Short answer: use four paragraphs — an introduction, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion. That single frame reaches Band 9, fits inside 40 minutes, and adapts to every Task 2 question type. Below is a sentence-by-sentence template and how to bend it to opinion, discussion and problem-solution prompts.
✍️ Open Typehush and practise this structure on a real question →IELTS examiners score Coherence and Cohesion partly on whether your ideas are organised into clear, logical paragraphs. A predictable four-paragraph shape does that work for you: the reader always knows where they are. It also protects your Task Response score, because two developed body paragraphs give you exactly enough room to make and support your argument without padding. You can write five paragraphs, but four is easier to plan, easier to balance, and enough for the top band — so unless a question clearly needs a third body paragraph, don't add complexity you have to manage under time pressure.
Sentence 1 — Paraphrase
Restate the question in your own words. Don't copy the prompt.
Sentence 2 — Thesis
State your position clearly, or state what the essay will discuss.
Sentence 3 (optional) — Outline
Briefly signal the two ideas your body paragraphs will cover.
The introduction's only job is to answer the question directly and set up what follows. A vague or missing position here is the single most common reason strong essays stall at Band 6.5.
Sentence 1 — Topic sentence
State the one main idea of this paragraph.
Sentence 2 — Explain
Say why that idea is true or how it works.
Sentence 3 — Example
Give a specific example — real or plausible — that proves it.
Sentence 4 — Link
Connect the point back to the question or your position.
One idea per paragraph. The biggest quality lift most candidates can make is developing one point deeply rather than listing three shallow ones. An examiner rewards a fully-supported idea far more than a paragraph that gestures at several.
Sentence 1 — Restate position
Summarise your answer to the question in different words.
Sentence 2 — Final thought
Add a recommendation or brief prediction — but introduce no new idea.
The conclusion must mirror the introduction. If your opinion changed between the two, that inconsistency directly lowers Task Response.
| Question type | Body paragraph 1 | Body paragraph 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Opinion (agree/disagree) | First reason you hold your view | Second reason you hold your view |
| Discussion (both views) | One side, explained fairly | The other side + your own view |
| Problem–solution | The main problem(s) | Realistic solution(s) |
| Advantages–disadvantages | The advantages | The disadvantages |
| Two-part question | Answer the first question | Answer the second question |
Notice the introduction and conclusion never change job — only the two body paragraphs re-task. That's the whole trick: learn one structure, then re-point the middle.
Add the pieces up: a ~45-word introduction, two ~100-word bodies, and a ~40-word conclusion give you roughly 285 words — comfortably above the 250-word minimum, with a built-in buffer. Structure and word count are the same problem solved once. If you routinely finish short, your body paragraphs are missing the example or the link sentence; if you overrun by a lot, you're likely adding a third idea a four-paragraph essay doesn't have room for.
See the structure in 156 Cambridge Band 6–8 model essays — and type them →You won't internalise this template by memorising it — you internalise it by writing it repeatedly until the four moves are automatic under pressure. The fastest way is to type real high-band model essays and feel how each paragraph is built, then reproduce the shape on a fresh question against a 40-minute timer. On the computer-delivered test, a clean four-paragraph structure is also easier to type and check quickly, which protects your pacing.
Four: introduction, two body paragraphs, conclusion. Enough for Band 9 and easy to organise in 40 minutes.
State it in the introduction and restate it in the conclusion — keep it consistent throughout.
Intro ~45 words, each body ~100 words, conclusion ~40 words — about 285 words total.
Yes — only the two body paragraphs change job; the intro and conclusion always do the same thing.
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