Hi Students! Here is the Task 2 writing question that we covered recently. Remember to get editing feedback on your writing by clicking, “Task 1 or Task 2” green buttons in your My Student Account at www.gieltshelp.com/full-course/ (Use code A8TW9 to get a 10% discount when you join the Premium Package) Good studies.

IELTS Task 2 Writing

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Many people spend a large amount of money on celebrating birthdays and weddings. Discuss the views and opinions of this trend.

Write at least 250 words.

Based on the question this is clearly a third-person voice persuasive essay.

A lot of individuals pay thousands of dollars to commemorate birthdays and marriages. Explain the perspectives of this custom.

TOPIC (What are we discussing?) = Expensive weddings and birthdays
Controlling idea = the views and opinions surrounding this trend.

What is an expensive wedding or birthday? (Clear qualitative and quantitative response)
Spending thousands of dollars on the celebration requires a significant time to save, months or years.

What are the simplest perspectives in regards to this trend of ‘overspending’? It’s good practice vs. bad practice (it justified or unreasonable)
Why is it a good idea to spend a lot of money on such celebrations?
To show social status, to commemorate a once-in-a-lifetime event, to experience luxury, to create extreme happiness and motivation, to strengthen family and social bonds

Why is it a bad idea to spend a lot of money on such events?
Can create debt which leads to stress. The money can be better used for other purposes like education, business, house and car which are longer lasting. Money can be better invested elsewhere.

How do I decide which point to mention first and which to mention second?
*Mention the point that you disagree with, or support less, first, and the view which you support more, second because as an author you want to leave our reader with the side that you support.

What are the four standard types of essays in English literature?

1. Narrative, 2. Expository, 3. Descriptive, 4. Persuasive

Which of these four is IELTS Task 2? Persuasive Essay – you are persuading (convincing) your reader of an idea – ***If this is new information, make sure to research and Google – “Persuasive writing in English”

What voices can an author use in writing?

First-person, – the subjective personal view of the author, using “I, me, my, myself”
Second-person, – the instructive voice of the author, meaning, the author speaks directly to the reader, “you, your, yourself”
***All writing is some combination of the four basic writing styles and author’s voices.
Third-person voice of the author – the object voice of the author which gives a general truth and avoids using “I and you”

Golden Rule! You should never mix the voices of the author as this is very confusing and considered bad writing – if you do this, you will lose band scores.

In IELTS Task 2 questions, which voice should you use to write your essay?
Either first- or third-person voice. How do you know which one to use? You should decide this based on the wording of the question.

Thesis:

Some individuals believe that spending much money on wedding and birthday celebrations is wasteful because it could be invested better elsewhere, but others support this practice as commemorating such important events strengthen families’ bonds and encourage people’s achievements.

INTRODUCTION (hook + background + thesis)

Millions of dollars are spent on birthdays and weddings each year. Certain people choose to spend years of savings, thousands of dollars, on a single celebration such as a marriage or birthday ceremony, and this decision has a significant impact on lives. Therefore, some individuals believe that spending much money on wedding and birthday celebrations is wasteful because it could be invested better elsewhere, but others support this practice as commemorating such important events strengthen families’ bonds and encourage people’s achievements.
BODY 1 (Topic sentence + explanation + example + connecting/concluding sentence)  (Your topic sentence is a deeper definition of your thesis point 1: it’s better to invest the wedding funds elsewhere)

For long-term benefits, it is arguably more advantageous to spend large sums of money on education and business than on a single-day event such as a wedding. (Explanation) Although it is true that many people have a day filled with fun at a 50-thousand-dollar luxurious wedding, the couples being celebrated can have years of luxurious life if that money is spent on post-graduate tuition fees or establishing a business. (Example) Rather than spending tens of thousands of dollars on a destination wedding to Hawaii, with lobster for the main course, the parents could wisely choose to purchase a Starbucks Coffee shop for the couple as a wedding gift which could bring them years of passive income. This is definitely one perspective on the trend of overpriced weddings and birthdays.

BODY 2

Expensive marriage and birthday festivities provide unique opportunities for extended families, colleagues, and friends to gather and build mutual respect and collaboration. In addition, these events also emphasize the importance of the individuals being celebrated, thereby motivating them to build families and achieve a level of success that can continue such luxuries in the future. At weddings and birthdays, people can network and form relationships that lead to business ventures and future relationships. In addition, the individuals also desire to repeat the same for their children twenty years down the road. On a destination wedding to Hawaii, during the lobster dinner, the couple may get into a conversation with their uncle and decide to open a restaurant together in the future. Meanwhile, their cousin can meet their future husband at the same event.

CONCLUSION (restatement of my points, strengthen the argument, take-home-message)

In conclusion, certain people ascertain that expensive birthday and wedding celebrations are an unwise use of funds while others feel it is a great investment. Certainly, thousands of dollars can be put towards long-term goals, however, it can also be spent fruitfully on a single day’s event. Oftentimes, not only do people’s most memorable events originate from a wedding celebration, but also their lifelong business partner or spouse.