Joy English · Level C2 · IELTS-stylejoy-english.com

IELTS-style writing: a Task 2 discussion essay

Name:Date:

Independent practice in the IELTS Writing Task 2 style, not an official test: study a high-level discussion essay, practise its language, then write your own response.

Choosing the right language

Choose the best option to complete each extract or answer each question about essay language.

___ preservation matters, it does not by itself justify a museum's existence.
- a) Despite
- b) Although
- c) However
- d) Because of
Which phrase introduces the most carefully hedged claim?
- a) Everyone knows that
- b) It is beyond all doubt that
- c) It could be argued that
- d) There is no question that
A paragraph that turns from one side of the argument to the other should begin with...
- a) Nevertheless,
- b) Similarly,
- c) For instance,
- d) As a result,
Which sentence has the most appropriate register for a formal essay?
- a) Museums gotta try harder to get people in.
- b) Museums are well advised to look for ways of attracting a wider audience.
- c) Museums should totally think about their visitors.
- d) It would be great if museums could sort this out.
Preservation keeps the evidence safe; engagement, ___, gives people a reason to care.
- a) on the contrary
- b) as a result
- c) for its part
- d) at any rate
Which is the best way to begin a conclusion?
- a) As everyone knows, museums are good.
- b) So that is why I wrote this essay.
- c) Finally, I want to say a few things about museums.
- d) On balance, I would maintain that both aims deserve support.
The task says Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Which plan answers it best?
- a) One paragraph on each view, a clear opinion stated early and confirmed in the conclusion
- b) Only the writer's own view, developed in four paragraphs
- c) A description of the history of museums
- d) Both views, with an opinion added only if there are words to spare
Which sentence makes a claim that is tentative but still specific?
- a) Such exhibitions always attract every kind of visitor.
- b) Such exhibitions may attract someone.
- c) Such exhibitions tend to attract audiences who might otherwise never visit.
- d) Such exhibitions have nothing to do with attracting people.

Completing the model

Type one word to complete each sentence from the model essay language. Use the word in brackets where there is one, changing its form if necessary.

The danger of this approach ___ in fashion.
Topics that seem urgent now can look ___ within a decade.
Objects that are lost cannot be ___ (RECOVER) by later generations.
Preservation alone does not ___ (give a good reason for) a museum's existence.
A museum that chases headlines ___ becoming a magazine with a larger budget.
It is often their ticket money and goodwill that ___ for the conservation workshop.

Writing task

Some people argue that universities should teach only subjects that lead directly to employment. Others believe higher education should have broader aims. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

260–340 words

Check your writing

I answered all three parts of the task: both views and my own opinion.
My position is clear in the introduction and again in the conclusion.
Each paragraph has one main idea, supported by a reason or example.
I used hedging and concession (for example tend to, Although, Nevertheless) naturally and not too often.
I used precise, formal vocabulary and avoided repeating the words of the task.
I checked grammar, spelling and punctuation, and kept to roughly 260-340 words.

Answer key

Choosing the right language

b) AlthoughAlthough introduces a concession clause. Despite and Because of need a noun phrase, and However is a sentence adverb that cannot join two clauses like this.
c) It could be argued thatIt could be argued that signals a tentative claim; the others sound absolute.
a) Nevertheless,Nevertheless signals a contrast with what was just said.
b) Museums are well advised to look for ways of attracting a wider audience.It is formal, precise and not conversational.
c) for its partFor its part adds a parallel contribution from the second item. On the contrary rejects what was said, and as a result implies cause.
d) On balance, I would maintain that both aims deserve support.It summarises a position, uses a hedge and leads naturally into a closing idea.
a) One paragraph on each view, a clear opinion stated early and confirmed in the conclusionThe task has three parts: view one, view two and your opinion, so all three must be clear.
c) Such exhibitions tend to attract audiences who might otherwise never visit.Tend to is a hedge, and the rest of the sentence is specific. The other options are either exaggerated or empty.

Completing the model

liesThe idiom is lies in, meaning the problem is found in.
dated / outdated / old-fashioned / stale / obsolete / irrelevantDated (or outdated, old-fashioned) fits the idea of topics losing their urgency over time.
recoveredA passive form after cannot be needs a past participle.
justify / warrantJustify means give a good reason for, and it is the natural verb with existence in this sense. Warrant is also possible.
risksRisk is followed by an -ing form, and the subject is singular.
pay / providePay for means supply the money for. The compound subject ticket money and goodwill takes a plural verb.

Model answer

The question of what a university is for has rarely been more pressing, now that degrees are expensive and the labour market changes faster than syllabuses can be rewritten. While I accept that employability matters, I do not believe it should be the only yardstick.

Those who favour a strictly vocational curriculum make a reasonable point. Students and their families invest considerable sums, and it seems unfair to send graduates into the world with knowledge that no employer can use. A curriculum built around identifiable skills also offers a clarity that more open-ended study cannot, and it can open careers to people who lack family connections.

Nevertheless, a narrow approach carries risks of its own. Occupations that are in demand today may be obsolete by the time a cohort graduates, whereas the capacity to analyse evidence, write persuasively and learn unfamiliar material rarely goes out of date. Subjects with no obvious vocational purpose, such as philosophy or ancient history, are often where these capacities are most deliberately trained. Moreover, societies need more than a skilled workforce: they need citizens able to judge arguments, and it is hard to see how that ability could be acquired from training manuals alone.

On balance, I would argue that universities should pursue both aims, and that the apparent conflict is exaggerated. A degree in a practical field can be taught with intellectual rigour, and a humanities degree can include work placements or training in data skills. The task for institutions is to make these connections explicit, so that students understand what they are learning and why.