IELTS Essay Topics: 50 Task 2 Questions by Theme

IELTS Writing Task 2 asks you to write an essay of at least 250 words in 40 minutes, and the topics are drawn from a fairly predictable set of themes. Below are 50 practice essay questions organised by theme, written in the styles that actually appear in the test.

These are practice prompts, not questions copied from real exam papers — nobody legitimately publishes those. What makes them useful is that they mirror the real question formats, so practising with them prepares you for whatever wording you get on the day.

A word of advice before you start: do not try to write all fifty. It is far more productive to write five essays properly and get them marked than to rush through twenty unmarked. If you want the marking criteria and structures first, start with our guide to IELTS Writing Task 2.

The Five Task 2 Question Types

Before picking a topic, make sure you recognise which type of question you are answering. Getting this wrong is the single most common reason strong English still scores a low Task Response band:

  • Opinion (“to what extent do you agree or disagree?”) — take a clear position and hold it throughout
  • Discussion (“discuss both views and give your own opinion”) — cover both sides and state your own view
  • Advantages and disadvantages — weigh both, and answer whether benefits outweigh drawbacks if asked
  • Problem and solution (“what are the causes / what can be done?”) — answer both halves
  • Two-part question — two direct questions; leaving one unanswered caps your band

Each type has its own structure. Those are explained in full, with paragraph-by-paragraph templates, in our IELTS Writing Task 2 guide.

50 IELTS Essay Topics by Theme

Each theme below reflects a subject area that comes up repeatedly. Notice that the same topic can appear as any of the five question types — which is why practising by theme is more useful than memorising individual questions.

Education

  1. Some people believe children should start formal education as early as possible. Others think they should not begin school until at least seven years old. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
  2. University education should be free for all students. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
  3. Some people think that students learn more from group work, while others believe individual study is more effective. Discuss both views.
  4. Many students choose to study abroad rather than at a university in their own country. What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying overseas?
  5. Schools should teach practical life skills such as budgeting and cooking alongside academic subjects. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Environment

  1. Individual action cannot solve climate change; only governments and large companies can make a real difference. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
  2. Some people believe that protecting the environment is more important than economic growth. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
  3. Plastic waste has become a serious global problem. What are the causes, and what solutions can you suggest?
  4. Many cities are becoming more polluted. What problems does this cause, and how can they be addressed?
  5. Should governments make recycling compulsory for all households? Give reasons for your answer.

Technology and the Internet

  1. Some people say that social media has brought people closer together, while others argue it has made us more isolated. Discuss both views.
  2. Artificial intelligence will replace many human jobs in the coming decades. Is this a positive or negative development?
  3. Children spend too much time using screens. What problems does this cause, and what can parents do about it?
  4. Some believe online learning is as effective as classroom teaching. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
  5. The internet has made traditional libraries unnecessary. Do you agree or disagree?

Work and Employment

  1. Many people now work from home rather than in an office. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this trend?
  2. Some employers prefer to hire candidates with practical experience rather than academic qualifications. Discuss both views.
  3. A four-day working week would improve both productivity and wellbeing. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
  4. People change careers far more often than in the past. What are the reasons, and is this a positive development?
  5. Some believe employees should be allowed to choose their own working hours. Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?

Health and Lifestyle

  1. Governments should tax unhealthy food to reduce obesity. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
  2. Some people think healthcare should be entirely funded by the government, while others believe individuals should pay. Discuss both views.
  3. Many people do not get enough physical exercise. What are the causes, and what can be done to encourage more activity?
  4. Mental health should be given the same priority as physical health in schools and workplaces. Do you agree or disagree?
  5. Fast food is increasingly popular worldwide. What effects does this have on individuals and society?

Society and Family

  1. In many countries, people are choosing to live alone rather than with family. What are the reasons, and what effects does this have?
  2. Some believe grandparents should play a major role in raising children, while others disagree. Discuss both views.
  3. The gap between rich and poor is widening in many countries. What problems does this cause, and how can it be reduced?
  4. Traditional customs and festivals are disappearing. Why is this happening, and does it matter?
  5. Many people believe that community spirit has declined in modern cities. Do you agree, and what could be done to rebuild it?

Crime and Law

  1. Longer prison sentences are the most effective way to reduce crime. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
  2. Some people think education and rehabilitation reduce crime more effectively than punishment. Discuss both views.
  3. Surveillance cameras in public places invade privacy but improve safety. Do the benefits outweigh the drawbacks?
  4. Young offenders should be treated differently from adult criminals. Do you agree or disagree?
  5. What are the main causes of rising crime in large cities, and what solutions would you suggest?

Government, Media and Money

  1. Governments should spend more on public transport than on building new roads. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
  2. Some people believe governments should fund the arts, while others think the money is better spent elsewhere. Discuss both views.
  3. News organisations increasingly focus on entertainment rather than important issues. What problems does this cause?
  4. Advertising aimed at children should be banned. Do you agree or disagree?
  5. Space exploration is a waste of money that could be spent solving problems on Earth. To what extent do you agree?

Globalisation, Travel and Culture

  1. International tourism brings more benefits than problems to local communities. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
  2. Some believe globalisation threatens local cultures, while others think it enriches them. Discuss both views.
  3. English has become the dominant global language. Is this a positive or negative development?
  4. Cheap air travel should be discouraged to protect the environment. Do you agree or disagree?
  5. Many historic buildings are being demolished to make way for modern development. What problems does this cause?

Cities, Housing and Transport

  1. More people are moving from rural areas to cities. What are the causes, and what effects does this have?
  2. Governments should invest in cycling infrastructure rather than widening roads. To what extent do you agree?
  3. Housing has become unaffordable for young people in many cities. What are the causes, and what solutions exist?
  4. Some believe cars should be banned from city centres. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?
  5. Living in a large city offers more opportunities than living in a small town. Discuss both views.

A Worked Example You Can Learn From

Reading a completed essay is worth more than reading ten lists of topics. We have a full worked response to one of the most common questions of all — the work-from-home question — here: Work from home vs office: advantages and disadvantages. Read how the introduction paraphrases the prompt, how each body paragraph develops a single idea, and how the conclusion answers the question rather than repeating it.

How to Actually Practise With These Topics

Most candidates use topic lists badly — they read them, feel prepared, and never write anything. A better routine:

  1. Pick one question and plan for five minutes. Two main ideas is enough for 250 words; four is too many to develop properly.
  2. Write for 40 minutes under timed conditions, by hand or on a keyboard, matching how you will sit the test.
  3. Check your word count once, then stop counting. Aim for 260–290 words — under 250 loses marks, and very long essays usually lose control of grammar.
  4. Reread against the four criteria: did you answer the whole question, is it logically organised, is the vocabulary varied, are the sentences accurate?
  5. Get it marked by someone who knows the band descriptors. This is the step almost everyone skips, and it is the only one that reliably moves your score.

For the vocabulary side of this, our IELTS vocabulary guide covers the topic-specific language these themes require. For how Writing combines with your other sections into an overall band, see the IELTS scores guide.

Do General Training Candidates Get the Same Topics?

Task 2 is an essay in both Academic and General Training, and the themes above apply to both — though General Training prompts tend to be slightly more everyday in style and allow a marginally more personal tone. The bigger difference is Task 1: Academic candidates describe a chart or graph, while General Training candidates write a letter. If you are unsure which test you are sitting, read IELTS Academic vs General Training, and see our Task 1 guide for that section.

Getting Your Essays Marked

You cannot reliably mark your own writing. You will not see your own repeated grammar errors, and you cannot judge your own Task Response — that requires someone who knows what a band 6 looks like next to a band 7. If that is the gap holding your score down, the Writing session of our IELTS preparation class in Singapore covers both tasks and returns your essays with written feedback against the four criteria.