How to write an IELTS opinion essay (agree or disagree)

Opinion essays are the most common Task 2 question. You can spot them by the last sentence: To what extent do you agree or disagree?, Do you agree or disagree? or What is your opinion? The examiner wants one thing above all: a clear answer to that question, carried from the first paragraph to the last.

Decide your position before anything else

Most weak opinion essays fail before the first word is written, because the writer starts without knowing what they think. Decide first. You have three honest options:

• Agree completely. Both body paragraphs give reasons for the statement.
• Disagree completely. Both body paragraphs give reasons against it.
• Partly agree. One body paragraph explains what is true about the statement, the other explains its limit, and your conclusion says which side wins.

None of these scores higher than the others. What matters is that the reader knows your answer by the end of the introduction and never doubts it afterwards. If you choose to partly agree, be precise about where you draw the line: “I agree that university should be free for students from low-income families, but not for everyone” is a position. “There are good and bad points” is not.

The quickest test of a position: could a friend read only your introduction and tell you whether you agree? If not, rewrite the last sentence of the introduction.

A plan that works every time

Spend about five minutes planning with this chain, which comes straight from the way many band 7 writers plan:

1. Question: underline what you are asked to agree or disagree with.
2. Position: agree, disagree or partly agree.
3. Reason 1 and an example that proves it.
4. Reason 2 and an example that proves it.
5. Write.

Your essay then has four paragraphs: an introduction that paraphrases the statement and gives your position, one body paragraph for each reason, and a short conclusion. For more on each part, see the guides to introductions, body paragraphs and conclusions.

Sentence starters for when you are stuck

If you freeze, this chain gives you five sentences that move an argument forward. It is a skeleton, not a script, so change the words to fit your topic.

• While some believe [the other view], I believe [your view] because [reason].
• It is widely observed that [evidence or a general fact that supports you].
• If we ignore this, then [the consequence].
• That is why I agree (or disagree).

The chain mixes a complex sentence, a passive and a conditional, so it also shows the examiner a range of grammar without forcing anything.

What the examiner is checking

• Task Response: a clear position throughout, and reasons that are explained, not just listed. “Free education is important for the country” is a claim. Say why, and give an example.
• Coherence and Cohesion: one main idea per body paragraph, stated in its first sentence.
• Lexical Resource and Grammar: precise, natural words and accurate sentences. Accuracy beats ambition; see common grammar mistakes.

The mistakes that hold opinion essays at band 6

• Changing position halfway through, often in the conclusion.
• Writing about the topic in general instead of answering the statement.
• Giving three or four reasons with no explanation, instead of two developed ones.
• A conclusion that adds a brand-new idea.

See it done

Read a full model answer on free university education, with a weaker band 6 version beside it, or the model answer on banning phones in schools. Then pick an agree or disagree question, plan it with the essay planner, and check your essay for an estimated band.