TYPES OF ESSAYS

PROBLEM SOLUTION
ARGUMENT
DISCUSSION
Plan your Task 2 essay by:

getting ideas for your essay (brainstorming)

grouping your ideas
providing examples to support your ideas
ranking your ideas.

Decide whether any of the brainstormed ideas:

could be used as examples

could be supported with new examples
are not as important or are irrelevant to the essay question.

A typical structure of a Discussion essay includes:

Introduction

You should introduce the topic. You may also state your viewpoint on this
topic.

Body

You should discuss both sides of the issue. Often the first one or two
paragraphs will discuss one side of an issue and the next one or two
paragraphs will discuss the other side of the issue. The positive aspects of
the issue are called the pros and the negative aspects the cons.

Conclusion

You should provide a summary of the discussion and state your viewpoint
on the issue.

A typical structure of an Argument essay includes:

Introduction

This is similar to a Discussion essay. You should introduce the topic and
give your viewpoint on the issue.

Body

Conclusion

You should provide 2 or 3 arguments with examples and evidence that

support your viewpoint.
You should write a summary of your argument and strongly restate your
viewpoint.

A typical structure of a Problem-Solution essay includes:

Introduction
Body

You should identify the problem presented in the essay question and show
how the essay will deal with the problem and possible solutions.
In the first one or two paragraphs, you should discuss the problem or part
of the problem presented in the question. In the following one or two
paragraphs, you should present solutions to the problem. It is possible to
have more problems than solutions or more solutions than problems.

Conclusion

You should provide an overview of the problem and then summarise the
solutions.

Words to show time order:

Before
In the past

Today
In modern society

In the future
In coming years

Previously

Currently

In the next (20) years

This introduction does the following three things:

1. gives a general statement about the topic
2. refers to the viewpoint or problem presented in the question
3. refers to the specific question
Each paragraph should:

include a topic sentence introducing the main idea

have sentences to support the main idea
provide evidence and/or examples

In the conclusion of any Task 2 essay, you should always summarise the main ideas that you have presented
in your essay. In the conclusion of a Discussion or Argument essay, you should also give your viewpoint.
Remember not to include new ideas in your conclusion. You should simply summarise the main ideas that you
have already presented in your essay.
conjunctions: and, or, nor, but, yet, so, for
adverbs:

however, nevertheless, otherwise, instead, also, moreover, furthermore,

besides, consequently, therefore, thus, likewise