IELTS Essay Topics 2023: Sample Essay Writing Types & Topics, Structure, Tips

Want to know about the popular IELTS essay writing topics? This article will give you an idea of how to write an IELTS essay, structure of the essay, along with the samples and tips.

IELTS Essay Topics 2023: Sample Essay &Tips

IELTS essay topics can be cumbersome to think about. Not all of us are gifted with writing, let alone writing entire essays. But, it’s a staple addition to any English test, one that literally shows your language skills and knowledge, since essays are a form of self–expression. One of the ways we could ace the IELTS Essay sections is to learn the intricacies behind writing an essay itself.

This article will provide you with everything there is to know about how to write essays in IELTS, what some of the IELTS essay writing samples are like, what the types of topics you’d cover, and a few IELTS essay writing tips worth checking out.

Table of Contents

IELTS Essay Topics 2023
IELTS Essay Sample Topic 2023
IELTS Essay Topics for Writing Task 2
IELTS Essay Topics Previous Year
IELTS Essay Types
Common Lines for IELTS Essay 2023
How To Write Essay in IELTS 2023?
Top 5 Important Tips for Writing IELTS Essay

IELTS Essay Topics 2023

In this section, you’ll get to know the latest IELTS essay topics to write about. Although these topics are not confirmed to appear for the tests, we can confirm that they hold a lot of value for your practice sessions. Here’s the list of topics under each category.

Category	Topics
Art and Arts	Importance of the arts for society Importance of museums and galleries
Business and Consumerism	Family-run businesses Businesses supporting local communities
Communication	Pros and cons of meeting people online
Environment	Importance of nature for our well being Air/noise pollution in cities
Education	Importance of children reading booksSchools providing meals for children Disadvantages for children from poorer backgroundsExams or ongoing assessment or project work Homeschooling Online education
Family	Supporting vulnerable members of the family Upbringing in cities or countrysides
Health and Food	Problems and solutions related to junk food Prevention and cure of funding Reasons and value of cosmetic surgery Mental health: Maintenance and prevention
Housing	Using space in cities for housing or packs Pros and cons of living in flats
Leisure	Importance of hobbies Spending time with our social circle
People	Innate or learned talent Important character traits Skills and traits of famous world leaders
Society	Pros and cons of spending money on weddings Traditions in food, clothing, and festivals Isolation among people in a society Online Media Stars Importance of green spaces and urban environments
Sports	The importance of international sporting events
Technology	Functions, benefits and limitations of smartphones Online security, including for children Pros and cons of ebooks and digital libraries
Tourism and Travel	Using bicycles over cars Pros and cons of walking
Work	Work-life balance Four-day working weeks Pros and cons of working online
World Issues	Rich countries should help poor countries Types of international aid The gap between rich and poor countries Tackling world issues domestically or internationally Reliability and sources of news and fake news Globalization

IELTS Essay Sample Topics 2023

Here is a list of IELTS essay samples with highlighted keywords that you can read through to see how it’s been written.

We’ve segregated the topics based on their respective band types so that you know exactly what Band score to target.

IELTS Essay Samples Band 8

IELTS Essay Samples Band 8.5

IELTS Essay Samples Band 9

IELTS Essay Topics for Writing Task 2

This article can’t go without providing you with details related to the IELTS Essay Writing Task 2 topics themselves! For any previous year sections, the topics we’ve listed there have appeared at least once in that year’s tests. We’ve segregated them into year-based subsections. We have a separate article for a complete list of IELTS Writing Task 2 essay topics that does not have any basis applied to it, which we suggest that you check out - visit IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Topics and Questions.

Each of the categories contains topics that come with a different essay type. We also recommend going through the IELTS essay sample papers that we’ve provided so that you can take a note of what topics were explored.

All about IELTS Exam

IELTS Essay Topics - Previous years

If you’re wondering what the topics for the previous year’s IELTS exam were from across the globe, then we’ve got a full list waiting for you! You can use these topics as a way to practice for the upcoming IELTS test this year. Keep in mind that you only need to write between 250 to 300 words. We’ve arranged them based on their appropriate categories. Most of these topics are based on current affairs and general knowledge, so we advise you to keep yourself updated with what’s going on.

Education

Subjects like arts, music, and drama are more important than other school subjects and therefore should be given more time in the calendar. Do you agree or disagree?
Some people think that children should be involved in making school rules. Others think that only adults can make school rules. Discuss both points of view and give your own opinion.
Some people believe that it is important for children to attend extra classes outside school, while others believe that they should be allowed to play after school. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Some believe that pupils should be given less homework, others say the opposite. What is your opinion?
Some people believe that the experiences children have before they go to school will have the greatest effect on their future life. Others argue that experiences gained when they are teenagers have a bigger influence. Discuss both views and give your own opinions.

Social Affairs

Some people argue that it’s best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. Others believe that it is better to try and improve such situations. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
It is better for young people to get advice from older people than young people. Do you agree or disagree?
Some people believe that entertainers are paid too much and their impact on society is negative, while others disagree and believe that they deserve the money they make because of their positive effect on others. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Young couples nowadays prefer to have fewer children than previous generations. Most of them prefer to accomplish other goals in their life first. Is this a positive or negative development?
In some places, young people find it difficult to communicate with older people. Why is this? What are the solutions?

Culture

Some educators believe that every child should be taught how to play a musical instrument. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Some people believe that the government should spend more money putting in more works of art like paintings and statues in cities to make them better places to live in. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Historical objects should be brought back to their country of origin. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Some believe that we should invent a new language for international communication. Do the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?
In some cultures, children are often told that they can achieve anything if they try hard enough. What are the advantages and disadvantages of giving children this message?
Some people say that staying in a hotel when you are in a foreign country is not the best way to know the country and its people. What is your opinion?

Finance and Economy

It is too expensive to look after and repair old buildings. This money should be spent on building modern buildings instead. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Online shopping is significantly increasing. What effects does this have on the environment and the types of jobs required?
Many people believe that we should protect all wild animals while others believe we should just protect some of them. Discuss both views and give your opinion.
Tourism is causing environmental problems all around the world. What are the main causes, and what are some solutions to them?
Many people get bored with their job and eventually feel dissatisfied. What can companies do to change this trend?
Farming is the backbone of every country but nowadays many youngsters hesitate to enter this profession. Why is this the case and what can be done to avoid it?

Health and Fitness

Sports should be made mandatory for all children as it helps in physical health. Do you agree or disagree?
Some people think that dangerous extreme sports such as rock climbing and sky-diving should be banned. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?
In order to be successful at a sport, some think you must be physically strong while others believe mental strength is more important. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
More and more people today are drinking sugar-based drinks. What are the reasons for this? What are the solutions?
Even though doctors advise old people to get more exercise, many old people do not get enough. What are the reasons for this? What are some possible solutions for this?

History and Politics

Prison is the common way in most countries to solve the problem of crime. However, a more effective solution is to provide people with a better education. Do you agree or disagree?
Some people believe that children that commit crimes should be punished. Others think the parents should be punished instead. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Governments should spend more money on medical research and less on researching the environment. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Throughout history, male leaders have led us into violence and conflict. If a society is governed by female leaders it will be more peaceful. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?
Because most information about culture and history can be found on the internet today, museums are not necessary. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Technology

Some scientists think that computers will soon become more intelligent than humans. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
In recent years, television has contributed most to changing people’s quality of life. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Computer games are very popular for all ages and nationalities. Parents think this has little educational value and it will be harmful for children. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
The first man to walk on the moon claimed it was a step forward for mankind. However, it has made little difference in most people’s lives. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
The personal information of many individuals is held by large internet companies and organisations. Do you think the advantages of this outweigh the disadvantages?

IELTS Essay Types

Essay types are all the rage since the time IELTS introduced essays, of which there were many. Consequently, it was difficult for candidates to determine what they should focus on. Categorizing these essays helped ease the tension. These essay types are prominent in the IELTS Task 2 section of the test, which we will explore in-depth. In total, there are 5 types of IELTS essays:

Opinion Essays
Discussion Essays
Problem–Solution Essays
Advantages and Disadvantages Essays
Double–Question Essays

We've given ample information related to them individually, but the information is compact enough to be absorbable. Let’s get down to it.

Opinion Essay

These IELTS essays deal more with your agreement or disagreement with a particular topic. Your best course of action would be to write the essay based on the strong arguments you can make about it. It’s pertinent that you stick to your opinion instead of wavering between both sides since consistency is key for such types of essays. The basic structure is usually along the following lines:

What your opinion is.
Whether you agree or disagree with the statement.
The extent to which you agree or disagree with the statement.

The IELTS essay structure for opinion essays is given in a tabulated form below. It is applicable in a top–to–bottom order.

Introduction

Paraphrase the question

State your opinion

Support it with two reasons

Main Body Paragraph #1: First Reason

Outline your first reason

Elaborate with examples

Main Body Paragraph #2: Second Reason

Outline your second reason

Elaborate with examples

Conclusion

Summarize crucial reasons

Provide closing comments

Discussion Essay

Discussion essays for IELTS are quite different from opinion essays for IELTS. Unlike opinion essays, discussion essays require you to argue for both sides. It’s not to say that your opinion on the matter cannot be stated. However, it has to match both the intent and the relevance of the topic, and opinions tend to digress from the main point in such essays, so their role is minimized.

Normally, one would think that it’s easier to write arguments you support first before writing arguments you oppose. However, we’ve found that the following points help develop a flow that’s well-suited for discussion-based essay writing:

Developing both sides of the argument.
Talking about the views you disagree with first.
Talking about the views you agree with the second.

In order to understand how discussion IELTS essays work in general, we must first know what the IELTS essay structure for them is like. This has been tabulated for your convenience below.

Introduction

Paraphrase the question

State your opinion

Support it with two reasons

Main Body Paragraph #1: Disagreeable Viewpoint

Outline the view you disagree with

Explain why people hold this view

Provide an example to support your arguments

Main Body Paragraph #2: Agreeable Viewpoint

Outline the view you agree with

Explain why people hold this view

Provide an example to support your arguments

Conclusion

Summarise crucial points

Provide closing comments

Problem Solution Essay

These essays are analytical in nature in that providing opinions will bear little fruit. Since these essays are largely about finding solutions to major (or minor) problems, logical, fact-based arguments are to be provided.

Problem-solution essays are also particularly difficult to write due to the nature of their structure. A common misconception that most test-takers hold is that providing a list of causes, effects, and solutions can help make their essay writing shine. That is not the case.

For one, the excess number of reasons would disintegrate the core focus of your arguments. Meaning, they can’t be explained in detail. Your arguments will grow lukewarm — not compelling — which is something you want to avoid.

For two, the ‘list’ of causes/effects/solutions may or may not have any interlinked logic. Usually, essays are all about interconnecting vital pieces of information to make a single but strong argument about the topic at hand. Failing this will make your essay brittle and disconnected; a common trap you must avoid if you value the marks you can get from it.

Here’s the actual structure behind writing a good problem–solution essay to prevent the above issues from happening.

Introduction

Paraphrase the question

State a key problem

Provide a good solution

Main Body Paragraph #1: Problem/Cause

Outline the problem

Explain the problem, why/how it happened

Provide an example

Main Body Paragraph #2: Solution/Prevention

Outline a solution you have in mind (keep a small number)

Explain the solution(s), why/how they’re good

Provide an example

Conclusion

Summarise crucial points

Provide closing comments

Advantages and Disadvantages Essay

These IELTS essays largely put forth the advantages and disadvantages of a particular topic at hand. Its nature is quite simple compared to the rest of the essay types. But once again, good practice suggests keeping your points under minimal numbers, since you will spend your time writing down logical explanations for them.

Advantages and disadvantages essays are special in that the structure they follow is subject to change, depending on the topic you’re writing about. It’s not that the structures for the other essay types cannot be changed at all; in fact, you can bend them to your needs. However, the structure for these essay types provides more malleability.

As a point of reference, here are two main structures for these essays.

Essay Structure 1

Essay Structure 2

Introduction

Paraphrase the question

Outline the statement provided

Introduction

Paraphrase the question

Outline the statement provided

Main Body Paragraph #1: Advantage

State one or two advantage(s)

Explain the advantage(s)

Provide an example

Main Body Paragraph #1: Advantage

State one or two advantage(s)

Explain the benefit(s), its causes, and effects

Explain the results of it

Main Body Paragraph #2: Disadvantage

State one or two disadvantage(s)

Explain the disadvantage(s)

Provide an example

Main Body Paragraph #2: Disadvantage

State one or two disadvantage(s)

Explain the problem(s), its causes, and effects

Explain the results of it

Conclusion

Summarize crucial points

Provide closing comments

Conclusion

Summarize crucial points

Provide closing comments

Double–Question Essay

This is probably the most interesting essay type so far. Why? Because it provides a single statement, and two questions related to it. The questions may or may not be interlinked, but you need to write your answers for both of them.

It’s the only essay in which not everything you write has to be interlinked, only related to the topic at hand. This gives you more headspace to map out separate elements at a time. Here’s a structure if you need it.

Introduction

Paraphrase the questions

Outline both answers

Main Body Paragraph #1: Answer for #1

Provide your answer to Question 1

Give arguments to support it

Provide an example

Main Body Paragraph #2: Answer for #2

Provide your answer to Question 2

Give arguments to support it

Provide an example

Conclusion

Summarize the questions and answers

Provide closing comments

Common Lines for IELTS Essay 2023

Writing essays with a formal tone can be difficult. However, that tends to be the case when you’re trying to start some paragraphs. We’ve found that starting a paragraph a certain way helps ease the reader into the content a bit. Here are some common types of useful lines you could use for your IELTS essay:

Introductory Phrases: You can introduce the topic by using phrases or sentences similar to the ones below.
Phrases of Exempli Gratia: In order to provide examples, you need an introductory sentence to go alongside it. Here are some phrases that you could use.
Phrases of Opposition: Whenever you’re making an opposing statement, it’s best to use phrases, sentences, or adverbs that emphasize the difference.
Phrases of Comparison: Comparing things is quite common in written texts, so the following phrases are useful in those situations.
Phrases of Conjunction: These words can help connect two different points together to make a single argument if need be.
Phrases of Opinion: Expressing an opinion can leave a daunting impression on the reader if done incorrectly. Make it clear to the reader that it’s subjective by using the following phrases whenever required.
Phrases of Consequence: The following phrases can help make the distinction between cause and effect clearer.
Phrases of Result: These phrases will help you jumpstart the answers to the arguments you put forth in the essay.

We’ve provided the keywords for each of those in a tabulated form below, so you will know exactly what those phrases are. Please bear in mind that the phrases are modular, so the correct usage depends entirely on how you’ve structured your essay and your writing style. It’s always better to understand how they’re used before you can bend them to your advantage.

Introductory Phrases	Phrases of Exempli Gratia	Phrases of Opposition	Phrases of Comparison	Phrases of Conjunction	Phrases of Opinion	Phrases of Consequence	Phrases of Result
This essay will analyze…	A good example of this is that…	However, it should be taken into account that…	... in contrast to…	Nevertheless	I believe that…	If–then/(only) if	As a result
It is commonly believed that…	For instance, …	Even so, it should be...	By comparison, …	In addition to	I think that…	(As/So) long as	As a consequence
It is undeniable that...	Such as…	Regardless…	Comparatively speaking, …	Likewise	Personally, …	Otherwise	Therefore
It is an established fact that...	It’s akin to…	On the contrary/contrarily speaking, …	On one hand–On the other	But	From my perspective	Unless	Accordingly
-	-	-	Meanwhile…	Nevertheless	To the best of my knowledge	Provided that	On that account
-	-	-	-	Additionally	-	-	For that reason
-	-	-	-	On top of that	-	-	-

How to Write Essay in IELTS 2023?

A good rule of thumb before writing anything is to follow a particular structure. This applies to any kind of writing, not only essays. Planning your writing out, mapping the contents spaciously, and understanding what to include and exclude can help tremendously. How?

Well, for one, writing about the topic will feel much easier for you since the organized structure will help you retain more ideas. And for two — and this is quite possibly the most important point regarding this — it’d help the readers digest what’s been written, and get a sense of your writing style.

That’s where the IELTS essay structure comes in. Although there are many ways to approach a structure for your IELTS essay, the tried–and–tested method is to follow the Band 9 Essay. Here’s how it works:

Introduction: Introduce the topic to the reader.
Body Paragraph I — Advantages: This section will contain everything that’s good about the topic you’re writing on.
Body Paragraph II — Disadvantages: This section is the opposite; write on how the topic has a negative impact on the reader.
Conclusion: Any extra, secondary information can be added here before formally closing the essay.

The length of the essay isn’t as much of an issue as the available time is. IELTS essays are usually within the 250–300–word range, but writing longhand can take a while. Understandably, 30 minutes may seem too short to finish your essay. Hence, we recommend strategizing your writing appropriately so that your time is optimized.

It also depends on what kind of essay you’re writing about. To prevent any information overload, we’ve provided their individual structures under the IELTS essay type section itself.

Top 5 Important Tips for Writing IELTS Essay

If you’re finding issues trying to grasp how to write IELTS essays well, then maybe following the tips and suggestions below will help you.

Take a few moments to grasp what’s been asked before you write anything so that you map what to write mentally.
See how magazines, news articles, and blog posts are written to influence yourself to write like them.
Understanding what to exclude from your writing is as important as understanding what to include in it.
During practice, shave your writing down by half its word count, and add new, relevant information.
You will almost always make a mistake in either the flow, the logic, or the grammar, so proofread your essay without fail.

It’s a lot to take in, but so long as you take it slowly, most of the information in this article is actually a piece of cake to follow through! If there’s anything more you’d like to know about the IELTS essay topics, feel free to put your thoughts down below in the comments section.

Or post your experience of writing the IELTS exams! Share your thoughts, your personal tips, what you liked or disliked about the exam, or anything crucial that you want others to know about it.