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The Structure of an essay 
Every essay should have this exact structure:
Introduction (1 paragraph in 2 or 3 sentences)
Body Paragraphs (2 or 3 paragraphs each in 5 or 6 sentences) 
Conclusion (1 paragraph in 2 or 3 sentences) 
It looks very simple; however, the structure and the paragraphing of your essay 
are very important because your grade is affected by them. Remember that 
practice and hard work make perfect. 
 
 

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 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
6 
Suggested timing for Task 2 
Here is a suggestion of an ideal timing for Task 2. If you cannot make it for the 
first couple of your writings, don’t panic. It will take time and practice to reach 
this plan. 
You have 40 minutes for writing Task 2, and I suggest that you: 
Spend the first 10 minutes planning your essay structure and 
brainstorming ideas for the two main body paragraphs. 
Spend 5 minutes writing your 2-sentence introduction. 
Spend 20 minutes on the main body (10 minutes for each paragraph). 
Spend the last 5 minutes writing your conclusion and checking 
everything. 
Through this pamphlet, we will look into it with more details. 
Note:
These are suggestions, not rules. Students are often surprised by the 10-
minute planning time. A good plan helps you to write your essay much faster 
than you think. 

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 IELTS
 JOURNAL 
 
7 
Paragraphing Styles 
In writing essays, there are 2 possible paragraphing styles, as you see below. In style A, we 
start writing from the beginning of the line, and we leave one complete line blank and 
empty between the paragraphs. In style B, we do not start from the beginning of the line 
and instead we indent, we leave some space, at the beginning of the line, but then we do 
not leave any empty or blank lines between the paragraphs. There is no rule to this, and it 
more of a matter of personal preference. No matter what style you choose, but remember 
not to write a mix of these two styles. Stick to the one you are more comfortable with.