IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Topics by Theme

IELTS Writing Task 2 prompts are new every session but the themes are not. Education, technology, environment, work, health, urban life, crime, globalisation, media and government spending account for the overwhelming majority, and within each theme the same three or four arguments recur.

The topics below are grouped by theme and labelled with question type, so you can practise the structure the prompt actually demands rather than writing the same essay each time.

Want to FINALLY Pass the IELTS Academic Test And Reach Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… ✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers ✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring ✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT NOW (Limited seats available!)

Key Takeaways

• Ten themes cover most Task 2 prompts, and the arguments within each theme repeat.
• Practise across question types, not just topics — the type dictates the structure and is where task response marks are lost.
• Build an idea bank of two arguments per theme rather than memorising essays.
• Every prompt needs at least 250 words in about 40 minutes, in continuous prose.
• Write plans for ten prompts in the time it takes to write two full essays; planning is the skill that transfers.

Theme 1: Education

Prompt	Type
Some people believe university education should be free for all students. To what extent do you agree or disagree?	Opinion
Some argue that children should start formal schooling at four; others say seven is better. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.	Discussion
What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad?	Advantages and disadvantages
Many students lose motivation in their teenage years. What causes this, and how could schools respond?	Problem and solution
Why do some people choose vocational training over university? Is this a positive development?	Two-part question
Some believe examinations are a poor measure of ability. Do the drawbacks of examinations outweigh the benefits?	Advantages and disadvantages

Theme 2: Technology

Prompt	Type
Some people think that technology has made society less social. To what extent do you agree?	Opinion
Automation will eliminate many jobs. Some see this as progress, others as a threat. Discuss both views.	Discussion
What problems does widespread smartphone use cause among young people, and what can be done?	Problem and solution
Do the benefits of remote working outweigh the disadvantages?	Advantages and disadvantages
Why are people increasingly reliant on digital devices, and what effect does this have on memory and attention?	Two-part question

Theme 3: Environment

Prompt	Type
Individual action cannot solve climate change; only governments can. To what extent do you agree?	Opinion
Some believe environmental protection should be a national responsibility; others say it requires international agreement. Discuss both views and give your opinion.	Discussion
What are the main causes of urban air pollution, and how could cities reduce it?	Problem and solution
Do the advantages of nuclear power outweigh its risks?	Advantages and disadvantages
Why do people continue to buy products with excessive packaging, and what could change this?	Two-part question

Theme 4: Work and careers

Prompt	Type
A four-day working week would improve productivity. To what extent do you agree or disagree?	Opinion
Some think employers should provide training; others believe it is the individual’s responsibility. Discuss both views.	Discussion
What causes people to remain in jobs they dislike, and how could this be addressed?	Problem and solution
What are the advantages and disadvantages of changing career several times in a working life?	Advantages and disadvantages
Why is there a shortage of skilled workers in some industries, and what should be done about it?	Two-part question

Theme 5: Health

Prompt	Type
Governments should tax unhealthy food to improve public health. To what extent do you agree?	Opinion
Some argue healthcare spending should prioritise prevention; others say treatment. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.	Discussion
Why are levels of physical activity falling in many countries, and how could this trend be reversed?	Two-part question
Do the benefits of a universally free health service outweigh the costs?	Advantages and disadvantages
What problems arise from an ageing population, and what measures could address them?	Problem and solution

Theme 6: Cities and housing

Prompt	Type
Cities should ban private cars from their centres. To what extent do you agree or disagree?	Opinion
Some believe governments should build more housing; others say they should regulate rents instead. Discuss both views.	Discussion
What causes traffic congestion in large cities, and what solutions are most effective?	Problem and solution
What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a high-rise building?	Advantages and disadvantages
Why do young people increasingly move to large cities, and what effect does this have on rural areas?	Two-part question

Theme 7: Crime and society

Prompt	Type
Prison sentences should focus on rehabilitation rather than punishment. To what extent do you agree?	Opinion
Some believe crime is caused mainly by poverty; others point to upbringing. Discuss both views and give your opinion.	Discussion
What problems are created by the widespread use of surveillance cameras, and how might they be limited?	Problem and solution
Do the benefits of stricter policing outweigh the loss of privacy it involves?	Advantages and disadvantages

Theme 8: Government and public spending

Prompt	Type
Governments should fund the arts as well as essential services. To what extent do you agree or disagree?	Opinion
Some argue public money should support space exploration; others say it should address problems on Earth. Discuss both views.	Discussion
What are the advantages and disadvantages of privatising public services such as railways?	Advantages and disadvantages
Why do some countries spend heavily on sporting events, and is this a good use of public funds?	Two-part question

Theme 9: Media and information

Prompt	Type
News organisations should be regulated in the same way as other industries. To what extent do you agree?	Opinion
Some believe social media platforms should be responsible for the content they host; others disagree. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.	Discussion
What problems does the spread of misinformation cause, and what can be done to reduce it?	Problem and solution
Why do people increasingly get news from social media rather than newspapers, and what are the consequences?	Two-part question

Theme 10: Globalisation and culture

Prompt	Type
Globalisation has done more to erode local cultures than to enrich them. To what extent do you agree?	Opinion
Some think tourism benefits local communities; others believe it damages them. Discuss both views.	Discussion
What are the advantages and disadvantages of a single global language?	Advantages and disadvantages
Why do traditional crafts decline in developed economies, and how might they be preserved?	Problem and solution

The idea bank: two arguments per theme

Theme	Argument for	Argument against
Free university	Removes cost as a barrier at the point of entry, where it deters most	Transfers money to future high earners, funded by those who will not attend
Automation	Historically, displaced labour has moved into new sectors within a generation	The transition is borne by specific people in specific places, not by “the economy”
Individual vs government climate action	Regulation changes the default; individual choice only reaches the motivated	Individual behaviour builds the political constituency regulation needs
Four-day week	Output per hour rises when hours fall; long hours mask low productivity	Works for knowledge work, poorly for shift-based and care work
Taxing unhealthy food	Price responsiveness is highest among those with the worst outcomes	Regressive by design, and substitution is often to something no better
Banning cars from centres	Road capacity induces the traffic it relieves; buses fill usefully, roads do not	Penalises those with no alternative if sequenced before public transport exists
Rehabilitation vs punishment	Reoffending rates are the only outcome that reduces future victims	Deterrence and public confidence are also functions of sentencing
Public funding for the arts	Cultural infrastructure has no market that will build it	Benefits accrue disproportionately to those already advantaged
Platform responsibility	Reach is editorial; distribution at scale is not neutral	Liability at scale forces over-removal, which suppresses legitimate speech
Tourism	Direct income to local economies, often where alternatives are scarce	Prices out residents and reshapes places around visitor expectations

Two arguments per theme is enough. Task 2 needs two developed ideas, not five undeveloped ones, and a bank of twenty arguments covers most prompts you will meet.

How to practise these efficiently

Activity	Time	Frequency	What it builds
Plan only — position, two ideas, two examples	5 min	Daily, one prompt	The skill that decides task response
Introduction and conclusion only	10 min	Three times a week	Clear position statement
One body paragraph, developed fully	12 min	Three times a week	Development and examples
Full essay, timed	40 min	Twice a week	Endurance and pacing
Rewrite a past essay after feedback	30 min	Weekly	Fixing recurring errors

Ten plans teach more about task response than two full essays do, and take the same time. Save full essays for the pacing practice they are actually good for.

Recognising the type from the prompt

If the prompt ends with…	Type	Non-negotiable element
To what extent do you agree or disagree?	Opinion	A clear position, stated in the introduction
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.	Discussion	Both views, plus your own position
What are the advantages and disadvantages?	Advantages and disadvantages	Both sides; verdict optional
Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?	Advantages and disadvantages	An explicit yes or no
What problems… and what solutions…?	Problem and solution	Solutions attached to named problems
Two separate questions	Two-part question	Both answered, roughly equally

Getting this wrong is the single most expensive error in Task 2, because task response is the criterion it damages and a well-written essay answering the wrong question cannot recover the marks elsewhere.

FAQ

Do IELTS Writing Task 2 topics repeat?

The exact prompts do not, but the themes do. Education, technology, environment, work, health, urban life, crime, government spending, media and globalisation account for most prompts, and the arguments within each theme recur, which is what makes an idea bank worth building.

How many essay topics should I practise?

Fewer full essays and more plans. Ten five-minute plans across different question types teach more about task response than two full essays, and take about the same time. Keep two timed full essays a week for pacing.

Should I memorise essays for common topics?

No. Memorised essays rarely fit the exact question, and answering a slightly different question is the most heavily penalised error in Task 2. Memorise arguments and structures instead.

Is it a problem if I know nothing about the topic?

Rarely, because Task 2 prompts are deliberately general and no specialist knowledge is assumed. If a topic is unfamiliar, argue from mechanisms and from who is affected rather than from facts you do not have.

How many ideas do I need in a Task 2 essay?

Two, developed properly. Two body paragraphs each with one clear idea, an explanation and an example scores better than four paragraphs of assertion, because development is what coherence and task response reward.

Which question type is hardest?

The two-part question, for most candidates — not because the ideas are harder but because it is the easiest to answer unevenly. Giving one part a paragraph and the other a sentence is a task response error even when both answers are correct.

Related practice resources

• IELTS Writing Task 2 templates
• IELTS Writing Task 1 templates
• IELTS vocabulary list for band 7+

Want to FINALLY Pass the IELTS Academic Test And Reach Your Goals? Get Your FREE Lume Account Today to Unlock… ✅ 10,000+ PRACTICE QUESTIONS with detailed answers ✅ FREE MOCK TESTS with fast & accurate AI scoring ✅ Get BETTER SCORES with a PERSONALIZED study plan GET YOUR FREE ACCOUNT NOW (Limited seats available!)