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As part of our new “How to….” series, we ask IELTS examiners questions that have come to us through Facebook and Instagram.  So, the first one is about how to write an IELTS Task 2 introduction.

“The first thing to keep in mind is the introduction isn’t anywhere in the marking criteria.  This doesn’t mean you don’t need to write one, but it does mean that it has very little impact on your result.  In Band 8.0 for Coherence and Cohesion, it talks about information and ideas being logically organised so an introduction is part of this.

Here are two examples of an introduction to the question

‘Playing computer games is a waste of time. Children should not be allowed to play them.’ To what extent to you agree or disagree with the statement?

Example number 1

In the modern era, the majority of children are accustomed to playing games on computers and other electronical devices. While some people argue that youngsters should not be permitted to play computer games, as they see it as an ineffective use of time, others think it is appropriate to let children do that. In my opinion, children should be given computer games to play on but only if it is controlled in terms of content and time spent playing them.

80 words

Example number 2

These days the majority of people believe that playing computer games is not a good use of time, and that they should be banned for children. For the following reasons, however, I disagree with this point of view.

38 words

Some of you may think that number 1 is better then number 2. However, what is happening here is that the candidate is spending far too long on their introduction.  What I can tell you is that accuracy dropped considerably in their body paragraphs and they got 6.5 overall.  This is a clear example of poor planning.  Number 2, on the other hand, is clear, concise and does exactly the same job as the first one.  It also gives the write a lot more time to write their body paragraphs and time management is key in IELTS writing.

With only 40 minutes to plan, write and check your writing, writing a concise introduction is key to being an efficient writer.  You only need to introduce the debate in the question and state your opinion.”

Practice writing introductions to numerous questions and you will see that you develop a pattern.  Remember, you can use our IELTS writing service where IELTS examiners in the UK mark and correct your work.