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How To Write A Direct Question Essay

⚡ TL;DR

A detailed guide to this IELTS Writing Task 2 essay type, with structure templates, useful vocabulary, and techniques to achieve Band 7+.

Originally published January 2018. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.

How To Write An IELTS Writing Task 2 Direct Question Essay

In writing task 2 you will be asked to write a discursive essay (250 words minimum). You will be given a question asking you to give your opinion, discuss a problem or issue. You could also be asked to provide solutions, evaluate a problem, compare and contrast different ideas or challenge an idea. In this post, we will be focussing on how to write a direct question essay.

One of the first things you should do is read the marking criteria to see what the examiners expect. This is really important, as you need to know what they are looking for in the band 7+ boxes.

You should be able to give the examiners exactly what they want, in order to get a 7+ band score.

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 >

WRITING TASK 2 Direct Question STRUCTURE

The structure that I advise my students to use, will be sure to get you a band score 7+. You need to practice using this structure, with as many questions as you can, before sitting your IELTS test. This writing task 2 structure has been proven to be successful for my students and when perfected, can easily help you to achieve a high band score.

TIP >> Before you start writing, plan your ideas so that you can organise the information clearly. You must read the question and answer the questions asked in your essay. Take 5 minutes and plan out your ideas and examples.

TIP >> It is very important that spend a full 40 minutes on this task as the score you get for writing task 2 is two-thirds of your total writing score. You also need to write a minimum of 250 words and use your own ideas.

TIP >> Remember to write in a formal tone, this is an academic essay, therefore your writing should be formal.

TIP >> The structure may differ depending on the question. Most questions will ask as two questions but other questions may ask further questions. You will have to adjust the structure, to make sure you are answering all parts of the question. This means adding an extra paragraph to answer another question, or to give your opinion.

IT IS A 4-PARAGRAPH STRUCTURE >>

Paragraph 1 – The Introduction

This is the introduction to the essay and where you should start off by paraphrasing the question.

Do you understand what I mean, when I say ‘paraphrase’ the question?

This means that you rewrite the question in your own words using synonyms. You can’t just copy the question again or use the same words in the question. Paraphrase and show off your vocabulary knowledge by using synonyms. When practising your essay writing, use an online thesaurus to help you. This is a great tool and can help you to learn many new words.

Then your next sentence should outline for the examiner exactly what you will discuss in the main body paragraphs. For example, Firstly this essay will discuss……… Secondly this essay will discuss…….

There are two sentences you need in the introduction >>

Paraphrase the question.
Outline the specific topics that will be discussed in the main body paragraphs.

Paragraph 2 – Main Body Paragraph 1

In this paragraph, you should answer the first question asked. You should give specific information and only write about one main idea in each main body paragraph.

Start the paragraph by introducing the topic. This is where you need to have a topic sentence. The next sentence(s) should explain the topic, going into detail. The third sentence should give an example that supports the positive aspect.

The example you give could be something from your own experience or made up – it is ok to make up something as the examiners will not fact check your information. They want to see your ability to use English at a certain level. You could make up an example from a report, journal, newspaper or University study to support your view.

This is how the paragraph should look >>

Introduce the topic (answer the first question)
Explain/give detail
Example

Paragraph 3 – Main Body Paragraph 2

In this paragraph, you should answer the second question asked. You should give specific information and only write about one main idea in each main body paragraph.

This is how the paragraph should look >>

Introduce the topic (answer the second question asked)
Explain/give detail
Example

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 >

Paragraph 4 – The Conclusion

In the fourth paragraph, you write the conclusion giving a summary of your main points and give a recommendation. You should not enter any new information or ideas in this paragraph.

Summary of the main points
Give a recommendation

*Note – There may be more than 2 questions asked in the main essay question, therefore you can add a third paragraph if necessary. Your essay should never contain more than three main body paragraphs.*

SAMPLE Direct Question ESSAY >>

**All questions have been reported by students who have taken the IELTS exam.**

IELTS Direct Essay Question Example and high scoring essay answer

Creative pleasures such as viewing fine arts, listening to music and watching a play are treated by many as enjoyable and essential as part of their everyday living. Firstly this essay will discuss how the arts are a crucial element in most people’s lives and secondly will discuss how it is vital that creative subjects are included in the school’s curriculum.

Firstly, the creative arts, such as paintings, sculptures, music and theatre have a long and ardent history throughout the ages. They have grown and evolved with the times, appealing to new generations every year, in order to keep being a part of everyday life. People enjoy the arts, often as an escape from their lives, listening to music they enjoy, going to see a play with friends or visiting galleries and museums to see paintings, photography or sculptures. For example, a study from the New York Times in 2017 showed that over 75% of New Yorkers said that they regularly visited the cities art galleries, museums and theatres. A further 35% said that they donated money regularly to art societies, for the preservation of the collections, so they can continue for many years to come.

Secondly, many people develop a love for the arts early in life, when they are at school. In my opinion, I think that a range of arts subjects should be included in the school curriculum, as not all students are ‘left brained’ enjoying logical, core subjects like mathematics. Others are more ‘right brained’ where they enjoy being creative, whether that is in writing, painting or making music. Children should be encouraged to find their talents at school and develop them for their own enjoyment and advancement. For instance, St. Cuthberts school in the north of England dedicated 40% of the curriculum of creative subjects, including fine art, pottery, music, drama and dance. Those subjects proved to enhance school results by over 25% in 2017.

In conclusion, there are clear benefits to individuals who are passionate about the arts and find enjoyment in them regularly. If more people tried to become involved in the arts, then perhaps they would find a way to allow themselves time to become creative or to relax, while learning something new.

(Word Count = 371 / Band Score 9)

Task Achievement – The answer provides an answer to both questions 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 (firstly, secondly).
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.

TIP >> Remember to read the question and plan your answer around what it is asking you to do.

WRITING TASK 2 BAND SCORE 9 CRITERIA >>

If you would like to view more high band score direct question essay examples please click the button below >

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Formal And Informal Writing

⚡ TL;DR

Complete guide to writing this type of IELTS letter. Covers format, tone, useful phrases, and sample answers for Band 7+.

Originally published December 2017. Last reviewed 3 July 2026.

In this post, we will look at the differences between formal and informal writing. Formal and informal language refers to using different forms of language in different situations. For example, in writing, if you were writing an essay for university this would have a different tone than if you were writing a diary entry about your thoughts and feelings or an email to a friend.

In writing, writing an academic essay is different from writing a letter to a close friend. Using the correct form of language is essential for getting a high score on the IELTS writing test.

Informal Writing Style

Colloquial Language

Informal writing is similar to a spoken conversation. Informal writing may include slang, figures of speech, broken syntax, asides and so on. Informal writing takes a personal tone as if you were speaking directly to your audience (the reader). You can use the first or third person point of view (I and we), and you are likely to address the reader using second person (you and your).

Simple Sentences

Using short sentences is acceptable and sometimes essential to making a point in informal writing. There may be incomplete sentences or ellipsis(…) to make points.

Contractions and Abbreviations

Words are likely to be simplified using contractions (for example, I’m, doesn’t, couldn’t, it’s) and abbreviations (e.g. TV, photos) whenever possible.

Showing Empathy and Emotion

The author can show empathy towards the reader regarding the complexity of a thought and help them through that complexity. See our page: What is Empathy? for more.

Formal Writing Style

Complex Sentences

Longer sentences are likely to be more common in formal writing. You need to be as thorough as possible with your approach to each topic when you are using a formal style. Each main point needs to be introduced, explained and supported.

State The Objective

State your main points confidently and offer full supportive arguments. A formal writing style shows a limited range of emotions and avoids emotive punctuation such as exclamation points, ellipsis, etc. unless they are being cited from another source.

Use Full Words

No contractions should be used to simplify words (in other words use “It is” rather than “It’s”). Abbreviations must be spelt out in full when first used, the only exceptions being when the acronym is better known than the full name (BBC, ITV or NATO for example).

Third Person

Formal writing is not a personal writing style. The formal writer is disconnected from the topic and does not use the first person point of view (I or we) or second person (you).

When to Use Formal and Informal Writing

A formal writing style is necessary to use in the IELTS Test. If you are studying for the General Training writing test part 1, you should familiarise yourself with the difference between informal, semi-formal and formal letter writing.

Writing for the Academic writing test parts 1 and 2 and the General Training writing test part 2 requires the formal writing style, although during the speaking test you may use a more informal tone when speaking to the examiner.

Formal Writing Style in Writing Task 2

In writing task 2 you are expected to write your essay in a formal academic style. Here are two examples of the main body paragraph from a positive/negative question >

Bad Example

Sometimes working from home can be great, you can work when you want and live your life around your own clock. If you have kids to look after it makes it even better because you can work around their timetables. I can work from anywhere I want too like if I want to go on holiday I can just take my laptop with me and work from a cafe or anywhere that has wifi. You can fit your work around your life, which is really easy for all sorts of reasons. For example, my friend works from home and she loves it, she’s always saying how great it is that she can work from anywhere she wants to. She even went on holiday and worked from her sun lounger next to the swimming pool. I would love to do something like that for work, it sounds like it can give you lots of time to travel and explore the world.

Good Example

On the one hand, having the option to work from home, can have a positive impact on an employee’s schedule. This is especially so if the person has children or other dependants because working long hours is not always possible depending on your lifestyle. Therefore it allows the employee to manage their own schedule while ensuring that they maintain a work-life balance, working from wherever they are in the world. Having flexible working hours means that collecting children from school, spending time travelling and being able to attend non-work related appointments becomes much easier. For example, Google allows senior engineers to work remotely, using flexible hours for those who travel a lot or have the need to work with little interruptions.

Can you see the difference?

The bad example has been written in an informal manner as if the writer is writing to a friend. The good example shows the formal style and elements of a high-level IELTS main body paragraph, through the structure, use of cohesive devices, complex sentences and the tone.

We hope you found this post useful in helping you to study for the IELTS Test. If you have any questions please let us know in the comments below or on the Facebook page.

The best way to keep up to date with posts like this is to like us on Facebook, then follow us on Instagram and Pinterest.

If you need help preparing for the IELTS Test, join the IELTS Achieve Academy and see how we can assist you to achieve your desired band score. We offer an essay correction service, mock exams and online courses.