IELTS Writing Task 2: Staying on Topic 💡

As usual, I won't hand you the answer on a silver platter. I'll invite you to think first.

Below are two short excepts with the same key argument. Which one seems on topic and which one seems off topic? Why?

Topic: "Many students find it harder to study when they are at university or college than when they were at school. Why is this? What can be done to solve the problem?"

1️⃣
"The second reason is that students often find part-time jobs when they are at university. In many countries, tertiary education is not free, and tuition fees are exorbitant, which means students have to start working very early to put themselves through college. In countries where higher education itself is free, students still have to get jobs to cover their living costs as the stipends or financial aid are typically not high enough to cover rent, food, and entertainment."

2️⃣
"The second reason is that students often find part-time jobs when they are at university. Whether they do so to cover tuition fees or to earn some pocket money, the result is that they fall behind on their studies as they do not have the time to do what is required, for example, to attend lectures, to complete the background reading, or to do the proper research for their writing assignments. As a consequence, the amount of material they have to cover piles up each week, making it harder to catch up and to progress."

See how the same key argument can go in different directions?

The first piece goes off topic because it focuses on money. The second piece stays on topic because it focuses on studies. 💡

To help yourself stay on topic, brainstorm for some things typically associated with the topic. What do people do when they study at university? They go to lectures, they read text books, they do writing assignments etc. Connect your key argument to these things.

PS: Yes, I know "pile up" and "catch up" are too informal, but my brain is not braining this morning. What would you use instead?

#ieltswriting #ieltswritingtask2