Know what the task actually requires
IELTS Academic Writing contains two tasks. The official format says Task 2 asks for an essay of at least 250 words, suggests about 40 minutes, and gives Task 2 twice the weight of Task 1. Examiners consider task response, coherence and cohesion, lexical resource, and grammatical range and accuracy. A useful plan therefore has to do more than collect vocabulary: it must establish a direct position, choose relevant ideas and show how those ideas will develop.
This lesson does not estimate a band score. It gives you a repeatable planning method and a way to check whether your plan answers the question before you spend time writing full sentences.
ORIGINAL PRACTICE QUESTION
Work with one precise prompt
Some people believe universities should require every student to complete a short community project before graduation. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Write at least 250 words when you complete the full essay. For this lesson, spend no more than eight minutes producing the plan.
Decision 1: identify the instruction
The topic is university community projects. The instruction is to what extent do you agree or disagree? Your response must show your degree of agreement. A plan that only lists advantages and disadvantages leaves that central question unanswered.
Underline the controlling words: universities, require, every student, short community project, and before graduation. These words set boundaries. An argument about optional volunteering in secondary school may sound related, but it does not answer this prompt.
Decision 2: write a one-sentence position
Choose a position you can defend with specific reasons. You do not need an extreme opinion. For example:
Position: I largely agree with a short service requirement because it can connect academic knowledge with local needs, provided universities offer accessible project choices and do not treat the activity as unpaid specialist labour.
This position does three jobs. It answers the degree question, gives a main reason and introduces a condition. The condition creates room for a balanced second paragraph without making the opinion unclear.
Decision 3: give each body paragraph one job
| Paragraph | Main job | Development |
|---|---|---|
| Body 1 | Explain the educational value. | Students apply classroom knowledge to a real local problem; feedback from residents reveals practical limits that a classroom exercise may hide. |
| Body 2 | Explain the necessary safeguard. | A universal requirement can disadvantage students with work, care or mobility constraints; universities should offer remote, campus-based and flexible options. |
Both paragraphs support the same overall position. Body 2 is not an unrelated list of disadvantages. It explains the condition under which the proposed requirement remains fair.
Decision 4: develop each idea before adding another
Use a four-part chain: claim, reason, example and link. For Body 1, the claim is that a project can deepen learning. The reason is that real users create constraints. An example might be engineering students testing a low-cost energy audit for a community centre. The link returns to the prompt: this practical learning justifies a short graduation requirement.
A common weak plan contains many undeveloped nouns: skills, experience, society, communication, responsibility. Replace that list with one cause-and-effect chain. Specific development improves relevance and makes the paragraph easier to follow.
Decision 5: map the introduction and conclusion
Your introduction can paraphrase the proposal and state your position. Avoid a memorised opening about the modern world. Your conclusion should restate the degree of agreement and the key condition; it should not introduce a third body idea.
- Introduction map: paraphrase the required project, then state “largely agree” plus the accessibility condition.
- Conclusion map: confirm that practical value justifies the requirement when universities provide flexible and ethical project choices.
An eight-minute planning routine
- Minute 1: circle the instruction and underline controlling words.
- Minutes 2–3: write one position sentence and test whether it answers the exact question.
- Minutes 4–5: choose two paragraph jobs. Remove any idea that does not support the position.
- Minutes 6–7: add one reason and one concrete example to each paragraph.
- Minute 8: map the introduction and conclusion, then check for contradictions.
Self-review before writing
- Can a reader identify my degree of agreement in one sentence?
- Does every main idea refer to universities, all students and a required community project?
- Does each paragraph have one main job and a cause-and-effect explanation?
- Are my examples plausible and short enough to support rather than replace the argument?
- Does the conclusion match the position without adding a new claim?
If one answer is no, revise the plan before writing. Eight focused minutes can prevent a full paragraph that is fluent but irrelevant.
Continue with official practice
Use the official IELTS Academic sample questions to repeat the method with authentic task types. Check the current IELTS Academic Writing format and assessment criteria before your test because official instructions are the authority.