A detailed guide to this IELTS Writing Task 2 essay type, with structure templates, useful vocabulary, and techniques to achieve Band 7+.
Originally published May 2018. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post you will find a list of recent IELTS exam questions that were in the IELTS Test during March and April 2018, you can view the questions look at the topics and practice writing answers to them during your IELTS preparation.
The questions below have been reported to us by our students and other people who have taken the IELTS Exam recently.
Please take a look below and if you know of more questions, please leave a comment and help your fellow students.
If you need help to write answers to any of the questions below, please take a look at how to write each type of essay in the Writing Task 2 section >
You can also view band score 8 essay examples to some of the questions listed below in the section above in the drop-down menu for agree/disagree, etc.
IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions – April 2018
Agree/Disagree
1. Pollution and other environmental damage are caused by a country developing and becoming richer. This problem cannot be avoided. To what extent do you agree?
2. Once children start school, teachers have more influence on their intellectual and social development than the parents. To what extent do you agree or disagree.
3. it is important for public money to be spent on promoting a healthy lifestyle to prevent illness rather than spending money treating people who are ill. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
4. The key to solving the environmental problems is for the present generation to sacrifice their easy lifestyle for the sake of the future generations. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Positive/Negative
1. The number of people interested in cosmetic surgery is increasing in order to improve their physical appearance. Why do people want operations to change the way they look? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
2. These days a lot of movies and music are free to download online. Is this a positive or negative development?
3. Organised tours are choosing more and more to visit remote places and communities. Do you think it is a positive or negative development for the local people and the environment?
4. In society today, more and more people are choosing to live on their own. What are the reasons behind this? Is it a positive or negative trend?
Advantage/Disadvantage
1. Some cities have days when cars and other forms of transport are banned from the city centre. Only buses, bicycles and taxis are allowed to be in the city centre. Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Discussion Essay
1. It is believed that some people should take a yearly driving test in order to ensure safety on the roads, while others do not agree. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.
2. Some people prefer hobbies that require technology, while some people prefer hobbies that do not. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Direct Question Essay
1. In the world today of advanced science and technology, people still value artists such as painters, musicians and writers. How can art make a difference in our society, that science and technology cannot?
IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions – March 2018
Agree/Disagree
1. Some people think that the government should take care of disadvantaged people like the homeless and the unemployed. Do you agree or disagree?
2. When designing a building the intended use of the building should be taken into account rather than its outward appearance. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
3. In many countries around the world, plastic shopping bags are the main type of rubbish, they cause water pollution and land pollution, so they should be banned. To what extent do you agree?
Advantage/Disadvantage
1. Social media has replaced the traditional methods of communicating and people use more and more social media to communicate and to follow news and events. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
Discussion Essay
1. Some people believe bicycles have a lot of advantages, whereas others believe bicycles have more disadvantages. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
2. Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully, while others disagree. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
3. Some people believe that sleeping is the only way that people can get enough rest. Others believe that physical activities such as playing games and exercises also provide relaxation. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
IELTS Preparation
To help you with your IELTS preparation, here is a free PDF download of the most recent IELTS writing task 2 questions.
They are a mix of both General Training and Academic questions, you can prepare for all the topics mentioned.
Originally published 2018. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
TL;DR — This page collects recently reported IELTS Writing exam questions and topics from test takers worldwide. Use these to identify trends, practise with realistic material, and focus your preparation on the most common themes. Updated regularly based on student reports.
Why Track Recent Exam Questions?
IELTS recycles and rotates questions across test centres worldwide. By studying recently reported topics, you can identify patterns and high-frequency themes that are likely to appear in upcoming tests. While the exact questions will differ, the topics and question types follow consistent patterns.
How We Collect This Data
Our database of recent exam questions comes from verified test-taker reports submitted through our community channels. We cross-reference multiple reports from different test centres to confirm accuracy before publishing. Each entry includes the approximate test date and the region where it was reported.
Recent Writing Topics — 2026
Below are the most frequently reported writing topics and question types from recent IELTS exams. Topics are grouped by theme and ordered by frequency of appearance.
Task 2 Essay Topics
Technology and Society: Impact of social media on young people, automation replacing jobs, online learning vs traditional education
Take a look at the IELTS Direct Question Essay example below:
If you would like to purchase a 29 page PDF download that is easy to read and print out please take a look at the bookshop >
Education and Teaching
Fewer and fewer young people are choosing to become a teacher. Why do young people do not want to become teachers? How this could be changed?
Take a look at the model answer.
The number of college graduates who want to become professors is declining rapidly as the year’s progress. Firstly, this essay believes that students do not choose to become teachers because they think that this profession is not a high paying job and secondly, it will discuss possible solutions that could make teaching an attractive vocation. On the one hand, becoming a teacher is a very challenging career path. This is demanding work for they need a lot of patience and dedication in order to teach different kinds of personalities. In addition, the salary of a teacher is not enough to cover the costs of more than a one-person family and in order to make extra income, many teachers have second jobs. For instance, a study by the National Teachers Coalition in the Philippines in 2014 reported that 70% of secondary teachers in public schools in Metro Manila offered private study lessons outside of their school hours. On the other hand, the government should offer free scholarship grants for those students who want to pursue becoming a teacher. This could encourage them to choose the teaching profession for this would allow them to develop a career with many possibilities, once trained. The government could also raise the teaching salary to match other schools based in other countries. For example, a survey by the Department of Education in the Philippines in 2011 revealed that 6 out of 10 students chose to become a teacher after gaining a full scholarship program, with the understanding that they have to teach in their country for at least 2 years. In conclusion, to become a teacher is a noble profession. The government should compensate them for their tasks in helping future minds reach their potential. They need to offer support so that the teaching profession can continue to grow and develop.
(Word count – 306 / Band score 8)
The following video will give you contains sample Essay in audiovisual format.
Instructor Feedback on IELTS Direct Question Essay: Education and Teaching
Task Achievement – The essay provides an answer to the question asked, supported by relevant examples.
Coherence and Cohesion – The answer has been divided into clear logical paragraphs and each main body paragraph only has one main idea. There are cohesive links between the main body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource – There is evidence of a wide range of vocabulary, with no errors in the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy – The answer has no grammatical errors. The sentences have a wide range of structures.
We hope you found this post helpful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. Let us know in the comments or on the Facebook page if you have any questions. The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, and then follow us onInstagramand Pinterest. We offer essay correction services, mock exams, and online courses. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can help you achieve your desired band score faster.
A detailed guide to this IELTS Writing Task 2 essay type, with structure templates, useful vocabulary, and techniques to achieve Band 7+.
Originally published April 2018. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at a direct question essay example from the IELTS writing task 2 test. Students often ask if the questions are repeated year after year and the answer is no, but the topics are. There are so many questions written each year, you may find your practice answering various questions on different topics. For example, you could write essays to answer questions about education or the environment, which benefits you because you learn vocabulary associated with those topics and develop ideas that can help you in your writing test.
Practising writing IELTS task 2 essays on a range of topics is a great way to learn new vocabulary for those topics, but also to practice your essay structures. You begin to develop your ideas around those topics, thinking of examples and giving your opinions.
If you would like to purchase a 29 page PDF download that is easy to read and print out please take a look at the bookshop >
If you would like to learn how to structure a direct question essay please click the button below >
Nowadays, most people show more interest in popular actors rather than successful scientists. Firstly, this essay will discuss how exposure to social media is one of the reasons why this is occurring and secondly, discuss why movie actors are more recognizable to the general public than scientists.
On the one hand, the entertainment industry is widely promoted, from television, cinemas and in social media. Through the power of social media, many actors have their lives followed, so their fans can keep up to date with whatever they are doing. They often have millions of followers on Instagram posting photographs of themselves doing everyday tasks, allowing the public to have an insight into their lives. For instance, in 2017 Facebook and Instagram merged taking with them 90% of famous movie actors social media accounts, as opposed to lesser known public figures.
On the other hand, well-known movie actors are regularly placed in front of the general public, through movie theatres and television. This is a form of entertainment, that peaks our interest in them, to be followed, looked at and commented on. Many people do not follow recognised chemists or physicists in the same way as they are little known to the masses. Science is not an easy subject for most to get interested in and those who are, normally find that this is more of a niche area. For example, the University of London completed a survey in 2017 that asked students to tick the names of famous people they had heard of, with 90% choosing famous actors.
In conclusion, movie actors are regularly put in front of the masses, encouraging them to follow them on social media, whereas science and its researchers hold less interest as this is more of a niche subject.
(Word count – 294 / Band score 8)
The following video will give you contains sample Essay in audiovisual format.
Instructor Feedback on IELTS Direct Question Essay: Society
Task Achievement – The essay provides an answer to the question asked, supported by relevant examples.
Coherence and Cohesion – The answer has been divided into clear logical paragraphs and each main body paragraph only has one main idea. There are cohesive links between the main body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource – There is evidence of a wide range of vocabulary, with no errors in the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy – The answer has no grammatical errors. The sentences have a wide range of structures.
We hope you found this post helpful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. Let us know in the comments or on the Facebook page if you have any questions. The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, and then follow us onInstagramand Pinterest. We offer essay correction services, mock exams, and online courses. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can help you achieve your desired band score faster.
A detailed guide to this IELTS Writing Task 2 essay type, with structure templates, useful vocabulary, and techniques to achieve Band 7+.
Originally published April 2018. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at a positive/negative essay example from the IELTS writing task 2 test. Students often ask if the questions are repeated year after year and the answer is no, but the topics are. There are so many questions written each year, you may find your practice answering various questions on different topics. For example, you could write essays to answer questions about education or the environment, which benefits you because you learn vocabulary associated with those topics and develop ideas that can help you in your writing test.
Practising writing IELTS task 2 essays on a range of topics is a great way to learn new vocabulary for those topics, but also to practice your essay structures. You begin to develop your ideas around those topics, thinking of examples and giving your opinions.
If you would like to purchase a 29 page PDF download that is easy to read and print out please take a look at the bookshop >
If you would like to learn how to structure a positive/negative essay please click the button below >
Some individuals favour to use up their cash rather than save it. Firstly, this essay will discuss the different causes of this practice and secondly, it will discuss how this is a negative development for people need to allow some money for future use.
On the one hand, there are many motives why people choose to spend all of their money. Spending can give a boost to your confidence because you know that you are capable of buying the things that you want with your own money. Others consider it as a way of relieving their stress as buying can give an immeasurable pleasure, plus some people would prefer to have a spontaneous life and that is why they don’t think about the future. For instance, a survey by the University of the Philippines in 2011 revealed that 90% of their correspondents would choose to spend all of their money rather than saving some of it for they believe that they only live once.
On the other hand, not saving your money has detrimental effects. People should learn how to save their money because we can’t predict the future. Saving money can help you become financially secure and provide a safety net in case of an emergency. You will need money set aside for these emergencies to avoid going into debt to pay for your necessities. For example, an article by the Business Mirror in 2014 stated that not having enough money to pay for a medical emergency might force someone into taking out a loan, that savings might have otherwise covered.
In conclusion, in my view people should prepare for the future. Saving some of your earnings can be beneficial for it can provide you a safety net in case of an emergency.
(Word count – 291 / Band score 8)
Task Achievement – The essay provides an answer to the question asked, supported by relevant examples.
Coherence and Cohesion – The answer has been divided into clear logical paragraphs and each main body paragraph only has one main idea. There are cohesive links between the main body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource – There is evidence of a wide range of vocabulary, with no errors in the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy – The answer has no grammatical errors. The sentences have a wide range of structures.
We hope you found this post helpful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. Let us know in the comments or on the Facebook page if you have any questions. The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, and then follow us onInstagramand Pinterest. We offer essay correction services, mock exams, and online courses. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can help you achieve your desired band score faster.
A detailed guide to this IELTS Writing Task 2 essay type, with structure templates, useful vocabulary, and techniques to achieve Band 7+.
Originally published April 2018. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.
In this post, we will look at a positive/negative essay example from the IELTS writing task 2 test. Students often ask if the questions are repeated year after year and the answer is no, but the topics are. There are so many questions written each year, you may find your practice answering various questions on different topics. For example, you could write essays to answer questions about education or the environment, which benefits you because you learn vocabulary associated with those topics and develop ideas that can help you in your writing test.
Practising writing IELTS task 2 essays on a range of topics is a great way to learn new vocabulary for those topics, but also to practice your essay structures. You begin to develop your ideas around those topics, thinking of examples and giving your opinions.
If you would like to purchase a 29 page PDF download that is easy to read and print out please take a look at the bookshop >
If you would like to learn how to structure a positive/negative essay please click the button below >
Many people consider that it is essential to wear stylish clothing in their everyday life. This essay believes that this is a negative trend for people should consider wearing attire that is comfortable rather than trendy. Firstly, this essay will discuss the importance of wearing clothes that give comfort and secondly, the negative effects of following fashion trends.
On the one hand, there are many types of garments that are available in the market, as demand grows from season to season. People should choose clothing that gives comfort rather than following trends, as these are much cheaper and not complicated to wear. Comfortable clothes can also relieve stress as they are made from light-weight fabrics and are very affordable for they don’t have intricate designs that can add to the cost of the clothing. For instance, an article in Harpers Bazaar Magazine from 2016 reported that elaborate designs in designer clothes could make the price of the clothing increase by 89% from its normal price.
On the other hand, being fashionable can be a burden. There are a lot of instances where people have purchased stylish clothing on a whim without considering if they can really afford it. They believe that by wearing something chic they can be popular and ‘on trend’ when in reality trends change fast, so buying fast fashion is not really a good way to spend money. Owning the latest designer handbag or shoes can also cripple your finances, even though people may see them as being investment pieces. For example, according to a study by the Metrobank Philippines in 2016, it revealed that 75% of credit card delinquents are women that purchased items of clothing and accessories from high-end brands.
In conclusion, I believe that although looking good is important we should also take into account comfort over style. However, following the latest fashion trends can lead people into debt, which is not a good thing.
(Word count – 321 / Band score 8)
Task Achievement – The essay provides an answer to the question asked, supported by relevant examples.
Coherence and Cohesion – The answer has been divided into clear logical paragraphs and each main body paragraph only has one main idea. There are cohesive links between the main body paragraphs.
Lexical Resource – There is evidence of a wide range of vocabulary, with no errors in the text.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy – The answer has no grammatical errors. The sentences have a wide range of structures.
We hope you found this post helpful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. Let us know in the comments or on the Facebook page if you have any questions. The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, and then follow us onInstagramand Pinterest. We offer essay correction services, mock exams, and online courses. If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can help you achieve your desired band score faster.
