How To Identify Task 2

Writing Task 2: Identify the Task
The ‘task’ is the part of the question that tells you what you have to do to answer it.
This is one of the most important things you will have to do when you analyze the
essay question because 25% of your grade for the essay is based on ‘Task
Response’ - how you have responded to the task.
How do I identify the task?

In order to grade your task response, the examiner will be looking to see if you
have answered the question.
If you have only partially answered the question, this will decrease your grade for this
criteria.
The crime rate among teenagers has increased dramatically in many

countries.
Discuss some possible reasons for this increase and suggest solutions.
As you can see, you are being told to ‘Discuss some possible reasons for this
increase and suggest solutions’.
It’s very common in task 2 IELTS essay questions to get asked to do two things,
and this question is a good example of this:
1. Why teenage crime has increased

2. Ways to solve this problem
You MUST discuss both those things to ensure you have fully answered the question
and you must write roughly equal amounts about each part.
Doing any of the following things will reduce your score for task response, and hence
may reduce your overall score:
1. Only writing about reasons or only solutions

2. Writing most of your essay about reasons and only a small part on solutions (or
visa versa)
3. Writing about the reasons and solutions for crime in general, and not referring
to teenage crime (the topic)
4. Writing about neither reasons nor solutions
This is why it is so important to spend some time at the beginning making sure you
identify the task so that you know what you have to write about.
A Common Mistake
It is a common mistake for students to rush at the beginning to start writing as they
are worried about not finishing, and then write about the wrong thing.
For example, when you have finished identifying the task, you will brainstorm your
ideas. You may come up with reasons for an increase in crime such as ‘lack of
parental supervision’ and ‘boredom’.
However, I have seen students come up with problems of teenage crime, such
as ‘more young people being put in prison' and ‘stress for their parents'.
This particular task asks you to write about ‘reasons’, not ‘problems’(though being
asked to write about 'problems and solutions' is common).
So if you do this you will not be answering the question. This comes from rushing
and not taking enough time to identify the task properly
Here is another example:
Advances in technology and automation have reduced the need for manual
labour. Therefore, working hours should be reduced.
To what extent do you agree?
Again, look to the end of the prompt to identify the task.
You have to say if you agree or disagree with working hours being reduced, or, in
other words, automation (machines) taking over from some human’s duties.
You must also say how much you agree or disagree ("to what extent").
Let’s assume you want to look at both sides of the issue. You therefore need to
discuss the reasons why you agree, and the reasons why you disagree. Or put
another way:
1. The advantages of reducing working hours

2. The disadvantages of reducing working hours
And of course in the introduction or conclusion you need to make it clear what your
opinion is.
If you do all of these things then you will have answered all parts of the prompt. If
you find more reasons to agree than disagree, then you can write more about this
side of the argument, or visa versa.
Identify the Task - Practice

Now you can have a practice identifying the task for some IELTS essay questions.
Pick the one that you think best describes what you would write about in order to
fully answer all parts of the question.
1. The rising levels of congestion and air pollution found in most of the world cities
can be attributed directly to the rapidly increasing number of private cars in use.
In order to reverse this decline in the quality of life in cities, attempts must be
made to encourage people to use their cars less and public transport more.
Discuss possible ways to encourage the use of public transport.
Why people have been using cars more and public transport less
How to get people to use public transport more
The causes of increasing congestion and air pollution.
2. Do the benefits of study abroad justify the difficulties? What advice would you
offer to a prospective student?
(a) A discussion of the benefits versus the challenges of studying
abroad (b) Strategies to cope with studying abroad
(a) The benefits of study abroad
(a) The benefits of study abroad (b) the difficulties of studying abroad
3. Fresh water has always been a limited resource in some parts of the world.
Today, however, growing worldwide demand has made this a global problem.
What are the causes of the increased demand and what measure could
governments and individuals take to respond to this problem?
(a) The problems with using too much water (b) Government
solutions (c) Individual solutions
How (a) Governments and (b) Individuals can solve water shortage problems.
(a) Reasons for increased demand for water (b)Government

4. As global trade increases, many goods including those we use on a daily basis
are produced in other countries and transported long distances. Do the benefits
of the trend outweigh the drawback?
(a) The benefits of this (b) The disadvantages of this (c)Your opinion on
whether it is more beneficial or not
(a) The benefits of this (b) Your opinion on whether is is more beneficial or not
(a) The disadvantages of this (b) Your opinion on whether it is more beneficial
or not
5. Some people feel that animals should have the same rights as humans, but
others think they are not as equal or intelligent as us so should not have the
same rights. Discuss both opinions and give your opinion.
(a) The arguments for giving animals rights (b) The arguments against this
(a) Arguments for having animal rights (b) The arguments against this (c) Your
opinion
(a) The reasons why animals are not as equal or intelligent as humans
6. Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine.

However, at best these methods are ineffective, and at worst they may be
dangerous. To what extent do you agree with this statement?
(a) How alternative medicine differs from Conventional medicine
(a) The dangers of alternative medicine
(a) The benefits of alternative medicine (b) The drawbacks of alternative

medicine (c) Your opinion
7. Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems. Identify one or

two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle
these problems.
(a) Problems of overpopulation in urban areas (b)Government
(a) The problems of overpopulation (b) The solutions
(a) How governments can tackle urban overpopulation (b)How individuals can
tackle urban overpopulation.
8. Computers should never have been invented. To what extent do you agree or
disagree with this statement?
(a) The reasons why computers were invented (b) The benefits of
computers (c) Your opinion.
(a) The problems with computers (b) Solutions to these problems.
(a) The benefits of computers (b) The drawbacks of computers (c) Your opinion
9. Unemployment has become an increasing problem in the recent past. What
factors contribute to an increase in unemployment and what steps can be taken
to solve the problem?
(a) The causes of increasing unemployment (b) How to solve this problem
(a) The problems with increasing unemployment (b) How to solve this problem.
(a) The reasons why unemployment is increasing.
10. Some people think that young children should be allowed to do paid work, while
others think that this should be illegal. Discuss both opinions and give your
opinion.
(a) The advantages of allowing children to do paid work (b)Your opinion.
(a) The advantages of allowing children to do paid work (b)The disadvantages

this (c) Your opinion.
(a) The problems of allowing children to do paid work (b)The benefits of

allowing them to do paid work.

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Writing Task 2: Identify the Task

How do I identify the task?

The crime rate among teenagers has increased dramatically in many

1. Why teenage crime has increased

1. Only writing about reasons or only solutions

Here is another example:

1. The advantages of reducing working hours

Identify the Task - Practice

How to get people to use public transport more

The causes of increasing congestion and air pollution.

(a) The benefits of study abroad

(a) Reasons for increased demand for water (b)Government

6. Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine.

(a) The dangers of alternative medicine

(a) The benefits of alternative medicine (b) The drawbacks of alternative

7. Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems. Identify one or

(a) The problems of overpopulation (b) The solutions

(a) The problems with computers (b) Solutions to these problems.

(a) The reasons why unemployment is increasing.

(a) The advantages of allowing children to do paid work (b)The disadvantages

(a) The problems of allowing children to do paid work (b)The benefits of

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