More Fully Explaining Ideas in IELTS Writing Task 2 – by Mark Feeley
Hi everyone, and welcome to my latest instructor blog! I hope your studies at AGOS are going well.
I’m Mark, and today, I’m going to be talking about the importance of more fully explaining your ideas in Task 2 essays, and how this can help you to improve your score.
In IELTS writing Task 2, candidates have to write an opinion essay. For example, describing the advantages and disadvantages of globalization. Although the actual ideas of candidates are not being evaluated, to get a higher score, you have to fully and clearly explain your ideas. Here is a typical part of an answer to a Task 2 question:
‘What are the advantages and disadvantages of globalisation?’
A typical answer might be:
‘One of the disadvantages is connected with food safety. These days, as a result of the globalization of trade, it is much easier to eat food from different countries. However, according to research conducted by Harvard University, over 99% of people are worried about the safety of food produced in different countries. Therefore, the safety of food is a major issue.’
A much better answer to this type of question might be something like:
‘One of the disadvantages is connected with food safety. These days, as a result of the globalization of trade, it is much easier to eat food from different countries. However, according to research conducted by Harvard University, over 60% of people are worried about the safety of food produced in different countries. Concerns that consumers can have include different regulations regarding the use of pesticides or artificial ingredients in the production of food, which can cause problems such as food poisoning or allergic reactions . Therefore, the safety of food is a major issue.’
As you can see from this example, not only is the answer more clearly explained, but the writer has used some examples of specific vocabulary (highlighted in bold). By more fully answering questions, you will also therefore be able to demonstrate to the examiner or grader the range of more specific vocabulary that you are able to use.
In addition, the writer has used a more realistic statistic of 60% rather than 99% to support their argument. This helps to provide a more logical and believable argument.
I hope you find this useful. Good luck with your studies at AGOS!