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

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This