Simon’s ielts writing task 2

Choose one method for writing essays and use this method every time you practise or take 
the test.
Imagine a tennis player who decides to change her / his serving action, or a guitarist who 
experiments with a new way of holding the instrument, or an artist who decides to paint in a new 
style. In each case, the person's performance will probably get worse before it gets better. 
But this is what I see happening with many IELTS students. Some of them keep trying new ways of 
writing, while others haven't thought about having a 'method' at all - they write each essay in a 
different way without realising it. Consequently, their scores either fluctuate or stay the same. 
The only way to hone* your writing skill is to choose a method or way of writing and then 
practise it as much as possible.
*hone = to perfect, refine, improve, sharpen
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Simon
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IELTS Writing Task 2
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Wednesday, November 29, 2017 
IELTS Writing Task 2: same topic, different angle 
Old exam questions are not reused in the writing test. However, there are some common 
topics
that 
come up again and again. Look at the two questions below, for example: 
1) In the developed world, average life expectancy is increasing. What problems will this 
cause for individuals and society? Suggest some measures that could be taken to reduce the 
impact of ageing populations.
2) At the present time, the population of some countries includes a relatively large number of 
young adults, compared with the number of older people. Do the advantages of this situation 
outweigh the disadvantages?
Can you see how the IELTS writers are looking at basically the same topic here, but from a different 
angle*? 
- Number 1 is a 'problem and solution' question about ageing populations. 
- Number 2 is a 'discussion and opinion'** question about younger populations. 

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Compiled by Diyorbek Hayitmurodov ielts-simon.com Page 198 
You can see my essay for question 1 
here
. Question 2 comes from Cambridge IELTS book 12, and 
we'll look at this question over the next few weeks. 
*from a different angle = from a different perspective / position
**Write about both sides, but make it clear which side you think 'outweighs' the other