how to write agree or disagree ielts essay

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How to Write “Agree or Disagree” Essays for IELTS

Posted by David S. Wills | Jan 15, 2021 | IELTS Tips , Writing | 1

There are various types of essay that you may be asked to write in task 2 of the IELTS writing test, but one of the most common ones is the “agree or disagree” question. This will provide some kind of statement and then ask you whether (or to what extent) you agree or disagree.

In this article, I will tell you everything you need to know about writing an agree or disagree essay .

What is an “Agree or Disagree” IELTS Question?

There are various kinds of questions in IELTS writing task 2, and one of them is called “agree or disagree” because that is precisely what you are asked to do. The question will normally contain those words although there are slight variations:

• Do you agree or disagree?
• To what extent do you agree or disagree?

This question will follow a statement and your task is to give your reaction to that statement. As long as you can understand the precise nature of the statement, this question is quite to understand.

Note that some people would call this an “opinion essay” but I would disagree with that label. Whilst it is certainly a type of opinion essay, there are other question types that require your opinion, so this is a problematic label. Here’s my guide to opinion essays.

How Should I Answer an “Agree or Disagree” Question?

The important thing about this sort of IELTS question is that you answer the question directly . In other words, you should state whether you agree , disagree , or neither agree nor disagree .

Some people wonder whether it is possible to give a balanced answer and others seem to think that you must always give a balanced answer, but the truth is simple:

You can agree, disagree, or neither agree nor disagree. Any of these is acceptable.

Just pay attention to the exact wording of the question. If it asks “to what extent…?” then you should clearly state the extent to which you agree/disagree:

• Completely agree
• Partially agree
• Neither agree nor disagree
• Partially disagree
• Completely disagree

If it just says “Do you agree or disagree?” then you don’t necessarily need to give the degree and you could just say “I agree” or “I disagree.” However, it is better to provide more explanation and detail.

If you want a more in-depth discussion of the issue of balanced answers, you can read this article .

Structuring “Agree or Disagree” Essays

Some kinds of IELTS essay are easy to structure. For example, “ Discuss both views ” and “ Advantages and disadvantages ” questions can easily be answered with a predictable four-paragraph structure. However, “agree or disagree” questions require a little more thought. Sometimes it can be a little difficult to find the right structure.

Generally, I recommend writing four or five paragraphs and preferably just four. As such, here are two possibilities for structuring your “agree or disagree” essay:

As you can tell, the second structure is more complicated and thus there is more scope for mistakes in terms of Task Response or Coherence and Cohesion . However, if you do this right it can provide a more interesting and developed answer.

In any case, the important thing to know is that your structure should be coherent and logical. Your reader should never feel confused. If you make a plan before writing, this will really help you to stay on topic and deliver your views effectively.

Let’s look at an example:

Some people argue that the government should give every unemployed person a mobile phone and should make sure they have access to the Internet. They believe this is the best way of using public money to reduce the problem of unemployment. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

To answer this question, I would firstly decide the extent to which I agree or disagree. I disagree that it is the best use of public money, so I would structure my essay thusly:

Now let’s look at how I would write that essay:

Sample Band 9 Answer

It has been suggested that governments should give jobless people phones and internet access to alleviate the unemployment problem. This essay will argue that, whilst this may be a good idea, it is certainly not the best way of using public money to solve the problem.

To begin with, it could be seen as a positive step to give unemployed people phones and internet access. This would certainly help improve their lives in a small way and may give them the ability to hunt down job leads. However, it is not a guaranteed method of finding employment. For one thing, phones are severely limited in comparison with computers, which would be far more useful for jobseekers. A computer is more appropriate for writing CVs and scrolling through lists of adverts. As such, perhaps public funds would be better spent on computers rather than phones.

In addition, the idea of just giving unemployed people technology in order to solve their problems seems a little wishful. The fact is that most people have phones and internet access in 2021, suggesting that this is not what prevents them from finding work. Perhaps the money would be better spent on job fairs, counselling, benefits, or even investment in local businesses to spur the hiring process. Indeed, whilst none of these is a perfect solution, they all seem rather more realistic and preferential than buying thousands of phones and internet contracts.

In conclusion, while it may be a good idea to give all jobless people a phone and internet access, it is almost certainly not the best use of public funds in terms of tackling unemployment.

Language for Agreeing and Disagreeing

Once you have figured out the structure for your essay, you need to have the right language to accurately and effectively express your ideas. Most of the grammar and vocabulary you need will be dependent upon the topic , but there are some useful words and phrases to know for all “agree or disagree” essays.

Giving Purpose and Position

In your introduction, you need to clearly state your position vis-à-vis the question. You can also state what you will do in this essay.

Here are some great phrases:

This essay will…

To avoid being overly personal or informal, you can speak as though your essay is writing itself. This might seem a little strange, but it is perfectly normal. It is a great idea to use this for the overview section of your introduction to say “This essay will argue that…” or “This essay will agree with the idea that…”

Alternatively, you can include yourself:

In this essay, I will…

The use of the personal pronoun is a little informal but these questions are directly asking for your opinion and so there is nothing really wrong with it. This is a good way of stating your intentions clearly from the offset.

Just be careful to avoid redundant phrasing here, like “In my opinion, I think that…” It is not necessary to say both “In my opinion” and “I think” because they both express the same basic meaning.

It is also worth making sure that you completely understand how to use the words “agree” and “disagree.” This probably sounds very easy, but many people make mistakes. I have a full article on it here .

One of the biggest mistakes is saying, “I agree to the idea.” Instead, you need to say “I agree with the idea.” The preposition here is a huge difference and completely changes the meaning of “agree.”

Language for Structuring your Ideas

You can use some cohesive devices when explaining your ideas but be careful not to over-use them and make sure that each one is used accurately. For example, the phrases “On the one hand” and “On the other hand” are really useful here but many people make mistakes by saying “On one hand” or “One the other hand.”

You can also use words like “Firstly” and “Finally” to order your ideas but remember that having every sentence start with the same sort of word sounds repetitive, so don’t use these too much.

Some other useful phrases are:

The first reason why I think/believe that [summarise view] is…”

In this case, we are directly communicating to the reader that this is the first (and therefore most important) reason to support our opinion. To remove the personal pronoun, simply change to:

The first reason why [summarise view] is…

Here are two examples:

• The first reason why I think that families should take care of their elderly relatives is that it allows more freedom for the individual.
• The first reason why families should take care of their elderly relatives is that it allows more freedom for the individual.

Should You Totally Avoid Personal Pronouns?

For IELTS, some people say that you should always avoid personal pronouns but other people suggest that they are acceptable. It is true that they are acceptable because some questions directly ask for your opinion and experiences. However, it is also true that an advanced writer can answer these questions without personal pronouns, thereby increasing the level of formality .

Take a look at this question:

Rich countries often give money to poorer countries, but it does not solve poverty. Therefore, developed countries should give other types of help to the poor countries rather than financial aid. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is clearly asking for your personal opinion, so it would be fine to say “I think…” or “I believe…” However, we could definitely answer it in a more detached, formal sense.

To give my opinion, I will say:

this essay will argue that giving money is not simply enough and that more nuanced, long-term solutions are necessary

Later, in the conclusion, I will use similar language to affirm my view:

whilst it may seem reasonable to donate money to poor countries, it would be far better to help them through education

Here is the full essay:

The topic of international aid is incredibly controversial and there are no simple solutions. However, this essay will argue that giving money is not simply enough and that more nuanced, long-term solutions are necessary.

To begin with, it is important to acknowledge that poor countries need some form of aid and that money is better than nothing. Wealthy countries give vast sums of money, but there are numerous problems that emerge. Firstly, this money usually has strings attached, meaning that the poor countries often end up owing favours or debts, which exacerbates their problems. Secondly, poor countries are typically poor because of endemic corruption, and money donated is usually embezzled immediately after receipt. As such, giving money is understandable but problematic, and other forms of aid are thus preferable.

Nowadays, many people realise that it is better to provide poor countries with the means to help themselves. This can be done in various ways, including education. As such, perhaps the best way to help these nations is to provide them with teachers and educational facilities. This can allow them to raise a generation of intelligent, motivated people who will shape the future. It can clearly be seen that the education of women is of particular importance, as this lowers the fertility rate, further stopping other problems that contribute to poverty. Therefore, the education of young women should be made a top priority.

In conclusion, whilst it may seem reasonable to donate money to poor countries, it would be far better to help them through education.

Writing an essay for an IELTS “agree or disagree” question is probably a little more difficult than writing one for other question types. However, it is not much more difficult and if you follow the advice above, you can definitely create a wonderful essay that will get a high score. Just remember to answer the question directly and also to use appropriate language throughout.

About The Author

David S. Wills

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

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Agree or disagree essay for IELTS writing task 2

Home  »  IELTS academic task 2 » Agree or disagree essay for IELTS writing task 2

What is an “agree or disagree” essay?

• An “agree or disagree” essay offers a statement and invites you either to agree or disagree with it.
• For this type of task 2 essay, you are expected (1) to state your opinion clearly (2) to address all parts of the statement with which you are agreeing or disagreeing (3) fully to support your opinion with reference to further knowledge or experience

Sample “agree or disagree” questions

Here are some examples of agree or disagree essay questions.

1. “Modern life is increasingly chaotic.” Do you agree or disagree?

2. “The death penalty is barbaric and should not be legal anywhere.” Do you agree or disagree?

3. “Libraries are irrelevant in the age of the internet and should not be publicly funded.” Do you agree or disagree?

As an illustration, I’m going to discuss the third of these examples.

I’m going to argue that libraries are not irrelevant in the age of the internet, partly because (as a scholar and teacher of English) that’s what I believe.

It is possible to argue a case opposite to your own real opinion, but you are more likely to argue convincingly if you argue for a case in which you yourself believe.

Always read the question carefully!

• Remember our cardinal rule: always read the question carefully. This is a vital point and expanded on in the online IELTS course .

“Libraries are irrelevant in the age of the internet and should not be publicly funded.” Do you agree or disagree?

Here, it’s essential to note that the view with which you’re being asked to agree or disagree actually consists of two views:

“Libraries are irrelevant in the age of the internet”;

“Libraries should not be publicly funded.”

The two questions are linked, but not identical.

Stating your opinion clearly and decisively

Let’s consider an unclear statement of opinion.

“I suppose libraries are in some ways irrelevant, you can find most things you need on the internet, but after all it is good to have a place to go and study, and many libraries also offer other facilities like cafes etc.”

What is the problem with this way of stating an opinion?

First, the statement of opinion is indecisive, because it is prefaced with “I suppose”.

It is usually a bad idea to preface your statement of opinion with “I suppose”, or “it is my opinion that”, or even “I think that”.

The reader already knows that it is your opinion, because you are stating it!

Every time you are tempted to write “I think that” or “It’s my opinion that”, try simply deleting those words.

The sentence will usually be greatly improved without them.

The other problem with this way of opening your argument is that it is unclear which side you are on.

After the reader has finished reading the opening sentence, it is not fully clear whether the writer agrees or disagrees with the statement offered.

This is not to say that there is no room for subtlety or qualifications to an argument in your essay.

But the main line of your argument needs to be clear because you don’t have much space. Let’s try to find a better opening for the essay.

“Libraries are very far from irrelevant. The experience of reading a printed book is very different from that of reading a text on a screen, and much more is lost than is sometimes supposed when reading electronically.”

This is clear and decisive statement of opinion. A single line of argument is given, followed by a single main supporting reason for it.

Addressing all parts of the question

Let’s move on to the second main criterion, addressing all parts of the question.

Remember that you’re being asked not only whether libraries are irrelevant, but also whether they should receive public funding (vocabulary like this is great for your essay) .

Obviously, these two questions are linked: if libraries were irrelevant, there really would be no point in funding them.

Yet it does not follow that, if relevant, they must be funded. It’s good to demonstrate your awareness that the question has more than one aspect to it.

Here is an example of how you might do this.

“We have seen that libraries are very far from irrelevant. Clearly, this fact does not, by itself, show that they deserve public funding. Nevertheless, a good case can, in fact, be made for public financial support for libraries.”

With this transition between the first and second aspects of the question, you have done a number of things.

You have shown that you have read the question attentively, and have understood that it consists of two distinct parts.

You have also shown that you understand the need to provide support for your opinion on each part of the statement asked about.

Supporting your argument

Finally, let’s move on to the third criterion, the need fully to support your opinion.

Evidently, you are not expected to be an expert on any topic about which you might be asked to give your opinion.

You are not expected, for example, to have precise facts and figures about library use at your fingertips!

But you are being asked to show that you understand the general principle of the need to support opinions with reasons , with evidence of some kind.

Let’s consider what might count as supporting the argument that libraries are not irrelevant in the internet age. You would need to be able to show what it is that libraries provide that a computer screen can’t.

Here, “supporting” your argument might simply mean describing some of the valuable features of reading a book which can’t be reproduced by a computer.

Let’s consider an example of how this might be done.

“Not all the merits of books are replicable on a computer screen. Not only are books one of the simplest technologies ever invented, and therefore extremely easy to use, but they are also physical sites of memory. Many readers remember what they have read in a book by remembering the look, feel and even smell of a book as they have read it.”    

Watch this tutorial on how to give examples, then click here to subscribe to the Youtube Channel.  

This series of supporting arguments has a number of virtues. It points to a number of different specific ways in which books do things which can’t be done by computers; each of these features of books constitutes an implicit reason for valuing libraries.

It draws on the experiences of readers to support a more abstract general point about libraries.

In this tutorial, we have considered some of the main criteria for success in an “agree or disagree” essay.

We have understood the importance of:

• addressing all aspects of the question;
• stating one’s opinion clearly and decisively
• offering full support for all aspects of one’s opinion.

More resources

Take a look at some more IELTS task 2 essay questions to help you practice for your IELTS exam .

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

How to write agree disagree essay in ielts.

Rephrase the question in the introduction, say whether you agree or disagree and will explain why in the following paragraphs. Then you need 2 body paragraphs with a main reason for your view and supporting arguments in each, and a conclusion which summarizes these main reasons.

Is an opinion essay the same as an Agree Disagree essay?

Yes, generally it is although the question might be phrased differently. You need to say clearly whether you agree or disagree with the statement and give at least two reasons why (that’s the opinion part).

Audio tutorial

You can download or listen to the audio version here:

MP3 Direct Download | Stitcher | iTunes | Spotify | Soundcloud |Subscribe: Android | RSS

Tutorials and Tips to Prepare for Task 2

• How to Get Ideas for Task 2
• Extremely Useful Sentences for Task 2
• Five Powerful Sentence Structures to use in your IELTS Writing test
• How to use comparisons in Task 2
• Concession Paragraphs for “do I agree/disagree essays”
• How to write an IELTS Essay Conclusion
• IELTS Cohesion and Coherence
• 3 ways to paraphrase for your Task 2 introduction
• Marking Criteria for IELTS Writing
• Topics Sentences for Your Essays
• 7 Ways to Improve your Sentences in Your IELTS Essays
• Grammar for IELTS Writing
• Academic Collocations for Task 2

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IELTS Writing: Agree or Disagree Lesson with Sample Answer

Agree or disagree essays: ielts writing task 2 lesson.

This lesson will teach you how to write ‘agree or disagree’ or ‘opinion’ IELTS task 2 essays that could score a Band 7, 8 or 9.

Agree or disagree question types are among the most common on the IELTS writing paper, so you must learn how to write them properly.

In this post, we will look at:

Deciding Opinion

Idea generation.

• Writing an Effective Introduction
• Writing Supporting Paragraphs
• Writing a Conclusion

We will use a question from an IELTS past paper to help us understand the task.

Many students fail to do well in this type of question because they do not have a clear opinion and they do not use an appropriate structure .

The best structure you can use for this type of essay is:

Paragraph 1- Introduction

Sentence 1- Paraphrase Question

Sentence 2- Thesis Statement

Sentence 3- Outline Statement

Paragraph 2- Supporting Paragraph 1

Sentence 1- Topic Sentence

Sentence 2/3- Explain Topic Sentence

Sentence 3/4- Example

Paragraph 3- Supporting Paragraph 2

Paragraph 4- Conclusion

Sentence 1- Summary and reiteration of your opinion.

That’s it! Four paragraphs.

Note : You don’t have to use this structure; other structures can get you a high score. However, this structure has been approved by IELTS examiners to allow you to write a clear and cohesive essay. This structure will allow you to focus on generating your ideas and then writing an effective essay.

In this essay, IELTS examiners want you to give a clear opinion, so you must decide when you read the question. You will also need to do this to write an effective thesis statement.

Let’s look at an example:

In some countries, many people suffer from health problems due to eating too much fast food. It is, therefore, necessary for governments to impose a higher tax on this kind of food.

Do you agree or disagree?

  With this type of essay, we have two choices:

• We agree with the statement or;
• We disagree with the statement

Some teachers advise you to partly agree and disagree. However, I would NOT recommend this because it often leads to an essay with NO clear focus and a CONFUSING structure.

Therefore, for this agree or disagree essay, you can say either:

• This essay agrees that governments should tax fast food or;
• This essay disagrees that governments should tax fast food

I think I will have more ideas for A, so I’m choosing that one. Always choose the one you feel comfortable writing about – even if you don’t feel that way. You don’t get extra marks for writing about how you feel; you want to give the examiner what they need to score your essay a Band 7+.

Now we have to think of ideas for why governments should tax fast food.

Here are some:

• Cigarettes and alcohol are taxed in the same way
• The money raised could be used to treat people with health problems
• Fast food companies should be punished for selling unhealthy food to people
• Making the food more expensive would stop people from eating it
• The money raised could be used to educate people about healthy eating

We don’t need to use all of these, just two for our supporting paragraphs. I will pick the first and the fourth ones because I know a little about these two and feel confident I can expand on them with explanations and examples. Remember, the examiner wants you to fully support your arguments, not just list many ideas.

Now we have two supporting ideas; we can move on to our introduction.

Introduction

As previously stated, we will use the following structure:

For a more detailed explanation, please see our post on writing an effective introduction.

To paraphrase  the question, we restate it with a different meaning using synonyms. I will also reorder the question. Here is the question again:

In some countries, an increasing number of people are suffering from health problems due to eating too much fast food. It is, therefore, necessary for governments to impose a higher tax on this kind of food.

Paraphrased: It is argued that governments should levy a tariff on junk food because the health risks associated with consuming this kind of food are rising. 

This is our first sentence.

We now need to write our thesis statement. This is our opinion in one sentence. This essay will agree with the above statement and will, therefore, look like this:

This essay agrees that a higher rate of tax should be paid by fast-food companies.

This is our second sentence.

We now need to write our third and final sentence, which is the outline sentence . This sentence outlines what you will write about in the main body paragraphs.

Firstly, alcohol and tobacco companies already pay higher taxes; secondly, higher taxes could raise prices and lower consumption. 

So our full introduction will look like this:

It is argued that governments should levy a tariff on junk food because the number of health risks associated with consuming this kind of food is on the rise. This essay agrees that a higher rate of tax should be paid by fast-food companies. Firstly, alcohol and tobacco companies already pay higher taxes; secondly, higher taxes could raise prices and lower consumption.

We now need to write our supporting paragraphs for our agree or disagree essay:

Supporting Paragraph 1

This paragraph should include:

• Topic Sentence
• Explanation

A topic sentence tells the examiner about the rest of the paragraph. In other words, it is a summary of your first idea. It should look something like this:

Higher excise on liqueur and cigarettes has proven to curb the harm caused by these substances.

We now need to expand on this point a little. A good way of doing this is to assume that the examiner does not know this subject, and you must explain clearly what you mean. Here is what this could look like:

This revenue has been used to treat health problems associated with these products and has proven useful in advertising campaigns warning people about the dangers of alcohol and tobacco abuse. Tax from fast food could be used in the same way.

We should now think of an example to support our point. Think about any recent news stories, studies or adverts. If you can’t think of one, make one up. The examiner won’t check if it is real or not.

The United Kingdom is a prime example, where money from smokers is used to treat lung cancer and heart disease while at the same time, pumped into health campaigns in schools to warn children about the dangers of smoking.     

That’s it. Four sentences. The full paragraph should look like this:

Higher excise on liqueur and cigarettes has proven to curb the harm caused by these substances. This revenue has been used to treat health problems associated with these products and has proven useful in advertising campaigns warning people about the dangers of alcohol and tobacco abuse. Tax from fast food could be used in the same way. The United Kingdom is a prime example, where money from smokers is used to treat lung cancer and heart disease.

Supporting Paragraph 2

We now repeat the same formula with our second supporting point- higher taxes will increase prices and reduce consumption.

Our topic sentence:

Increasing taxes would raise prices and lower consumption.

Explaining this further:

Fast food companies would pass on these taxes to consumers in the form of higher prices, leading to people not being able to afford junk food because it is too expensive. Junk food would soon become a luxury item, and it would only be consumed occasionally, which would be less harmful to the general public’s health.

We now support our point with an example:

For instance, the cost of organic food has proven prohibitively expensive for most people, and that is why only a small percentage of the population buys it regularly.

The full paragraph would look like this:

Increasing taxes would raise prices and lower consumption. Fast food companies would pass on these taxes to consumers in the form of higher prices, leading to people not being able to afford junk food because it is too expensive. Junk food would soon become a luxury item, and it would only be consumed occasionally, which would be less harmful to the general public’s health. For instance, the cost of organic food has proven prohibitively expensive for most people, and that is why only a small percentage of the population buys it regularly.

Four sentences.

Conclusion  

As stated before, a good conclusion for agree or disagree essays should include:

Sentence 1- Summary of main points

Sentence 2- Your opinion

Don’t write any new ideas in this paragraph.

A good conclusion should restate your thesis statement and your main supporting points.

In conclusion, junk food should be taxed at a higher rate because of the good precedent set by alcohol and tobacco and the fact that the increased cost should reduce the number of fast-food people buy.

Agree or Disagree IELTS Sample Essay 

 In conclusion, junk food should be taxed at a higher rate because of the good precedent set by alcohol and tobacco and the fact that the increased cost should reduce the amount of fast-food people buy.

I hope you found this ‘agree or disagree’ essay IELTS lesson useful.

About Christopher Pell

My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

If you need my help with your IELTS preparation, you can send me an email using the contact us page.

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How to Plan & Write IELTS Opinion Essays

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

Here’s what we’ll be covering:

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

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

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

The Question

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

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

Want  to watch and listen to this lesson?

Click on this video.

Here's a question from a past test paper.

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.  

Do you agree or disagree?  

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

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

3 Common Mistakes

These three errors are common in IELTS opinion essays.

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

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

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

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

Essay Structure

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

1)  Introduction

• Paraphrase the question
• Give your opinion
• State two supporting reasons

2)  Main body paragraph 1

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

3)  Main body paragraph 2

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

4)  Conclusion

• Summarise opinion and key reasons

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

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

How To Plan IELTS Opinion Essays

# 1  decide on your opinion.

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

Here’s the question again:

A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

Do you agree or disagree?  

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

# 2  Generate ideas

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

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

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

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

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

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

Here are my examples and some ideas they generated.

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

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

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

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

Idea 2 – Job satisfaction gives a sense of fulfilment.

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

# 3  Vocabulary

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

For example:

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

salary – income, wages, pay, earnings

important – significant, valued, has more meaning

job – work, employment, position

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

How To Write an Introduction

A good introduction has a simple 3 part structure:

1)  Paraphrased question

2)  Thesis statement

3)  outline statement.

An introduction should:

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

1)  Paraphrase the question

Start your introduction by paraphrasing the question.

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

                       Do you agree or disagree?  

Paraphrased question:  

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

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

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

    Thesis statement:  

    This essay totally disagrees with that statement.

That’s all you need to say.

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

'This essay completely agrees with that statement.'

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

Outl ine statement:  

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

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

     Introduction

This introduction achieves three important functions:

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

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

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

Main body paragraph 2  – a sense of fulfilment at work

How To Write Main Body Paragraphs

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

• Topic sentence
• Explanation

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

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

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

Main Body Paragraph 1

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

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

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

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

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

Topic sentence:  

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

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

Explanation sentence: 

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

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

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

Example sentence:

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

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

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

Main Body Paragraph 2

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

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

Topic sentence:

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

Now for the  explanation sentence  to explain this idea.

Explanation sentence:

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

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

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

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

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

How To Write a Conclusion

Conclusions to IELTS opinion essays should do two things:

• Summarise the main points
• State your opinion

This can generally be done in a single sentence.

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

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

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

A good conclusion will:

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

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

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

• In conclusion

        or

• To conclude

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

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

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

Introduction:

Here is the same information formed into a conclusion:

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

    Question:

   A big salary is much more important than job satisfaction.

   Do you agree or disagree?

Finished IELTS opinion essay.

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

5 More Model IELTS Opinion Essays

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The 5 Task 2 Essay Types:

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

   Opinion Essays

   Discussion Essays

  Problem Solution Essays

  Advantages & Disadvantages Essays

  Double Question Essays

Other Related Pages

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

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IELTS Agree/Disagree Essay: How to Write, Structure, Tips, Sample Answers 

• Updated on  
• Jan 2, 2024

IELTS General Writing Task 2 presents a challenge for test takers to craft comprehensive essays. One of the most recurring topics in this segment is the agree/disagree essays. Such essays prompt you to articulate your stance on a given topic, demanding concise, clear, and precise expression. Essentially, you aim to present your reasoned opinions with clarity and avoid redundancy or errors in grammar and spelling. For those seeking to delve deeper into the art of crafting impactful agree/disagree essays for IELTS writing task 2, this comprehensive article offers invaluable insights and guidance. Read the article to know more. 

This Blog Includes:

Ielts agree/disagree essay structure , how to write an agree/disagree essay for ielts writing task 2 , ielts agree/disagree essay: do’s and don’ts, ielts agree/disagree essay: sample questions with answers .

Mastery of structure is paramount for acing the IELTS agree/disagree essays. A thorough understanding of this format facilitates clear organisation and articulation of your opinions and arguments, leading to a more comprehensive and coherent response. That being said, have a look below to go through the IELTS agree/disagree essay structure. 

IELTS writing task 2 frequently features agree/disagree essays. Mastering this format is crucial for success, as these essays offer significant scoring potential. A strong understanding of structure and effective argumentation can pave the way for high band scores. In IELTS Writing Task 2, some essay prompts present a statement and require you to express your level of agreement or disagreement. With that in mind, let’s explore the key elements of crafting a successful agree/disagree essay for this task.

Introduction

This is the most crucial segment of any essay. You must ensure that your introduction is short, crisp and conveys your message. Two sentences are enough here. Whilst writing an agree/disagree essay, always start your introduction by paraphrasing the task question. Once you have paraphrased the task question, you must state your opinion on the topic, i.e., whether you agree or disagree with the given statement. This will let your reader know what you think immediately. 

Body Paragraphs 

Strong paragraphs play a critical role in structuring, articulating, and ensuring the coherence and comprehension of your agree/disagree essays in IELTS Writing Task 2. Fundamentally, three approaches exist:

• Full Agreement: In the first paragraph, present your compelling arguments supporting the statement. The second paragraph can further reinforce your position with additional justifications.
• Full Disagreement: Dedicate the first paragraph to clearly outline your counter-arguments against the statement. The second paragraph can strengthen your stance by introducing further dissenting points.
• Partial Agreement : The first paragraph should encompass reasons for aligning with certain aspects of the statement. The second paragraph then transitions to explore reasons for disagreeing with other aspects, ultimately presenting a nuanced perspective.

Your conclusion should be crisp and to the point. Brevity can be your ally in this case. One golden rule for writing impactful conclusions is to keep them one to two sentences long. Your conclusion should summarise the entirety of your essay in just a few sentences. Apart from that, you should avoid introducing new information in conclusions. Therefore, it is ideal to not introduce other reasons or topics at the end of your text.

Here is a list of do’s and don’ts that you must keep in mind while writing an IELTS agree/disagree essay. 

Here are the best practices for writing an impactful agree/disagree essay in IELTS writing task 2. 

• In your introduction, leave no ambiguity concerning your level of agreement or disagreement with the prompt.
• Structure your arguments logically. Organise your supporting points into distinct paragraphs, ensuring a coherent flow of ideas.
• Back up your arguments with relevant examples, statistics, or research findings to bolster your credibility.
• Engage in nuanced analysis. Beyond simply stating your stance, explore potential counter-arguments or exceptions to strengthen your overall position.
• Employ a range of sentence structures to maintain reader engagement and showcase your language skills .
• Maintain strong grammar and vocabulary. Demonstrate proficiency in English language mechanics to avoid detracting from your content.
• Limit yourself to writing only four paragraphs.
• Write a short conclusion.

  Here are the things you must avoid whilst writing an agree/disagree essay in IELTS writing. 

• Avoid ambiguity in your introduction. Ensure to make them as concise as possible.  
• Avoid jumping between points or omitting transitions. Doing so can confuse the reader and weaken your argument.
• Assertions without supporting evidence appear unsupported and undermine your credibility.
• Monotonous writing can bore the reader and limit your ability to showcase language proficiency.
• Grammatical errors or vocabulary mistakes can significantly lower your band score, regardless of the strength of your arguments.
• Avoid including too many different ideas. 

Sample IELTS Agree/Disagree Essays: Here are some sample IELTS agree/disagree essays that you can refer to whilst attempting the IELTS Writing Task 2. 

Question : When new towns are planned, it is important to build more public parks or sports facilities than shopping centres for people to spend their free time. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Ans: The discussion that governments must spend more money on railways rather than roads is a complex one. While railways do have certain advantages, I feel that roads should be given more priority because of several reasons. 

Roads serve as the backbone of any nation’s transportation system by helping them interconnect cities, towns, and remote areas to ensure accessibility. On the other hand, railways have limited reach and mostly cater to urban and semi-urban regions. Take India as an example where a significant amount of the population resides in rural areas where roads are vital, for commuting, transporting goods, and accessing essential services like healthcare and education. In addition to this, roads accommodate a range of vehicles ranging from bicycles and cars to buses and trucks. This versatility is not replicated by railways that primarily focus on long-distance travel and bulk transportation of goods. Therefore, roads play a crucial role in both city and inter-city transportation. 

Finally, the construction and upkeep of roads typically demand lower costs and shorter timeframes in comparison to the development of railways. This inherent efficiency in road infrastructure allows governments to establish and maintain a more expansive network with the same financial resources. The flexibility and adaptability of road systems contribute to their cost-effectiveness, enabling quicker implementation of projects and more immediate responses to changing transportation needs. This advantage becomes particularly crucial in regions where swift infrastructure development is essential for economic growth and accessibility.

In conclusion, while railways hold importance in a country’s infrastructure and overall development, the advantages and adaptability of roads make them more deserving recipients of government funding. Hence, I respectfully disagree with the notion that governments should prioritise spending on railways over roads.

Question: Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads.

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

Ans : The discussion that governments must spend more money on railways rather than roads is a complex one. While railways do have certain advantages, I feel that roads should be given more priority because of several reasons. 

So that was all about IELTS Agree/Disagree Essays. Hope the blog has answered your queries regarding the topic. 

Ans. You can write a formal letter by including an introduction (Dear Sir/Madam), body paragraphs (1, 2,3 and more), and a signoff (I hope to hear from you, Yours faithfully). 

Ans. Test takers can use a range of linkers, adverbial phrases, references, and punctuations to bolster their overall scores in IELTS writing. 

Ans. The IELTS General Writing Task 1 (Letter Writing) requires individuals to complete the task within 20 minutes. 

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Shubham Das

Shubham Das has been working as an educational content writer for the past two years and has a background in filmmaking & screenplay/ teleplay writing. He is fascinated by the human psyche, literature and cinema.

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Agree Disagree Essays in IELTS

Updated On Oct 13, 2023

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Agree or Disagree Essay

The agree or disagree essay questions are the most commonly asked in the IELTS examination . They are also called as argumentative essays.  In this type of essays, you are asked to give your opinion, whether you agree or disagree on the particular sentence that is given. You are given 40 minutes to complete the 250-word essay. Most of the students find it easy because you only have to agree and disagree with the sentence given. You have to support only one opinion.

Tips to write Agree Disagree Essays

There are few tips which will  help you to write about IELTS agree disagree essay questions, which are as follows:

• When you get these type of questions, it is advisable to completely agree or completely disagree with it. You have to support only one point of view and not both.
• By doing this, the essay will be more clear and structured and can be easily understood by the examiner.
• You can support the other side of the statement if you want to, but make sure that you do it in a positive way and also say it, only in one or two sentences.
• While writing the essay, make sure that the explanation given doesn’t hurt the feelings of the other person.
• The choice of agreement or disagreement has to be made carefully. You need to choose the side which has more supporting points and which you can illustrate with examples so that the answer that you write is voluminous. Please note that you have to either agree or disagree and cannot do both.
• Also, ensure that the introduction of the topic is not too long. The question should be paraphrased to form the introduction.
• The explanation that you give regarding the topic should match with the introduction and the conclusion given.
• There will be two or three body paragraphs, make sure that each paragraph has a central topic.
• The body paragraphs should include the main features that have to be explained and also your overview and an in-depth explanation of your opinion.
• You have to compulsorily write the conclusion. If you do not have time to complete the essay, make sure you at least write 2 or 3 sentences of conclusion, but the conclusion should be included.

IELTS Agree Disagree Essay Structure

In all the sections of the IELTS examination, structure plays a very important role because it will be easy for the test taker to write the answer. Also, the examiner will find it easy to evaluate the answer. So here is the structure that you can follow while writing an agree/disagree essay:

Paragraph 1: Introduction

How to start an agree disagree essay?

First of all, like any other section, the first sentence must be a paraphrase of the question that is given. In the second sentence, you can state your opinion regarding the topic. In the third sentence, you can write on what you are going to explain in the forthcoming paragraphs.

Paragraph 2: Body paragraph

In the second paragraph, the first sentence should be explaining the central idea. In the second sentence, explain in detail, assuming that the examiner doesn’t know anything about the topic. In the third sentence, you can give examples which support the sentence. In the last sentence, you can give the opposing point of view, but in a positive manner.

Paragraph 3: Body paragraph

The third paragraph is very similar to the second paragraph. The first sentence should explain the central idea. The second sentence, should include  supporting details and the third sentence, examples which support the idea.

Paragraph 4: Conclusion

In the last paragraph, you have to write a summary of the essay. In the first sentence, you can sum up the body paragraphs and rephrase your opinion.

Sample Checklist for Agree/Disagree essays:

Agree disagree essay topics:.

• Some people who have been in prison become good citizens later. Some people think that inviting these people to talk to school students is the best way to tell them about dangers of committing a crime. Do you agree or disagree?
• The only way to improve road safety is to give much stricter punishments on driving offenses. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
• It is generally accepted that exercise is good for children and teenagers. Therefore, physical education and sport should be compulsory for all students in all schools. What do you think?

Take a look at some IELTS Agree/Disagree Essay sample answer

Also check :

• IELTS Writing tips
• IELTS Writing recent actual test
• IELTS Writing Answer sheet
• IELTS map vocabulary

Frequently Asked Questions

Can agree/disagree essays be called as opinion essays?

Can I partially agree?

Can I skip the conclusion part if I’m running out of time. What weightage does that one liner consist of?

Can I use the word “I” such as ” I agree” or “I disagree”?

What is the structure of Agree/Disagree essays?

Practice IELTS Writing Task 2 based on Essay types

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Janet had been an IELTS Trainer before she dived into the field of Content Writing. During her days of being a Trainer, Janet had written essays and sample answers which got her students an 8+ band in the IELTS Test. Her contributions to our articles have been engaging and simple to help the students understand and grasp the information with ease. Janet, born and brought up in California, had no idea about the IELTS until she moved to study in Canada. Her peers leaned to her for help as her first language was English.

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IELTS Agree or Disagree Essay

• Opinion Essays
• Discussion Essays
• Problem Solution Essays
• Advantages & Disadvantages Essays
• Double Question Essays

Example of IETS Opinion essay

• You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
• Write at least 250 words.
• Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

Structure of IELTS Opinion Essay

• Paragraph 1: Introduction
• Paraphrase the Essay Topic
• Thesis Statement
• Paragraph 2: Supporting Paragraph #1
• Topic Sentence
• Support (Example or Experience)
• Explanation
• Paragraph 3: Supporting Paragraph #2
• Paragraph 4: Conclusion
• Restate Thesis/Summarize your ideas

To what extent..

Example vocabulary and phrases: stating your opinion.

• In my opinion I believe that education should be free because it helps move society forward.
• As far as paying for education is concerned, I believe that you should have to pay because it creates competition which helps to develop stronger institutions.
• My impression is that education should require a cost whether it be through tax payer money or private institutions.
• Most institutions require tuition to attend. However. I believe that education should be free because it helps move society forward.

Example Vocabulary and Phrases: Arguing Your Point

• This proves that free education can provide many opportunities for those who cannot afford it.
• According to this, it can be argued that financial aid is a way to support students who cannot afford to pay for education.

Example Vocabulary and Phrases: Adding Adverb

Beginning of the sentence, middle of the sentence.

• Clearly, this is an example of numerous afford a proper education.
• This is definitely true because there are many students who are unable to attend school because they cannot afford it.
• Deciding whether education should be free is absolutely a major challenge to consider.
• The right to receive an education is substantially more important than earning money.

Example Vocabulary and Phrases: Verbs

• I disagree that education should cost students.
• I believe that education should be free.
• I have no doubt that society will benefit with free education.
• I think that education should be free.
• It cannot be denied that education costs money because teachers, faculty, and staff all need to be paid.
• As I see it, education has costs, so someone needs to pay for it.

Before You Start

• Think about how you will plan to write your essay.
• Brainstorm and generate ideas.

Outline structure for IELTS Essay

• ________________________________

Outline structure for IELTS Opinion Essay

• Paragraph I: Introduction
• Paraphrase the Essay Topic - I believe that everyone should have access to free education without limitations.
• Thesis Statement - Education is a valuable resource and it advances society.
• Education is tool that helps us succeed
• Germany - Free education
• Same philosophy - society advances
• Paying for education helps drive competition between institutions, but I believe this restricts social mobility.
• Student cannot afford education
• If every person of society is allowed to move forward, then all of society will benefit.
• In conclusion education is essential to any society
• By restricting access to it because of tuition limits societal advancements, it is important that we eliminate sort of barriers to education, Including costs.

Example Essay

• Thesis Statement - Education is a valuable resource and it advances society. If there are certain barriers to receiving education like costs, many students would lose the opportunity to pursue an education because of this.
• Education is a tool and it advances society and with free universal access to education, there are no limits to what a country and what a society can obtain.
• A perfect example of this Is Germany, where universities are now tuition-free.
• If all countries developed the same philosophy towards education as German. I have no doubt that society will benefit.
• Some may argue that paying for education helps drive competition between institutions and helps to develop stronger schools. However. 1 completely disagree because I believe this restricts social mobility.
• In other words, if a student who would like to pursue a degree In higher education, but cannot afford the high tuition rates then he or she will be unable to further their education.
• On the other hand, If every person of society is allowed to move forward, then all of society will benefit.
• In conclusion education is essential to any society.

Example Essay in color

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How to organize agree/disagree essays on your IELTS exam

We're going to show you a simple structure for an IELTS agree/disagree essay that will enable examiners to make their way through your writing with ease.

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When you get to the essay writing component of the IELTS exam, the clock is ticking, and the pressure is on. You have about 40 minutes to determine the key question to address, think of your response, come up with relevant examples and then write the essay.

Wouldn’t it be nice if you knew how you were going to organize your ideas before you went into the exam? In this blog, I’m going to show you a formula that can be modified to fit most IELTS tasks and will save you valuable time. Most importantly, it will ensure that the message in your essay is easy to follow (one of the key criteria for higher-level scores).

There really isn’t any mystery about it. Here, I’m going to show you a simple structure for an IELTS agree/disagree essay that will enable examiners to make their way through your writing with ease – as if they have a roadmap to follow.

Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programs (for example, working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children). To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Today it is a popular belief that students attending high school should volunteer in the community as part of their schooling. I strongly agree with this notion. Volunteer work can provide young people with the experiences they need for paying jobs, and it can also help them see themselves as valuable contributors to society.

When completing compulsory work activities with charitable organizations or community organizations, students gain skills that they can add to their resumes and use in future jobs. Working out in the real world quickly teaches young people the importance of time management, clear communication and teamwork. Employers like McDonald’s restaurants, which provide many young people with their first paying jobs, look for volunteer work on resumes as evidence of having developed some relevant work skills. So, although students are not paid for their time, they are building valuable abilities for future employment.

Perhaps even more importantly, when students volunteer, they are more likely to realize that their actions have a positive impact on the world around them. Often the problems of our world can seem overwhelming, but if students are given the opportunity to help others, even in a small way, they will see that they can make a difference. In schools that have been running these programs, there has been an incredible boost in student morale, and the community has benefitted from the talent and time that young people have contributed to the many programs that need support. It’s true that studying for academics is time-consuming, and students already have a lot to do in a day, but if we teach them how to step up and help others, we create a better future for us all.

In conclusion, it is a great idea to have unpaid community service as part of a high school program because it will help the next generation prepare for employment, and it will build a caring community that is willing and able to make our world a better place. It’s my hope to see this in every school.

Paragraph One - Introduction

Now, let’s look at the underlying structure sentence by sentence.

AGREE/DISAGREE ESSAY - 4-PARAGRAPH FORMULA Paragraph One - Introduction

Sentence 1 :  States the premise that the essay will address (you can simply rephrase the words in the task).

Today it is a popular belief that students attending high school should volunteer in the community as part of their schooling.

Sentence 2 :  States your opinion on the matter.

I strongly agree with this notion.

Sentence 3 :  Briefly outlines what you are going to write in the next two paragraphs to support your opinion.

Volunteer work can provide young people with the experiences they need for paying jobs, and it can also help them see themselves as valuable contributors to society.

Paragraph Two - Body

Sentence 1  (topic sentence):  Tells the reader what this paragraph is about by introducing your first point .

When completing compulsory work activities with charitable organizations or community organizations, students gain skills that they can add to their resumes and use in future jobs.

Sentence 2 :  Assumes that the reader doesn’t know anything about this topic, and explains your point clearly.

Working out in the real world quickly teaches young people the importance of time management, clear communication and teamwork.

Sentence 3 :  Gives a real-life or made-up example that illustrates and supports this point.

Employers like McDonald’s restaurants, which provide many young people with their first paying jobs, look for volunteer work on resumes as evidence of having developed some relevant work skills.

Sentence 4 :  Concedes to a relevant opposing position but redirects to yours.

So, although students are not paid for their time, they are building valuable abilities for future employment.

Paragraph Three - Body – Repeat the above

Sentence 1  (topic sentence):  Tells the reader what this paragraph is about by introducing the second point .

Perhaps even more importantly, when students volunteer, they are more likely to realize that their actions have a positive impact on the world around them.

Often the problems of our world can seem overwhelming, but if students are given the opportunity to help others, even in a small way, they will see that they can make a difference.

Sentence 3 :  Gives a real-life or made-up example that illustrates and supports this point .

In schools that have been running these programs, there has been an incredible boost in student morale, and the community has benefitted from the talent and time that young people have contributed to the many programs that need support.

It’s true that studying for academics is time-consuming, and students already have a lot to do in a day, but if we teach them how to step up and help others, we create a better future for us all.

Paragraph Four – Conclusion

Sentence 1 :  Rephrase your opinion and sum up your two supporting points.

In conclusion, it is a great idea to have unpaid community service as part of a high school program because it will help the next generation prepare for employment, and it will build a caring community that is willing and able to make our world a better place.

Sentence 2 :  Make a prediction or a recommendation based on what you have said.

It’s my hope to see this in every school.

What I hope you see from this example is that when you pay attention to how you organize your essay, it’s easier to read. I also want you to realize that it isn’t difficult to accomplish this clarity when you have a reliable structure in mind.

Check back for future blogs that will show you how to modify this formula for other kinds of IELTS essay tasks.

Blank template for you

In the meantime, here is a blank template for you to use when you write your next agree/disagree essay.

AGREE/DISAGREE 4-PARAGRAPH FORMULA

Paragraph One -Introduction

Sentence 1:

___________________________________________________________________________

State the premise that the essay will address (you can simply rephrase the words in the task).

Sentence 2:

State your opinion on the matter.

Sentence 3:

Briefly outline what you are going to write in the next two paragraphs to support your opinion.

Paragraphs Two and Three – the Body of Support

Sentence 1 (topic sentence):

Tell the reader what this paragraph is about by introducing your first point .

Assume that the reader doesn’t know anything about this topic and explain your point clearly.

Give a real-life or made-up example that illustrates and supports this point.

Sentence 4:

Concede to a relevant opposing position but redirect to yours.

Paragraph Three – Repeat the above

Sentence 1 (topic sentence)

Tell the reader what this paragraph is about by introducing second point .

Give a real-life or made-up example that illustrates and supports this point .

Rephrase your opinion and sum up your two supporting points.

Make a prediction or a recommendation based on what you have said.

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Ultimate IELTS Band 7+ Structure for Agree or Disagree Essay

The ultimate answer format that guarantees a 7+ Band in Agree or Disagree Essay

General Structure For Agree Or Disagree

When it comes to writing an agree or disagree essay in the IELTS exam, it is important to structure your essay effectively to present a clear and coherent argument. Here's a suggested structure to follow:

• Paraphrase the question.
• Begin with a captivating opening statement to engage the reader.
• Clearly state your position on the given statement, indicating whether you agree or disagree.
• Provide a brief overview of the main points you will discuss in the essay.
• Start with a strong topic sentence that presents the main reason supporting your agreement or disagreement.
• Provide supporting evidence, examples, or data to justify your position.
• Elaborate on the implications or consequences of your viewpoint.
• Address any potential counterarguments or opposing perspectives.
• Begin with a clear topic sentence that introduces another reason supporting your agreement or disagreement.
• Present supporting evidence, examples, or data to reinforce your stance.
• Analyze the implications or consequences of this perspective.
• Respond to any counterarguments or opposing viewpoints.
• Summarize the main points discussed in the essay without introducing new information.
• Restate your position clearly, emphasizing the strength of your argument.
• Provide a concluding statement that reinforces your stance and highlights the broader significance or implications of the topic.

Remember to use appropriate vocabulary and linking words to express agreement or disagreement effectively. Examples of words and phrases for agreement include "indeed," "undoubtedly," "clearly," and "it is evident that." For disagreement, you can use words and phrases such as "however," "on the contrary," "it can be argued that," and "despite." Additionally, maintain a balanced and logical approach, supporting your position with well-reasoned arguments and evidence.

Fill In The Blanks

Here's a fill-in-the-blank structure for a Band 7+ Agree or Disagree essay to memorize as a backup.

Introduction: In today's complex society, the topic of ___________ has sparked intense debate. While some individuals espouse the view that ___________, others staunchly disagree, positing that ___________. This essay will meticulously examine both perspectives, evaluating their merits and demerits, in order to arrive at a well-founded position.

Body Paragraph 1: Proponents of the statement argue that ___________. They contend that ___________ because ___________. For instance, ___________. This exemplifies how ___________.

Body Paragraph 2: Conversely, critics maintain that ___________. They assert that ___________ due to ___________. Additionally, ___________. This highlights the viewpoint that ___________.

Body Paragraph 3: In my considered opinion, I (agree/disagree) with the statement. I firmly believe that ___________. Firstly, ___________. Moreover, ___________. Additionally, ___________. Thus, based on these cogent reasons, I (agree/disagree) with the statement.

Conclusion: In conclusion, the multifaceted debate surrounding ___________ embodies robust arguments from opposing perspectives. While proponents emphasize the advantages of ___________, critics raise pertinent concerns about ___________. After meticulous evaluation, I am inclined to (agree/disagree) with the statement. It is crucial to (support/oppose) ___________ in order to ___________.

Remember to fill in the blanks with relevant points and provide supporting evidence or examples for each argument you present. Incorporate advanced linking words and phrases to establish strong connections between your ideas. This structure, combined with comprehensive analysis and a well-reasoned position, can help achieve a Band 8-level essay.

Example Essay: Impact Of Social Media On Mental Health

Question: To what extent do you agree or disagree with the following statement: "Social media has a negative impact on mental health"?

In today's society, the topic of social media's impact on mental health has sparked significant discussion. While some argue that social media enhances connectivity and provides a platform for self-expression, others contend that it contributes to detrimental effects on mental well-being. This essay will delve into both perspectives, examining the potential benefits and drawbacks of social media on mental health.

Supporters of social media argue that it fosters connectivity and community. They contend that platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow individuals to stay connected with friends and family, especially over long distances. Moreover, social media provides a space for marginalized communities to find support and representation. For instance, individuals struggling with mental health issues can connect with others who share similar experiences, offering a sense of belonging and understanding. This highlights the positive impact of social media on mental health.

Conversely, critics assert that social media contributes to various negative effects on mental well-being. They argue that excessive use of social media can lead to feelings of loneliness, inadequacy, and anxiety. The constant exposure to carefully curated and filtered versions of others' lives can create unrealistic expectations and trigger feelings of social comparison. Furthermore, cyberbullying and online harassment are prevalent issues that can significantly impact individuals' mental health. These concerns highlight the potential harm that social media can inflict.

In my perspective, it is essential to recognize both the benefits and drawbacks of social media on mental health. While social media has the potential to foster connection and support, it is crucial to use it mindfully and with awareness of its impact. Firstly, individuals should curate their online experiences by following accounts that promote positivity and well-being. Moreover, setting boundaries on social media usage, such as limiting screen time and taking breaks, can help maintain a healthy relationship with these platforms. Additionally, promoting digital literacy and educating users about responsible online behavior can mitigate the negative effects of social media.

In conclusion, the impact of social media on mental health is a complex issue with compelling arguments from both perspectives. While proponents emphasize the connectivity and support social media can offer, detractors raise valid concerns about its detrimental effects. It is crucial to approach social media use mindfully, curating positive online experiences, setting boundaries, and promoting digital literacy. By doing so, we can maximize the potential benefits of social media while safeguarding our mental well-being.

IELTS Writing Task 2: Agree/Disagree Sample Essay

IELTS Writing Task 2 asks you to give your opinion on an important social issue. In this particular opinion essay IELTS sample, the question type is called “agree/disagree.” Agree/disagree essays want you to take a position on an issue that is stated. From there, it’s your job to say if you agree or disagree with the initial statement, supporting your own opinion with examples and details. For more details on this and other question types for the second part of the IELTS Writing section, check out our complete guide to the most common IELTS Writing Task 2 questions .

Below, we’ll look at a model essay, based on an example question. The question is original to Magoosh, but is patterned closely off of real IELTS questions. The model essay is based on an excellent IELTS Writing template for Task 2 created by Rachel, one of Magoosh’s top IELTS experts. Note that this essay is at band 9, the highest IELTS Writing score you can receive. More information on why this is a band 9 response can be seen below the essay.

Agree/Disagree Sample Essay

First things first! Let’s look at the sample prompt.

Example Agree/Disagree IELTS Writing Task 2 Prompt

It is now possible to order almost any item over the Internet and have it delivered to one’s home. As a result, people are no longer patient or careful in their shopping habits. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Write at least 250 words.

Example Response

Online shopping and home delivery causes concerns that consumers may become more hasty and less cautious. However, I do not believe that online shopping has this effect. In fact, I would say that the opposite is true. In this essay, I will discuss the reasons that online shopping actually helps shoppers make smarter choices.

Internet shopping actually makes people more patient while they shop, not less patient. This is because, even with home delivery, online shopping is actually less “instant” than traditional shopping in stores. After all, if someone goes into a store, they can leave minutes later with the items they purchased. However, even the fastest delivery methods for online goods take at least a day. As a result, people are actually more accustomed to longer waits before they receive something they’ve bought.

Not only does online shopping make buyers more patient, it also facilitates careful, informed choices for buyers. This is because there is more competition between different sellers online than there is in a single store. If someone goes to a store in person, they will see a relatively small range of brand names, and they certainly won’t see the offerings of other stores. In contrast, online customers can compare just about every brand of any given product and browse the websites of multiple stores. This gives customers all the information they need to make the best possible purchases.

When shopping on the Web, customers can learn patience because they must wait for their items to be delivered to them, and even more importantly, customers can access all of the information they need to choose the right items. Ultimately, online shopping is truly a positive development, not a negative one.

Word count: 283

Why This Essay is Band 9

This is a very strong essay because it satisfies the level descriptors in the official IELTS Writing Task 2 rubric . Read that official score guide carefully and compare it to this essay, and you’ll see why the example above scored so well. Also, for a more detailed band 9 level score report from Magoosh, see the scorer commentary immediately below.

Scorer Commentary (agree/Disagree IELTS Essay, Band 9)

This score report is patterned after the official level descriptors for IELTS Writing Task 2 . This report also looks a lot like the Magoosh IELTS essay scoring service .

Overall Band Score: 9

What was done well in the essay:

• This essay is above the 250 word minimum. (This is very important for getting full points!)
• The writer does a good job of meeting the task requirements. They take a clear position where they favor online shopping and disagree with the claim that it makes people less careful or patient.
• The paragraphs are well organized. The introduction and conclusion clearly preview the essay and give good final thoughts, respectively. The body paragraphs each have their own well-organized topics. The first body paragraph provides good explanations and examples to show that online shopping doesn’t make people less patient; the second paragraph provides comparable support to the idea that online shopping allows people to be more careful.
• There are some nice key phrases to tie ideas together. Examples include “however,” “in fact,” “actually,” and “not only.”
• Vocabulary and grammar show no serious errors, and a good variety of word choice and structure.

Magoosh’s Other Sample IELTS Writing Task 2 Essays

We have model essays for each of the question types for the second IELTS Writing task. Click the links below to access our other sample essays:

• Advantage/Disadvantage Essay
• Two-Part Question Essay
• Causes/Solutions Essay
• Discussion Essay

Want more sample essays? Magoosh has you covered!

To read out model essays for the other Task 2 IELTS Writing question types, click the links below:

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 !

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4 responses to “IELTS Writing Task 2: Agree/Disagree Sample Essay”

How many paragraphs are there in to what extent agree or disagree essay as some says that there are 5 para 2 on which we are agree and one Disagree. What is the best structure to get 7 or above for this essay type. Please let me know as my exam in next month.

Hi Sheetal!

Some people might write 3, 4 or even 5 paragraphs–there is no strict requirement. It is important to organize your essay well, however, and ensure that your use of paragraphs makes sense for the content of the essay. Additionally, remember that you need to write at least 250 words for a Task 2 essay, and most students who score the highest are closer to the 300-400 mark. So you should aim for that amount of words if you want a 7+ score. I’d recommend taking a look at more sample Task 2 essays to see how they are structured, and that should help! Best of luck on your test. 😀

in the introduction part, writer mentions his/her own opinion, is it correct we write our own idea in the introduction part?

Yes, that is correct because the IELTS Writing Task 2 asks you to give your opinion on an important social issue. Additionally, note that this question directly asks “To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.”

I recommend reading over several sample Task 2 essays so that you can get a better idea of what they should include/how they should be written. Additionally, be sure to check out our Complete Guide to IELTS Task 2 .

Happy studying! 😀

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How To Write An Agree Or Disagree Essay?

In writing task 2 you will be asked to write a discursive essay ( 250 words minimum ). You will be given a question asking you to give your opinion and discuss a problem or issue. You could also be asked to provide solutions, evaluate a problem, compare and contrast different ideas or challenge an idea. In this post, we will be focussing on how to write an agree/disagree/opinion essay .

One of the first things you should do is read the marking criteria  to see what the examiners expect. This is really important, as you need to know what they are looking for in the band 7+ boxes. 

You should be able to give the examiners exactly what they want, in order to get a 7+ band score. 

If you would like to purchase a 31  page PDF download that is easy to read and print out please take a look at the bookshop >

Writing Task 2 Agree/Disagree Essay Structure

The structure that I advise my students to use, will be sure to get you a band score of 7+. You need to practice using this structure, with as many questions as you can, before sitting your IELTS test. This writing task 2 structure has been proven to be successful for my students and when perfected, can easily help you to achieve a high band score. 

TIP >> Before you start writing, plan your ideas so that you can organise the information clearly. You must decide how much you agree or disagree and why. Take 5 minutes and plan out your ideas, opinions and examples. 

TIP >> It is very important that spend a full 40 minutes on this task as the score you get for writing task 2 is two-thirds of your total writing score. You also need to write a minimum of 250 words and use your own ideas.  

TIP >> Remember to write in a formal tone, this is an academic essay, and therefore your writing should be formal. 

IT IS A 4-PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE

Paragraph 1 – The Introduction

This is the introduction to the essay and where you should start off by paraphrasing the question. 

Do you understand what I mean, when I say ‘paraphrase’ the question?

This means that you rewrite the question in your own words using synonyms. You can’t just copy the question again or use the same words in the question. Paraphrase and show off your vocabulary knowledge by using synonyms. When practising your essay writing, use an online thesaurus  to help you. This is a great tool and can help you to learn many new words.

Then your next sentence should give your view/opinion on the issue. A good way to say this is to start with…I agree…. or I disagree…… or In my opinion, I believe that…….. 

The third sentence in the introduction should outline for the examiner exactly what you will discuss in the main body paragraphs. For example, Firstly this essay will discuss……… Secondly, this essay will discuss…….

There are three sentences you need in the introduction >>

• Paraphrase the question
• Give your view/opinion
• Outline the specific topics that will be discussed in the main body paragraphs.

Paragraph 2 – Main Body Paragraph 1

In this paragraph, you should write about your first main idea (opinion A) that supports your opinion on the issue from the question. You should give specific information and only write about one main idea in each main body paragraph. 

Start the paragraph by introducing the topic. This is where you need to have a topic sentence. The next sentence(s) should explain the topic, going into detail. The third sentence should give an example that supports the view.

The example you give could be something from your own experience or made up – it is ok to make up something as the examiners will not fact check your information. They want to see your ability to use English at a certain level. You could make up an example from a report, journal, newspaper or University study to support your view. 

This is how the paragraph should look >>

• Introduce the topic (topic sentence – opinion A)
• Explain/give detail

Paragraph 3 –  Main Body Paragraph 2

In this paragraph, you should write about your second main idea (opinion B) that supports your opinion on the issue from the question. You should give specific information and only write about one main idea in each main body paragraph. 

• Introduce the topic (topic sentence- opinion B)

Paragraph 4 – The Conclusion

In the fourth paragraph, you write the conclusion giving a summary of your main points and restate your opinion/views and justify them. You should not enter any new information or ideas in this paragraph. 

• Summary of the main points
• Restate own views/opinion/justify

Expressing your opinion

To get a high score in IELTS academic writing task 2, you should use as many different structures, collocations and idioms as you can.  

Sequencing ideas

You can use phrases like these to make statements, for example; On the one hand sunbathing can give your body vitamin D, on the other hand, it can also be very dangerous for your health. 

Sample Agree/Disagree essay

**All questions have been reported by students who have taken the IELTS exam.**

Obesity has become a huge concern as an increasing percentage of the population have become overweight and this has put a tremendous strain on the healthcare authorities, leading to increased costs. One solution that is being implemented is the introduction of more sports lessons in the school curriculum. In my opinion, I strongly agree that the integration of active lessons will greatly assist in kerbing obesity. Firstly, this essay will discuss how sports lessons will increase awareness of the benefits of having a healthy lifestyle. Secondly, this essay will discuss, the importance of combining exercise with a healthy diet.

On the one hand, I believe that the best way to fight health care problems is by utilising health education. By integrating physical education classes into the curriculum, impressionable young children and adults will be exposed to healthy lifestyle practices of sport and exercise, whereas they will also learn about teamwork and see their self-confidence grow. For example, at Westminster primary school in the UK, 10-minute exercise intervals were introduced between classes. The children must run laps around the playground before going to their next lesson. This formed part of a study by Cambridge University, where it reported that 85% of the children performed better on tests and obesity records were at an all-time low.  

On the other hand, in my view having more physical education classes in the curriculum is not the only way to teach young people how to have a healthy lifestyle. The children should be educated how to balance exercise with a healthy diet, so that this could extend, not only to the students in the schools but also to the parents. For instance, the NHS in the UK regularly hold talks in schools for both parents and students to educate communities on how to have a balanced diet. They also promote proper exercise, involvement in sports, and having an active lifestyle. As a result of this program, in some areas, they saw a decrease in the number of overweight health issues.

In conclusion, I strongly agree that having more sports lessons in schools will help to fight the growing number of overweight people. By combining this with a healthy diet, the students will be encouraged to be healthy, from a young age, right through into adulthood.

(Word Count = 385 / Band Score 9)

• Task Achievement  – The answer provides a paraphrased question, to begin with, followed by a clear opinion. The opinion is fully supported in the main body paragraphs in the essay, with fully extended and well-supported ideas
• Coherence and Cohesion  – The answer has been divided into clear logical paragraphs and each main body paragraph only has one main idea. There are cohesive links between the main body paragraphs and between most sentences.    
• Lexical Resource  – There is evidence of a wide range of vocabulary, with no errors in the text.
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy  – The answer has no grammatical errors. The sentences have a wide range of structures. 

TIP >>  Remember to give your opinion, state your opinion in the introduction clearly and develop your main body paragraphs around it. Use each of the main body paragraphs to support your opinion, giving examples that are relevant. In the conclusion, summarise your main points and restate your opinion. 

Writing Task 2 Band Score 9 Criteria

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• Academic practice
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• Task 1 Academic
• Task 1 General
• Task 2 (essay)

To what extent you agree or disagree essay

This lesson will guide you how to write essays in IELTS Writing that ask you to what extent you agree/disagree . Such questions are very common for IELTS Writing task 2 . In such essays your task is to say whether you:

• completely agree with a given statement 
• completely disagree with a given statement 
• partly agree / disagree

and  justify your opinion .

In this lesson you will see IELTS writing task 2 sample question + model answer . Also, you will learn the following points:

• how to decide on your opinion
• how to generate ideas to justify your opinion
• how to give a band 9 answer for agree/disagree question

To what extent you agree/disagree question sample

Let’s look at an example of IELTS writing task 2:

The government's investment in arts, music and theatre is a waste of money. Governments should invest these funds in public services instead.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Choose your opinion & generate ideas

Unlike classic agree/disagree questions, to what extent you agree or disagree questions do NOT ask you to clearly determine whether you agree or disagree with the given statement.

In fact, you have 3 major options for your opinion :

   AA : You completely agree (provide 2 ideas that strengthen the statement)    DD : You completely disagree (provide 2 ideas that weaken the statement)    AD : You agree or disagree partly (provide 1 idea that strengthens the statement and 1 idea that weakens it)

After you’ve decided your opinion,  generate 2-3 supporting points for it .

Now let’s generate supporting points for each of the opinions:

AA: Investment in arts, music and theatre is a waste of money

• Art, music and theatre don’t help to solve urgent problems of the society
• Art and music can develop as hobbies, and saved money can be directed towards urgent needs of the society
• If artists and musicians were employed at more traditional jobs, there would be a great benefit for science and industry

DD: Investment in arts, music and theatre is NOT a waste of money

• The arts and music preserve unique culture and heritage, passing nation’s cultural character and traditions to future generations
• Arts, music and theatre are an integral part of the society’s cultural and intellectual development and amusement
• A strong arts, music and theatre sector is an economic asset that creates new jobs and attracts tourism revenue

For this opinion, just combine ideas from the previous points.

For our essay, we’ll choose the last opinion - partially agree / disagree (AD).

Band 9 answer structure

There are a lot of ways to structure your essay, but we’ll use a structure that has been approved by many IELTS examiners to be high-scoring and coherent. Band-9 essay structure :

• Introduction

Body paragraph 1 - the 1st supporting point

• Body paragraph 2 - the 2nd supporting point

As you already know, you can write the supporting points of your body paragraphs in the following ways: agree + agree, disagree + disagree, agree + disagree. We’ll use the last option as our opinion is partially agree / disagree .

Let’s take a look at each of these sections in detail.

• Sentence 1 - paraphrase the statement  (you can use ‘ it is argued/considered/thought that ’ to start):

It is often argued that the government should finance public services instead of spending its budget on arts, music and theatre. 

• Sentence 2 - give your opinion :

Although I agree that government’s investments in public services play a very important role, I think that proper funding of arts sector is also crucial for the society.

• Sentence 1 - state the first reason you agree/disagree .

This sentence should contain the main idea of the whole 1st paragraph. In our case we’ll use the reason A: why it is important to finance public services. As we’ll be considering opposite opinions, it is a good idea to use a collocation on the one hand to introduce the first reason:

On the one hand, the government should definitely allocate a large part of its budget on public services.

• Sentences 2-3 - explain the reason .

To explain the reason effectively, you can imagine that your examiner didn’t understand what you were talking about and you have to explain every detail:

This economic sector determines the overall quality of life, ensuring that some basic services, like schools, hospitals and roads, are available to all citizens irrespective of their income or social status. Public services satisfy the primary needs of the society and thus need a proper funding, while artists and musicians are not curing diseases or building houses, so their role is secondary.

• Sentence 4 - example .

It’s always good to give examples in your body paragraphs, even if you’re not asked to do it (like in our case):

For example, any country can live without music concerts, but absence of medicine will create significant problems.

• Sentence 5 - a short summary of your ideas in this paragraph :

That’s why the government should adequately finance public services in the first place.

Body paragraph 2 - the 2nd reason you agree/disagree

• Sentence 1 - state the second reason you agree/disagree .

This statement should contain the main idea of the whole 2nd paragraph. This time we’ll use the reason D: why it is important to finance public services. As we are considering opposite opinions, it is a good idea to use a phrase on the other hand to introduce the second reason:

On the other hand, arts, music and theatre are not a waste of money, since they are an integral part of the society’s cultural and intellectual development and amusement.

• Sentences 2-3 - explain the reason  (assume that your examiner doesn’t understand the topic at all):

Firstly, art and music draw people’s attention to diverse phenomena and represent the inward significance of things. Quite often a single drawing, piece or song can exhort myriads of people to reconsider their attitude towards some situation. This way, art serves as a major source of nation’s personal and intellectual development. Moreover, visiting museums, watching movies and listening to music are common ways of relaxation and entertainment.

• Sentence 4 - support your idea with an example :

The question doesn’t ask us to give examples, plus we’ve already written a lot in this paragraph, so we’ll skip this point. 

• Sentence 5 - a short summary of your thoughts in the 2nd paragraph .

Thus, art sector is also important for the society and should not be neglected.

You can write the conclusion in  one sentence that summarizes your opinion + 2 reasons for it :

To conclude, though I agree that the government should allocate a large part of its budget on such urgent needs of the society like public services, I think that arts, music and theatre should also be financed since they play an important role in people’s development and entertainment.

DO NOT write new ideas in the conclusion!

Model answer

This is a full band-9 answer for to what extent you agree or disagree IELTS Writing question above:

It is often argued that the government should finance public services instead of spending its budget on arts, music and theatre. Although I agree that government’s investments in public services play a very important role, I think that proper funding of arts sector is also crucial for the society.

On the one hand, the government should definitely allocate a large part of its budget on public services. This economic sector determines the overall quality of life, ensuring that some basic services, like schools, hospitals and roads, are available to all citizens irrespective of their income or social status. Public services satisfy the primary needs of the society and thus need a proper funding, while artists and musicians are not curing diseases or building houses, so their role is secondary. For example, any country can live without music concerts, but absence of medicine will create significant problems. That’s why the government should adequately finance public services in the first place.

On the other hand, arts, music and theatre are not a waste of money, since they are an integral part of the society’s cultural and intellectual development and amusement. Firstly, art and music draw people’s attention to diverse phenomena and represent the inward significance of things. Quite often a single drawing, piece or song can exhort myriads of people to reconsider their attitude towards some situation. This way, art serves as a major source of nation’s personal and intellectual development. Moreover, visiting museums, watching movies and listening to music are common ways of relaxation and entertainment. Thus, art sector is also important for the society and should not be neglected.

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How to write an agree/disagree essay for IELTS Writing Task 2

Date Published

01 February 2023

This article was first published on WeLoveIELTS.org (this website is now closed)

Knowing how to write an agree or disagree essay is very important because if you get this type of task question in the test and you don't know how to approach it, you might not get a very high score. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

An agree/disagree question is very similar to the one above. Let’s look at two typical agree/disagree essay questions:

• Some people believe that nowadays we have too many choices. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
• Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems as well as practical problems. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Can you see how these are similar to my question at the beginning? Both include a statement (= a sentence expressing an opinion) and ask you to what extent (= how much) you agree or disagree with it.

OK, so what are you going to do first? Start writing? Absolutely not .

After you’ve carefully read the task question and understood the topic, the first thing to do is to ask yourself to what extent you agree or disagree with the statement. There are three possible cases:

• You agree completely
• You disagree completely
• You partially agree (which means you also partially disagree)

Next, ask yourself: ‘ Why do I think that?’ This is a very useful question because by answering it you will start generating ideas that you will then include in your essay.

How many ideas should you come up with? In all three cases the secret is that less is more, so I recommend having no more than four in total.

Let’s have a look at an example from Cambridge IELTS 11:

• Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

I’ve read the question and now I’m going to make some notes before I start writing. Here are my notes:

Partially agree - Both needs funding Why?

• Safety reasons
• Taxpayers expect government investment in both

Two main ideas. Now we have some direction and know where we are going with our essay. Should you now start writing? Not yet. You’ll need to develop these ideas, and the best way to do this is to give explanations, details, reasons and examples. Let’s add these to the notes.

• Safety reasons - Both roads and trains are widely used / all ages / need to be kept in good condition / if not, risk of crashes / example: Ponte Morandi collapse 2018 – Italy / lots of casualties / could have been avoided with more funding - maintenance / Trains are crowded at rush hour -> a railroad accident might be a terrible tragedy
• Taxpayers expect government investment in both - governments need to provide good services / citizens pay tax for this / example: train commuters pay to have efficient trains / if not – disruptions - late for work / same is true for road users / example: opening a new highway -> less traffic

Notice that I didn’t write full sentences but notes. Keep your full sentences for the essay! If you don’t do this brainstorming exercise before you start writing, the risk is that you’ll write whatever comes to your mind, and your essay will probably be confusing to read.

Top Tip: Think of how you’re going to structure your text. Keep life simple and always aim at four paragraphs: introduction, two body paragraphs and conclusion.

Introduction

Two sentences are enough here. In the first sentence you should paraphrase the task question. In the second sentence say if you (partially) agree/disagree so you immediately let the reader know what you think.

Two main paragraphs

Why these paragraphs? A paragraph contains ideas about a single subject and using them will make your essay organised, structured and easy to read. When writing an agree/disagree essay there are, again, three possible options:

• You completely agree - First paragraph: reasons why you agree. 2nd paragraph: other reasons why you agree.
• You completely disagree - First paragraph: reasons why you disagree. 2nd paragraph: other reasons why you disagree.
• You partially agree - First paragraph: reasons why you agree. 2nd paragraph: reasons why you disagree.

Remember: it’s much better to have few well-developed ideas than a lot of poorly developed ones , so when you write the paragraphs make sure to give reasons, examples and details. All these must be relevant to the reason you agree/disagree.

Again, keep life simple and write one or two sentences only. You should briefly repeat and summarise your answer to the question. Don’t introduce information that you didn’t mention in your paragraphs before. We need a conclusion to conclude right? So, don’t introduce other reasons or topics at the end of your text.

• Read the topic of the question and make sure you understand it
• Ask yourself if you agree or not with the statement in the question
• Brainstorm ideas before you start righting
• State your opinion in the introduction
• Use four paragraphs
• Logically organise the main paragraphs (for example, one for reasons why you agree and the other for reasons why you disagree)
• Extend and develop your ideas with reasons, examples and explanations
• Write a short conclusion.
• Start writing immediately
• Include too many different ideas. Less is more!
• Introduce more information in the conclusion.

Hope this helps you with your writing. Good luck!

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How to write IELTS agree disagree essay introductions!

Hey! Today Nick and I are trying a new style of lesson. Instead of giving you lots of information about one topic, we are going to break down one element of essay writing – how to write an introduction to an IELTS agree disagree essay. Join us to learn the three ingredients that you need to write an introduction well (they may not be what you expect) and how you can tackle questions that include “some people” or a background statement.

By the end of the short lesson, you should be able to write an introduction to any agree / disagree essay with ease, which should give you more time to tackle the body of the essay, which is where all of the points are to be gained.

Below, you can find a summary of the episode, which includes all of the links to useful materials and the times of each part of the discussion (so you can go directly to the part you want to listen to)   🚀

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The three ingredients for a great IELTS agree disagree essay introduction

In IELTS writing, there are no real points to be gained in the introduction. If you take a look at the band descriptors, you will see that most points for Task Response come from your paragraphs in the body of the essay, where you need relevant arguments that are well developed (and if you don’t know how to write those, you can take at this recent blog post ).

However, that does not mean that your introduction is not important.

What you write here will be the first thing that the examiner reads and you really do want to make a good first impression. Plus, the introduction will be the place where you first clearly express your opinion, and this really is an important element of Task Response , so you want to make sure that you get it right.

The good news is that there are just three ingredients in a good introduction for an IELTS agree disagree essay, and if you spend as little as 30 minutes practicing them, you will be able to write one in your exam without even thinking! That will give you more time and brain space to focus on the body. So, what are the three ingredients?

1. Introduce the general topic of the essay

Many students write IELTS agree disagree introductions in the following way:

• Paraphrase the task in the first sentence
• Write a memorised sentence such as “I agree with this statement and will explain why in the following paragraphs”

We do NOT recommend that you use this approach. Firstly, the second sentence here is entirely memorised so will be discounted by the examiner as it can be used in any essay. More importantly, no English writer would ever present their opinion in this way. There is no need at all to present your opinion in a separate sentence.

As we will see in a moment, you can easily present your view along with the paraphrase in ONE sentence. 

If you do this, you will have space in your introduction for an opening sentence that introduces the general idea of the essay. There are no “models” for these sentences, but some useful structures are:

• Nowadays, the number of people suffering from obesity is increasing at an alarming rate. = CHANGE STILL IN PROGRESS
• Nowadays, more people than ever  use  social media to keep in touch with family and friends  = FACT
• Recently , the number of electric cars on the road has increased. = CHANGE FINISHED
• Being able to speak a foreign language is one of the most important skills that a person can have in the modern world.

Want to learn how maximise your writing score with an ex-examiner? Then why not find out more about our Gold Writing Package . It contains everything you need to get a 7.0+ in Writing Task One and Task Two.

2. Present your opinion

This should be the easiest sentence that you write in the introduction. If you agree in an IELTS agree disagree essay, you will simply start the sentence by saying “I agree” and then paraphrase the task. If you disagree, you will do the same, but you will start the sentence with “I disagree”.

• I agree that countries should invest in railways instead of roads.
• I disagree that countries should invest in railways instead of roads.

In the episode, Nick and I will discuss how you can paraphrase well by identifying words that CANNOT be paraphrased, and changing the word order. The easiest way to tell if you have paraphrased well is to give your paraphrase to a friend and check that they can understand it. If they cannot, try again.

Remember that it is better to use a word directly from the prompt than to replace it with a word that does not have a clear meaning.

3. Make sure you have good cohesion

The final ingredient in our introduction to an IELTS agree disagree essay will be adding a few words to make sure that you have good coherence and cohesion. Firstly, you will need to add a transition signal between the first and second sentence in your introduction. This will either be “However” or “In fact” depending on the relationship between the first sentence and your opinion.

Take these introductions for example. My opinion is the same (I agree) but the transition is different as in the first introduction, there is contrast between the opening sentence and my opinion sentence, and in the second introduction there is not.

Cleaning is not usually a job that people look forward to. However, I agree with those who feel that having a tidy, well-organised home or workplace is important.   Cleaning is a common chore that most people have to complete on a regular basis. In fact,  I agree with those who feel that having a tidy, well-organised home or workplace is important.

Then, to complete your introduction, you should foreshadow the structure that are going to use by telling the examiner how many paragraphs that they should expect to read. To do this, all you need to do is add “for 2 main reasons” or “for three main reasons” to the end of your introduction (depending on how many reasons you are going to offer!)

Cleaning is not usually a job that people look forward to. However, I agree with those who feel that having a tidy, well-organised home or workplace is important for two main reasons .

Let’s practice writing IELTS agree disagree introductions together!

This week, we want you to work as hard as we do, so we are inviting you to write your own introductions to the following questions as you listen to the lesson.

Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 

Some people say it is important to keep your home and workplace tidy, with everything organised in the correct place. What is your opinion about this?

Many manufactured food and drink products contain high levels of sugar, which causes many health problems. Sugary products should be made more expensive to encourage people to consume less sugar. Do you agree or disagree?

Every year several languages die out. Some people think that this is not important because life will be easier if there are fewer languages in the world. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

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IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

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IELTS Model Essay -Two Questions Essay Type

The IELTS Writing Task 2 Two Questions Essay: Causes & Positive/Negative Trends .

There are a number of different types of IELTS essay questions. There are Opinion Essays, Discussion Essays, Advantage/Disadvantage Essays, Solution (including Cause/ Solution) Essays and there are Direct Question Essays (such as the Two Question Essay). However, please note that different teachers use different names for essay types.

The model essay below looks at the Direct Question Essay which contains Two Questions. 

IELTS Essay Question  – Computer Games

More and more adults are playing computer games. Why is this happening? Is it a positive or negative trend?

The main topic in the essay question is Technology and the specific topic is Computer Games. It is a current essay question because it is about a current trend in the world today. I’ve provided a list of tips to help you tackle this type of essay question.

Points to Consider

• There is only one issue to tackle : computer games. This is lucky. It is an easy essay question. Some essay questions are more complex and have two separate issues to tackle.
• There are two questions to answer . I call this type of question a “Direct Question Essay”. The first question is about causes of the trend. The second question is about evaluating whether it is good or bad. Whenever you are asked to choose, it means you must give your opinion.
• Pay attention to the wording of the essay topic . This is about adults, not children. It is about computer games which some people consider are for children. Always pay attention to all keywords in the essay question when you brainstorm or you will go off topic. Ask yourself questions to stimulate ideas. Why are adults playing games on a computer? We know that children like to do this, but why are adults doing this? And is this good? Is it good that adults are playing computer games? If it is bad, why? 
• Next think about the concept of “computer games”. Spend time analysing the issue given . We often consider computer games to be silly entertainment fore children. But is that correct? Are all computer games actually silly? If we think about this carefully, we will realise that actually some computer games are complex and strategic. Some games require skill and intelligence to play. This means that the issue of computer games is not a simple one. Computer games are varied. Does this essay question apply to childish computer games or complex games? The answer is – it applies to both. So, now we know we can tackle this issue at a level of more depth. Getting to the depth of the issue is essential for a high score.  So, while we can see there is only one issue (computer games) that single issue is complex and can be divided into different aspects.
• After you brainstorm, choose the ideas that are the most relevant and the easiest to explain well. You don’t get a high score because you have lots of ideas. You get a higher score for presenting specific ideas which are well developed and highly relevant.
• If you have two questions to cover. It is logical to have two body paragraphs . Being logical in your choice of paragraphing is important. 
• Provide a clear position in your introduction as to whether you think this is a positive or negative point. Being clear in the introduction helps the examiner follow your body paragraphs more easily and this will increase your score. If you think it is positive – make it clear. If you think it is negative – say so. If you think “it depends” – make sure you word it clearly and explain it clearly in the body paragraphs. The easiest approach is a positive or negative one (a one-sided approach). The “it depends” approach is harder and requires stronger language skills. 

Model Essay: Computer Games (2024)

It seems that the current trend is for an increasing number of adults to enjoy playing computer games in their free time. With the development of game technology, it is hardly surprising that adults are playing games, but whether it is positive or negative depends on the games played and the time spent on them.

In terms of why so many adults are choosing to spend time playing computer games, it is mainly because the technology behind the games is becoming more sophisticated. Initially, when games first came out, they were very simplistic and appealed mainly to children. However, things have moved on since then and games have become visually appealing, very absorbing, require great dexterity and some also have a strategic challenge to them which adults particularly like. Such games can attract professional adults looking to hone tactics and skills to other adults wishing just to relax and switch off.

However, whether this trend in adults towards computer games is beneficial or not can be challenged. Some adults use complex, challenging games as a form of escapism which keeps their mind sharp and helps them relax at the same time. As long as the time spent on such games is balanced with other healthier pursuits, it can be constructive. Unfortunately, adults who ignore their physical health and spend too much time on mindless, repetitive games develop a sedentary lifestyle which can be detrimental to their wellbeing. 

In conclusion, computer games have become more fascinating and tempting to adults. While games that help develop tactics and knowledge might be advantageous, no game, particularly senseless games, should be played to excess and certainly should not replace healthier leisure activities.

Word count = 276 

IELTS Writing Task 2  Model Essays & Tips

Click here to see all model essays, tips etc for writing task 2: IELTS Writing Task 2 Main Page

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I received my IELTS result today and I scored 7.5 overall band score. I can’t thank you enough for your valuable help and guidance.

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I’m so pleased for you, Kamlesh! Very well done to you!! I do hope you continue learning. One day I plan to start an English Liz Youtube channel so that people can keep learning beyond their IELTS test 🙂

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You’re welcome 🙂

Good evening Liz. I’m grateful for your guidance and tutelage as I scored 7.5 in my writing, 7.5 in speaking, 7.0 in listening and 6.0 in reading after just a short time with you. I’m optimistic in my next attempt I should get the desired scores. You’re a great teacher ma’am.

I wish you lots of luck in your next test 🙂

Rituparna Saha says April 5, 2024 Thank you Liz for all your support and guidance on Writing Task 2. I greatly appreciate your efforts.

I took my IELTS test a few days ago. The results are out and I got a band 7 in writing with an overall band 7.5 in just a week. For writing I only watched your videos and took notes of all the points you taught. I did not even practice writing much, just referred to your videos and read all the materials on the website. Your content is pure gold and you are an amazing teacher. Ilysm

Very well done with your results!! Many people struggle to hit band 7 in writing. Congrats!

this is Soo nice Liz I have been following you and your materials are helpful kindly would like to know where I can download the Cambridge book or if you can share any regards Hellen

The IELTS Cambridge Test Books are copyrighted so I can’t share them. However, you can find new as well as second hand copies on Amazon or possibly in a local educational store.

I don’t feel the introduction is clear, and there is no clear opinion.

“it depends” indicates the opinion. It shows that the writer intends to be specific about when it is positive and when it is negative because their opinion covers both. This can often be the case with IELTS essays that require an opinion. You do not have to choose positive or negative and be 100% on one side. It is 100% acceptable in IELTS but it is a more difficult opinion to create if one’s English language isn’t strong.

Hello Liz, is it okay to write a contrast (one point) before the conclusion paragraph in agree or disagree essay? Thank you.

This is not an agree/disagree essay. The Opinion Essay is an agree disagree essay which requires you to agree, disagree or have a partial agreement with an opinion given by IELTS. That essay is not an Opinion Essay because you aren’t being asked to respond to an opinion given by IELTS. This essay is a Direct Questions Essay which may or may not require an opinion depending on the questions you are given. In an Opinion Essay, you introduce your opinion in the introduction and the whole essay explains your opinion. You can’t suddenly put a different opinion further down the essay. Your opinion must be consistent throughout the whole essay. I recommend you get my advanced lessons because they explain in detail how to tackle an Opinion Essay. You can find them in my online store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Thanks a lot liz.

Hi dear Liz. Hope you are fast recuperating. I have written the following intro. ” There is a growing propensity among the youth to play computer games. This is due to indulgence of parents and can have possible detrimental effects.” I know you don’t comment on write ups, but this is with a hope, in case…

I’ll just make one comment. I made a list of points to consider. Point 3 was important. This isn’t about youths. It’s about adults, which means people in their early 20’s, 30’s, 40’s, 50’s etc. And because it is about adults, it cannot be related to “indulgence from parents”. If you make this mistake, most of your essay will be off topic. That is the reason I wrote point 3. Take a look again because it’s an important lesson to learn.

This writing test sample answer makes a whole lots of sense to me. Well appreciated 👍👍👍.

I’m glad it made sense. IELTS isn’t difficult once you understand more about the test and the aims you should have.

Hi, Due to the financial crisis, I lacked many things like IELTS practice/preparation classes and missed many classes from a good teacher like you.

therefore, if you have any better offer like a full free studentship & give me the opportunity. Thank you in advance for your kind coope

This website has hundreds of page of free practice lessons, tips, topics, videos, advice, information, model answers etc. Use them well. Learn from each page and take your time. Then use the IELTS Cambridge test books for full test practice at home.

Thank you so much Liz for your valuable tips and techniques 🙏❤️

I’m glad it was helpful 🙂

Thank you for this it’s very helpful Liz. I greatly appreciate your efforts

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