IELTS Essay Topics

General Explanation

In order to demonstrate your writing abilities in English, the IELTS exam has a writing section that will last 60 minutes. During this time you must complete a Writing Task and an Essay Task. Because of the differences between the two tasks, it is recommended that you spend more time on the Essay Task and less time on the Writing Task, for example, 20 minutes on the Writing Task and 40 minutes on the Essay Task. The Essay Task requires you to write an organized essay of around 250 words about a certain topic that will be provided. 

 

Essay types

When you are writing an essay you are presenting information about a certain topic or giving an explanation about the different opinions that people have. A few of the most common types of essays you will encounter are: 
 

Informational – you are given a topic and have to give general knowledge on it as well as your opinion

 

Compare and Contrast – you are given two different aspects to a single topic and you have to discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each aspect

 

Argument – you are given a statement regarding a certain topic and you must explain whether or agree or disagree and explain why

General Structure

Because you don’t know what the topic will be, you can’t really prepare for any in particular. This means that the best way to prepare for the IELTS Essay Task is to understand what structure to use and learn linking words and transition phrases that you can use no matter what you are writing about. Generally speaking, the structure of your essay should include an Introduction, Your opinion, Other arguments, and the Conclusion

Essay Topics

Here are some of the common essay topics:

Art

-the importance of art in society

-art for young people

The Business World

-different types of business

-leadership in business

-consumerism

-keys to being successful in the business world

-managing a business

Communication

-the relationship between technology and communication

-different forms of communication

-changes in communication over time

The Justice System

-how crime should be dealt with

-different types of crime

-the role of law enforcement officers

-cybercrime

Economics

-globalization

-economic issues

-teaching important economics in school

-changes for the future

Education

-different education systems

-importance of certain subjects

-technology in education

-disciplinary system in schools

-education in poor countries

The Environment

-environmental problems and solutions

-endangered species

-zoos

-saving the environment day by day

Family

-the role of the family in different cultures

-the importance of family for children

-family rules

-leaving the home

Food and Diet

-healthy diet

-problems with food today

-cultural differences in food

-fast food

Health

-medical system

-aiding poor countries

-importance of exercise

-obesity

-hospital funding

Foreign Language

-travel

-English in the world today

-how to learn a language

Social Media

-advantages and disadvantages of social media

-fake news

-changes in social media

-controlling children contact with social media

Entertainment

-the disappearance of books

-too much TV time

Society

-poverty

-overpopulation

-the development of lifestyle

Work

-work/life balance

-equality in the workplace

-different types of jobs

-the age to start working

 

        • Make sure you understand the essay question! It is important to understand what exactly the essay is asking so that everything you write addresses is. You don’t want to write a great essay and then realize that it doesn’t really talk about the correct topic! An easy way to do this is to ask yourself how each paragraph relates back to the question.
    • Write an outline! The best way to make sure you correctly address the topic in an organized way is to take a minute to create a quick outline. Simply write down what exactly each paragraph will talk about and what some of the most important points of the essay are going to be. 
    • Remember that it is formal! The essay task is asking you to demonstrate a formal piece of writing. This requires you to know and use formal expressions in writing so come prepared with some formal language that you can use for every topic.
    • Structure! It is important that you make your essay easy to follow by using paragraphs that are 3 to 4 sentences long. It seems simple, but it is extremely important to maintain a good structure.
    • Spelling and Grammar count! There really is no point in rushing through an essay and ignoring spelling and grammar just to write enough words. If none of what you have written makes sense, then you will receive a low score anyway. It is better to take your time and create sentences that are grammatical sound and logical than writing more sentences that are difficult to understand.
    • Manage your time well! You must remember that you only have a certain amount of time to complete the writing section of your exam. When you prepare for the exam you can decide how much time you will need on each part and when the day of the exam comes make sure to stick to this! The last thing you want is to leave your essay incomplete!

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