task, then, is to decide on our opinion.

Here’s the question again:

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?

For this essay, I’m going to disagree with the statement and argue that job satisfaction is more important than a big salary.

# 2 Generate ideas

The second task is to generate some ideas to write about.

Since I‘m going to argue that job satisfaction is more important than a large salary, I need ideas to support this view.

There are several different ways to think up ideas. I cover them fully on the IELTS Essay Planning page.

With this particular question, I immediately thought of a couple of examples of situations where job satisfaction did prove to be more important than a high salary, so I’m going to use the ‘example method’ of generating ideas.

Once you’ve thought of an example or two, ideas to include in your essay should come to you easily.

You might want to try this yourself before reading on for my ideas.

Here are my examples and some ideas they generated.

Both the examples are partly true but I've adapted them to better fit the essay. It's fine to do this as the examiner won't check your facts.

Uncle Barry – boasted about high salary but hated his job. Nervous breakdown – lost job & can’t work.
Me – gave up teaching. Now enjoy my work and am much more relaxed and happy even though I earn much less money.
High-salary jobs are generally more stressful
Stress leads to ill health, both mental and physical
40 hours a week at work – a third of the day
Money doesn’t bring happiness
Better quality of life
Sense of fulfilment
Less stressed – healthier and happier

I’ve got more ideas here than I need so I’m going to pick two to develop in the essay – one for each of the main body paragraphs.

Idea 1 – High-salary jobs are generally more stressful and can lead to ill health.

Idea 2 – Job satisfaction gives a sense of fulfilment.

We’re almost ready to start writing our IELTS opinion essay but first, we have one other small task to do.

# 3 Vocabulary

In an IELTS essay, it’s important to be able to say the same things in different ways, either by paraphrasing and/or using synonyms. During the planning stage, quickly jot down a few synonyms of key words you could use to save you having to stop and think of the right language while you’re writing.

For example:

satisfaction – fulfilment, achievement, sense of accomplishment, content, sense of well-being

salary – income, wages, pay, earnings

important – significant, valued, has more meaning

job – work, employment, position

With that done, we can focus on the first paragraph of the essay – the introduction.

How To Write an Introduction

A good introduction has a simple 3 part structure:

1) Paraphrased question

2) Thesis statement

3) outline statement.

An introduction should:

Have 2-3 sentences
Be 40-60 words long
Take 5 minutes to write

1) Paraphrase the question

Start your introduction by paraphrasing the question.

Question: A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?

Paraphrased question:

It is argued that earning lots of money has more significance to people than being content in their work.

Note that I’ve used some of the synonyms I listed, although it’s fine to repeat one or two words if you need to. Above all, your language must sound natural.

In IELTS opinion essays, the thesis statement is where you state your opinion. For example,

Thesis statement:

This essay totally disagrees with that statement.

That’s all you need to say.

If you decided to agree with the statement, you would write:

'This essay completely agrees with that statement.'

Finally in the introduction, you must outline the two main points (ideas 1 and 2 above) that you’ll cover in the rest of the essay. Do it in one sentence, or you can add them onto the end of the thesis statement if appropriate.

Outl ine statement:

I believe that people are increasingly concerned about the risk of stress-related ill-health frequently experienced by people in highly paid positions and they care more about feeling fulfilled at work.

So, let’s bring the three elements of our introduction together.

Introduction

This introduction achieves three important functions:

It shows the examiner that you understand the question.
It acts as a guide to the examiner as to what your essay is about.
It also helps to keep you focused and on track as you write.

The two ideas in your introduction will become your two main body paragraphs.

Main body paragraph 1 – concerns about the risk of stress-related ill-health

Main body paragraph 2 – a sense of fulfilment at work

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

The structure of a good main body paragraph has 3 parts:

Topic sentence
Explanation

If you can’t think of an example, you can add further supporting ideas but we already have our two examples so that’s not an issue here.

A common problem when writing main body paragraphs for IELTS opinion essays is having too many ideas. Again, we have already chosen the two ideas we are going to develop, so we are all set to start writing.

You can see how important the planning stage is and how it makes the actual writing of the essay far quicker and easier.

Main Body Paragraph 1

The topic sentence summarises the main idea of the paragraph. That’s all it needs to do so it doesn’t have to be complicated.

It plays an important role in ensuring that your ideas flow logically from one to another. It does this by acting as a signpost for what is to come next, that is, what the paragraph will be about.

If you maintain a clear development of ideas throughout your essay, you will get high marks for task achievement and cohesion and coherence.

We’ll now take the idea for our first main body paragraph and create our topic sentence.

Main idea 1 – concerns about the risk of stress-related ill-health

Topic sentence:

Employees earning a large income are generally under significant mental and emotional pressure to perform well and achieve targets.

Next, we must write an explanation sentence . This explains to the examiner what we mean. It expands on our first idea.

Explanation sentence:

This causes many individuals to suffer high levels of stress which can result in both mental and physical health problems.

Finally, we add an example to support our main point. I thought of this in the planning stage so I have it ready to use.

If you can’t think of a real example, it’s fine to make one up, as long as it’s believable. The examiner isn’t going to check your facts.

Example sentence:

This happened to my uncle. He used to boast about his huge salary but the boss kept increasing his sales targets and in the end, the stress became too great and he had a nervous breakdown. Now he regrets being driven by the money.

That’s the 3 parts of our first main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

We now follow the same process for our second main body paragraph.

Main Body Paragraph 2

Main idea 2 – Job satisfaction gives a sense of fulfilment.

First, we write the topic sentence to summarise the main idea.

Topic sentence:

Having a job that they enjoy doing, and in which they feel valued, is a major concern for most of the modern workforce.

Now for the explanation sentence to explain this idea.

Explanation sentence:

A significant number of people are giving up well-paid positions to do jobs which pay less but that they find more enjoyable and less stressful.

Finally, an example to support our main point. As before, I thought of this in the planning stage so just need to form it into a couple of sentences.

I am an example of this myself. A year ago I left the teaching profession because the workload had become too great and I am now a gardener. I feel really fulfilled in this work and I am much more relaxed and happy even though I earn far less money.

That’s the 3 parts of our second main body paragraph complete. Here’s the finished paragraph.

Now we need a conclusion and our IELTS opinion essay is done.

How To Write a Conclusion

Conclusions to IELTS opinion essays should do two things:

Summarise the main points
State your opinion

This can generally be done in a single sentence.

If you are below the minimum 250 words after you’ve written your conclusion, you can add an additional prediction or recommendation statement.

Our essay currently has 233 words so we’re on target and don’t need this extra sentence but you can learn more about how to write a prediction or recommendation statement for IELTS opinion essays on the Task 2 Conclusions page.

The conclusion is the easiest sentence in the essay to write but one of the most important.

A good conclusion will:

Neatly end the essay
Link all your ideas together
Sum up your argument or opinion
Answer the question

If you achieve this, you’ll improve your score for both task achievement and cohesion and coherence which together make up 50% of the overall marks. Without a conclusion, you’ll score below band 6 for task achievement.

You can start almost any final paragraph of an IELTS opinion essay with the words:

In conclusion

To conclude

Now all you need to do is briefly summarise the main ideas into one sentence.

Here’s a top tip . Go back and read the introduction to the essay because this is also a summary of the essay. It outlines what you are going to write about.

To create a great conclusion, you simply have to paraphrase the introduction. Let’s give it a go.

Introduction:

Here is the same information formed into a conclusion:

That’s it. We’ve completed our essay. Here it is with the 4 paragraphs put together.

Question:

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?

Finished IELTS opinion essay.

Go through this lesson as many times as you need to in order to fully understand it and put in lots of practice writing IELTS opinion essays from past exam questions. Practice is the only way to improve your skills.

5 More Model IELTS Opinion Essays

This pack contains another step-by-step lesson and model essay. P lus 4 additional opinion essay questions with model answers.

Carefully created to help you achieve 7+ in your Writing test.

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More help with ielts opinion essays & other task 2 essays.

IELTS Writing Task 2 – T he format, the 5 question types, the 5 step essay writing strategy & sample questions. All the key information you need to know.

The 5 Types of Task 2 Essay – How to recognise the 5 different types of Task 2 essays. 15 sample questions to study and a simple planning structure for each essay type.

Understanding Task 2 Questions – How to quickly and easily analyse and understand IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.

How To Plan a Task 2 Essay – Discover why essay planning is essential & learn a simple 4 step strategy, the 4 part essay structure & 4 methods of generating ideas.

How To Write a Task 2 Introduction – Find out why a good introduction is essential. Learn how to write one using a simple 3 part strategy & discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Main Body Paragraphs – Learn the simple 3 part structure for writing great main body paragraphs and also, 3 common mistakes to avoid.

How To Write Task 2 Conclusions – Learn the easy way to write the perfect conclusion for a Task 2 essay. Also discover 4 common mistakes to avoid.

Task 2 Marking Criteria – Find out how to meet the marking criteria in Task 2. See examples of good and poor answers & learn some common mistakes to avoid.

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

Step-by-step instructions on how to plan & write high-level essays. Model answers & common mistakes to avoid.

Opinion Essays

Discussion Essays

Problem Solution Essays

Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

Double Question Essays

Other Related Pages

IELTS Writing Test – Understand the format & marking criteria, know what skills are assessed & learn the difference between the Academic & General writing tests.

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Opinion Essays [IELTS Writing Task 2]

Posted by David S. Wills | Nov 14, 2022 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 1

In the past, I have explained how to answer each type of IELTS writing task 2 question and today we are going to look at a set of question types called “opinion essays.”

What do I mean by this? Well, generally we divide IELTS essays into 5 categories:

Agree or Disagree
Advantages and Disadvantages
Problem (or Cause) and Solution
Discuss both views
Two-part Question

Sometimes, people call the first one “opinion essays” but I don’t like that term because actually other question types also call for your opinion. Therefore, I think of “opinion essay” as a term that covers several question types.

Let’s look at this topic in more detail.

types of opinion essays for ielts task 2

What is an Opinion Essay?

To put it as simply as possible, an opinion essay is an essay that gives an opinion. In the context of IELTS, that means giving your opinion about a stated topic.

I mentioned above that there are several question types that could require you to give an opinion. These are most common:

Agree or disagree
Advantages and disadvantages
Two-part questions

This is why it’s important to read a question carefully rather than just scan for keywords and then begin writing.

Of these, the agree/disagree and discuss both views question types are always going to require an opinion, but for the others you need to read more carefully. A two-part question, for example, might ask your opinion as the second question, but it won’t always do this.

Note that most advantage and disadvantage questions do not require your opinion but some do. If they ask you whether or not the advantages of something outweigh the disadvantages, then clearly you are required to give an opinion.

How to Write an Opinion Essay

As with all IELTS writing task 2 essays, you need to do several things:

Read the question carefully in order to analyse it
Think of a reasonable answer
Create a coherent structure
Put your ideas forth clearly and consistently
Use appropriate language

That’s about as simply as I can put it for you, but let’s explore further.

First of all, any time you are given an IELTS task, you need to read it carefully and analyse it so that you truly understand the question. Some are quite straightforward but others are very difficult. ( Here’s a video about what I think is the most difficult question.)

One of the problems with opinion essays is that you won’t necessarily be asked to “give your opinion.” You will have to use common sense in order to determine whether your opinion is required. Some words that could indicate an opinion are:

Do you agree or disagree?

To what extent do you agree?
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
What do you think…?

Remember: If you are asked for an opinion, then give one. If you aren’t, then don’t. Failure to interpret the question properly would lead to a poor score.

You then need to think of a response and write about it using intelligent ideas. As you are giving an opinion, you need to justify your viewpoint. One big mistake here is failing to be consistent. For example, some people do not put their opinion into their introductions. This would mean that your score for Task Response would be quite low. Really, you ought to include your opinion in the outline sentence , then explain it in the body paragraphs, and finally reiterate it in the conclusion .

Although it’s possible to produce a good structure in different ways, an excellent IELTS essay will probably look like this:

For more general information about writing a great IELTS task 2 essay, see this article .

How to Start an Opinion Essay

A good essay should begin with a good introduction. There are various ways to achieve this, but in IELTS writing task 2 that means introducing the topic and stating your opinion clearly. I’ve written at length about how to write a good introduction here .

Think of your introduction as having two key components:

Introduce the topic
Give your opinion

You can do that in two or three sentences. It isn’t hugely important. However, you must achieve both of those things.

When you introduce the topic, you basically aim to convey the main idea to your reader. A lot of people just paraphrase the question but this isn’t always a good idea. In fact, paraphrasing more often than not leads to big problems in language and logic.

Still, you want to convey the idea in the question and that does mean taking an idea and putting it into your own words. For example:

All cars that burn fossil fuels should be banned and electric cars should replace them. Do you agree or disagree?

In my introduction to this opinion essay, I would write:

During the twentieth century, people around the world began using vehicles powered by fossil fuels, and in this new millennium that trend has continued, with a vast uptick in the number of privately owned cars. However, it has become apparent that this phenomenon is causing major environmental damage and needs to be stopped. This essay will argue that humans ought to switch to electric cars.

This is a little complex, but what you can see is that I have used two sentences to introduce and explain the main idea and then one sentence to put forth my opinion.

Beware: Your introduction should not be too long. This is an example of a band 9 essay. It uses complex language and structures to convey intelligent ideas. If your introduction is longer than your body paragraphs, it is not a good sign.

Opinion Essay Structure

When writing an opinion essay, you should keep the structure simple and use it to convey your ideas as logically as possible. There are different ways to do this effectively, but I generally recommend a four-paragraph essay structure. (You can read about 4 vs 5 paragraphs here .)

It is hard to generalise because your structure will ultimately be dictated by your opinion and that is something personal. However, you should use your essay to state your opinion in the most effective way. For example, if you strongly agree with something, you might create the following structure:

This is a basic structure but can be used very easily. Of course, if you totally disagree, you can replace “agree” with “disagree” and use the same structure.

It is also possible (but not required) to write a balanced essay that neither wholly agrees nor disagrees with an idea. In such cases, you would need to modify your structure a little. For example:

As long as you make this clear, there should be no problem and you would stand to get a good score for Coherence and Cohesion . One big mistake that occurs here is that people start by saying they have a balanced opinion, then they mostly explain one side of the issue, leaving the reader a bit confused. If you want to give balance, then make sure your body paragraphs are fairly even.

Using the above question (about electric cars), I would create the following essay structure:

You can read my answer in the next sentence:

Opinion Essay Example

Sample question.

All cars that burn fossil fuels should be banned and electric cars should replace them.

Sample Answer

The damage done by traditional style cars is obvious. One only needs to look at a big city like Beijing or Los Angeles to see the vast smog clouds lingering over highways to recognize that these vehicles are emitting unpleasant chemicals from their exhausts. Scientific studies over the past few decades have confirmed that these chemicals cause significant damage to our health and our environment, as they turn into acid rain or are inhaled into our lungs, where they cause certain types of cancer. This is in addition to the fact that fossil fuels are a finite resource, and that their extraction from the earth is often incredibly destructive.

On the other hand, electricity can be generated in any number of ways, many of which are relatively harmless. It is possible to generate electricity from the wind or sun, thereby gathering energy without damaging the earth or causing harm to human beings. As an infinite source of energy that can be gathered and used without harm, it is obvious that electricity is the power that should drive cars in the future.

In conclusion, traditionally powered vehicles are destroying our world and need to be phased out in favour of electric vehicles. Electricity can be generated harmlessly and endlessly and is therefore superior to fossil fuel.

When it comes to writing opinion essays, you need to make sure you understand the question, then formulate an appropriate response. You should devise an intelligent structure that allows you to convey your ideas clearly and consistently throughout the whole essay. Make sure that your ideas are realistic and try to avoid being overly complex as this could create further problems.

It is worth reading articles about common IELTS topics in order to prepare for this sort of essay. These can teach you both vocabulary and ideas. They can also help with coherence. For example, you could Google “electric cars” and find an article there. The recent one was published in the New York Times.

About The Author

David S. Wills

David S. Wills is the author of Scientologist! William S. Burroughs and the 'Weird Cult' and the founder/editor of Beatdom literary journal. He lives and works in rural Cambodia and loves to travel. He has worked as an IELTS tutor since 2010, has completed both TEFL and CELTA courses, and has a certificate from Cambridge for Teaching Writing. David has worked in many different countries, and for several years designed a writing course for the University of Worcester. In 2018, he wrote the popular IELTS handbook, Grammar for IELTS Writing and he has since written two other books about IELTS. His other IELTS website is called IELTS Teaching.

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IELTS Opinion Writing Samples Band 9

Having more money and less free time is better than earning less money and having more free time. discuss both views and state your opinion., some people think that the amount of money spent on library is a waste as a new technologies are developing and replacing library functions. do you agree or disagree, some children spend hours every day on their smartphones. why is this the case do you think this is a positive or a negative development, some people say that the main environmental problem of our times is the loss of particular species of plants and animals. others say that there are more important environmental problems. discuss both these views and give your opinion., some university students want to learn about other subjects in addition to their main subjects. others believe it is more important to give all their time and attention to studying for a qualification. discuss both these views and give your opinion. give reasons for your answer and include any relevant example for your own knowledge or experience., in many countries today, women have full-time jobs. therefore, it is reasonable to share housework equally between men and women. to what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. write at least 250 words., the most importan aim of science is to should be to improve people's life. to what extent do you agree or disagree with this estatement., some people believe that increasing tax on various industries will reduce pollution whereas others believe that there are better ways. discuss both views and give your opinion., some people believe that unpaid community service should be compulsory in high school programmes (for example, working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children). do you agree or disagree, some people think that paying taxes is a big enough contribution to society, while others think people have more responsibilities as a member of society than only paying taxes. discuss both views and give your opinion., in many countries around the world, rural people are moving to cities, so the population in the countryside is decreasing. do you think this is a positive or a negative development, some children spend hours every day on their smartphones. why is this the case do you think this is a positive or a negative development, some people say that modern innovation brings about more problems than benefits do you agree or disagree, some people believe that teenagers should concentrate on all school subject. but others believe that teenagers should focus on the subject that they are good at or they find the most interest. discuss both sides and give your opinion., some people say it is a waste of time to plan for future. it is more important to focus on present. do you agree or disagree, do you agree or disagree with the following statement it is more important for students to understand ideas and concepts than it is for them to learn facts.use specific reasons and examples to support your answer, some people think that the government should offer financial support and care to elderly, while others think that people should save money for their future life. discuss both these views and give your own opinion., some think that politicians should always be honest while others feel that there are times when they must lie. discuss both sides and give your own opinion., some young adults want independence from their parents as soon as possible. other young adults prefer to live with their families for a longer time. which of these situations do you think is better use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. be sure to use your own words. do not use memorized examples., 2. the use of social media is replacing face-to-face interaction among many people in society. do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages.

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Opinion Essay for IELTS: How to Plan and Write a Perfect Opinion Essay?

What are opinion essays?

An opinion essay is a structured piece of writing that needs your perspective on a topic. There should be a straightforward statement of your view. You will offer different arguments/reasons/viewpoints on the subject in the essay and these will be accompanied by proof and/or examples. An opinion essay is a very traditional type of essay with a format of five paragraphs. This article requires analysing multiple viewpoints to figure out which are powerful and which are poor to help your own point of view.

In the contents below, you will get to clear all your doubts on opinion essay IELTS.

Opinion Essay IELTS Sample Questions

In the 40 minutes allotted in the test, take your time at first and gradually pace up before you can prepare and compose an essay of at least 250 words.

In this blog, you will be taught step-by-step how to prepare and write them.

Go through the ielts opinion essay questions below, to get a better understanding of this type of essay.

Q. A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?

Q. Advances in technology and automation have reduced the need for manual labour. Therefore, the working hours should be reduced.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Q. The prevention of health problems and sickness is more important than treatment and medicines. Government funding should reflect this.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

ALSO READ IELTS Essay Topics with Answers: Simplifying Writing Task 2 for 2021 Exam

How to Write an Opinion Essay in IELTS?

Ielts essay structure.

The next level is to compose the outline of an opinion article . It will help you, first of all, to resolve the fear of a blank page. Second, in order to compose an assignment quicker, you would have a broken-down list of suggestions and an orderly spot for your scattered thoughts.

Here’s an opinion essay outline example:

Introduction: Write a statement of the thesis and arguments for your view. To engage them with the subject, give your readers a hook.
Main body: It was divided into several chapters in which you include points and explanations, comments, and evidence that justify it
Conclusion: Ending an article, reaffirming the core argument, and summarising the essay’s key points.

15 Best Expressions to Use

A lot of students can’t have their point of view when it comes to opinion writing. This shows that the critical reasoning capacities are deficient which contributes to poor grades.

Check the list of simple phrases if you need a fast fix for your assignment to help you start putting your opinions

As far as I am concerned
In my opinion
My opinion is that
I (firmly)believe that
I am inclined to believe that
It is clear that
It seems to me that
As I see it
My principal reason is
Another reason is
It is widely known that
Research has shown that
This suggests that
Despite the fact that
In order to
In conclusion

ALSO READ Advantage Disadvantage IELTS Essay Topics: Sample Questions and Answers for Better Preparation

Opinion Essay – Do’s

Write your assignment as if you were making an important speech. Specifically present the issue.
Avoid needless phrases and irrelevant information which do not specifically apply to the subject.
Start with simple subject phrases in each paragraph; outline the key ideas
When writing an opinion post, use the present tense
Keep it brief
Be sure there is a logical order that makes it easy for the readers to understand.

Opinion Essay – Dont’s

Don’t overuse simple short sentences
Don’t use slangs
Don’t use abbreviations
Don’t use imperative voice
Don’t repeat arguments, instead, group them as a single argument
Don’t give examples related to you

Not to fail to proofread the article is the last bit of advice. Use material, grammar, vocabulary, pronunciation, etc. to study Be sure that the key question is answered in your article. Check if the information you have supplied is correct and up-to-date. With the aid of the tips above, in the blink of an eye, you will be able to build the most amazing essays. Now that you know the secrets to write a good paper, try writing your own essay of opinion!

Still, if you’re stuck with your essay, you can always count on similar contents from IELTS Ninja

Also Read: Agree Disagree Essay for IELTS Writing Task 2: Click to know All about Agree Disagree Essay

This article is has cleared a lot of doubts that I had regarding the opinions essay. Is there a similar article available for linking words?

The expressions which are mentioned to write an essay has really brought a difference to my writing and improved it, can you please tell some names of apps where we can get a free proofread of our essays

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IELTS Opinion Essay Sample Questions
Below are some IELTS opinion essay sample questions which can come in writing task 2. Another name for these essays is argumentative essays. Opinion Essays Tips. spend at least 5 minutes analysing the words and ideas in the statement. make sure your answer is a complete answer which addresses all parts of the task. give a clear opinion.
IELTS Essay Introduction for an Opinion Essay
The introduction is the easiest part of any IELTS essay as it follows a similar content for all IELTS task 2 types. This lesson is a follow-on lesson from last week. Learn how to find main points before continuing with this introduction lesson: Finding Main Points for an Opinion Essay: Every one of us should become a vegetarian because eating ...
IELTS Opinion Essay: Choosing one side or partially agreeing?
In an IELTS opinion essay, you can either agree, disagree or take a balanced approach which means to partially agree. However, you need to learn more so that you fulfil the requirements of the higher band scores. ... Hi Liz, I have an opinion essay of my own to write and I am quite confused as to what approach I should take with the topic ...
IELTS Writing Task 2 Tips: Expressing your Opinion
How to give your opinion in your IELTS essay. Learn if you can use "I" or "my" in your essay. This lesson gives tips for your IELTS essay writing. Learn how ...
IELTS Conclusion Paragraph for Opinion Essay
Tips for an IELTS Conclusion Paragraph. Paraphrase the main points introduced in your introduction. Don't put new main points in your conclusion. Don't change your opinion in the conclusion. Don't write over 40 words. You can write either one or two sentences. Can you have a concluding statement which is a predicting if you wish.
IELTS Opinion Essay
Let's now look at a proper format to learn the structuring of an IELTS opinion essay. Essay. Opinion Essay. Introduction. Paraphrase the question. State your opinion. Write a thesis statement, outlining what you will explain in the following paragraphs. Body paragraph 1. State the central idea of your first main point.
IELTS opinion essay, model answer, structure, and analysis
As with all IELTS essays, it is crucial to spend a couple of minutes analysing the task and underling the keywords so that you are writing relevant points in the essay. If you go off-topic or write irrelevant points it will affect your score. This is the task question for my model answer below and it is clear that the essay is about having too ...
How to answer an Opinion Essay question in IELTS writing task 2
Opinion essay forms an integral part of the writing task 2 essay questions. It is among the most asked questions in the IELTS exam. Identifying the opinion essay takes a few minutes for some, in order to craft out a brilliant answer. The one way to understand whether or not a question is an opinion essay or not is to focus on the language in ...
How to Write An IELTS Opinion Essay, Band 9
Discover the secret to a Band 9 score in the IELTS Opinion Essay with our in-depth guide. Uncover the ideal IELTS Opinion Essay Structure to express your viewpoints effectively. Leverage our meticulously crafted IELTS Opinion Essay Outline and Template to build a winning essay from scratch. This comprehensive guide will give you the confidence and skills to ace the IELTS Opinion Essay, making ...
IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essay Guide
To write an IELTS opinion essay task, you first need to read and understand the question. Then, you have to plan and draft what you need to include in the essay. Next, you will write the introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion of your essay. Make sure you meet the required number of words, at least 250 words.
Opinion Essay IELTS Writing task 2: overview, structure and tips
4. IELTS Writing Task 2 Opinion Essay Tips. Do not just list all the reasons without any explanation or example in the body paragraphs. Your opinion should be mentioned throughout the whole essay, not just in the conclusion part. Watch out the time limit and word count at the same time.
IELTS Writing Task 2
In this lesson on how to write opinion essays for Writing Task 2, I guide you step-by-step through the process of planning them to writing a model essay.It c...
Opinion Essay Questions in IELTS Writing Task 2
Overview. Opinion essay questions are a common question type in IELTS writing Task 2. You'll be presented with a statement or opinion and be asked the extent to which you agree or disagree. Here are some key points about Opinion essay questions: You should spend no more than 40 minutes on the task. You should write at least 250 words - you ...
Opinion IELTS Essay Type
Example Opinion Essay and Exercise. 5.1 Complete the sample opinion essay. 5.2 Opinion Sample Essay. 1. Opinion Essay Overview. An opinion essay is also known as an agree or disagree essay. As with all writing task 2 essays, you will have 40 minutes to write at least 250 words. Read on to find out how to produce a great opinion essay.
How to Write an IELTS Opinion Essay
IELTS opinion essays always ask you to discuss two viewpoints, so make sure to write about both viewpoints. We recommend that you write four paragraphs. The first paragraph is an introduction. Then you have two write two main body paragraphs and conclusion. Let's look at this with a real example question.
IELTS Opinion Essays
IELTS opinion essays, also known as 'agree or disagree' essays, come up frequently in the writing exam. In this lesson, I'm going to show you how to plan and write them step-by-step. Here's what we'll be covering: 3 Common mistakes. Essay structure. How to plan. How to write an introduction. How to write main body paragraphs.
Tips for IELTS opinion essay
Make sure you know how many you are responding to. Brainstorm ideas for your essay and decide your opinion. Plan how you will organise your ideas into body paragraphs. Each body paragraph must have a central topic. This is a requirement of students aiming for band score 7 and above. Plan how you will support and explain your ideas.
Opinion Essays [IELTS Writing Task 2]
How to Write an Opinion Essay. As with all IELTS writing task 2 essays, you need to do several things: Read the question carefully in order to analyse it. Think of a reasonable answer. Create a coherent structure. Put your ideas forth clearly and consistently. Use appropriate language.
IELTS Opinion Writing Samples Band 9
9. band. Having more money and less free time is better than earning less money and having more free time. Discuss both views and state your opinion. Some say that earning important quantities of cash as well as having fewer intervals of leisure is better than having less money with more free time. This essay will suggest that owning loads of ...
Opinion Essay for IELTS: How to Plan and Write a Perfect ...
IELTS Essay Structure. The next level is to compose the outline of an opinion article. It will help you, first of all, to resolve the fear of a blank page. Second, in order to compose an assignment quicker, you would have a broken-down list of suggestions and an orderly spot for your scattered thoughts.

IELTS Conclusion Paragraph for Opinion Essay

Tips for an IELTS Conclusion Paragraph

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IELTS Opinion Essay – Topics, Structure and Sample Answers

What is the IELTS Opinion Essay Format?

Introduction:

Body Paragraphs (Usually 2 paragraphs):

Conclusion:

IELTS Opinion Essay Sample Answers

Sample Question 1

Introduction

Body Paragraph 1

Body Paragraph 2

Sample Answer

Sample Question 2

Body Paragraphs

Sample Answer

Sample Question 3

The Latest IELTS Opinion Essay Topics of 2024

Top 3 Common Mistakes of IELTS Opinion Essays

Tips to Answer IELTS Opinion Essay Questions

Here are the 10 Examples for the Opinion Essay Topics IELTS:

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How to write an IELTS opinion essay

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Which body paragraph is better?

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How to Write an IELTS Opinion Essay: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding an IELTS Opinion Essay

Why You Need to Know How to Write an Opinion Essay

Key Elements of a High Band Opinion Essay

Writing an IELTS Opinion Essay: A Step-by-Step Guide

Understanding the Question

Planning Your Response

Writing the Introduction

Developing the Body Paragraphs

Crafting a Conclusion

IELTS Opinion Essay Tips for a High Band

Maintain Formal Language

Consistency is Key

Time Management

An IELTS Opinion Essay Band 9 Sample

Summary of the IELTS Opinion Essay Template

IELTS Writing Task 2: Opinion Essay Guide

What is IELTS Writing Task 2?

First Paragraph — Introduction

Second Paragraph — 1st Body Paragraph

Third Paragraph — 2 nd Body Paragraph

Fourth Paragraph — Conclusion

Complete IELTS Opinion Essay Task: