IELTS Agree or Disagree Essay: Structure, Tips & Sample Answers
“Do you agree or disagree?” and “To what extent do you agree or disagree?” are the most common questions in IELTS Writing Task 2. This type is often called an opinion essay, because the examiner wants your view and clear reasons for it.
On this page you will learn how to recognise the question, how to structure your essay, and how to plan it in a few minutes. You will also find a colour-coded band 7+ model essay, a real student essay corrected by an IELTS examiner, and practice questions to try yourself.
Marked by an IELTS examiner See a real student essay with every mistake corrected and explained Band 7, with the exact changes that would take it higher. Tap any correction to see why it was made.How to recognise an agree or disagree question
The task gives you a statement and asks for your opinion. The wording varies, but these are all the same type of essay:
| Wording in the task | What it means for you |
|---|---|
| Do you agree or disagree? | Choose a side and support it throughout the essay. |
| To what extent do you agree or disagree? | You may agree completely, disagree completely or partly agree. Say clearly how far you agree. |
| What is your opinion? / Do you think this is a positive or negative development? | Also an opinion essay: give your view and explain it. |
If the task asks you to discuss both views before giving your opinion, it is a different type: see the discussion essay.
Quick check: which of these are agree or disagree questions?
Decide for each task, then open it to check.
Some people think that children should start school at the age of four. To what extent do you agree or disagree?Show answer
Yes. Agree or disagree. “To what extent” asks for your opinion, so you may also partly agree.
Some people think that zoos are cruel, while others believe they protect animals. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.Show answer
No. Discussion essay. You must explain both views fairly before giving yours.
More and more people are working from home. Is this a positive or negative development?Show answer
Yes. Opinion essay. Decide whether it is mainly positive or negative and support that view.
Many young people leave the countryside to live in cities. What are the causes of this, and what can be done about it?Show answer
No. Problem and solution (causes and solutions). There is no statement to agree with.
Online shopping is replacing shops on the high street. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?Show answer
No. Advantages and disadvantages. You weigh both sides and say which is stronger.
Structure of an agree or disagree essay
Four paragraphs and at least 250 words. The most important thing is that your opinion is clear throughout the essay: examiners look for this for band 7. The safest way is to state it in the introduction and keep it the same until the conclusion.
| Paragraph | What to write | Words |
|---|---|---|
| Introduction | Paraphrase the statement in your own words, then give your opinion in one clear sentence. | 40–50 |
| Body paragraph 1 | Your first reason: a topic sentence, an explanation and a specific example. | 90–100 |
| Body paragraph 2 | Your second reason, or, if you partly agree, the side you agree with less. | 90–100 |
| Conclusion | Repeat your opinion in different words and sum up your main reasons. No new ideas. | 30–40 |
Brainstorm and make an outline before you write
Spend the first few minutes thinking, not writing. Jot down every idea that comes to mind, pick the strongest ones and turn them into a short outline. With a plan on paper, the essay almost writes itself, and you will not change your opinion halfway through.
- 1
Underline the key words
Find exactly what the statement says. “All university education” is not the same as “some courses”.
- 2
Brainstorm briefly
Note quick ideas for and against in a few words. Do not judge them yet.
- 3
Choose and outline
Decide your opinion and put the best ideas under intro, paragraph 2, paragraph 3 and conclusion, with one example each.
- 4
Leave time to check
Write for about 30 minutes, then use the last 5 to check articles, verb forms and spelling.
Write your ideas straight into the four paragraphs, as key words. Then you know what to say in each part before you start. Here is an example for this task:
Writing Task 2 Academic & General Training 40 minutes
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
Some people believe that university education should be free for all students.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
A few minutes of planning could give an outline like this:
- Intro
- partly agree
- Para 2
- For: more tax later, poor students
e.g. future doctor - Para 3
- Against: taxpayers, rich don’t need it
grants, loans - Concl.
- help those in need
Band 7+ model essay
This essay follows the outline above, paragraph by paragraph. The colours show the parts that make it work:
- Opinion clear at the start, the same at the end
- Topic sentence one main idea per paragraph
- Example / solution makes the reason convincing
- Linking words guide the reader
In many countries, students pay high fees to attend university, and some people argue that higher education should be free for everyone. While I accept that cost should never stop talented young people from studying, I only partly agree, because completely free education for all is neither fair nor realistic.
On the one hand, there are strong reasons to reduce the cost of university. Graduates usually earn more and pay more tax, so society benefits from investing in their education. More importantly, high fees discourage students from poorer families, who may choose not to study at all rather than take on large debts. For example, a gifted student from a low-income family might start work straight after school instead of training to become a doctor or an engineer. If tuition were free, a country would be able to develop the talent of all its young people, not just those whose parents can afford it.
On the other hand, making university free for everyone would place a heavy burden on taxpayers, including many people who never went to university themselves. It would also mean that wealthy families, who could easily pay, receive the same support as those in real need. A fairer approach would be to keep moderate fees but offer generous grants and loans that are repaid only when graduates earn above a certain income. This way, money is directed to the students who need it most.
In conclusion, although I agree that no capable student should be prevented from studying because of money, I do not believe that university should be free for everyone. Targeted financial support is a fairer and more sustainable way to make higher education open to all.
Why this essay works: the writer’s view (“I only partly agree”) is clear by the end of the introduction, and the conclusion says the same thing in new words. Each body paragraph starts with its main idea and supports it with a reason and something concrete. Grammar is varied too: the conditional “If tuition were free, a country would be able to…” and relative clauses (“families, who could easily pay,”) are typical of band 7.
Useful phrases for giving your opinion
These are the phrases the model essay uses, plus a few alternatives. Learn two or three for each purpose, so you do not repeat the same one.
| Purpose | Phrases |
|---|---|
| Giving your opinion | I strongly believe that… / In my view,… / I am convinced that… |
| Partly agreeing | While I accept that…, I do not believe that… / I agree to some extent, but… |
| Adding a reason | The main reason is that… / Another important point is that… / More importantly,… |
| Giving an example | For instance,… / A good example of this is… / This can be seen in… |
| Concluding | In conclusion,… / To sum up,… / For these reasons, I believe that… |
Try it yourself: practice questions
Now that you have seen how a band 7+ essay is planned and written, try one yourself. Choose a question, set a timer for 40 minutes and follow the same steps: a few minutes of planning, about 30 minutes of writing and 5 minutes of checking.
- EducationSchools should teach children how to manage money. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- TechnologySocial media does more harm than good to young people. Do you agree or disagree?
- EnvironmentThe best way to reduce air pollution is to make public transport free. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- WorkEmployees should be allowed to work a four-day week for the same salary. Do you agree or disagree?
- HealthGovernments should put a tax on unhealthy food. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- SocietyOlder people have more to teach young people than the internet does. Do you agree or disagree?
- TravelInternational tourism brings more problems than benefits to local communities. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
- CrimePrison is not the best way to deal with young offenders. Do you agree or disagree?
More questions with model essays by topic: Education, Technology, Environment, Crime. All 84 questions by topic →
Your checklist for every essay
Use it in the last five minutes of the exam, or each time you practise. Any point you cannot tick is your next thing to improve.
Then read the real student essay below: you will probably recognise some of its mistakes in your own writing.
A real student essay, corrected by an IELTS examiner
A student wrote this essay, and an IELTS examiner marked it. Mistakes are in red and crossed out, and the examiner’s corrections are in green right after them. Hover over a correction, or tap it on your phone, to see why it was changed. Read it first, then see the feedback below.
Writing Task 2 Student essay 40 minutes
Write about the following topic:
Medical procedures for cosmetic purposes should not be allowed.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Due to a rapid development in technology, medical procedures for cosmetic purposes have become more and more popular. However, a better and easily affordable cosmetic (surgeries) surgical operations have made people to discuss whether this should be allowed or not.
On the one hand, it is difficult to draw a line between what is a reasonable medical condition to have an access to cosmetic surgery and what is not. As of current regulations, it depends on athe person itself. To debate (over) whether governments should restrict people from access to cosmetic surgery seems quite nonsenseical. Instead of debating, there is a strong need to educate people to be more aware aboutof the possible consequences that plastic surgery may have. Moreover, it is important to make people to consider whether plastic surgery is still inevitablereally necessary in their cases. If a person decides to have athe surgery, the real need for this may become questionable when the surgery is only intended to make a person’s appearance to be in a better accordance with beauty standards.
On the other hand, prohibiting medical procedures for cosmetic purposes according to the (fact) view that people are willing to have it too easily and unreasonably would be very unfair against people who really are in serious need of surgery. For instance, there are many people who have gotbeen burnt by flames in their life. Good examples are firemen who may have saved thousands of lives in their career. Therefore, giving these people an access to cosmetic surgery is absolutely (understood) justifiable.
In conclusion, although there are people who may want to forbid cosmetic surgeries, I personally find this to be unreasonable. Instead of prohibiting it, we should rather riseraise peoples’ awareness of cosmetic surgeries and its possible consequences. Hopefully, itthis would make people to highlyseriously consider whether having cosmetic surgery is still necessary (in) for their particular condition.
(304 words)
7.0
Examiner’s band scorefor the essay as written, before the corrections
What this essay teaches you
The examiner gave this essay band 7, with all these mistakes still in it. That is good news: band 7 allows small errors, as long as your ideas are clear and well organised. These five types of mistake are common in many students’ essays, not just this one, so they are worth learning:
| Pattern | In this essay | The rule |
|---|---|---|
| Extra articles | to have | Uncountable nouns (access, advice, information) take no a/an. |
| make + to | made people | make / let + person + verb without to: “He made me do it”, not “He made me to do it”. |
| Wrong preposition | aware | Learn adjectives with their preposition: aware of, necessary for. |
| Similar words confused | raise + object: “raise your hand”. rise has no object: “prices rose last year”. | |
| Almost-right word | If you are not sure of a word’s exact meaning, use a simpler one you know. |
Quiz: fix the mistake
Articles, uncountable nouns, prepositions and verb forms: the same kinds of mistakes appear in many IELTS essays, including the one above. Choose the right word for each sentence. Every round picks 10 of 30 sentences at random, so play a few rounds.
Common mistakes in agree or disagree essays
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| The opinion only becomes clear at the end | The reader should know your view from the start. Say it in the introduction in one sentence: “I completely agree”, “I partly agree” or “I disagree”. |
| Changing your opinion halfway | Your conclusion must match your introduction. Plan before you write. |
| Writing about both sides equally | That is a discussion essay. Here, the other side is only there to support your view. |
| Ideas without examples | Support each reason with a specific example from life, work or your country. |
| Under 250 words | Short essays lose marks for Task Response. Aim for 260–300 words. |
Agree or disagree essay FAQ
Quick answers to the questions students ask most.
Can I partly agree in an IELTS essay?
Yes, especially when the question asks “to what extent”. Say clearly in the introduction how far you agree, and keep that view to the end.
Is an opinion essay the same as an agree or disagree essay?
Yes. Both ask for your view on a statement. The wording can be “Do you agree or disagree?”, “To what extent do you agree?” or “What is your opinion?”.
Should I write “I” in an IELTS essay?
Yes. The question asks for your opinion, so phrases like “I believe” or “In my view” are expected, especially in the introduction and conclusion.
How many words should the essay have?
At least 250 words. Most strong essays have 260–300 words. Writing much more takes time you need for checking.
Does my opinion affect my score?
No. The examiner scores how clearly you present and support your view, not whether they agree with it.
