How many paragraphs do I need for IELTS Writing task 2?

Paragraphing is an essential skill for both IELTS writing task 1 and 2. If you look at the band descriptors you will find that the Coherence and Cohesion category accounts for 25% of your overall score. Coherence and Cohesion means that you are able to correctly link your ideas together and make good use of paragraphing. 

 Therefore, it is important to get it right as otherwise, your score will suffer. 

How many paragraphs should my IELTS W2 have?

Your writing task 2 should contain at least 4 paragraphs: 

• The introduction paragraph 

• Supporting paragraph 1 

• Supporting paragraph 2 

• The conclusion paragraph 

Though for most essays four will be sufficient, sometimes, it is necessary to include an extra supporting paragraph. However, you should only do this when needed. You should not decide how many paragraphs you need before the exam, you will need to choose based on the question you have.  

A question that asks you to “discuss both sides and give your opinion” for example could justifiably use a five-paragraph essay structure such as: 

• The introduction paragraph 

• Supporting paragraph 1 (SIDE 1)

• Supporting paragraph 2  (SIDE 2)

• Supporting paragraph 3 (YOUR OPINION)

• The conclusion paragraph 

Some people like to have more than three supporting paragraphs rather than just two or three as recommended above. However, I generally don’t recommend that students do it for a few reasons: 

Underdeveloped ideas

Firstly, it is likely that by including an extra paragraph that although you have more ideas, those ideas will be underdeveloped. Sometimes, less is more. And it is certainly better to have fewer well developed and substantiated points than to have a big list of superficially developed ideas.

Time management

Can you actually write 3-4 well developed supporting paragraphs within the time limit?  In my experience, most students that score from grades 5 - 7 struggle to write three good supporting paragraphs within  40 minutes. If you are an advanced student then perhaps consider writing three paragraphs for a “discuss both sides and give your opinion” or “discuss the advantages and advantages and give your opinion” question. But NEVER WRITE MORE THAN 3 SUPPORTING PARAGRAPHS. For everyone else just hoping to get around a Grade 6- 7, just stick to two or three when required.

The more you write the more can go wrong 

Writing more can leave you with less time to check your work. It is also true that the higher your word count the higher the risk of you making errors. It is better to write less and make sure that what you write is of high quality.

NEXT STEPS?

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this blog.  If you have any questions regarding the test or would like to inquire about my writing correction services or IELTS online classes please email me at info@lovetolearnenglish.com.