latest ielts academic essay topics 2021

If you took General Training and you can remember the letter question you can post it here:

• Recent General Training Task 1 Letters

You might like these:

IELTS Band Score Calculator: Work out your score

You can use this IELTS band score calculator to work out your overall IELTS band score and to also work out what your scores out of 40 will be for listening and reading. You can choose whether you are doing Academic or General Training as the scores for reading differ.

Take an IELTS Quiz to test your IELTS knowledge

IELTS Quizzes to test and train you on the writing task and task 2 of the IELTS test. Gap fills and multiple choice.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Lessons, Tips and Strategies

IELTS Writing Task 2: Lessons, exercises, and tips. In the writing section of the IELTS test you have to write a minimum 250 word essay. Learn how to write the perfect IELTS essay in order to achieve a high IELTS score.

IELTS Blog - The Best Practice Tests, Tips & Lessons

Blog providing you with lessons and tips on IELTS to get a band 7 or up. All the latest updates to the IELTS buddy website.

IELTS Videos to Increase Your Band Score

A series of online IELTS videos to help you with the IELTS Test. There are lessons on all the modules, speaking, listening, reading, and writing, and further tips.

IELTS Grammar - Essential English for the Test

Improve your IELTS Grammar for the test - essential grammar explanations and exercises for IELTS writing.

Free IELTS Download - download material from the IELTS buddy website

Free IELTS Download - Download free sample essays, graphs and sample reading and speaking tests. These are all activities and lessons taken from the IELTS buddy website.

IELTS Forum: Discuss the IELTS Test

IELTS Forum: This is a forum to help you with the test - talk about your experiences in the test, ask me or other member questions, and more.

IELTS Essay Exam Questions 2022

View a mix of IELTS essay exam questions seen in the test in 2022. These are questions reported by students.

IELTS Topic Related Vocabulary

IELTS topic related vocabulary around crime, education, health, children and the family and more to help you with the IELTS Test.

IELTS Sample Essays

Looking at IELTS sample essays is an excellent way to learn how to improve your score. Here you can view a variety of IELTS essay topics with answers to help you prepare for the Test.

IELTS Practice Tests: Free online tests - IELTS buddy

Take free online IELTS Practice Tests for the Reading, Speaking, Listening and Writing. These tests are based on the real IELTS test.

IELTS eBooks - Guides and Tips for the Exam

View all the IELTS buddy products which are for sale in the site. These IELTS eBooks will train you in reading, writing task 1 and 2 and grammar

Any comments or questions about this page or about IELTS? Post them here. Your email will not be published or shared.

Band 7+ eBooks

"I think these eBooks are FANTASTIC!!! I know that's not academic language, but it's the truth!"

Linda, from Italy, Scored Band 7.5

Bargain eBook Deal! 30% Discount

All 4 Writing eBooks for just  $25.86 Find out more >>

IELTS Modules:

Other resources:.

• All Lessons
• Band Score Calculator
• Writing Feedback
• Speaking Feedback
• Teacher Resources
• Free Downloads
• Recent Essay Exam Questions
• Books for IELTS Prep
• Useful Links

Recent Articles

IELTS Line Graph: Governments Expenditure on Research

Jul 23, 24 01:27 PM

House History Essay

Jul 16, 24 04:06 PM

Paraphrasing Activity for IELTS Reading

Jul 13, 24 07:48 AM

Important pages

IELTS Writing IELTS Speaking IELTS Listening   IELTS Reading All Lessons Vocabulary Academic Task 1 Academic Task 2 Practice Tests

Connect with us

Before you go...

30% discount - just $25.86 for all 4 writing ebooks.

Copyright © 2022- IELTSbuddy All Rights Reserved

IELTS is a registered trademark of University of Cambridge, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia. This site and its owners are not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

IELTS Essay Topics for 2021

Click here to view the original post

Below is a list of predicted IELTS essay topics for Writing Task 2 based on topics that have appeared recently, current world events and common topics that frequently appear in IELTS essays. Both GT and Academic IELTS candidates should prepare all topics from this list.

On this page, you will find:

• Tips for Preparing Essays
• Essay Topics 2021 List
• Message from Liz

IELTS Essay Topics – Preparing Ideas

• Be aware of the range of possible topics and prepare them all. Be aware of current world issues – IELTS likes to stay up-to-date.
• Prepare strong main ideas for all topics. Main ideas should be ones you can easily explain and develop.
• Prepare supporting points. These make up the supporting sentences in your body paragraphs. The examiner will mark these carefully.
• Practice planning paragraphing and links. See these pages:   paragraphing and  Linking Words for Essays
• Source ideas in model essays online by google topics. You can find some model essays and free tips on this site. Click here: Free Model Essays etc
• IDEAS E-BOOK. I wrote an e-book covering 150 essay topics with ideas and vocabulary. Get that if you need the help. Visit my store: Liz’s Ideas E-book
• Target 7 and above. If you need more help reaching your goal for IELTS writing, I have Advanced Writing Task 2 Lessons in my online store: Liz’s Store .

Below is a list of predicted IELTS writing task 2 topics for 2021. The predictions are based on recurring essay topics, recent topics and world events which are all important in IELTS essay questions. The topics are not written as full IELTS essay questions, they are written as topics without the instructions. GT and Academic candidates should prepare all topics – even if you don’t get them in Writing Task 2, you might get them in Speaking Part 3. I’ve highlighted interesting essay topics for 2021 that are based on recent world issues that you might struggle with if you don’t prepare for them. Also note, topics change with each test, on one test day there can be a number of essay questions used, and essay topics are often recycled.

• importance of the arts for society
• supporting the arts – government funding
• theatre and live events
• freedom of speech and freedom of expression
• children learning art
• museums and galleries – importance
• local business vs international businesses
• supporting local businesses – buying local produce
• business skills – important skills / learning skills
• family run businesses
• buying goods or saving money
• the power of advertising in business
• shopping online
• businesses supporting local communities
• how online communication has changed our lives
• are people becoming more isolated because of only meeting online
• face to face or online communication
• pros and cons of meeting people online
• has the internet brought people closer or not
• how to stop criminals re-offending
• fixed punishment for one crime or not
• children – should parents be punished for their children’s crime
• prison or rehabilitation
• foreign cultures – learning through language, learning by travel, adapting to another culture
• music – importance of music, international music
• fashion – following trends and spending money
• films – should historical films be accurate, learning about culture from films, foreign films, subtitles
• how online media has changed local cultures
• global warming
• solving pollution – internationally or domestically
• major problems and solutions
• importance of nature for our well being
• responsibility for problems – government or individual
• urban nature
• protecting wild species / endangered species – funding, reasons,
• why people don’t change their life styles to help environmental problems
• air / noise pollution in cities
• putting children into groups based on age or ability
• importance of children reading books (types of books)
• science or art / sciences or music
• how children learn
• schools providing meals for children
• making lessons more interesting
• importance of science / history / technology in schools
• disadvantages for children from poorer backgrounds
• how to improve education in rural areas
• what age to learn a foreign language
• exams or on-going assessment / project work
• university education – costs, funding, courses
• home schooling / studying from home
• online education
• extra curricular activities
• single parent families
• importance of family for old people
• roles of grandparents
• supporting vulnerable members of the family: elderly, sick
• peer pressure for children
• children growing up in city or countryside
• children with both parents working
• childhood obesity – reasons, solutions
• healthy diet
• vegetarianism
• junk food – problems, solutions
• funding – prevention or cure 
• taking care of sick people – government or family
• funding – health care or other society problems
• good health – exercise or diet
• free health care for everyone
• cosmetic surgery – reasons, value
• mental health – stress, positive mindset, meditation
• lack of housing – building in cities or rural areas
• using space in cities for housing or parks
• funding affordable housing or other problems in society
• living in flats – pros and cons
• importance of hobbies / free time
• leisure time – importance, activities,
• spending time with family and friends
• leadership – innate or learned
• talent – innate or learned
• ambition – pros and cons
• important character traits
• famous world leaders – skills and traits
• family, society or government – taking care of the elderly
• the generation gap
• city living – positive or negative
• people moving to cities – reasons, problems, solution
• spending money on weddings – pros and cons
• respecting older people
• traditions – food, clothing, festivals
• protecting old buildings
• isolation among people in society
• supporting vulnerable people in society – government or community
• roles models in society for children
• ideal society
• online media stars
• reality TV stars
• importance of charities and charity work
• importance of green spaces and urban environment
• exploration – funding, importance
• communicating with other planets
• space travel for common people
• international sporting event – importance
• business sponsoring sporting events – pros and cons
• exercising and health
• children and sport – importance, who is responsible
• indoor sports
• smart phones – pros and cons, functions, limitations
• the internet – pros and cons
• online security (also for children)
• the future of the internet
• e-books – pros and cons, libraries
• children spending too much time online
• plane travel vs train travel
• cars in city centres – pros and cons
• using bicycles rather than cars
• walking – pros and cons
• pros and cons of tourism for rural communities
• tourism and economy
• working mothers
• doing volunteer work / charity work
• work / life balance
• working long hours – pros and cons
• experience or education or skills
• four day working week
• importance of promotion, salary, job satisfaction
• working online – pros and cons
• earning large salaries – films stars, sports people doctors etc
• richer countries should help poorer countries 
• types of international aid
• increasing number of old people
• gap between rich and poor countries
• violence on TV
• tackling world issues domestically or internationally
• news online – reliability of news, sources of news, fake news
• people becoming similar
• loss of culture (protecting traditions)
• loss of local language (protecting language)
• one language

Note: Every text, image, video, and file on this page is the property of ieltsliz.com. Visit the website for more content like this using the button below.

Visit the website now.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Sign up to our newsletter

Don't have an account?

IELTS Mentor "IELTS Preparation & Sample Answer"

• Skip to content
• Jump to main navigation and login

Nav view search

• IELTS Sample

Writing Task 2 Sample

IELTS Writing Task 2 ( also known as IELTS Essay Writing ) is the second task of your IELTS Writing test. Here, you will be presented with an essay topic and you will be scored based on your ability to respond to the topic.

You need to write at least 250 words and justify your opinion with arguments, discussion, examples, problem outlining, proposing possible solutions and supporting your position. You will have approximately 40 minutes to finish your Essay Writing. IELTS Writing Task 2 carries more weights than Writing Task 1.

Are you planning to take your IELTS Exam soon? Take an online course and achieve your dream score on your IELTS test.

Page 1 of 77

IELTS Materials

• IELTS Bar Graph
• IELTS Line Graph
• IELTS Table Chart
• IELTS Flow Chart
• IELTS Pie Chart
• IELTS Letter Writing
• IELTS Essay
• Academic Reading

Useful Links

• IELTS Secrets
• Band Score Calculator
• Exam Specific Tips
• Useful Websites
• IELTS Preparation Tips
• Academic Reading Tips
• Academic Writing Tips
• GT Writing Tips
• Listening Tips
• Speaking Tips
• IELTS Grammar Review
• IELTS Vocabulary
• IELTS Cue Cards
• IELTS Life Skills
• Letter Types

• Privacy Policy
• Cookie Policy
• Copyright Notice
• HTML Sitemap

Recent IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions

What are the best essay topics for IELTS? Looking at recent IELTS Writing Task 2 questions can help. In this post, I’ll show you real official IELTS Writing Task 2 topics that have been released in the past several years, and I’ll help you predict which new Task 2 topics you’ll see on test day!

Table of Contents

How to be well prepared for any ielts essay topic.

• Possible IELTS Essay Topics for 2021
• Recent IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions (with links!)
• Frequently Asked Questions About Recent IELTS Essay Topics
• Additional Resources

Before we get into specific Task 2 topics that are found on the real IELTS exam, let’s look at some general “best practices.” These tips and tricks can help you get a winning score in IELTS Writing Task 2, no matter what the topic is!

• Learn the most basic info on Task 2: the format of the task, time limit, instructions, and so on. You can find these in our IELTS Writing Task 2 Basics post . (There’s so much more to this task than just the recent IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.)
• Mind your word count! This is the easiest way to avoid losing points. For more information, see our article on how many words to write on the IELTS and our guide to the IELTS Writing word count penalty .
• Look at model answers. The best essay topics for IELTS come with model responses. Sample high-scoring IELTS Writing Task 2 responses can help you see how to write top-scoring responses of your own. Magoosh’s guide to the most common IELTS Writing Task 2 question types includes links to practice questions with full Band 9 example responses.
• Don’t forget to brainstorm. As you write your own response, take a few minutes at the beginning to come up with ideas and plan your essay. Our post on brainstorming your Writing Task 2 response guides you through this important step! Learn it before you start to answer recent IELTS writing topics.
• Don’t just brainstorm, though . Also plan your Task 2 essays by using a template. For an example of this, try out Magoosh’s best IELTS Writing Task 2 template . This template is flexible, designed to work for any recent IELTS Writing Task 2 questions.
• Don’t stop at the essay template; plan your paragraphs too! Planning is especially important for body paragraphs. Here again, Magoosh has you covered, with our Task 2 body paragraph tutorial .
• Make sure you take a tone that sounds professional and academic , to match the kind of formal writing you’ll do at your future school or workplace once you pass the IELTS. This article on formal vs. informal language on the IELTS should help you use the right language.
• Know the rubric! The makers of the IELTS have an official score guide for IELTS Writing Task 2. Here on the blog, you can also read advice on how how to get an 8-9 rubric score for Writing Task 2 and benefit from a detailed explanation of the official IELTS Writing Task 2 rubric . In addition to that, I’ve also written up some special guides to each of the four IELTS Writing Task 2 rubric categories: Task Response , Coherence and Cohesion , Lexical Resource , and Grammatical Range and Accuracy .

IELTS Essay Topics for 2021: How to Predict Them

How can we predict best essay topics for IELTS prep if you’re taking the exam in 2021? Well, IELTS topics often repeat themselves, and all-new IELTS topics are usually related to recent events, or recent topics of public debate around the world. So by looking at recent IELTS Writing Task 2 topics and looking at the news over the past year, it’s possible to put together a list of topics you could easily see on test day this year.

Below are my predictions for categories and topics, based on the news of the world, and based on an analysis of about 60 recent IELTS Writing topics. I found these latest IELTS essay topics on the official websites and in official IELTS books. The topics that may be new to this year have been highlighted in bold .

The 17 Best Essay Topics for IELTS, with Subtopics (2021)

1. advertising.

• the effectiveness of advertising
• using real customer experiences in advertising
• the impact of online advertising

2. Education

• learning English as a second language
• financial education
• online learning vs. traditional learning
• home schooling
• the best age for children to start school
• school safety measures
• longer vacations from school vs. shorter school breaks
• education preparing students for work vs. preparing them for university
• health classes for school

3. Diet and food

• the impact of being vegetarian
• taxing unhealthy foods
• the impact of organic food
• instant food vs. home cooked food
• locally grown foods vs. non-local foods

4. Entertainment

• high budget vs. low budget movies
• celebrity lifestyles
• popularity of different types of novels and movies
• online entertainment vs. traditional broadcasting
• how celebrities communicate with their fans

5. Environment

• habitat destruction
• endangered species
• the impact of climate change
• natural disasters
• the importance of recycling
• environmental conservation laws
• taking care of the elderly
• standards of health and quality of health
• increases in human life span
• the importance of doctors
• medical technology
• lack of sleep
• preventing the spread of contagious diseases
• the effectiveness of vaccines
• public health and safety laws
• medical assistance in the home vs. medical assistance at a hospital
• how to pay for healthcare for the poor
• housing shortages
• owning a home vs. renting one
• affordable housing
• government control or subsidy of rent costs

8. Natural resources

• renewable fuels
• water as a limited resource
• clean energy
• importing and exporting natural resources
• mining and drilling vs. conservation

9. Parenting

• children being raised in wealthy households vs. poor or middle class ones
• raising children to be confident vs. raising them to understand their limitations
• controlling screen time for children
• strict discipline vs. giving children a lot of freedom

10. Personal choices

• the best age to get married
• moving out of one’s hometown
• modern moral values versus older ones
• living with parents as an adult vs. living alone as an adult

11. Population

• rise in global population
• population decline in some countries

12. Shopping and purchases

• shopping for fun vs. shopping out of necessity
• personal spending
• personal debt
• the importance of fashion
• large national stores vs. small local ones
• online shopping
• the decline of shopping malls
• watching sports vs. participating in sports
• competitive sports for children
• injuries in professional sports

14. Technology

• technology and privacy/surveillance
• reading in print vs. reading online
• paying via mobile app
• the trustworthiness of information found on the Web
• social impact of internet and social media
• multiplayer online video games
• future travel trends
• international tourism
• studying abroad
• domestic tourism
• travel health and safety
• government restrictions on travel

16. Transportation

• car ownership and use
• alternatives to car transportation
• high speed rail
• bicycles and scooters for transportation
• driverless cars
• ride-share services
• the importance of training and certification
• retirement age
• staying at the same company vs. working for different companies
• the importance of job satisfaction vs. the importance of high pay
• commuting vs. telecommuting to work
• unemployment benefits
• sick days at work

Recent Official IELTS Writing Task 2 Topics (confirmed)

In addition to the general IELTS Writing Task 2 topics listed above, there are a number of confirmed, official IELTS Task 2 prompts. These recent IELTS Writing Task 2 questions originally come from real IELTS exams. They’re the very best essay topics for IELTS, because they’re so authentic. 14 official topics are listed below, with direct links to the questions associated with the topic!

For these IELTS Writing Task 2 recent topics, click the source link below to directly see the question and model answer. When noted, the model answer is at a separate link.

14 Common Essay Topics for IELTS Writing Task 2

• Lack of fresh water around the world: causes and solutions (Source: IELTS.org )
• What makes a movie good, the budget or other factors? (Source: IELTS.org )
• Are children raised in wealthy households less well-prepared for adulthood? (Source: IELTS.org ; click here for a model response. )
• The advantages and disadvantages of international tourism (Source: IELTS.org ; model response at this link.
• Should eldercare be paid for by families or by the government? (Source: IELTS.org ; click this link for sample answers .)
• Why is shopping a popular pastime, and what is the impact of this popularity? (Source: IELTS.org ; model answer found in this document .)
• Will average health standards be lower in the future? (Source: IELTS.org ; click here for a model essay )
• Do we only judge people by their social status and class, or are traditional moral judgements still common? (Source: British Council )
• The reason there are so many well-qualified, well-educated job applicants who are out of work. (Source: British Council )
• Is it better to homeschool children or send them to a school outside the home? (Source: British Council )
• Should people in certain professions be able to retire before they’re 65? (Source: British Council )
• Are celebrities too wealthy to care about others? (source: Cambridge English Resources ; no model answer)
• Should schools teach children about the value of money? (Source: Cambridge English Resources ; no model answer.)
• Moving away from one’s hometown: advantages and disadvantages (Source: IELTS IDP ; click here for sample response .)

Past IELTS Topics: Frequently Asked Questions

Here are a number of common questions about past IELTS questions that I hear from students, along with my answers!

What are the topics in IELTS writing?

Are ielts writing topics repeated, do ielts essays repeat, can ielts papers be leaked, additional resources for the best essay topics for ielts.

Past IELTS questions are valuable, but they’re just one part of your preparation for IELTS Writing Task 2. Be sure to check out our complete guide to IELTS Writing Task 2 for the “big picture” on how to prepare for this part of the Writing section. And for more sample questions, check out our IELTS Writing Task 2 question types post . And for Task 1 tips and tricks, check out our IELTS Writing Task 1 guide !

If you want more structured IELTS prep, consider a subscription to Magoosh IELTS as your next step. (You can start by trying a free trial to IELTS Academic or IELTS General Training if you like!)

David is a Test Prep Expert for Magoosh TOEFL and IELTS. Additionally, he’s helped students with TOEIC, PET, FCE, BULATS, Eiken, SAT, ACT, GRE, and GMAT. David has a BS from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire and an MA from the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. His work at Magoosh has been cited in many scholarly articles , his Master’s Thesis is featured on the Reading with Pictures website, and he’s presented at the WITESOL (link to PDF) and NAFSA conferences. David has taught K-12 ESL in South Korea as well as undergraduate English and MBA-level business English at American universities. He has also trained English teachers in America, Italy, and Peru. Come join David and the Magoosh team on Youtube , Facebook , and Instagram , or connect with him via LinkedIn !

View all posts

More from Magoosh

9 responses to “Recent IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions”

Thank you so much it’s very helpful for me

Thanks for this useful sharing

Very usefull

Thanks, Jyoti! 🙂

I need writing task one vivid ideas and synonyms

We have several sample essays on our blog. Start with the examples here.

quite useful for me and i got an excellent score of 8 bands in my ielts exam by practicing these questions. Interestingly, same question came in exam.

Thanks alot for such a precious knowledge and piece of advice really very grout ful for beginners and those who want to improve themselves

You’re welcome, Shakeel! Glad we were able to help.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

• keyboard_arrow_up Close
• IELTS Listening Questions
• IELTS Reading Questions
• IELTS Writing Questions
• IELTS Speaking Questions
• IELTS Practice Test
• IELTS Lessons
• IELTS Vocabulary
• Try it free
• IELTS Listening Test Guide
• IELTS Reading Test Guide
• IELTS Writing Task 1 & 2 Guide
• IELTS Speaking Test Guide
• IELTS Practice Test Guide
• Support & FAQ
• Plans & Pricing

IELTS Writing Task 1 & 2 Guide: Lessons with Band 9 IELTS Writing Samples for Both the Academic & General Writing Test

In this guide you'll learn how to write high scoring essays for IELTS writing task 1 and IELTS writing task 2 . No matter which test you're taking, either academic or general training, we have you covered; This guide includes IELTS writing samples, topics, and detailed lessons for general writing task 1 & 2 and academic writing task 1 & 2.

Get free IELTS writing sample answers after completing an IELTS writing practice test.

Below is our full list of IELTS writing questions with sample essays. Note: The red links are our most popular and recommended writing questions rated by our students and you can practice them free anytime you like.

The table shows existing and projected changes in the proportion of people over 65 in the populations of three countries from 2015 to 2030.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.  

Write at least 150 words.

Projected Changes in the Population over-65 in three countries to 2030

The table shows the proportion of people in England who agreed with same-sex marriage from 1989 to 2013.

Percentage of people agreeing with same-sex marriage by religious denomination (%)

The table demonstrates the change in six types of transportation used by commuters in three cities between 2000 and 2010.

Changes in Market Share for six different types of transportation between 2000 and 2010

The table illustrates the relative risk demonstrated by four different transport types in the United Kingdom in two years.

Relative risk of different forms of transport in the UK from 2014 to 2016

The table below gives the average time spent and distance traveled by UK commuters in one year.  Time and distance are given in minutes and miles accordingly.

Commuting Habits of different regions of the UK in a year

The diagram shows the process by which milk and related products are produced.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features.

The diagram shows the process by which sheep embryos are cloned.

The diagram shows the  the life cycle of flowering plants

The diagram shows the process by which plastic is recycled.

The diagram shows the process of the water treatment.

The diagram shows the process by which electricity is generated in two types of hydroelectric power station.

The diagram shows the the life cycle of a frog.

The diagrams show the life cycle of the silkworm and the stages in the production of silk cloth.

The diagram below shows the water cycle, which is the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.

The pie chart below shows the native languages spoken by students at Bakersfield Senior College in two separate years.

The pie chart below illustrates the different types of smartphones used by attorneys in the U.S. in one year.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant

The pie charts below show the proportion of freshwater withdrawals made by various economy sectors in three countries in a given year.

The pie charts below show the results of a customer satisfaction survey comparing the performance of York Telecom and a competitor in April.

The pie graph depicts the main reasons for the productivity loss of agricultural land worldwide.  The table shows how these causes influenced three world regions during the 2000s.

The charts below show the percentage of Irish students at one university who spoke an additional language to English from 2000 to 2010.

The graphs below show the unemployment rate of citizens in the US with a further classification displaying average salary per week in 2005.

Summarise the data by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

The line charts show the amount of beer sold to pubs and supermarkets over six years, where a bar graph displays the amount of pubs closed over the same period.

The table shows the proportion of fifty-year-old adults who were never married over five decades in Japan.  The chart represents the Japanese marriage and divorce rate from 1970 to 2016.

Number of 50-year-old adults who never been married (%)

The table shows the number of people (millions) that remain undernourished around the world from 2000 to 2009.  The chart displays the global price of two food grains over the same period.

Number of Undernourished People Worldwide

The table shows total revenue created by complementary medicine over three years.  The two charts illustrate the number of hospitals offering complementary medicine over twenty five years with a further classification showing which kinds of medicine proved the most popular in 2012.

Summarise the data by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.  

Revenue from Complementary Medicine in the U.S. (in billion US dollars)

The bar chart below shows the preference for different types of Complementary or Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies among US adults in 2007.  The table lists which therapies where the most popular over two years.

Therapies Showing Significant Gains between 2002 and 2007 (%)

The graphs below give information concerning smartphone ownership as a percentage of population in a country from 2000 to 2010, and by level of education for the years 2000 and 2010.

The bar charts show education data related to young adults aged 15 years in 10 different countries in 2015.  The first chart shows in which countries adolescents do the most homework in terms of hours per week. The second chart shows the nations that scored the best on an international science test.

The pie chart below represents the main reasons why agricultural land becomes less productive.  The bar chart shows how these causes affected three regions of the world in the 1990s.

The pie chart below shows the frequency of U.S. Adults’ online purchasing habits in 2015, while the bar chart shows a further classification denoting online purchasing preferences.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The diagrams below show the coastal village of Seaville in 1980 and 2010. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. 

The maps below show the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now, and plans for its development. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. 

The charts below give information on the ages of the populations of Yemen and Italy in 2000 and projections for 2050. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. 

The pie charts below show units of electricity production by fuel source in Australia and France in 1980 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. 

The charts below show the percentage of water used for different purposes in six areas of the world. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. 

Table Of Contents

Ielts writing test information, ielts academic writing task 1, ielts general writing task 1, ielts writing task 2.

The writing test consists of 2 writing tasks and you'll have a total of 60 minutes to complete both. You can complete the tasks in any order, just make sure you manage your time well and spend around 20 minutes on IELTS writing task 1 and 40 minutes on IELTS writing task 2.

IELTS Academic Writing Task VS IELTS General Writing Task

The IELTS offers two test versions. The Academic version is for people looking for higher education, while the general Training version is for those looking to simply migrate or perhaps a lower education. There are more criteria for both versions, so please contact IELTS customer service to learn which test is right for you.

So which test harder? The academic test, as you may have guessed, is more difficult than the general training test. The difference between the two is IELTS writing task 1's difficulty. Luckily, only Writing Task 1 is different. IELTS writing task 2 is the same for both test versions. The table below summarizes the two types of IELTS writing tests.

IELTS Academic Writing Task Overview Video

Ielts general writing task overview video.

Coming soon!

How IELTS Writing Test is Scored

In the IELTS writing test, your writing score will be scored based on four categories. These are known as Task Achievement/Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Refer to the following band descriptors which IELTS examiners use to score the writing section of the test: - IELTS Writing Task 1 Band Descriptors - IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Descriptors

Note that the scoring criteria for both tasks include:

• Task Achievement/Task Response  - Did you fully answer the question and present a fully developed answer?
• Coherence and Cohesion  - Does your argument or analysis make sense? Is it well thought-out and presented in a complete way?
• Lexical Resource – Did you use a wide range of vocabulary in a natural, formal tone?
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy – Is your essay virtually error-free? Did you manage to use a wide range of grammatical structures?

Are IELTS Writing Task 1 & IELTS Writing Task 2 Worth the Same Amount of Points? Well Just like how you will spend double the time writing IELTS writing task 2, it's also worth around double the points. Now it's not exactly double. Another way to look at it is to add the score for writing task 2 score twice. So take the band scores 7 for task one and 4 for task two and you get the following formula on how to calculate your IELTS writing score: (7 + (4 x 2))/3 = 5. Therefore, the total IELTS writing band score is around 4.5 - 6. You see we can't give an exact number because IELTS has not made their scoring formula public, but the formula presented here is fairly accurate up to a difference of about 0.5 points.

In IELTS academic writing task 1, you are presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe and explain data, describe the stages of a process, how something works or describe an object or event.

Regardless of which visual information is presented to you, your job is to write a summary of the visual information. and describe the main trends, overall differences, main changes, or the main components of a system, or the main phrases of a process. You must write 150 words or more, and you should spend around 20 minutes on this part of the test. The writing structure can be as follows:

• Introduction: Paraphrase the question
• Overview: Describe the overall trend or write a general overview of the main groupings
• Body paragraph 1: Write in detail about the first grouping in a logical way
• Body paragraph 2: Write in detail about the second grouping in a logical way

So the steps to write the report for this task is very simple:

• Analyse the chart(s) and plan how to group the information
• Write an essay using the recommended essay structure
• Proofread essay

Let's look at each different possible type of visual graphs, tables, charts, and diagrams you could encounter in your IELTS writing test:

• Line graphs
• Mixed (including two or more of 1-6 above)

Line Graphs

In this type of task, you will be given one or more line graphs. Each line graph will have 1-8 lines showing how values change over time. The time period could be the past, the present or the future, or a combination of all three. Your task is to write a summary, covering the most important points and supporting your description by including data.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task - Line Graphs

In a line graph, there are usually multiple lines that show changes over time. In your writing, you need to group information based on lines having similar trends or values, so your essay structure will be as follows:

• Body paragraph 1: Describe the first grouping of lines having similar trends or values.
• Body paragraph 2: Describe the second grouping of lines having similar trends or values.

Let’s write an essay for the aboved sample question.

Step 1: Analyse the graph and plan how to group the information

It is evident that hamburgers consumption and fried chicken consumption show an upward trend, whereas the pizza consumption shows a downward trend. Therefore, the best way to group the data would be as follows:

Step 2: Write an essay using the recommended essay structure

Now that you’ve analyzed the task and figured out how to group the information, let’s write the essay.

Model Essay

The chart illustrates the consumption of three kinds of fast food by teenagers in Mauritius from 1985 to 2015. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.  Write at least 150 words.

Introduction

The line graph depicts the consumption of three types of fast food, (hamburgers, pizza, and fried chicken) over a 30 year period by Mauritian teenagers.  Units are given as the number of times each kind was eaten per year.

Overall , hamburgers and fried chicken had become the most popular foods by 2015 with the biggest increase in numbers eaten, while pizza that was the most widely-eaten at the start, declined precipitously in popularity.

Body paragraph 1

With regards to hamburgers, consumption showed a steady upward trajectory from 10 times eaten per year to over 70 times.   Likewise , teenagers in Mauritius ate fried chicken only 5 times per year in 1985 before rising dramatically to a plateau in 2005, then increased slightly at the end of the period to finish as the second most popular food.

Body paragraph 2

On the contrary , although pizza was the most popular food with Mauritian adolescents in 1985, its consumption fell continuously from 60 times a year to just 10 pizzas by the last year.

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the entire IELTS Academic Writing Task - Line Graphs lesson.

In this type of task, you will be given one or more bar charts. The bar charts may show how values change over time (dynamic data), the differences between values at one point in time (static data), or the results of a survey or questionnaire. The information could be about the situation in the past, the present, or the future, or a combination of all three. Your task is to write a summary, covering the most important points and supporting your description by including data.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Bar Charts

Bar charts are pretty common in IELTS writing task 1 academic. There are three different scenarios you will encounter in a bar chart task:

• A bar chart with categories on the x axis
• A bar chart with dates or years on the axis (functions as a line graph)
• Two bar charts presented

Each scenario requires you to write the report differently. Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the following bar charts lessons: - IELTS Academic Writing Task - Bar Charts Part 1 lesson. - IELTS Academic Writing Task - Bar Charts Part 2 lesson. - IELTS Academic Writing Task - Bar Charts Part 3 lesson.

In this type of task, you will be given one, two. or three pie charts. The pie charts may show percentages of a total figure. If you have one pie chart, it will represent one point in time (static data) . If you have two or more pie charts, they may represent how the percentages change over time or compare different countries or groups. Your task is to write a summary, covering the most important points and supporting your description by including data.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Pie Charts

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the IELTS Academic Writing Task - Pie Charts lesson.

In this type of task, you are given a table containing data. can show dynamic figures which change over time or static data for one point in time. Often there is too much information, so you won't be able to include every detail. Your task is to write a summary, covering the most important points and supporting your description by including data.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Tables

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the following tables lessons: - IELTS Academic Writing Task - Tables Part 1 lesson. - IELTS Academic Writing Task - Tables Part 2 lesson.

Process Diagrams

For this type of question, you will be given a diagram which shows how something works. The diagram may show a machine, a system, or a natural phenomenon. Often there is no data or little data included. Your task is to summarize the information shown in the diagram.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Process Diagrams

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the IELTS Academic Writing Task - Process Diagrams lesson.

For this type of question, you will be given one, two or three maps. The maps may show a town, city, island, or other geographical area. Maps usually show the changes which occurred in the area during a period of time. The changes could be related to construction (e.g. developing an area for tourism) or destruction (e.g. how an area was affected by a natural disaster such as an earthquake) Your task is to write a summary of the changes which took place and cover the most important points.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Maps

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the IELTS Academic Writing Task - Maps lesson.

In this type of task, you will be given two sets of data. The data will be different types. For example, one set might be change over time while the second set is static. Alternatively, one set of data could show percentage whereas the second set shows numbers. You may also be given an illustration (e.g. a diagram or map) and a set of data (e.g. a bar chart, line graph, pie chart, or table) Your task is to summarise both sets of data.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Mixed Data

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the IELTS Academic Writing Task - Mixed Data lesson.

Vocabulary for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

To score high on this task, you need to learn how to use appropriate words and phrases to present the data given in a pie/bar/line/mixed graph. We suggest you sign up for a 7 day free trial and complete the following lessons:

• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Lesson - How to write about numbers
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Lesson - How to write about percentages
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Lesson - How to write about changes in data

IELTS Writing Task 1 Samples

This section presents a list of IELTS writing samples for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.

• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Line Chart Questions
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Bar Chart Questions
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Pie Chart Questions
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Map Questions
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Process Diagram Questions
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Mixed Data Questions

In IELTS general training writing task 1, you will be presented with a situation and will need to write a personal response in the form of an informal, semi-formal or formal letter of at least 150 words. The situations you are asked to write about are common, everyday ones such as:

• writing to a college accommodation officer about problems with accommodation,
• writing to a new employer about time management problems they are having,
• writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a local airport,
• writing to a renting agency to sort out problems with the heating system in their house.

In regards to the situation, you will be given information in the form of three bullet points that you must include in your response. You may be required to request or give information and/or explain a situation. To do this, you may need to do some of the following:

• ask for and/or provide general factual information,
• express needs, wants, likes or dislikes,
• express opinions or complaints,
• make requests or make suggestions/recommendations.

IELTS General Writing Style

The writing style you'll use depends who you're asked to write to (i.e. the audience) and how well you're supposed to know them. You need to write in a style that is appropriate for your audience and that will help you to achieve your purpose for writing, e.g. writing to a friend (informal) or writing to a manager (semi-formal or formal). You do not need to include any addresses at the head of your letters.

How to Avoid Losing Points in IELTS General Writing Task 1

As mentioned, don't spend any more than 20 minutes on this task and make sure you write at least 150 words or you will be penalised. While you will not be penalised for writing more than 150 words, you should remember that a longer task 1 answer may mean that you have less time to spend on task 2, which contributes twice as much to the Writing band score.

You should also remember that you'll be penalised for irrelevance, if the response is off-topic or is not written as full, connected text (e.g. using bullet points in any part of the response, or note form, etc.). You will be severely penalised for plagiarism (i.e. copying from another source).

Causes and effects

Discuss both views and give your own opinion, advantages and disadvantages, problems and solutions, two-part question.

Now, let's look at sample questions and model essays for each essay type.

• Advantages & Disadvantages
• Problems and Solutions
• Two-part Question

In this type of question, you will be given a problem or situation. Your task is to describe the causes of the situation and some of the effects of the situation.

Obesity among children has risen sharply over the last decade in western countries.   Such a trend is largely the result of a tendency towards convenience in society, yet its effects may be detrimental to children’s long-term mental and physical health.

The prime causes of obesity are unhealthy eating habits and an inactive lifestyle.   In recent years , there has been a surge in the consumption of convenience foods among modern families.   Busy parents with no time to cook rely on prepared meals to feed their families.  Such foods have little to no nutritional value which contributes to obesity .   In addition , children these days spend inordinate amounts of time playing video games than playing outside with friends resulting in insufficient physical activity each day.   For example , studies show that children in France exercise on average around 20 minutes per day as compared to 75 minutes 30 years ago.  

The possible effects of obesity are a range of health issues.   Regarding physical health, diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, are known to be higher in overweight children than their peers.  These put a child’s life in danger, and may further affect mental health growing up.  When children are obese , they are more likely to be bullied and ostracized by classmates because they look or behave differently.   This has been known to cause low self-esteem and depression in many, and thus shun friends in favor of time alone.

In conclusion , through poor diet choice and inactivity , obesity is a growing problem that can cause lasting damage to a child’s mental and physical development.    However , by addressing this problem while young, much can be done to aid a child in becoming a healthy functioning adult.

In this type of question, you will be given two opposing views related to an issue. Usually, the two views will be in separate sentences connected by a transition word such as "however" to indicate that the two views contrast. Your task is to write a discursive essay, contrasting both sides of the issue and presenting your own view.

According to some, good health goes hand in hand with regular exercise, yet others feel that it is more important to maintain a balanced diet .   In my opinion, I believe that exercise is more essential for the majority of people.

There are several benefits to a balanced diet for good mental and physical health .  For one thing , eating well lifts moods.  Simple foods that are varied in color and type can lift mood and lower the risk of depression.  Eating more fruits, colorful vegetables, proteins, and whole grains helps the body run efficiently.  This makes dieters feel good , and as a result more willing to be active which thus makes them healthier.   For another thing , eating well makes people less prone to getting sick by building a body less susceptible to disease . Vitamins and minerals in diet boost immunity , which protects the body against certain diseases like obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure .

On the other hand , I believe that exercise is more effective at improving health since it encourages long-term health habits from the beginning.  Exercising not only burns calories , but makes people feel good.   While starting a diet is never a pleasant experience, cardiovascular exercises like cycling, walking or swimming trigger endorphins in the brain that immediately decrease stress levels, and enhance our sense of well-bein g.   Once people start feeling good from exercise, they are more likely to continue.   Moreover , exercise doesn’t have to be for long periods to achieve instant benefits.  Doctors usually advise exercising for 20 minutes three times per week, a sufficiently short enough time to make a habit of , and fit into busy schedules.

In conclusion , while good diet is necessary, exercise offers greater convenience, flexibility, and by making people feel good, encourages good health habits in the long run.  

In this type of question, you will be asked to discuss the positive and negative aspects of a situation, solution or trend. You may also be asked to give your opinion about which side you think is more important.

More and more students are taking a year away from their studies between graduating from school and beginning university.  Students can save for and think about their future during this period, though there are several drawbacks to consider.

To begin with , by taking a year after high school, students can avoid costly mistakes of starting a degree that they are not interested in.  A year is a good time to consider options and decide what subject is best to study.   Secondly , a gap year is excellent for character development.   When graduating high school at 18, most people still don’t know what life direction they wish to take.  Studies show that students who take a gap year doing something constructive like travelling do better in at university later on than those who do not.   Finally , a year away from studies provides the chance to save money .   That way, at university, students may focus more on classes , and less on debt.

However , spending such a long time away from studying may cause some students to lose good study habits, and gain bad habits instead.  After 12 years of continuous schooling , many teenagers may be distracted by the prospect of earning money, and lose the motivation to continue their studies.   Furthermore , individuals without a constructive plan for their education-free year may be tempted to procrastinate and waste time.   Lastly , travelling overseas can be expensive, and there is a real possibility that students may end up in more debt by the start of the university year.

To sum up , although students who take a year out can save money and achieve greater life-direction, this time may also be wasted, lead to greater debt, or cause unintended life decisions that may later be regretted.  

In this type of question, you will be given a problem or situation. Your task is to describe the causes of the situation and some solutions to the problem. The question may ask for general solutions (e.g. How could this problem be solved) or ask how specific groups can solve the problem (e.g. What steps can governments and individuals take to address the problem?). You do not need to mention the effects in detail, just briefly.

Before as now, emigration from the countryside to the city continues apace worldwide as people seek a better standard of living .   However , life in the big city is often hard on new immigrants.  There are several reasons for this as well as solutions for governments to handle them.

Most difficulties emerge since rural folk are unaccustomed to city life on moving there.   For a start , the cost of living is much greater than in a town or village.  City residents must pay more for utilities, housing, transportation and food, which causes many immigrants to share overcrowded housing in a bid to save money.   Secondly, unemployment in the city is a major challenge for new arrivals.  Many immigrants are unprepared for the fierce job competition when arriving in a city.  This inevitably drives unemployment up, which may quickly lead to poverty .   Finally , healthcare costs are often high in the city, and if made sick, many immigrants often lose meagre savings to pay for their medical care .

To solve these challenges, and improve life for all inhabitants , city governments have several options available to them.   Firstly , ensure an adequate housing supply to prevent overcrowding .  Developing low-end, cost effective housing for migrants would reduce living expenses and provide a base for first-time inhabitants starting a new life .   Secondly , establish job schemes and professional training programs for new city residents.  This would help them to find reliable work and figure out their next step.   Finally , make affordable healthcare available to all.  Guaranteeing access to affordable healthcare provides a social safety net for new city citizens as they adjust to city life.

In conclusion , given the diverse challenges faced by city immigrants, ensuring decent accommodation and healthcare, as well as creating job programs, can help many hit the ground running and begin contributing to city life.

In this type of question, you will be given two questions and you will need to answer both questions. The two questions will be different. For example, you might need to assess the importance of an idea or action (e.g. How import is it?) and say whether you agree or disagree (e.g. Do you agree or disagree?).

Some people regard the arts as fundamental pillars of society, and even in today’s technology-dominated world, art and music are still important.  More than ever before, I believe it is necessary to teach children such subjects in school for the many benefits they bring society.

Art and music are central to life in developed civilisations . For a start, they help society to reflect on what it has become.  As society advances, artists help to interpret the changes and problems created by progress in unique ways.  Artists use their creativity to draw attention to key issues such as the increasing mountains of trash produced or the rich-poor divide . Secondly , artists make people more humble by helping them remember their humanity and their connections to the world around them.  Pictures of nature, society, tribal scenes, past and present make people think about their roots and consider where they’re heading.   Finally , music gives joy and inspiration to many people.  It helps to express emotion and lift mood when feeling down .  

While in school , there are key advantages to learning art and music.   For one , both give children the creativity to express themselves.  Children live in a world of adults; however , art and music classes allow all to be themselves which is good for their mental development .   For example , while older children are less inclined , younger children often find singing, dancing and painting to be among their favorite classes.   In turn, studying music has proven beneficial in helping children connect more with their emotions.  This produces more rounded adults able to connect with their knowledge through science and their emotions through art and music.

In conclusion, for adults and children, the arts bring not only joy, but inspiration, and helps both to remember who they are really are in a world dominated by science .

In this type of question, you will be given a question which contains an opinion. Your task is to write an essay in response to the opinion. This type of question often asks if you agree or disagree with an opinion.

It is said by many that social networking websites like Facebook are negatively influencing society.   Although I believe this the effect of social media on society is somewhat negative, there are also clear benefits to individuals from using it.

Regarding society , social networks are causing a decline in meaningful relationships.   Firstly , people spend less time having good conversation with each other face-to-face.    Most people spend more time having short conversations with dozens of people online, and less time having longer, meaningful conversations with friends face-to-face . This erodes close relationships over time and may be creating a more socially disconnected society as a result. Additionally , there is some evidence that social media sites like Facebook have created a more socially awkward and antisocial society .  The average European spends four hours per day chatting online, yet this familiarity with the screen is causing many to become more anxious talking with others in person as a result .

However , there are distinct advantages to the individual from using social media.   For one, it is very easy to find work when online.  Through group functionality on sites like Facebook, job seekers can easily find a job they desire in the right field, thus increasing job satisfaction when at work.   Finally , social networks bring like-minded people together in an unprecedented way . Whether it is friends looking to organize an event, or people looking to meet others with similar interests it is extremely easy to find people online. For example , just take the explosion in minor hobbies like board games clubs that have become popular due to the interconnected nature of social media.

In conclusion, in my opinion, although there is some evidence to show social networking may affect society badly in the long run, in the short term, its effects on individuals seem more positive.

IELTS Writing Samples and Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

In general, there are 4 steps to approaching the IELTS Writing Task 2:

1. Read and Understand - Although this step may seem self-explanatory, many test takers let their nerves get the best of them and do not fully understand the question at hand. This is why the first thing you will need to during Writing Task 2 is to fully understand the question and underline key words . Additionally, think of these two things:

• What type of essay will I need to write? (For example, it can be Problem and Solution ).
• How familiar am I with this topic? (This question is important, because it may affect the outline you choose to use.

2. Plan your Outline - Now that you’ve understood what the question is asking as well as which type of essay you will have to write, you are ready to map out your outline. Do not skip this step. This should take only 2 or 3 minutes and will act as a reference for you going forward. Also, depending on how the question asks you, the outline will be different. To learn how to analyze question and plan the outline for each essay type, check out our IELTS writing task 2 lessons

The following blog posts teach you how to tackle each question type and contain over 100 IELTS writing task 2 questions and samle essays. Feel free to use them for your IELTS preparation.

• How to Answer Opinion Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2
• How to Answer Discussion Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2
• How to Answer Advantage & Disadvantage Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2
• How to Answer Problem and Solution Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2
• How to Answer Answer Cause and Effect Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2
• How to Answer Two-part Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2

IELTS Practice Tests

• IELTS Listening Test
• IELTS Reading Test
• IELTS Writing Task 1 & 2
• IELTS Speaking Test

All information on this page was referenced from the official IELTS website: www.ielts.org

Try IELTS Tutor for 7 days with no commitment

Start learning today, sign up free.

Just enter your email & password below.

IELTS Essay Topics

Different essay topics.

Learn how to write essays on the top 15 topics that occur in the IELTS writing test.

This webpage covers a wide array of subjects, from discussions on culture and tradition to debates about technology and globalization, to help you familiarize yourself with potential essay prompts.

Each section explores a specific theme, providing insights, examples, and potential essay questions to aid your understanding and preparation. Whether you’re studying for the Academic or General Training module, these topics are relevant for both versions of the IELTS exam.

Navigating through my webpage, you’ll find valuable information to enhance your understanding of each topic, equipping you with the knowledge and vocabulary necessary to tackle essay questions effectively. Whether you’re a student aiming for a high band score or a professional seeking to improve your English proficiency, my resource is designed to support your IELTS preparation journey.

Click on each of the headings below to see The following:

• 𝐊𝐞𝐲 𝐕𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫𝐲:
• 𝐎𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞:
• 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐫𝐠𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐛𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬:
• 𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
• 𝐌𝐨𝐝𝐞𝐥 𝐄𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐲:

Culture & Tradition

Crime and Punishment

Economics and Consumerism

Environment

Family and Relationships

Globalisation

Government and Society

Science & Innovation

Social Issues

Transportation

Work and Careers

You may also like to see the six different types of questions that are asked in the IELTS writing test.

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

About Mike I’m Mike Wattie from Australia. I have been teaching IELTS for over 20 years in Asia and Australia.

I have written IELTS books and this enables me to be an effective tutor. This is because I understand the main problems that students have taking the test and also the ways to overcome them.

Maybe you would like me to teach you the necessary skills and strategies to pass your test.

IELTS is a registered trademark of University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia and they jointly manage the IELTS test. This website is for test preparation only and has nothing to do with the administration of IELTS tests This website is not affiliated, approved or endorsed by the University of Cambridge ESOL, the British Council, and IDP Education Australia.

Join us at My IELTS Classroom today for our video courses, marking service, 1-2-1 lessons and so much more…

50 Recent IELTS Essay Questions

Hey! It is so important that when you sit down to practice IELTS writing, you only use questions that are “genuine”. This means using either questions that come from the IELTS Cambridge 1 – 15   series or those that have been created by an exam writer like those in my 100 IELTS essay question blog post.  However, many students like to practice recent IELTS essay questions i.e. topics that have been reported by recent test-takers.

I understand why students want to do this – knowing what the recent IELTS essays questions are and checking that you can answer them is reassuring. However, unfortunately, test-takers rarely (if ever) manage to accurately remember the wording of the question that they had in their test.

Can they remember the general topic? Sure.

Can they remember the exact wording? Definitely not!

Sadly, changing even one word in a test can change the focus of a question and, therefore, make it impossible to answer! So, every month, I collect 50 recent IELTS essay questions from students in  My IELTS Classroom  , and edit them so that they are as close to perfect as possible.

Plus, I divide the questions into Academic and General Training (so you can be sure you are tackling the right type of questions) and have highlighted the main topic of each question for you.

This page is updated monthly and is now showing questions from 2021. If you want to see exam questions that reportedly appeared earlier in 2021, then you can look at our 2021 archive .

As always, these questions are provided so that you can check that you have ideas for the nw topics. If you are preparing with a teacher or want high-quality feedback on your  writing  then you should always use a question from the original IELTS Cambridge Series .

Academic IELTS Essay Questions (February 2021 – September 2021)

1. Some people think that criminal behaviour has genetic causes . Others believe that it is circumstances that lead people to commit a crime. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

2. Some people think that new houses should be built in the same style as older houses in an area. Others believe that local councils should allow people to choose different designs for their houses. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

3. Some people say that the best way to teach children to behave well is to punish them. Others argue that rewarding and praising children is a better way to teach them the difference between right and wrong. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

4.  Some people believe that women should be able to join their country’s army and police forces . Others think that only men should be allowed to work in these areas. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

5.  In some countries, there are not enough medical or educational facilities in rural areas. Therefore, some people believe newly graduated teachers and doctors should be sent to work in rural areas for some time. Others think that people should be free to choose where they work after graduation. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

6. A lot of research has shown that overeating can have a number of negative effects on the body. Some people therefore believe that the advertising of certain foods should be banned in the same way that some countries have banned advertising cigarettes. Do you agree or disagree?

7 Some people think that parents should teach their children about the importance of recycling . Others believe recycling should be taught in schools. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

8. The media has the right to publish information about the personal life of celebrities . To what extent do you agree or disagree?

9. Some people say that instead of preventing climate change, we need to find a way to live with it. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?

10. Young people today mostly learn by reading books or watching movies and TV shows , rather than personal experience. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

11. Big companies should provide sports and social facilities for the local communities where they operate. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

12. Some people argue that thanks to the widespread accessibility of the internet, libraries are no longer necessary. Do you agree or disagree?

13. If asked to choose between a life without work and a life that involves working most of the time, people will always choose not to work. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

14. Eighteen is the appropriate age for children to finish school. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

15. Schools should stop using books to teach and use films, TV and computers in the classroom instead. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Writing a good IELTS essay doesn’t have to be difficult. Follow our step-by-step guide to every type of essay to find out what the examiner expects and exactly what you can do to satisfy the band descriptors in our Task Two course. The first three lessons are free!

16. Nowadays foreign visitors show more interest in the museums of a country than its local residents do. Why is this? What can be done to attract more local residents to visit museums in their country?

17 Many companies sponsor sports teams and events to advertise their products or service . What advantages and disadvantages does this bring for the teams and individuals that these companies sponsor?

18. Most information today is available online whereas in the past it was stored in books or on paper. Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

19. The difference between countries is becoming less and less evident as people all over the world wear the same fashions, watch the same TV channels, use the same brands, and have similar eating habits. Do you think that the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

20. Nowadays many people get the news online instead of reading it in newspapers or watching it on TV. Is this a positive or negative development?

21. In many countries today the proportion of older people in the population is higher than the proportion of younger people . Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

Discover the secret to writing a Band 7.0+ essay

Th en download a copy of our FREE e-book, which explains the most common errors made by test-takers and how you can avoid them. Just click here for your copy.

22. More and more tasks in the home and at work are being performed by robots . Why do you think this is the case? Is this a negative or positive development?

23. Nowadays tourists and scientists are allowed to travel to remote natural environments . Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

24. Due to population growth many people these days live in apartments with limited space and no outdoor areas. Do the advantages of this trend outweigh its disadvantages?

25. Every country in the world has its own road rules , but many drivers don’t obey them. What do you think are the reasons for this? What can be done to solve this problem?

BONUS In many countries, shopping is now one of the most popular types of leisure activity . Why do you so many young people like shopping? Is this a positive or a negative development?

What are the current Aacdemic writing trends?

My observation of the most recent IELTS essay questions from 2021 is that there have been A LOT of Discuss Both Sides and To What Extent questions. In fact, this is more or less all that I have seen in the first month of the new year, so be sure that you are ready to answer these.

GT IELTS Essay Questions (February 2021 – September 2021

1. Some people believe that individuals who earn a lot of money are the most successful in life . Others say that the individuals who contribute to the society (such as scientists or teachers) are more successful. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

2. It is universally accepted that eating too much  sugar has a negative effects on people’s health . Therefore, some believe that the government should control the amount of sugar people consume. Others think that it is the responsibility of an individual to monitor their sugar intake. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

3. Some people say that the development of technology means that people no longer need to learn the skill of handwriting . Others believe that it is still necessary for people to learn how to write by hand. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

4. Some people believe that individuals over 65 should not be allowed to continue working . Others think that people should be allowed to work for as long as they choose. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

5. Some people think that it is a good idea for parents to help their children with their homework. Others believe that children should do their homework on their own. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

6. Some people think that the government should spend money on cultural activities such as music or art. Others think this is a waste of taxpayers’ money. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

7. Some people think that children should be taught how to become good parents at school . Do you agree or disagree?

8. Many mothers stay at home to take care of their family and don’t go out to work . Some people believe these mothers should be paid by the government. Do you agree or disagree?

9. In many countries, it is common for people to consume fast food. However, some people believe that fast food has too much influence on our lifestyle and diet. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

10. Some people say that playing sports helps to prepare children for their future jobs . Do you agree or disagree?

11. Some people say that the Olympic Games no longer play a role in the 21st century . Do you agree or disagree?

12.   People’s behaviour (for example, their table manners and they way they dress) varies from country to country. When traveling to a different country, people should copy the behaviour and habits of the inhabitants of the country they  visit. Do you agree or disagree?

13.  The best way to increase road safety is to make car drivers retake their driving test every year. Do you agree or disagree?

14.  Some people believe that family is more important than friends . What do you think?

15.  The Internet is the best place to find information . Do you agree or disagree?

16.  In many countries traditional customs are being lost.  Why do you think this is? What can parents and schools do to keep traditional customs alive? 

17.  People who are learning a foreign language can face a number of difficulties. What are some of these problems? In your opinion, what are the best ways to overcome these difficulties?

18. Young people today are often less polite and show less respect than previous generations . Why do you think this is? What can be done to solve this problem? 

19. Developments in technology mean that more and more machines are being used in the workplace instead of human employees. Does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages?

20. In some countries, young people choose to move from their parents’ home to their own house at an early age. In other countries, young people stay with parents for a longer time. Do you think young people who leave their parent’s home at a younger age have more advantages or disadvantages than those who stay?

21. In many parts of the world, more and more large supermarkets are opening and smaller local shops are closing down. Does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages for local people?

22. In some countries it is illegal to stop people applying for a job because of their age . Is this a positive or a negative development?

 23.  In many countries, people are earning more money today than in the past, so they are able to buy more things. Is this a positive or a negative development?

24. Nowadays, people prefer to shop at large shopping centres rather than in local shops or markets. Why is this? Is this a positive or negative development?

25. Nowadays in many countries traditional customs are becoming less popular than in the past . Do you agree or disagree? What can parents and teachers do about this?

BONUS –  Playing team sports at school can teach students a number of lessons that are useful outside of sport. What values can students learn from playing team sports? How can they apply these values in the future? 

What are the current GT writing trends?

So far this year, I have noticed two main trends for the recent IELTS essay questions for General Training students. First, there continue to be more 2-part questions than in the Academic test, and the topics seem to be more and more diverse.

Also, the test writers seem to making small changes to the wording of questions, which don’t actually change what you are expected to do, but may confuse some students. For example, in the past, you were always asked “Is this a positive or negative trend?” but recently the same question has been phrased as:

• Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
• Do you think this is right or wrong?
• Do you think this this a good or bad use of public money?

If you enter the exam room and feel confused by the question, my advice is always to simply answer the question that you have been given.

Yes, there are question types that repeat, but if you are given a direct essay question or a type of question that is unfamiliar, simply focusing on answering the question/s you have been given clearly is always the best approach!

Looking for an IELTS school run by native speakers who have a proven track record of helping students achieve their potential in IELTS? Then come join the students at  My IELTS Classroom  who are using our unique video courses, live lessons and marking service to maximise their scores. 

OK – those are the 50 most recent IELTS essay questions. I will try to do this every month so that you can be sure you have ideas for every possible IELTS question in your exam. Well, maybe not to every question, but at least by practicing with these, you will have sharpened your idea-generation skills . Plus, you can help me by adding any questions that you can remember from a recent IELTS exam in the comments below 🚀

Posts navigation

• All Posts , 
• Writing , 
• Speaking , 
• Listening , 
• Reading , 
• Grammar , 
• General Advice , 

Real experts, real lessons, real success!

If you like my blog, you'll love our IELTS Writing packages

• 45 hours of video lessons with a genuine IELTS expert that prepare you for ANY IELTS question
• Integrated grammar and writing skills lessons to help you reach 7.0+
• Hundreds of downloadable practice activities and model answers

Try our free video lessons today!

Free IELTS Advice?

Subscribe to our mailing list to receive regular tips, tricks and special offers!

• Skip to main content

IELTS Podcast

Pass IELTS with expert help.

Recent Task 2 Questions & Answers from July & August 2021

September 20, 2021 By Ben Worthington

Listen to the audio version here

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Subscribe: RSS

In this tutorial, we review recent IELTS Task 2 questions seen in the exam in July & August 2021. Listen to the full tutorial for sample essay questions, answers and IELTS vocabulary .

Read the questions below:

1. Crime rates will fall as advances in technology make it easier to detect and prevent crimes. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

SAMPLE ANSWER

Paragraph 1: 

Completely agree because:

– Technology becoming cheaper every day, more video cameras available, easier to catch and a strong deterrent

– Furthermore, AI behind the camera recordings is getting better by the day, and therefore easier to detect and deter crime

Paragraph 2: 

Completely disagree because:

– Even though tech is advancing privacy technology such as encryption is also advancing. Privacy legislation is also advancing considerably, such as GDPR in Europe. 

– This makes it harder for governments and law enforcement to collect data and prove crimes, especially online. 

2. Some people think employers should not care about the way their employees dress, but the quality of work. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Completely agree because: 

– A lot of people are now working remotely, therefore it is irrelevant. 

– Old fashioned approach, dress codes are ‘relics of the past’.

– Not concentrating on a dress code allows the employer to focus on more important aspects, such as quality of work. 

Completely disagree because: 

– Sets standards 

– Avoids conflict (someone may find another colleague’s t-shirt offensive)

-While working, you are representing the company. Therefore, it is probably better to be smart and professional. 

3. Some people think children should have the freedom to make mistakes, while other people believe that adults should prevent children from making mistakes. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Children should have freedom to make mistakes because: 

– more likely to see the consequences of their actions, probably speeds up learning

– having freedom to make mistakes will probably boost confidence

Adults should definitely prevent children from mistakes because:

– The mistakes could be fatal

– The mistake could danger other children in the vicinity 

– Could boost a child’s confidence because they know they can push it to the limit within a certain framework

4. Today, many people do not know their neighbours in large cities. What problems does this cause? What can be done about this?

Problems of neighbours not knowing each other in large cities: 

– Possibly increased crime rates because people do not know each other, possibly embolden criminals 

– Makes it harder to respond to disasters as a community

What can be done about it? 

– The local government could organise local events such as sports competitions. 

– The local government could start a local education program to bring adults together.

Join many other students who have achieved success with our IELTS online course , click here to learn more.

You can download or listen to the audio version here:

About Ben Worthington

As the founder of IELTSPodcast, Ben started his journey as an English educator in 2006. Ben and his team of teachers provide students with expert advice, twice a week to cover the writing, reading, listening and speaking sections of the IELTS exam.

Follow Ben Worthington on LinkedIn

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. Take the first step today

Here’s your new year gift, one app for all your, study abroad needs, start your journey, track your progress, grow with the community and so much more.

Verification Code

An OTP has been sent to your registered mobile no. Please verify

Thanks for your comment !

Our team will review it before it's shown to our readers.

Most Common IELTS Essay Topics: 100+ Essay Topics, Types of Questions, and Preparation Tips

• Updated on  
• Jan 11, 2024

Whether you are pondering about how to study abroad or are planning to settle there, as a part of your visa and university requirements, you have to sit for certain English proficiency tests like the IELTS. International English Language Proficiency Testing System (IELTS) is one of the most renowned English proficiency tests that has to be taken by students belonging to countries where English is not an official language. This is one of the conditions for attaining overseas education.

There are two variants of the test; IELTS General Training and Academic and depending on your purpose of visit, you can choose the variant. IELTS evaluates candidates on 4 basic parameters namely, Reading, Speaking, Listening and Writing. Out of all the four sections, writing is considered to be the trickiest one wherein lengthy essay questions can baffle you. So, if you are also looking for the answer to “What kind of essays are asked in IELTS?” then don’t worry. Here is a blog on IELTS essay topics for all aspirants who are preparing for the IELTS 2023 examination. 

This Blog Includes:

Ielts essay topics on culture and tradition, ielts essay topics on environment, topics on media , ielts essay topics related to education, topics on society, ielts essay topics related to food and eating habits , topics on communication and personality , ielts essay topics related to crime and punishment , other questions, opinion essays, discussion essays, solution essays, advantage or disadvantage essays, direct question essays, how to answer task 2 essays in ielts writing section, tips for ielts writing task 2.

• Some claim that when cultural practices are utilized as tourist attractions intended to generate revenue, they are destroyed. Some claim that this is the only way to keep certain customs alive.
• Just like the government spends funds on music and theatre, it does the same on arts too which is considered a waste of money. Don’t you think that the government should spend more on revamping public services? Do you agree? If not, then why?
• Many monuments, which are a part of our cultural diversity are protected and reconstructed by law. A few people think these structures should be destroyed and something new should be constructed. How important is it to put more effort into monument maintenance? Do you think that through their maintenance, history is coming in the way of progress?
• A single-world culture is being created due to modern technology. Do you agree or disagree?
• Some people believe raising the price of fuel is the greatest way to address global environmental issues. Do you agree or disagree?
• Many animal species are becoming endangered as a result of habitat loss brought on by urbanisation, illicit hunting, and deforestation; some are even at risk of going extinct. Do you think it is necessary to protect animals?
• According to you, what are the major problems due to which developed countries have become the major contributors to global warming? What are the main problems leading to global warming?
• One of the most critical issues that the environment is facing is global warming. What are the measures the government can take to reduce such issues?
• Overpopulation in the country is a serious issue that has given rise to numerous problems. Elaborate on one or two serious issues and give a plausible solution for them that governments can implement.
• Some people think that the government should strictly control the supply of fresh water, as it is a limited resource, while others it should not be regulated.
• Fossil fuels are the main source of energy around the world today. In some countries, the use of alternative sources of energy is replacing fossil fuels.

12. Media violence encourages violence in society. To what extent do you agree?

13. Most of the news that is reported is terrible news, such as stories about wars, famines, accidents, and crime. How come, in your opinion? Do you believe there should be both good and negative news?

14. Do you believe that celebrities are ill-treated by the media or it is the price they have to pay for their stardom? Regardless of fame, their privacy should be respected or not?

15. Media has unintentionally left a negative impact on children. Often, they end up watching violence which is not advised at such a tender age. Do you agree or disagree with this?

16. What are your views on the false means of advertising used by media agencies?

17. What is the impact of computer games on the children of today? Is it helping their development or making them worse? Why and why not? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

18. Successful sportsmen can earn a great deal more than people in other important professions. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

19. Some people believe that advertising has a strong effect on a person’s decision-making process. Others feel that it has little or no real impact. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

20. Does advertising encourage us to buy things we don’t need or does it tell us about new products that may improve our lives. Which view do you agree with?

21. In many countries today, crime novels and TV crime dramas are becoming more and more popular .

22. Much worry is being expressed about the educational divide between affluent and poorer nations. What options do you have for handling this situation.

23. The role of education is to educate children for the modern world. Schools should remove music and the arts from the curriculum so that students can concentrate on practical courses like computer technology. How much do you agree?

24. Education is a fundamental right. Thus, it should be free of cost for everyone regardless of personal wealth. Do you agree or disagree with it?

25. While few people believe that the education provided by universities helps graduates get better jobs. Others think that there are many wider advantages of education through universities. Elucidate upon these views and give your opinion. 

26. Do you align with the thought that educational activities must be incorporated into children’s free time? What do you think about this argument?

27. Co-ed schools are considered better than boys and girls being educated separately. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.

28. Some people believe that the traditional approach in the modern classroom is better than a teaching methodology based on experiential learning. Do you agree or disagree?

29. University students should pay the full cost for their own study because a university education benefits individuals rather than society. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

30. Is teaching people over 65 to use computers the best way to spend government money? To what extent do you agree?

31. Nowadays, not enough students choose science subjects at university in many countries. Why is this? What effects does this have on society?

32. Some feel that movies and TV shows are a good way to study history despite their lack of historical accuracy at times. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

33. The most important aim of science ought to be to improve people’s lives.

34. Government money should be used to support children in school for sports rather than to support professional sports and arts that perform for the general public.

35. Homeless individuals are a part of most societies. Some individuals believe that giving them money is the greatest way to assist them. What percentage would you agree with?

36. It is observed in many countries that women do not feel the need to get married. Locals believe that women have started earning and have become independent as they have their own source of income, thus, they do not require the financial security that marriage brings. Up to what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

36. It is always believed that globalization has both advantages as well as disadvantages. State prominent advantages as well as disadvantages in your opinion.

37. Traditional ways of living are being lost as modern civilization develops. Is it crucial to maintain our old ways of living?

38. Over the last decade, it was majorly seen that people were eager to move from rural areas toward urban areas. What do you think has caused this? What problems can this bring up?

39. Every culture around us has made its mark in history in one or the other way. Why do you think it is important to familiarise the next generation with history?

40. Some people spend more and some spend less for wedding parties, birthday parties, and other celebrations. Is it a waste of money or a social requirement? Include specific details and examples to support your choice.

41. Some people believe that in the near future, there will be no borders between countries, while others feel that national borders will always remain. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

42. The teenage years are the happiest times of most people’s lives. Others think that adult life brings more happiness in spite of greater responsibilities. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

43. People who have original ideas provide much greater value to society than the ones who copy others. Do you agree or disagree?

44. Is it good for childrens that parents provide them with everything they ask for?

45. Advancements in technology have made it possible for many people to work from home nowadays? What do you think are the effects on employees working from home?

46. Some people think that social networking sites have a huge negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

47. The best way to reduce poverty in developing countries is by giving up to six years of free education so that they can at least read, write and use numbers. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

48. Some argue that patriotism is the primary cause of wars globally. Others feel that it serves to prevent less ethical politicians from running a country and starting wars.

49. Many think that religion should be taught in schools while others think it should be avoided

50. Some feel that cities should be designed to be beautiful while others feel their functionality is more important. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion

51. Preservatives and chemicals are present in many prepared meals and processed foods. What benefits can this have? Do you believe the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?

52. Many children around us are obese and overweight. What according to you has led to this common problem amongst children? What measures can be taken to resolve this? 

53. To cope with the pace of the fast-moving world, many of us have now started to replace main meals with fast food. What according to you are the advantages of this step that have to outweigh the disadvantages? 

54. Over the past few years, the media has portrayed the image of a young woman as a thin lady. What according to you are the problems caused by this conception? 

55. Due to the severe repercussions of eating fast food on a daily basis, some people think that the only way to prevent this is to ban fast food. Do you agree or disagree with the statement?

56. In many countries, fast food is becoming cheaper and more widely available. Do the disadvantages of this outweigh the advantages?

57. People often argue that eating junk food has led to an unhealthy lifestyle. This problem has become more common among young people these days. Do you agree or disagree that junk food is the cause of the issue? 

58. Governments in many countries have recently introduced special taxes on foods and beverages with high levels of sugar. Some think these taxes are a good idea while others disagree. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

59. Today’s society provides people with various ways to lose weight, such as special diets or exercise regimes. Many people believe though that poor food and today’s lifestyle should be addressed first. What is your opinion?

60. In many countries today, the eating habits and lifestyles of children are different from those of previous generations. Some people say this has had a negative effect on their health in many countries today, the eating habits and lifestyles of children are different from those of previous generations. Some people say this has had a negative effect on their health. What is your opinion?

61. Nowadays, an increasing number of people with health problems are using alternative medicines and treatments instead of visiting their normal doctor.

62. Individuals and businesses alike are choosing to communicate professionally or socially via technology rather than in person. Talk about the benefits and drawbacks of using technology for communication.

63. Some people fail in school but end up being successful in life. What do you think is important in life- performing well in school or being successful after school? 

64. With the advent of the internet, texting has become the modern way of communicating due to which face-to-face communication will become a thing of the past. To what extent do you agree? 

65. With the help of the internet, many people have now started to communicate with others online comfortably rather than confronting them face to face. According to you, what are the advantages as well as disadvantages of communicating online? 

66. Due to frequent slang or short forms used in the modern way of texting, people have started believing that this is the death of grammar and spelling. Discuss both sides of the argument.

67. New-age Celebrities from Instagram and TikTok are more famous for their glamorous lifestyle than their achievements. Does this affect the children who follow them? State your opinion.

68. Some people prefer to keep their private life separate from their work while others spend their leisure time with their colleagues. Discuss both views and give your opinion

69. Has modern technology made it easier to download copyrighted music and books?

70. Some children spend hours every day on smartphones. Why is this the case? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

71. It is important for people to take risks, in both their professional lives and personal lives.

72. The best way to make the road transport of goods safer is to ask drivers to take a driving test each year.

73. Fewer young people play sports these days.

74. Some nations are having trouble keeping up with rising crime rates. Many individuals believe that the best solution to decrease crime is to have more police officers on the streets. How much do you concur?

75. People believe that certain criminals should be made to do community service instead of putting them behind bars. Up to what extent do you agree? 

76. To what extent do you think that technology has played a role in decreasing the crime rate? 

77. In some societies, the crime rate committed by teenagers is increasing. Thus, the people believe that they should receive punishments like adults. According to you what are the disadvantages of it?

78. Do you agree or disagree that having more police on the streets will decrease the overall crime rate of a country?

79. Studies show that most young children who commit crimes have been abused in some way by their parents.

80. Many studies show that poor people are more likely to be involved in petty and serious crimes than people who come from higher-income groups. Do you agree?

81. What is the importance of stable family structures in preventing crime in a country? State your opinion.

82. Are strict punishments for driving offences the key to reducing traffic accidents or are other ways necessary? Give your opinion.

83. Prison is the common way most countries try to solve the problem of crime. However, a more effective solution is to provide the public with a better education.

Apart from these category-wise questions, here are some other general IELTS essay topics:

84. Some people believe that one of the most beneficial inventions like mobile phones has somehow disrupted our social lives. What is your view on this statement?

85. Being a young mind, do you agree that people should take advice from elders rather than from the younger ones? Support your answer with valuable points 

86. The increasing dependency of people on their mobile phones is a positive or negative development in society? 

87. Some people think that wearing a uniform at work is essential whereas others think that it is unnecessary. Present your views on both sides of the argument.

88. Have you ever lived away from your parents? Describe your living situation and explain its advantages and disadvantages. Include specific details and examples to support your choice.

90. Some people prefer to work in the same type of job throughout their lifetime while others like to change the type of job they do. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

91. Some people think that illegal Internet downloads are having a negative effect on the music industry. Others feel that they have little or no impact on artists. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

92. People who read for pleasure in their free time have a better imagination than those who prefer to watch TV. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

93. Children often complain that history lessons are boring because they are about a past that is dead. How can schools bring history alive for pupils?

94. People are waiting until their thirties to get married and have children these days. Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

95. Some people say a car is the best way to travel through a city while others support travelling with bicycles. Discuss both sides and share your opinion.

96. Would you prefer working for a large company or a small one? Explain with specific reasons and examples.

97. Free public transport 24×7 is the best way for governments to solve the problem of traffic congestion. Do you agree or disagree?

98. Music has been and will continue to be the universal language of mankind. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

99. Online currencies have become more common in recent years. Why is this? Is this a positive or negative development?

100. Some people feel that cities should allow for spaces for graffiti while others feel it should be banned. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion.

101. Always telling the truth is the most important consideration in any relationship between people. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

102. A rise in the standard of living in a country often only seems to benefit cities rather than rural areas.

103. Around the world, rural people are moving to cities and urban areas, so populations in the countryside are decreasing.

Types of IELTS Essays

IELTS essay themes are typically divided into a number of categories. The following sorts of essays are common in the IELTS exam :

You must express your thoughts on the suggested subject in this essay genre. Naturally, having prior knowledge of common subjects that are frequently included in the IELTS exam is the ideal method to achieve high marks in such essays.

Sample Questions:

• Most teenagers today own a smartphone. Provide your opinion to discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
• Crime novels and TV series have become quite popular in recent years. What is your opinion about these crime dramas?
• Developing nations often require international assistance. Many believe that this assistance should be monetary, while some think practical help and advice would be more beneficial. Discuss both these views along with your opinion.
• Many consider automobiles to be the biggest source of pollution in urban areas, while some believe industries are responsible for it. Explain both views and provide your opinion.
• Many people believe individuals involved with creative arts should be financially supported by the government. Some others believe they should find separate resources. Discuss each of the views and give your opinion.
• Some believe success in life comes from hard work, dedication, and motivation. While many believe success depends on other important factors like money and appearance. Discuss both views and provide your opinion. 
• Many think that governments should fund programs in search of life on other planets. However, others believe governments should focus on unresolved issues on the planet. Provide your opinion and discuss both views.

In the case of discussion essays, the candidates need to put forward an explanation for or against any given topic. Such essays are the most common to appear in the IELTS exam. 

Sample Questions: 

• Many believe living in big cities comes with more advantages than residing in the countryside. Do you agree or disagree with this?
• The shopping habits of people depend more on their age group than on any other factors. Do you agree or disagree with this? 
• More and more children and minors are becoming overweight in developed nations. This is a major problem for most wealthy countries. Explain the causes and impacts of this issue.
• The internet is a great invention that brings a host of advantages to the world population. However, there are several issues in terms of security and control of personal data. Do you agree or disagree with this?
• Advertising prevents originality in people and makes them look the same and do the same. Do you agree or disagree with this?
• Parents today often tend to organise extra classes on weekends or even after school. Do you believe this is at all useful? Or, do you think the education provided in school is sufficient?
• Some people believe that capital punishment should be done away with. Do you agree or disagree with this?
• Countries spend a lot of money on training individuals for sports competitions while some people believe that the money could be better spent on ordinary citizens. Do you agree or disagree?

For solution essays, you will have to provide a solution to a particular issue. At times, questions might be provided as to why a specific issue has occurred, and candidates have to provide their opinion on the answer.

• The massive movement of people from agricultural areas to cities in search of employment can lead to serious problems in both places. What are the problems, and how can these be solved? 

In this type of essay, students have to write about a particular topic’s positive and negative sides. Such essays test your argument construction skills and how well you can use English to communicate your views as clearly and coherently as possible. 

• International tourism has greatly benefited many places. However, there have been major concerns about its impact on the local environment and inhabitants. Do the negative impacts of international tourism outweigh the benefits?
• Some countries have recently passed laws to restrict the daily working hours of employees. Explain whether this will have a positive or negative impact.
• More and more people today are visiting extreme places such as Antarctica or the Sahara desert. What are the advantages or disadvantages of such travels?
• Social media is gradually replacing in-person face-to-face contact with many people worldwide. Do the benefits of social media outweigh the disadvantages? 
• Some countries allow old people to work at any age they want. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
• New technologies have changed the way children spend their free time. Do you think the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

For this type of essay, the topics will be provided as direct questions, which students have to answer based on their experiences and thoughts.

• Shopping used to be a routine domestic task in the past. However, today, it has become more of a hobby. Is this a positive trend?

The strategies listed below can help students improve their capacity for answering essays in the Writing portion.

• Read and comprehend the question : Reading and comprehending the question thoroughly is the first step to writing task 2 essays with ease. Candidates typically respond to questions without fully understanding what is being asked of them. Candidates should thoroughly examine the question, determine the question’s type, and make an effort to determine its keywords. Finally, they should ensure that they fully comprehend the directions before attempting to respond. Candidates should thoroughly examine the question, determine the question’s type, and make an effort to determine its keywords. Finally, they should ensure that they fully comprehend the directions before attempting to respond.
• Plan the solution : Students must plan the format of their responses after fully comprehending the question. Candidates will be able to organise their thoughts and present a concise and well-rounded response as a result.
• Writing a Strong Introduction : An overview of the essay’s topic should be provided in the introduction. Make sure to draft a good start that summarises the article.
• Carefully curate the main body : The essay’s main body is where you must present all of the important information. Make your points in accordance with this and support them with justifications, examples, and other pertinent information. Once finished, you must provide a suitable summary.

The following advice can help candidates ace the IELTS Writing test:

• Be sure to go outside the box for solutions.
• There are two questions in the 60-minute Writing segment of the test. In order to easily respond to both questions within the allotted time, one should practise time management skills.
• Make as many connections as you can between the given topic and reality and current events.
• Avoid writing in a single paragraph at all costs. Where necessary, try to divide the divisions, and learn to connect each paragraph.

Thus, we hope that this blog on IELTS essay topics has now brought some clarity on what type of questions can be asked of you during the exam.

The scoring range of IELTS writing is 0-9. 

Individuals must avoid under-developing their ideas, keeping both sides of the argument incomplete, not linking the problems and solutions and lastly  being ambiguous. 

The IELTS Problem-Solution Essay can be segregated into an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. 

Visit the Leverage Live page of Leverage edu or contact our study abroad experts at 1800-57-2000 to strengthen your scores and application to secure your spot in your dream college. 

Team Leverage Edu

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Contact no. *

I really appreciate this website. I have learned some inciteful writing information. I strongly feel that I can go forward with the information that I have gained and it will be of much help in improving my IELTS writing skills. Thanks!

Hi Anna, Thanks for the feedback! We are happy to help you with your IELTS journey through our exclusive IELTS preparation classes online. Get in touch with our experts to know more about it. Meanwhile, we hope this will interest you more: https://leverageedu.com/blog/ielts-writing-tips/ https://leverageedu.com/blog/ielts-writing/

Leaving already?

8 Universities with higher ROI than IITs and IIMs

Grab this one-time opportunity to download this ebook

Connect With Us

45,000+ students realised their study abroad dream with us. take the first step today..

Resend OTP in

Need help with?

Study abroad.

UK, Canada, US & More

IELTS, GRE, GMAT & More

Scholarship, Loans & Forex

Country Preference

New Zealand

Which English test are you planning to take?

Which academic test are you planning to take.

Not Sure yet

When are you planning to take the exam?

Already booked my exam slot

Within 2 Months

Want to learn about the test

Which Degree do you wish to pursue?

When do you want to start studying abroad.

September 2024

January 2025

What is your budget to study abroad?

How would you describe this article ?

Please rate this article

We would like to hear more.

Press ESC to close

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

Not sure how to start your IELTS preparation for IELTS essay writing topics? Then this article will help you to cover IELTS essay topics with answers. So let’s get started on a few IELTS essay writing topics.

IELTS Essay Topics 2021

Some IELTS essay topics for 2021 can be based on the Corona virus. They can ask you about various aspects of life connecting with the virus. So for your writing task 2 in 2021 stay updated with effects of Corona virus in general. Some areas where questions are asked in general are:

• Business and money
• Family and children
• Communication and personalities

These are just a few areas where questions can be asked from but the scope can be much wider in the exam. Look to write an essay on each aspect so you can have all-round strength.

IELTS Essay Topics

Now let’s take a few sample questions and look to answer it. This article will give three sample IELTS essay topics.

Q1. Recent advances in air travel have focused only on those sitting in first class and have left other passengers with no benefits. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Q2. In the modern world, it is possible to shop, work, and communicate online without any face-to-face contact with other people. Is this a positive or negative development?

Also Read: Describe an Ambition That You have for a Long Time: IELTS Exam Cue Card Questions

IELTS Essay Topics with Answers – Sample Question 1

Recent advances in air travel have been benefitting only those sitting in first class. The best of amenities is provided to them. Before they sit in the plane itself, they get better amenities. Those that travel first-class get special lounges. These lounges have great facilities like international food cooked by top-level chefs, luxurious seating and liquor for those interested. The onboard facilities differ for each airline. Some go out out of the way to provide spas, some provide suites like facility and some provide on-air chef. All these facilities pertain only to those travel first class these days. In fact, to save money, they provide very little facilities for those travelling in the economy class.

Break the Paragraph

No matter what the luxuries provided, but airlines have now started to reduce the leg space between each seat so that they can accommodate more passengers in the same amount of space and thus helping them earn higher amount of profits.

Every passenger should be important for an airline, and they should look to improve the facilities they provide to someone who is travelling economy. Yes, they earn more through first-class tickets but the cost is higher too.

The regular fliers are very important for each airline. The only reason that airlines get away with this is due to a lack of substitutes in transportation. Yes, ships help but they are not as fast as an aeroplane. With the pandemic, companies will need the basic fliers to rebuild their company and in order for the rebuilding, process companies should look to improve facilities for the economy fliers.

Concluding Para

The average man is being looted in every aspect of life due to increasing capitalism all around the world. To go around the world, one requires an aeroplane to travel in and the common man is being looted her too. Airline companies have started to become more advanced but provide their best services only to their first-class travellers. There should be a change in this attitude by companies and should look to provide the best of services to all their fliers.

Also Read: Describe a Risk that You Have Taken which has a Positive Result: Cue Card Sample Answer

IELTS Essay Topics with Answers – Sample Question 2

The modern world has developed to very high levels. The world has now become digital, from calling to education. A lot of aspects of life have now become digital, and the dependency on the digital world has increased by tenfolds in the past years. One of the most loved hobby for people or a great pastime for many, shopping too has become digital nowadays.

The new generation of citizens prefers to use digital means of shopping even though it may take longer in the arrival of the product. Digital shopping then creates a situation where neither seller nor the buyer needs to come in face to face contact with each other. Every step of a transaction can be processed online, from placing an order to payment.

This surely is a very positive development both for the customers and the sellers. Online means of selling allows a manufacturer to reduce the number of middlemen or retailers that they have to supply the product in order for it to reach consumers. Customers also get a better price when they directly buy from a manufacturer. Shopping online has now made life so much easier for everybody. One can buy desired products from the comfort of their homes and at any times. Unlike a regular market, time is never an issue here and these markets are open throughout the year at all times.

Also Read: IELTS Essay in Writing Task 2: Here’s How to Organize it Well

In this time of the pandemic, the digital world’s importance has increased. Everyone has to depend on the world of internet. From parents working from home to children studying from home. The world has changed a lot. To aid in a better life, technology has been the supporting system. There is no direct face to face contact between people yet the world of education and the working sector life has been moving on.

Yes, there are a lot of emotions that the digital world cannot capture and can lead to miscommunication but being out there with the pandemic is very risky and miscommunication is a very small price to pay for the health of every citizen. The modern world is definitely indebted to the creation of the internet and the technological world, as lives have become much easier from the comfort of everyone’s home.

Tips for Writing Task 2 2021 Essay Writing

The best tips for the essay writing section for your IELTS exam are:

• Analyze the question in details and look for answers outside the box.
• Create a visual mindmap if possible and look to connect the topic to reality and current affairs if possible.
• Manage your time well. You cannot waste too much time on a single question so let the flow come to you naturally.
• Ensure you write in paragraphs. Do not write it in one single paragraph, break it down and look to give a solid conclusion.
• Write more than just 250 words. Due to the time limit, it is recommended to write around 300 words.

If you are trying to improve your IELTS essay writing then this article will help you to understand how to write the IELTS essay in a better way by proving sample questions and answers with them.

Many students wonder do essay topics repeat in IELTS? The answer is uncertain as IELTS exam papers are not issued to the students. Go through the tips for the exam and learn how to write a better essay with ease.

Also Read: Best Vocabulary for IELTS Writing Task 2 to Achieve Band 8: Here’s Your Guide to Score Big

Creating a visual mind map is actually a very good tip because we tend to miss out on the basics, and the foundation of preparation lies right there. It was a really informative piece.

Thank you for providing the questions with the answers, it was very helpful, what do you guys think about it?

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Share Article:

About the Author

Shilpa is a professional web content writer and is in deep love with travelling. She completed her mass communication degree and is now dedicatedly playing with words to guide her readers to get the best for themselves. Developing educational content for UPSC, IELTS aspirants from breakthrough research work is her forte. Strongly driven by her zodiac sign Sagittarius, Shilpa loves to live her life on her own notes and completely agrees with the idea of ‘live and let live. Apart from writing and travelling, most of the time she can be seen in the avatar of 'hooman' mom to her pets and street dogs or else you can also catch her wearing the toque blanche and creating magic in the kitchen on weekends.

You might also like

Writing High-Scoring IELTS Essays: A Step-by-Step Guide

Common IELTS Writing Mistakes and How to Avoid Them

Linking Words for IELTS Writing Task 2: What is Linking Words in IELTS?

Other stories, agree disagree essay for ielts writing task 2: click to know all about agee disagree essay, band requirement for australia study visa: learn about australia study visa requirements.

Latest IELTS Writing Task 1 2022 (Graphs, Charts, Maps, Processes)

Evening Slot Writing Task 1, 24th September 2022, India

Sample Answer

The circle charts depict the power generation ratio from a nation’s divergent resources in 1985 and 2003.

Overall, it is readily apparent that the highest energy production was from oil in both years, and the lowest was from other renewables. In contrast, the share of natural gas, coal and other renewables elevated, and the contribution of nuclear and oil plummeted in the given period.

Turning to the details, the contribution of oil to total energy production was 52 per cent in 1985, which dropped to 39 per cent in 2003. Moving further, 13 % of energy came from natural gas in 1985, which surged to 23 per cent in 2003. Furthermore, the share of coal was 8% in 1985, which inclined to 13% in 2003. In addition, the contribution of hydrogen remained the same in both years at 4 per cent. Moreover, the share of nuclear in total energy generation was 22 per cent in 1985, which nosedived to 17 per cent in 2003. Lastly, the share of other renewables climbed to 4 per cent in 2003 from 1 per cent in 1985.

Evening Slot Writing Task 1, 15th September 2022, India

Table chart, the table below presents the food consumption per person weekly in a european country in 1992,2002, and 2012..

The table chart depicts the food consumption per person per week in a European nation in 1992,2002, and 2012.

Overall, it is evident that the consumption per person per week was highest for vegetables and lowest for cheese in the given period.

According to the table chart, the per capita consumption per week of vegetables was 2140 grams in 1992, which inclined to 2190 grams in 2002 and 2220 gms in 2012. The meat consumption was 1148 grams in 1992, and it saw a slight increase in 2002 and reached 1211grams, whereas it declined to 1132gms in 2012. Moreover, wheat’s consumption surged to 920 grams in 2002 from 837 in 1992 to 977grams in 2012. Furthermore, bean consumption inclined consistently in the given period from 532 grams in 1992 to 546grams in 2002, reaching 590 grams in 2012. Lastly, cheese consumption was 113 grams in 1992, which elevated to 125 grams in 2002 and remained stable in 2012.

IELTS writing task 2 topics 2021 with answer | Sample questions

2021-02-13 People used to live in the same city throughout their lives, but now they change where they live several times. What is the cause? Do you think it is a positive or negative trend? Type: Direct Question

2021-02-13 Some people believe that too many resources and attention are devoted to the protection of wild animals and birds. To what extend do you agree or disagree? Type: Agree & Disagree

2021-02-06 Nowadays, it is more convenient and easier for people to travel to other countries. Is this a positive or negative development? Type: Advantages & Disadvantages

2021-01-30 More and more plastic waste has polluted cities, countrysides, and oceans. What problems does it cause and what measures can be taken? Type: Direct Question

2021-01-23 When you learn a foreign language, all four skills (listening, reading, speaking, and writing) are equally important. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Type: Agree & Disagree

2021-01-21 Surveys show that in many countries, people are living longer but increased life expectancy has many implications for ageing individuals and society as a whole. What are the possible effects of longer living for individuals and society? Type: Direct Question

2021-01-16 A lot of young people do not know how to manage their money when graduating from high school. What do you think are the reasons? What can be done to teach them this important skill? Type: Direct Question

2021-01-09 Some people argue that holding sporting events is beneficial to countries’ development. However, other people hold the opposite opinion. Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Type: Discussion

2021-01-09 Some people think that hard work helps in achieving financial success while others think it is not the only thing that contributes to financial success. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Type: Discussion

2021-01-09 Some people think new homes need to be built with private outdoor space such as a garden, yard, or balcony. Do you think this is more advantageous or more disadvantageous? Type: Advantages & Disadvantages

2021-01-09 Some people think the spread of multinational companies and globalization produce positive outcomes for everyone. Do you agree or disagree with the statement? Type: Agree & Disagree

2020-12-31 Directors of large organizations earn much higher salaries than ordinary employees do. Some people think it is necessary, but others hold that it is unfair. Discuss both views and give your own opinions. Type: Discussion

2020-12-26 Fast food is becoming one part of life everywhere, this has bad effects on our lifestyles and diet. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Type: Agree & Disagree

2020-12-26 In many countries, people wear more western-style clothes(suits and jeans) than their traditional clothes. Why? Is it a positive or negative development? Type: Cause

2020-12-20 Today, more and more people use robots to do tasks at home and at work. Do you think it is a positive or negative development? Why? Type: Opinion

2020-12-20 Some people think governments should spend money on measures to save languages with few speakers from dying out completely. Others think this is a waste of financial resources. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Type: Discussion

2020-12-19 Nowadays young people are admiring media and sports stars, even though they do not set a good example. Do you think this a positive or negative development? Type: Opinion

2020-12-12 Nowadays, celebrities are more famous for their glamour and wealth than for their achievements, and this has set a bad example for young people. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Type: Agree & Disagree

2020-12-06 Although there is a lot of translation software available, learning a language still could be advantageous. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Type: Agree & Disagree

2020-12-05 Some people think that the government should invest more money in teaching science than other subjects to make progress. Do you agree or disagree? Type: Agree & Disagree

Post Statistics

This post has 696 words.

This post has 6131 characters.

Estimated reading time 3 mintues.

Think your friends would be interested? Share this topic!

• Click to share on Telegram (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
• Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)