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How to Answer IDP’s Toughest Writing Task 2 Question

4,616 views · Published 2 May 2017 · 6:34 · Indexed 19 October 2026

Channel: IELTS Energy TV · 2017 · Education

Today you’ll learn how to plan and answer the toughest Task 2 question from the IDP website.

Visit ielts.allearsenglish.com for the simplest and most effective IELTS strategies.

I found this mixed Task 2 question on IDP’s website. Although it is older, it could still be found on an IELTS Exam today.

Here’s the question:

The first car appeared on British roads in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads.
Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Why is this difficult?
It’s long. There are a lot of topics.
It starts out like a problem/solution question, and ends up being and opinion/argument question.

How should you handle this question?
Underline key words in the question.
Notice that the first sentence is a history of the topic. This is exactly what you should write in the first sentence of the introduction. Thus, you can paraphrase this sentence to begin your essay.
Remember that your Task Response score relies on you including every part of the question in your essay!
Notice that there are two topics in the second sentence. Whenever this happens, write about one topic in paragraph 2 and the other in paragraph 3.
Brainstorm for each topic. Only include enough for each paragraph.

What can you write in the body?
Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged: yes, roads in Portland have a lot of potholes, too much traffic, govt. should pay every citizen $100/month to use busses and trains
International laws: yes, cities like Bangkok and Mexico City, should have organization like UN but for transport, require and help pay for current public transport to be improved/built, legal limit of cars per city

Now it's your turn. Write this Task 2 essay!

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How to Answer IDP’s Toughest Writing Task 2 Question

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