Types of essays in IELTS – Essay Structures
Opinion Questions (Agree or Disagree)
Typical Question words
- What is your opinion?
- Do you agree or disagree?
- To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Structure
Introduction
Sentence 1 – Paraphrase Question
Sentence 2 – Thesis Statement
– This essay agrees that….. or this essay disagrees that….. (Opinion essays)
Sentence 3 – Outline Sentence
Main Body Paragraph 1
Sentence 1 – Topic sentence – 1
Sentence 2 – Explain Topic Sentence – 1
Sentence 3 – Example/Related topic sentence – 1
Sentence 1 – Topic sentence – 2
Sentence 2 – Explain Topic Sentence – 2
Sentence 3 – Example/Related topic sentence – 2
Main Body Paragraph 2
Sentence 1 – Topic sentence – 3
Sentence 2 – Explain Topic Sentence – 3
Sentence 3 – Example/Related topic sentence – 3
Sentence 3 – Concession/Related topic sentence – 3
Conclusion
Sentence 1 – Summary
Sentence 2 – Opinion
Advantages and disadvantages Questions
Typical Question Words
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.
- Discuss the advantages and disadvantages and give your own opinion.
- Discuss the pros and cons.
- Discuss the merits and demerits.
- Discuss the advantages ought weight the disadvantages?
Structure
Introduction
Sentence 1 – Paraphrase Question
Sentence 2 – Outline Sentence
– The principal advantage(s) is (xxxxx) and the main disadvantage is (xxxxxx)
Main Body Paragraph 1
Sentence 1 – State One Advantage
Sentence 2 – Expand/Explain One Advantage
Sentence 3 – Result – One Advantage
Sentence 1 – State Second Advantage
Sentence 2 – Expand/Explain Second Advantage
Sentence 3 – Example Second Advantage
Main Body Paragraph 2
Sentence 1 – State One Disadvantage
Sentence 2 – Expand/Explain One Disadvantage
Sentence 3 – Result – One Disadvantage
Sentence 1 – State Second Disadvantage
Sentence 2 – Expand/Explain Second Disadvantage
Sentence 3 – Example Second Disadvantage
Conclusion
Sentence 1 – Summary
Sentence 2 – Recommendation or prediction
Discuss Both Views Questions (Discussion Essay)
Typical Question Words
- Discuss both points of view and give your own opinion.
Structure 1
Introduction
Sentence 1 – Paraphrase Question and/or state both viewpoints.
Sentence 2 – Thesis Statement (Opinion which views you like)
Sentence 3 – Outline Sentence
Main Body Paragraph 1
Sentence 1 – State first viewpoint (if you agree state both reasons positive side)
Sentence 2 – First reason
Sentence 3 – Discuss the first reason
Sentence 4 – Second reason
Sentence 5 – Discuss the second reason
Sentence 6 – that’s the reason you agree/disagree with this viewpoint
Sentence 7 – Example to support your agree/disagree viewpoint
Main Body Paragraph 2
Sentence 1 – State second viewpoint (if you Disagree state both reasons negative side)
Sentence 2 – First reason
Sentence 3 – Discuss the first reason
Sentence 4 – Second reason
Sentence 5 – Discuss the second reason
Sentence 6 – that’s the reason you agree/disagree with this viewpoint
Sentence 7 – Example to support your agree/disagree viewpoint
Conclusion
Sentence 1 – Summary
Sentence 2 – State which one is better or more important
Problems/Reasons and Solutions Questions
Typical Question Words
- Problem and solution.
- Cause and solution.
- Reason and solution.
Structure: 1
Introduction
Sentence 1 – Paraphrase Question
Sentence 2 – Outline Sentence
– The main cause(s) of this issue is…..
Main Body Paragraph 1
Sentence 1 – State Problem – 1
Sentence 2 – Explain Problem – 1
Sentence 3 – Example/Related problem – 1
Sentence 4 – State Solution – 1
Sentence 5 – Result/Related solution – 1
Main Body Paragraph 2
Sentence 1 – State Problem – 2
Sentence 2 – Explain Problem – 2
Sentence 3 – State Solution – 2
Sentence 4 – Result/Related solution – 2
Main Body Paragraph 3
Sentence 1 – State Problem – 3
Sentence 2 – Example/Related problem – 3
Sentence 3 – State Solution – 3
Sentence 4 – Result/Related solution – 3
Conclusion
Sentence 1 – Summary
Sentence 2 – Recommendation or Prediction
Structure: 2
Introduction
Sentence 1 – Paraphrase Question
Sentence 2 – Outline Sentence
Main Body Paragraph 1
Sentence 1 – State Problem – 1
Sentence 2 – Explain Problem – 1
Sentence 3 – Result/Related problem – 1
Sentence 4 – State Problem – 2
Sentence 5 – Explain Problem – 2
Sentence 6 – State Problem – 3
Sentence 7 – Explain Problem – 3
Sentence 8 – Result/Related problem – 3
Sentence 9 – Example/Related problem – 3
Main Body Paragraph 2
Sentence 1 – State Solution – 1
Sentence 2 – Result/Related Solution – 1
Sentence 3 – State Solution – 2
Sentence 4 – Result/Related Solution – 2
Sentence 5 – State Solution – 3
Sentence 6 – Result/Related Solution – 3
Sentence 7 – Example/Related Solution – 3
Conclusion
Sentence 1 – Summary
Sentence 2 – Recommendation or Prediction
Two-part Question essay (Miscellaneous)
Structure
Introduction
Sentence 1- Paraphrase Question
Sentence 2- Outline Sentence (mention both questions)
Main Body Paragraph 1
Sentence 1- Answer first question directly
Sentence 2- Explain why
Sentence 3- Further explain
Sentence 4- Example
Main Body Paragraph 2
Sentence 1- Answer second question directly
Sentence 2- Explain why
Sentence 3- Further explain
Sentence 4- Example
Conclusion
Sentence 1- Summary
Starting sentences
Introduction
Sentence 1 – Paraphrase Question
Sentence 2 – Outline Sentence
- (Problem and Solution essay – This essay will examine some of these problems in detail, and then propose some solutions.)
- (Reason and Solution essay – This essay will look at the reasons for this and propose some solutions.)
Main Body Paragraph 1
Sentence 1 – State Problem – 1 (One of the biggest problems is that…)
Sentence 2 – Explain Problem – 1 (What I mean that…)
Sentence 3 – Example/Related problem – 1 (In the …, for an example, …)
Sentence 4 – State Solution – 1 (To solve this problem…)
Sentence 5 – Result/Related solution – 1 (which would…)
Main Body Paragraph 2
Sentence 1 – State Problem – 2 (Another issue is…)
Sentence 2 – Explain Problem – 2 (That is to say…)
Sentence 3 – State Solution – 2 (To tackle this dilemma…)
Sentence 4 – Result/Related solution – 2 (resulting…)
Main Body Paragraph 3
Sentence 1 – State Problem – 3 (A third cause of the problems is that…)
Sentence 2 – Example/Related problem – 3 (For instance, …)
Sentence 3 – State Solution – 3 (The way forward could be to…)
Sentence 4 – Result/Related solution – 3 (thereby…)
Conclusion
Sentence 1 – Summary
Sentence 2 – Recommendation or Prediction
