Task 2 · Band 8 path
Two-Part (Direct) Questions
Two questions asked. Two answers, equally weighted.
Recognise the question
How to spot this question type, what the examiner is actually marking, and the traps that cap it at Band 6.
Two questions asked. Two answers, equally weighted.
Increasingly common in recent Task 2 papers, and often mistaken for an opinion question.
Also called: Direct questions essay · Double question essay · Two questions essay
Spotting it
How this question is worded
Why is this the case? What can be done about it?
Two distinct questions joined by a full stop. Each needs its own body paragraph and its own developed answer.
Is this a positive or negative development? What are the reasons for it?
A judgement plus an explanation. Both are obligations — answering only the judgement leaves half the task unaddressed.
What are the reasons for this? Do you think it is a good thing?
The second question demands your opinion. Report the reasons neutrally, then commit clearly.
How can this problem be solved? Who should be responsible?
Two questions on the same topic that are easy to blur together. Keep them separate — one paragraph each.
The rule that decides Task Response
Both questions must be answered directly and at roughly equal length. If either question asks what you think, an explicit opinion is compulsory.
The standard
What a Band 8 answer to this type does
- Both questions answered — not one answered and the other mentioned.
- Roughly equal development: two body paragraphs of similar length, one per question.
- Direct answers, not circling. The first sentence of each body paragraph should answer the question it belongs to.
- An opinion clearly stated wherever the prompt asks for one.
- A conclusion that gives both answers again in compressed form.
Where the band is lost
The 5 traps in this question type
Each of these is a specific, repeatable way to lose marks on this type — not general writing advice.
Answering only the first questionTask Response capped at 5
The second question is often shorter and easier to overlook under time pressure. An essay that answers one of two questions has addressed only part of the task, whatever its language quality.
The fix
Before planning, write both questions at the top of your answer sheet as two separate lines. Tick each when its paragraph is written.
Merging the two answers into one argumentCoherence 6 · Task Response 6
When both answers appear in both paragraphs, the examiner cannot see that each question has been addressed. Coverage becomes impossible to credit.
The fix
One paragraph per question, each opening with a topic sentence that echoes the question it answers.
Treating it as an opinion essayTask Response 6
Candidates recognise "do you think" and write a standard agree/disagree essay, ignoring the "why" half of the prompt entirely.
The fix
Count the question marks in the prompt. Two question marks means two obligations, and one of them is usually explanatory rather than evaluative.
Unequal paragraphsTask Response 6
A 140-word answer to question one and a 50-word answer to question two reads as one question fully answered and one acknowledged.
The fix
Plan two ideas for each question before you start writing, so neither paragraph runs out of material.
A conclusion that answers only one questionCoherence 7 at best
The conclusion is the examiner's last check that both questions were addressed. Summarising only one undermines an essay that actually did the work.
The fix
Write a two-clause conclusion — one clause per question — before adding any final thought.
Quick reference
The Two-Part essay at a glance
Both questions must be answered directly and at roughly equal length. If either question asks what you think, an explicit opinion is compulsory.
Increasingly common in recent Task 2 papers, and often mistaken for an opinion question.
How to recognise this question
- “Why is this the case? What can be done about it?”
- Two distinct questions joined by a full stop. Each needs its own body paragraph and its own developed answer.
- “Is this a positive or negative development? What are the reasons for it?”
- A judgement plus an explanation. Both are obligations — answering only the judgement leaves half the task unaddressed.
- “What are the reasons for this? Do you think it is a good thing?”
- The second question demands your opinion. Report the reasons neutrally, then commit clearly.
- “How can this problem be solved? Who should be responsible?”
- Two questions on the same topic that are easy to blur together. Keep them separate — one paragraph each.
The four-paragraph structure
Paraphrase the situation and answer both questions in miniature.
Answer the first question fully, and only the first question.
Answer the second question fully, with the same depth.
Answer both questions once more, in compressed form.
The traps that cap this type at Band 6
Answering only the first questionTask Response capped at 5
The second question is often shorter and easier to overlook under time pressure. An essay that answers one of two questions has addressed only part of the task, whatever its language quality.
Fix: Before planning, write both questions at the top of your answer sheet as two separate lines. Tick each when its paragraph is written.
Merging the two answers into one argumentCoherence 6 · Task Response 6
When both answers appear in both paragraphs, the examiner cannot see that each question has been addressed. Coverage becomes impossible to credit.
Fix: One paragraph per question, each opening with a topic sentence that echoes the question it answers.
Treating it as an opinion essayTask Response 6
Candidates recognise "do you think" and write a standard agree/disagree essay, ignoring the "why" half of the prompt entirely.
Fix: Count the question marks in the prompt. Two question marks means two obligations, and one of them is usually explanatory rather than evaluative.
Unequal paragraphsTask Response 6
A 140-word answer to question one and a 50-word answer to question two reads as one question fully answered and one acknowledged.
Fix: Plan two ideas for each question before you start writing, so neither paragraph runs out of material.
A conclusion that answers only one questionCoherence 7 at best
The conclusion is the examiner's last check that both questions were addressed. Summarising only one undermines an essay that actually did the work.
Fix: Write a two-clause conclusion — one clause per question — before adding any final thought.
Two-Part questions — frequently asked
How do I know a question is a two-part question?
Count the question marks. Two separate questions after the statement means two obligations, each needing its own body paragraph. Candidates who see "do you think" and write a standard opinion essay lose marks for ignoring the other half.
Do both questions need equal length?
Roughly, yes. Aim for body paragraphs within about twenty words of each other. A long first answer and a short second one is read as one question fully addressed and one only mentioned.
Should I give my opinion?
Only if a question asks for it — "is this a positive development?", "do you think…". If neither question asks, an opinion is unnecessary and the words are better spent developing your answers.
Can I answer both questions in one paragraph?
It is possible but risky. Separate paragraphs make coverage obvious to the examiner and are far easier to control in 40 minutes. Use one paragraph per question unless you have a strong reason not to.
Next
Once this type is at Band 8, move to another — Agree / Disagree, Both Views, Advantages — or check a full essay you have written in the Essay Checker
Go deeper on Task 2
- Band 9 vs Band 6.5 sample answersThe same question answered twice, compared criterion by criterion
- How IELTS Writing is markedWhat each of the four criteria actually rewards
- More Task 2 questionsA large bank of practice prompts by topic
- Timed writing mock testTask 1 and Task 2 in 60 minutes, marked like the exam