Short answer: use four paragraphs — an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Four reaches Band 9, is easy to organise in 40 minutes, and gives each idea room to develop. A fifth paragraph is occasionally useful, but never required.
✍️ Open Typehush and practise the 4-paragraph shape on a real question →IELTS examiners score Coherence and Cohesion partly on whether ideas are organised into clear, logical paragraphs. A predictable four-paragraph shape does that job for you: the reader always knows where they are. It also protects Task Response, because two developed body paragraphs are exactly enough to make and support an argument without padding. Four paragraphs is enough for the top band — so unless a question clearly demands a third body paragraph, don't add complexity you then have to manage under time pressure.
| Paragraph | Job | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Introduction | Paraphrase the question, state your position | 40–50 words |
| 2 · Body one | First main idea, explained and proven with an example | 90–110 words |
| 3 · Body two | Second main idea, explained and proven with an example | 90–110 words |
| 4 · Conclusion | Restate your position, add a final thought | 35–45 words |
Add those up and you land near 285 words — comfortably over the 250 minimum and inside the safe Band 7+ range.
A fifth paragraph is worth it only when a question genuinely has three distinct sides — for example, a discussion prompt where you cover one view, the other view, and then your own opinion separately. Even then, four paragraphs handles it if you fold your opinion into the second body paragraph or the conclusion. The risk with five is balance: with a 40-minute clock, three body paragraphs often means three underdeveloped ones, which scores worse than two deep ones. Choose depth over breadth.
The single biggest quality lift most candidates can make is developing one idea per body paragraph rather than listing three shallow ones. Each body paragraph should state its point, explain why it's true, prove it with a specific example, and link back to the question. An examiner rewards a fully-supported idea far more than a paragraph that gestures at several. If you find yourself writing "Firstly… Secondly… Thirdly…" inside one paragraph, you're listing, not developing.
On the computer-delivered test you press Enter to make a clean paragraph break, and you can move a sentence between paragraphs instantly with cut and paste — far quicker than crossing out handwriting. A tidy four-paragraph structure is also faster to check in your final minutes. The catch is typing speed: a clear structure only helps if you actually finish it inside 40 minutes. Practising by typing full four-paragraph essays under a timer builds the structure and the speed together.
Before writing a single sentence, spend a minute mapping your four paragraphs on the scratch paper (or the on-screen note area). Write your position at the top, then one phrase for each body paragraph's main idea and its example. This tiny plan prevents the most common structural failure: a body paragraph that starts strong, wanders, and ends up making two half-points instead of one whole one. With the plan in front of you, each paragraph has a clear target, and you type faster because you're not deciding what to say and how to say it at the same time. Candidates who skip planning often write a fifth or sixth accidental paragraph — a stray idea that breaks off mid-argument — which is exactly what pulls Coherence scores down. A minute of planning buys you a cleaner four-paragraph essay and calmer pacing across the whole 40 minutes.
Type all 156 Cambridge Band 6–8 model essays with live word count →Four: an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. That is enough to reach Band 9 and is easy to organise within the 40-minute limit.
Yes, and it occasionally suits a three-sided question, but four is safer because three body paragraphs often end up underdeveloped under time pressure.
Roughly a 45-word introduction, two 100-word body paragraphs, and a 40-word conclusion — about 285 words in total.
One main idea per body paragraph, fully explained and supported with an example. Developing one idea deeply beats listing several shallow ones.
Typehush — practise typing high-band IELTS model essays for the computer-based Writing test. Start practising · Model-essay library · Task 2 structure · How many words?