Task Response — Writing Task 2
25% of Writing Grounded · 1 official + 2 examiner sources status: draft
Focus onAnswering every part of the prompt, taking one clear position, and developing ideas with both detail and an example.
AvoidMemorised opening sentences, sitting on the fence, and listing many undeveloped ideas.
Task Response asks one thing above all: does your essay do what the prompt told you to do — fully, relevantly, and with developed ideas? Format matters only at the bottom; by band 7 the examiner assumes it and is reading for your position and your development. The official rule is blunt: address all the main parts of the prompt, or you'll be limited to band five.
Everything in italic green is official examiner wording (May-2023 Band Descriptors + the official IELTS Task Response criteria video). Everything else is our explanation and our own examples.
The distinction that unlocks band 7: extend ≠ support. These are two different operations, not one. The examiners: you can extend your ideas by going into more detail and you can support them by giving examples. A paragraph can be extended (lots of detail) yet unsupported (no example) — and it stalls at band 6. You need both.
the official progression
band 5The main parts of the prompt are incompletely addressed; a position is expressed but development is not always clear; ideas are limited and are not sufficiently developed.
band 6The main parts of the prompt are addressed; a position is presented that is directly relevant to the prompt; ideas relevant but some may be insufficiently developed. ← most learners start here
band 7A clear and developed position is presented; main ideas are extended and supported — but there may be a tendency to over-generalise. ← the target
band 8The prompt is appropriately and sufficiently addressed; a clear and well-developed position; ideas are relevant, well extended and supported.
the lessons — each half-band is one named move
the 5 → 6 move
Answer every part of the question
The band-5 ceiling is incompletely addressed. Most Task 2 prompts have two jobs, and missing one caps Task Response no matter how good your English is — if you don't discuss both, you'll be limited to band five. So the first move is mechanical: find every part and answer it.
promptMany students lose motivation in their final years of school. What are the causes, and what solutions can you suggest?
two jobs(1) causes → body ¶1 · (2) solutions → body ¶2. Brilliant causes + a gesture at solutions = a band-5 response.
The most common band-5 mistake: writing about the general topic instead of the specific question. This prompt isn’t “write about motivation” — it’s “give the causes and the solutions.” Answer the question on the page, not the topic in your head.
the 5 → 6 move, sharpened at 6 → 7
Take a clear position — and make it easy to find
The official asks you to present a position — communicate your views, ideas, or opinion. Band 6: it must be directly relevant to the prompt. Band 7+: it must be clear and developed, so the reader should be able to easily understand your position and your ideas lead to a logical conclusion.
no positionThere are many views on this complex issue. (band 5 — states nothing)
clear positionI largely agree that university should be free, because cost is the main barrier stopping capable students from poorer families.
A position is not a memorised phrase. What’s scored is that the examiner can find your view and that every paragraph serves it — not whether you opened with one “correct” formula. State it plainly in the introduction and never contradict it.
the 6 → 7 move · the big one
Develop and support — don’t list
The move most band-6 writers miss. Band 6 ideas are relevant, but some may be insufficiently developed; band 7 ideas are extended and supported. The difference is depth, not more ideas.
a list (band 6)Free university helps poorer students. It is fairer. It also helps the economy.
developed (band 7)Free university widens access for talented students from poorer families (point). When tuition is high, ability stops deciding who studies and money starts deciding instead, so capable students are lost (extend — more detail). In Germany, enrolment from working-class families rose after fees were abolished (support — example).
One idea fully developed beats three listed. Two well-developed ideas is enough for a Task 2 essay — you do not need five.
the 7 → 8 move
Replace over-generalising with precise support
The named band-7 weakness is a tendency to over-generalise and a lack of focus and precision in supporting ideas. Band-8 support is specific.
over-general (7)Everyone knows education is the most important thing for every country’s success.
precise (8)A skilled workforce raises a country’s productivity, which is why governments that fund universities tend to see stronger long-term growth.
Distrust everyone, always, the most, all — replace the sweeping claim with a specific mechanism or a bounded example.
How this lesson was grounded ✓ consensus-checked
Every claim traces to a real source, cross-checked. A claim is used only if an official (Tier-0) source states it, or two independent ex-examiner (Tier-1) sources agree.
Anchor · Tier 0
Official IELTS — “Task Response in the IELTS Writing test” + May-2023 Band Descriptors. Directly quotable; every green phrase is its wording.“You can extend your ideas by going into more detail and you can support them by giving examples.”
Corroborated · Tier 1
IELTS Liz (“focused ideas … interest is not assessed”) & IELTS buddy (“explanations and examples,” avoid “sweeping generalizations”) — two independent ex-examiner sources confirm relevance-over-interest and develop-with-example. Method extracted; no wording copied.
Conflict · resolved
IELTS Liz frames support and extend as “the same” thing, and mandates a fixed opinion phrase (“you must use I or my”). Both rejected — the official keeps extend/support distinct, and scores a clear, findable position, not a specific formula.
Held back
“Two or three ideas is enough,” brainstorm frames, intro word-count targets (single Tier-1 source each) — sound method, used lightly; not stated as rules the official backs.
Sources — open and cross-check us