IELTS Writing Task 2: Band 7 Essay Structure Guide

IELTS Writing Task 2 is a 250-word minimum academic essay written in 40 minutes. It accounts for twice the marks of Task 1. The single most impactful thing you can do to improve your Writing score is master a reliable essay structure — one that works for every question type.

This guide gives you that structure with specific formulas for each section.

The 4 Essay Types

Before structuring, identify which essay type you have:

1. Opinion/Agree-Disagree: "To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?"
2. Discussion: "Discuss both views and give your own opinion."
3. Problem-Solution: "What are the causes of X? What solutions can you suggest?"
4. Advantage-Disadvantage: "Do the advantages of X outweigh the disadvantages?"

The structure below works for all four types with minor adjustments to the thesis statement.

Introduction Formula

The introduction has exactly two parts: paraphrase + thesis.

Part 1 — Paraphrase (1–2 sentences) Restate the topic in your own words. Never copy phrases directly from the question. Examiners see hundreds of identical copied openings and it scores zero for Lexical Resource.

Question: "Many people believe that social media has more negative effects than positive ones." Bad paraphrase: "Nowadays, many people believe that social media has more negative effects than positive ones." (copied) Good paraphrase: "The rise of social networking platforms has prompted widespread debate about whether their societal impact is ultimately harmful or beneficial."

Part 2 — Thesis (1 sentence) State your position clearly. For Opinion essays: "This essay argues that..." For Discussion essays: "While both perspectives have merit, this essay contends that..."

For Problem-Solution: "This essay will examine the primary causes of this trend and propose practical solutions."

Total introduction length: 50–70 words.

Body Paragraph Structure: PEEL

Every body paragraph follows PEEL:

P — Point (topic sentence, 1 sentence) E — Explain (why the point is true, 1–2 sentences) E — Example (specific evidence or illustration, 1–2 sentences) L — Link (connect back to the essay question, 1 sentence)

Band 6 paragraph (no PEEL structure): "Social media is bad for mental health. Many young people use it too much. This is a serious problem."

Band 7 PEEL paragraph: "One significant drawback of social media is its demonstrable impact on adolescent mental health. The constant exposure to curated, idealised representations of others' lives fosters social comparison, which psychological research consistently links to increased rates of anxiety and depression. A 2018 study of 10,000 UK teenagers found that heavy social media use correlated with a 27% higher likelihood of depressive symptoms. This evidence suggests that the design of social platforms — optimised for engagement rather than wellbeing — has real psychological costs for vulnerable users."

The PEEL paragraph is four sentences but covers point, mechanism, evidence, and implication. This is what examiners mean by "fully developed."

The Most Common Task Achievement Error

Task Achievement is the criterion most responsible for the gap between Band 6 and Band 7. The error: writing paragraphs that are true but do not directly answer the question.

Question: "Should governments fund space exploration?"

Off-task paragraph: "Space exploration has led to many technological advances. GPS, satellite communications, and weather forecasting all derive from space research. These technologies are now essential in daily life." (True, but the question is about whether governments should fund it — this paragraph never answers that.)

On-task paragraph: "Government funding of space exploration is justified by its role in generating technological spillovers that benefit the wider economy. GPS, satellite communications, and weather forecasting — all originally funded through government space programmes — now generate hundreds of billions in annual economic value. From a cost-benefit perspective, the public investment yields returns that no private investor would have funded alone."

The second paragraph directly argues why governments should fund space exploration. Same facts, different alignment to the question.

Check every paragraph: does it directly address the question asked?

Conclusion Formula

The conclusion has two parts: restate + implication.

Part 1 — Restate thesis (1 sentence) Summarise your position without using the same words as your introduction.

Part 2 — Broader implication or recommendation (1 sentence) What does this mean for society? What should be done? This elevates your conclusion from a summary to a position.

Band 6 conclusion: "In conclusion, social media has both advantages and disadvantages." Band 7 conclusion: "In sum, while social media offers genuine connective benefits, its psychological costs — particularly for younger users — suggest that platform regulation, rather than individual restraint, is the most effective long-term solution."

Rules for conclusions:

• No new ideas or evidence
• No copying the introduction word-for-word
• 2–3 sentences maximum

Word Count Strategy

Minimum: 250 words. Recommended: 270–290 words.

Under 250 words → automatic penalty on Task Achievement (you cannot fully develop ideas in fewer words). Over 320 words → risks coherence issues (harder to maintain logical flow under time pressure).

Distribution: Introduction 60–70 words. Two body paragraphs of 90–110 words each. Conclusion 40–50 words.

Before/After Example

Band 6 Task 2 opening: "Nowadays, technology has changed the way people work. Many people think remote working is better than working in an office. I agree with this view because it has many benefits."

Issues: Copied "nowadays" opener, vague "many benefits" thesis, no paraphrase.

Band 7 revision: "The widespread adoption of digital communication tools has fundamentally altered traditional work patterns, leading to growing debate about the merits of remote versus office-based employment. This essay argues that the benefits of remote working — primarily in productivity and employee wellbeing — outweigh the potential drawbacks for most knowledge-based roles."

Improvements: Original paraphrase, specific thesis, academic register.

Get AI Feedback on Your Essay

Submit your Task 2 essay to IELTS Writing practice and receive AI band scores for all four criteria — Task Achievement, Coherence & Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range & Accuracy — within 15 seconds. Review which criterion is lowest and focus your next essay specifically on improving that one.

Action Checklist

• Write the introduction for 3 different question types using the formula
• Check your last essay: does every paragraph directly answer the question?
• Write one PEEL paragraph with point, explain, example, and link
• Check your conclusion: no new ideas, restates thesis, adds implication
• Submit a full essay for AI scoring and identify your lowest criterion

Next Steps

Structure is the foundation. Once you can reliably produce a well-structured essay, improving individual criteria (vocabulary, grammar) becomes much faster. Start by writing one full Task 2 essay using this structure, submit it for AI feedback, and review the Task Achievement score first. That criterion alone is worth the most marks.