7 WritingThe introduction of an IELTS Writing Task 2 essay needs only 2 to 3 sentences, about 40 to 60 words, and takes around 3 minutes to write. It is short, but it is the first thing the examiner reads. Whether you understood the question and whether your stance is clear both show up right here. This article splits the introduction into three steps, gives a full model for each of three question types, sorts common sentence patterns, and ends with a checklist to use before you hand in.
- Paraphrase the questionSet the context in your own words, do not copy the sentence
- State your positionOne sentence that says how far you agree
- Preview the reasonsOptional, one sentence naming two reasons
Where the introduction is marked
Under Task Response, the examiner looks at whether you answer every part of the question and whether your position is clear. Put simply, lower-band essays often have a position that is not clear enough, while higher-band essays keep it clear from start to finish. The introduction is where the position first appears. If it is vague here, the body paragraphs easily drift.
This is only a summary of the public band descriptors. For the wording of each band, the official scoring description is the standard.
For the rest of what moves you from Band 6 to 6.5, see How to move from Band 6 to 6.5 in IELTS Writing.
Step one: paraphrase the question, do not copy it
Paraphrasing shows you understood the question. Three methods are common: replace words with synonyms, change the part of speech, and change the sentence structure. Changing one or two words is not enough to count as paraphrasing.
Take this question as an example: Many people believe that children should start learning a foreign language at primary school.
| Approach | Example sentence | Problem |
|---|---|---|
| Copy it | Many people believe that children should start learning a foreign language at primary school. | Nothing changed |
| Synonyms only | Many people think that kids should begin studying a foreign language at elementary school. | The structure still matches the original part by part, so it is essentially the original sentence |
| Change part of speech and structure | It is widely argued that a second language should be introduced in the early years of a child's education. | The verb becomes passive, primary school becomes early years, and the meaning stays the same |
A simple check: put your paraphrase next to the original and see whether any run of more than 4 words is identical. This is a practice standard used in our course, not an official rule, but it is very useful.
The same applies to a trend question. The number of people living alone is increasing. can become A growing proportion of the population now lives in single-person households. The noun phrase turns into a clause, and increasing becomes growing proportion.
Step two: state your position clearly
The sentence stating your position must show the examiner your view and its degree straight away. The course divides degree into four levels:
| Level | Common wording |
|---|---|
| Completely agree | I completely agree that ... |
| Largely agree | I largely agree with this view ... |
| Partly agree | I partly agree, because ... |
| Disagree | I disagree with this view ... |
Partly agreeing is fine, but you must say which part you agree with and which you do not. Writing "it has both benefits and harms" does not count as a position. Compare the three sentences below.
Question: Some people think university education should be free for everyone. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- A. There are both advantages and disadvantages to free university education.
- B. I partly agree, because free tuition widens access, but students should still contribute through repayment once they earn a good salary.
- C. This is a complex issue that people have different opinions on.
Only B has a view and says what is kept. A and C do not answer "how far do you agree".
Step three: preview the reasons (optional)
If the introduction already has 40 words or more, a third sentence can name two reasons so the examiner knows what the body will cover. If time is short or the word count is already enough, skip this step. The two reasons you preview must match the body; do not name an idea you then fail to develop.
Three question types, one full model for each
The three introductions below were written by us, not taken from any real exam.
Opinion question: To what extent do you agree or disagree
Question: Some people believe that advertising aimed at children should be banned.
Advertisements targeting young children are now common on television and social media, and some argue that they should be prohibited entirely. I largely agree with this view, as children cannot judge persuasive messages critically, although limited advertising for educational products may be acceptable.
- Sentence one: paraphrase the context. targeting young children matches aimed at children, and prohibited matches banned.
- Sentence two: largely agree gives the degree, as gives the reason, and although names what is kept.
- This introduction does not preview two reasons, but the position already comes with a reason, so it is enough.
For developing the body of this type, see how to write an opinion essay.
Discussion question: Discuss both views and give your opinion
Question: Some people think museums should be free for everyone, while others believe visitors should pay an entrance fee.
Some argue that museums should admit visitors free of charge, while others consider an entrance fee a fair way to fund them. Although fees can pay for conservation work, I believe that free entry serves the public better, since access to culture should not depend on income.
- Sentence one: a discussion question really has two views, so some ... while others fits.
- Sentence two: a concession clause (although) goes with the position (I believe), and the reason is given with since.
Advantages and disadvantages question: Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages
Question: The number of people living alone is increasing.
A growing proportion of the population now lives in single-person households. In my view, the drawbacks of this trend are more serious than its benefits, mainly because of the risk of isolation and the cost of housing.
- This is a trend question, so do not write "some people think, while others think". State the trend directly, then give your position.
- In the position sentence, mainly because of previews the two reasons: isolation and housing.
Sorting sentence patterns
Examiners are sensitive to memorised sentences. The course sorts common patterns into three groups: use, use with changes, and avoid.
| Group | Pattern | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Use | In my view, ... / I would argue that ... | States the position briefly |
| Use | While it is true that ..., ... | A concession structure, followed by your position |
| Use with changes | Some people argue that ..., while others maintain that ... | Only for discussion questions. Opinion and trend questions do not need "two camps" |
| Use with changes | It is often argued that ... | Must be followed by a specific paraphrase of the question, not just a few changed words |
| Avoid | Nowadays, more and more people ... | A generic opener that fits any question |
| Avoid | There is no doubt that ... | Sounds too absolute for a debatable topic |
| Avoid | This essay will discuss both perspectives and provide my opinion that ... | An announcement that uses up words; stating the position directly is better |
Checklist before you hand in
When you finish the introduction, spend 1 minute checking each item:
- Is there any run of more than 4 words that matches the original question?
- Can the degree of agreement be seen at once? "Both benefits and harms" does not count.
- Is every small requirement in the question mentioned in the introduction?
- Is the word count between 40 and 60?
- Is there any empty sentence that would still work for a different question?
- Are the reasons you previewed developed in the body?
Practice
Write an introduction for each of the two questions below, then check it with the list above:
- Some people think that governments should spend money on public transport rather than on building new roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- More and more people are choosing to work from home. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Our course spends three lessons in Unit 2 on these steps: paraphrasing the question, stating a position, and putting them into a complete introduction. The first two chapters are free, so you can try the course now. AI feedback points out specific problems, but AI can be wrong. The score is only for finding what to fix.
To try a full Task 2 essay, paste it into the free IELTS Writing checker: one free check, and 3 more free checks after you sign up. AI scores are for reference only.