Understanding essays

Before you can write an essay in the Ielts (International English Language Testing System) exam, you must work out the exact question to be answered. I call this the "focus question." Let's look at the three types of Ielts essays to see how to identify the focus, or central point, of essay questions.

Type 1 questions

Type 1 questions require you to evaluate one opinion on an issue. These essays give just one opinion that some people have on a social issue or problem. The task then asks you to evaluate their opinion. Here's a sample question:

Air travel uses enormous amounts of the world's limited supplies of fuel while creating very harmful pollution. Some people therefore say that travel by aeroplane should be limited to people going on business trips.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

First, identify any background facts: "Air travel uses... harmful pollution."

Next, find the central part of the opinion: "Travel by aeroplane... business trips." Always ignore introductory words like: "Some people therefore say that..."

Then, identify the tasks. In the sample question, there's only one task: "To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?" Note that this is a type 1 essay because you're being asked to evaluate only one opinion or view on an issue.

Last, form the focus questions. Each task must have a focus question. As there's only one task in the sample essay question, there'll only be one focus question.

With type 1 essays, make the focus question by turning the central part of the opinion into a question. Ignore question words like: "To what extent do you agree or disagree with...". You can add information from any background facts and/or the opinion if you need to clarify the meaning, and always use simpler words. However, never change the meaning.

Here, the focus question is: "Should travel by aeroplane be limited to people going on business trips?"

Type 2 questions

Type 2 questions require you to evaluate opposing opinions on, or approaches to, an issue.

Usually, these essays present two opinions on a matter, and you're then asked to evaluate both views.

Sometimes, however, you're only given one opinion on a social issue. If the task asks you to write about the points supporting and opposing that opinion, it's a type 2 essay.

Occasionally, the task asks you to discuss opposing approaches to a social problem or issue (e.g., "Should people do X or Y?"). The essay question may or may not include any opinions on a matter. However, it's still a type 2 essay as you need to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of the two alternatives. For example:

"Every family should take care of its older members."

Should old people who have difficulty living by themselves live with their families, or should they be looked after by trained staff in residential care homes built specially for the elderly?

First, find any background facts. Here, there are none. Then, look for the central parts of any opinions. In the sample question, there is only one: "Every family... older members."

Now, identify the tasks. There's also only one: "Should old people... the elderly?" This is a type 2 essay question even though it has only one opinion. This is because the task takes the form: "Should people do X or Y?" In other words, it asks you to evaluate opposing approaches to a social issue.

Finally, form one focus question for each task. With type 2 essays, the tasks themselves often become the focus questions. You can clarify and simplify their wording, but keep their meaning.

The one task in the sample can be simplified to this focus question: "Should old people who can't live alone live with their families or be cared for in special homes?"

Type 3 questions

Type 3 questions require you to discuss a social problem or issue. Tasks in this type ask a direct question on a social problem or issue. Often, you're also asked to give solutions. For instance:

At the same time as people in many cities are becoming more and more dependent on cars, public transport systems are tending to become worse. This has serious consequences for both existing communities and new communities that are spreading farther and farther from the centre of cities.

Why do people choose to use private cars instead of public transport? How can this problem be solved?

First, find any background facts: "At the same time as... the centre of cities." After that, identify the central parts of any opinions. In this sample, there are no opinions. Next, find the tasks. There are two: "Why do people... public transport?" and "How can... solved?"

When you're deciding the type of essay question, consider only the first task. For classifying purposes, ignore any second task. The above sample is therefore a type 3 essay question as the first task asks you to discuss a social problem. It does not ask you to evaluate one viewpoint on some issue (type 1) nor does it ask you to evaluate opposing viewpoints or approaches to a problem (type 2).

Now, form the focus question for each task. With type 3 essays, form them straight from the tasks (adding information from any background facts to clarify the meaning, if necessary). Although you should use simpler wording, don't change the meaning.

My two focus questions are: "Why do people use private cars instead of public transport?" and "What are some solutions?"

David Park designs and teaches Ielts courses, and is involved with Ielts testing at IDP. To register for Ielts, contact www.thailand.idp.com . Ielts is owned by Cambridge Esol, the British Council and IDP: Ielts Australia.