IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions Brainstorm (Part I)

Refer to my previous post on IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions (Part I). In this post I will provide some idea of points that can be included in your answer.

Topic:1 (Examinees are solely responsible)

Supporting points:

     1. Students are not conscious enough about their examination.

     2. Teachers are requested or forced to select unprepared candidates for final examination.

     3. Study is of less interest to them due to more involvement in extra curricular activities & social development.

Opposing points:

     1. The candidates are not properly selected and disciplined in the school.

     2. The hall authority shows lack of strictness at the beginning of the examination.

     3. Invigilators are not selected properly.

Topic: 2 (Accept equal numbers of male & female students)

Supporting points:
     1. Higher education for women will be easier.
     2. Possibility of sharing the ideas and views with each other is increased.
     3. Equal participation in national development can be assured.

Opposing points:
     1. Studying a subject depends on the choice of a person.
     2. Evaluation of merit will be hampered.
     3. Contributing the country is not certainly dependent on the subject studied by the students.

  

IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions (Part I)

1. The examinees are solely responsible for the growing offense of unfair means in the examination. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
2. Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
3. Education is the single most important factor in the development of a developing country. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
4. Should developing countries concentrate more on industrial development, or should they promote education first?
5. Some people feel that the responsibility for providing education should be borne only by the government and that private education should be banned. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
6. Some people argue that, there are no fundamental differences between the way men and women approach academic study. Others insist that there are bid differences in areas such as organization, attitude and ambition and that these differences inevitably have an impact on student life. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
7. Living in an apartment instead of a university dormitory has advantages and disadvantages. Discuss advantages and disadvantages of apartment living and defend your preferences.
8. Some people think that the universities should render knowledge. While others think universities have a responsibility to prepare the graduates for the job market. They think a better co-operation between the universities and industries is good for society. In your opinion, what should be universities’ role – to render knowledge or to prepare students for the job market?

Essential Vocabulary for Bar Diagram

Recall the discussion about Line Graph, which presents “period of time” but, as mentioned there, Bar diagram/Pie Chart/Table shows “point of time”. Because of this difference, there should be variations in the vocabulary used in these two types of diagram.

To illustrate, let us go through the following bar diagram:

Like any other Task 1 diagram, you have to build relationship  among the data given. For better organization, you can remember the following basis of comparisons  These are the simplest ones which will ensure you a minimum band score.

1.  Highest-Lowest
2. Similar
3. Exception
4. Difference
5. Times
6. Fraction

Obviously, there are other “Basis of Comparisons”, but these suggested 6 types always give good return.

Now, let us see the use of these criteria.

Highest-Lowest: The highest quantity of TV sold by ABC company was in 1999 (20 million) and the lowest number of TV was sold in the year 1996 (only 2 million).

Similar: The number of TV sold was almost similar in the years 1997 and 1998 with 8 million and 10 million pieces respectively.

Exception: For the given years, the year 2000 is somewhat exceptional as no sales figure is given for that year.

Difference: You have to subtract one figure from another and show the difference. For example, the difference between the figures of 1995 and 1996 is 4 million units and you have to focus on this difference. The sentence may be as follows:

The sale of TV reduced by 4 million units from 5 million units in 1995 to 1 million units in 1996.

Times: You have to show how many times a given figure is of another figure. For instance, look at the figures of 1995 and 1999 (5 million and 20 million respectively). So, you can write as follows:

The sale of TV in 1999 was 4 times of that of the sale of 1995.

Fraction: This is the opposite of “Times” which should be used to improve sentence variation. Look at the figures of 1998 and 1995 (10 million and 5 million). Instead of writing 2 times or double, you can write “half”. So, the sentence may be:

The sale of TV in 1995 was half of the sale of 1998.

One important thing: Remember to put linking words among the sentences above.