Direct Question Essay IELTS: Tips, Structure, Sample Questions & Answers

Over the years, the IELTS writing task 2 has included a variety of essay types such as opinion essays, problem/solution, or advantage/disadvantage essays. Direct Question Essay IELTS is also known as a “double question” or “two questions” essay as it is composed of two distinct questions.

The direct questions are very specific and direct as the name suggests. Though direct questions are not common in IELTS writing tasks, if you master this type of essay, it will be easier for you to structure all the other types of essays as well. The direct questions in IELTS have to be answered in 250 words. The same will be scored based on the essay’s vocabulary, grammar, and word count.

Tips to Ace the Direct Question Essay IELTS Writing Task 2

Though there are several relevant examples and solutions essays for the direct question task available over the internet, some of the tips that can be practised for writing a Direct Question Essay in the IELTS test are:

• Take some time to understand the question type and then plan the answer before you actually start attempting the IELTS writing task.
• Write the essay in a formal tone.
• Strictly follow the word count. The essay should at least be 250 words, not less than that. You will get 40 minutes to write the exam, so aim for 250-270 words.
• Follow a proper content structure, wherein you begin with an introduction paragraph and then end the essay with a crisp conclusion paragraph, with a two-part body paragraph between these two.
• Make sure that your introduction is strong and in coherence with the assigned topic or asked question. Your introduction is the part that can get your reader hooked on your essay and encourage them to read further.
• Answer the questions asked and state the reasons for your statements in the main body paragraph of the essay.
• Use proper and refined grammar and vocabulary. It helps the examiner evaluate your knowledge of the language and proficiency in the same.
• Provide relevant real-life examples in your content. Supporting your statements with specific reasons and proper examples that emphasise your point can help you get a better IELTS score.

IELTS Direct Question Essay Structure

You must follow a certain structure while writing your Direct Question Essay IELTS. The structure for the same is as follows:

Introduction Paragraph

Your essay should always begin with an introduction paragraph. You can paraphrase the question in this paragraph and also give an introduction to what you will be discussing further in the body paragraphs.

Body Paragraph 1

In this paragraph, you can address the question and discuss the response to the first question, along with relevant examples.

Body Paragraph 2

Herein, you can discuss the details and answer the second question or the second part of the question, along with examples.

Conclusion Paragraph

Conclude the entire essay here, and summarize the content and main points of the essay in the conclusion part.

Most of the questions in the IELTS exams come with specific prompts that are easy to recognise and help you to shape your answers further. Some of these prompts are:

• Is this development positive or negative?
• Discuss the views on X and give your opinion on the same.
• Do the advantages of X outweigh its disadvantages?
• To what extent do you agree or disagree with the given statement.

Also Read: Updated List Vocabuly for IELTS

Direct Essay Question: Evaluation Factors

Some of the factors that are used for marking and evaluating Direct Question Essay IELTS – Writing Task 2 are:

Task Achievement 

The essay should provide a complete answer to both the questions asked and support the same with relevant and real-life examples.

Lexical Resource

The essay should be written with a wide range of vocabulary, and there should be no errors in the essay.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy

The essay should not have any grammatical errors. The sentences should have a different range of structures. 

Coherence & Cohesion

The solution essay should be divided into clear paragraphs that must maintain a logical flow throughout the whole essay. Each body paragraph should highlight one main idea. The main body paragraphs should have cohesive links to ensure a proper flow in the essay.

Direct Essay IELTS Sample Questions

Practice is the only way to improve your writing skills and ace your IELTS writing tasks. Some of the topics and related sample questions that you can study for your Direct Question Essay IELTS practice are:

News

News plays a very important role in the lives of most people. Why is news so important to many people? Why is a lot of news dedicated to the bad news sections? Should news channels give more news and focus on the good news instead?

Happiness

What do you understand by ‘happiness’? How can people achieve it? Can money or material belongings help a person become happy?

Family

In some parts of the world, people are becoming more focused on connecting with older people and researching their history. Why do you think people want to do this? Is it a positive or negative development?

Internet

There is too much news and information circulating on the internet nowadays. Is the information on the internet reliable? How can it be controlled?

Success

How can success be measured? How can one become a successful person? Do you think wealth is an important factor or the best measure of success for a person?

Industry

Companies often employ a variety of methods to boost and improve the sales of their products. What are the generally employed methods? Out of them, which one is the most effective method?

Lifestyle

It is often said, ‘when in Rome, do as the Romans do’. Do you agree with this? Do you think that people should adapt to the culture of the country that they visit or live in?

Also Read: IELTS Band Score 2022:Chart & Scoring System

Foreign Language Direct Question Essay IELTS Sample 

A sample of the Direct Question Essay IELTS Writing Test 2 is given below for your reference:

Question

In advertising nowadays, businesses usually highlight and emphasise that their products are new in some way. Why do businesses practice this? Do you think this development is a positive practice or a negative one?

Solution Essay

Businesses have recently been highlighting through their promotional materials that their products include ‘new features’ different from those that are already existing. There can be many reasons for incorporating this move, such as gaining other people’s attention or justifying the increase in the price of their products. Though this is a positive strategy, it also has some negative consequences.

To begin with, businesses always highlight the latest design features or technologies of their products to attract a lot of their customers. This, in my opinion, is a good step ahead because it will make the decision-making process for the customers more manageable. Customers would not have to conduct in-depth research on the products as the marketing team would have already done the basic groundwork for them. Businesses can also justify the price increase and therefore gain more profit.

On the other hand, this marketing strategy has some negative consequences. Businesses can make minor product changes and claim that they have changed them. In this way, they can manipulate their targeted customers by informing them that their products are equipped with the most recent features compared to previous or existing versions. They can also raise the price of the products while making only minor changes. As a result, in some ways, this marketing strategy can be deceptive to consumers.

Lastly, in their promotional activities, businesses place a greater emphasis on the new features of their products. This marketing strategy has resulted in some positive developments, such as targeted customers purchasing their products. However, by manipulating capitalists, this marketing method can have a negative impact on customers.

Conclusion

Direct Questions are the specific two-part questions asked in IELTS Writing Exam Part 2. 40 minutes are provided to write an essay of 250 words for Direct Question IELTS. 

You can practice for the Direct Question Essay IELTS by writing on various topics available, including the internet itself, lifestyle, success, news, happiness, industry trends, and the like. It is very important to understand the question and its parts before attempting the direct question essay. You must form an idea with a precise opinion and relevant examples. The word limit is a factor that you should strictly abide by. Try to frame the essay logically so that there is a consistent flow throughout all your arguments. 

As they say, ‘Practise makes perfect,’ so keep practising to achieve your goal band score. 

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