Ielts Writing Task 2: Opinion Essay with Sample Answer

Task 2 Question

Space exploration is much too expensive and the money should be spent on more important things.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Model Answer

There is an argument that exploring space is a waste of money and that there are more urgent needs to be addressed on earth, such as reducing poverty and preventing environmental destruction. However, I completely disagree with this opinion for two reasons.

First of all, many of the technologies we take for granted today were originated thanks to space research. Take satellite technology, for example, which we depend on for broadcasting and weather forecasting. Without satellites, we would not be able to follow global events as they happen, nor give populations any warning of approaching storms. Space research has also led to the development of new lightweight materials that offer us heat protection and enable food preservation. Therefore, the challenge of sending human beings into space has often driven the development of new technologies that benefit our everyday lives.

Second, we cannot foresee the distant future, so we ought to develop the capability to escape from the earth. Gradually, we are learning how humans can survive for long periods in space and even travel to other planets in the future. If space exploration is halted, this valuable knowledge will never be acquired. It is true that environmental destruction is also a serious issue, but it is also true that we remain dependent on our environment if we never accept the challenge of exploring other worlds.

In conclusion, while we undoubtedly face serious problems on our own planet, it is imperative that we continue to explore space. This will promote further technological advances as well as provide a possible means of escape should earth become uninhabitable in future. Ideally, all nations should cooperate in the advancement of space research.

Ielts Writing Task 2: Useful Language

Memorising set phrases for use in the IELTS test is a highly effective way of achieving a higher score. Try learning the following signposting language which will make you sound more confident and sophisticated when writing an opinion or argument essay in Task 2. As with our Task 1 useful language yesterday, for each function the language is graded approximately for level, from regular use (Bands 5-6) to higher-level use (Bands 7-9).

Introducing the topic

• Some people argue that…

• Have you ever considered… ?

• The question raises the issue of…

Stating an opinion (thesis statement)

• I believe that…

• It is my belief that…

• This essay will argue that…

Indicating the scope of the essay

• In this essay, I will state…

• This essay will examine…

• … will be covered in this essay.

Giving reasons

• One reason for this is that…

• This can be explained by…

• This can be attributed to the fact that…

Giving further reasons

• Not only that, but…

• A further reason is…

• It should also be stated that…

Citing general opinions

• It has been claimed that…

• It is widely believed that…

• There is a widespread belief that…

Refuting opinions

• I would dispute this, however.

• However, this is not necessarily the case.

• There are some faults with this reasoning, however.

Hedging strategies

• It could be argued that…

• One explanation might be that…

• This suggests that…

Strengthening an argument

• There can be no doubt that…

• Therefore, we can say beyond any doubt that…

• These are just some of the reasons why…

Concluding and summarising

• To sum up, … / In summary, … / In short, …

• Overall, … / On the whole, …

• To return to my original idea,…