IELTS Writing Task 2: How to Write an Introduction That Sets Up a Band 7+ Essay

The introduction is the first thing the examiner reads, and in the space of two or three sentences it tells them whether you have understood the question and know where your essay is going. Get it right and the rest of the essay has a clear road to follow. Get it wrong — copy the prompt word-for-word, or ramble for five sentences before saying anything — and you start on the back foot. The good news is that a strong Task 2 introduction follows a short, repeatable formula. This guide shows you exactly how to build one.

What the introduction is actually for

In IELTS Writing Task 2 you write a discursive essay of at least 250 words in roughly 40 minutes, and it is marked on four equally weighted criteria: Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. The introduction pulls its weight mainly on the first two. It proves you have grasped the question (Task Response) and it maps out your answer so the reader knows what is coming (Coherence and Cohesion). A muddled or missing introduction quietly damages both.

It does not need to be long. Two sentences is often ideal; three is plenty. Length lives in the body paragraphs, where you develop and support your ideas — not in the opening.

The two-part formula

Almost every high-scoring introduction contains exactly two moves, in this order:

1. Paraphrase the question. Restate the topic in your own words to show you understand it — do not copy the prompt.
2. State your thesis. Give your position and, where useful, a one-line outline of what your essay will cover.

That is the whole structure. Background sentence, then thesis. Master those two sentences and you have a reliable opening for every question type.

Move 1: Paraphrase the question

The single most common mistake is copying the task prompt straight into the introduction. Copied words are not counted toward your word total and demonstrate no lexical range, so they earn nothing. Instead, reword the topic by changing vocabulary and, where possible, grammatical structure.

Take this prompt: "Some people believe that university students should pay the full cost of their studies. To what extent do you agree or disagree?" A weak opening copies it. A strong paraphrase might read: "It is sometimes argued that undergraduates ought to cover the entire expense of their own education." Same meaning, fresh wording, no lifted phrases. If reformulating the topic feels difficult, our guide to paraphrasing techniques breaks the skill into steps you can practise.

Move 2: State your thesis

The thesis is where you answer the question directly. Vague openings like "This essay will discuss both sides" are safe but weak, because on an opinion essay the examiner still cannot tell what you think. Commit to a clear position and, if the question invites it, signal your two main reasons.

For the university-fees prompt above, a clear thesis could be: "While there is a case for shared funding, I firmly believe that governments should continue to subsidise higher education, both to widen access and to benefit the wider economy." Notice it states a position and previews the two ideas the body will develop.

Templates you can adapt by question type

Do not memorise whole introductions — examiners recognise pre-learned language and it can be penalised. A flexible skeleton you fill with the specific topic, however, is fair game.

• Agree / disagree: "It is often claimed that [paraphrased topic]. In my view, [your position], primarily because [reason 1] and [reason 2]."
• Discuss both views and give your opinion: "[Paraphrased topic] divides opinion. This essay will consider both [view A] and [view B] before explaining why I believe [your position]."
• Advantages / disadvantages: "[Paraphrased trend] has become increasingly common. While it brings clear benefits such as [benefit], this essay will argue that the drawbacks are more significant."
• Problem / solution: "[Paraphrased problem] is a growing concern. This essay will examine its main causes and propose realistic ways to address it."

For how these openings fit into a full essay, see our Band 7 Task 2 structure guide, and pair this with our post on writing a strong conclusion so your essay is bookended cleanly.

Common introduction mistakes to avoid

• Copying the prompt. Lifted phrases earn nothing and show no range. Always paraphrase.
• Being too general. Openers like "Nowadays, in the modern world, technology is everywhere" waste sentences without addressing the specific question.
• Hiding your opinion. On an opinion essay, an examiner should know your position by the end of the introduction, not have to hunt for it in the conclusion.
• Over-writing. A five-sentence introduction eats time you need for the body. Keep it to two or three sentences.
• A thesis that does not match the body. If you preview two reasons, your body paragraphs must actually deliver them.

Practise, then check

The fastest way to improve is to write introductions for ten different prompts in one sitting — just the opening two sentences each — until paraphrasing and thesis-writing become automatic. Then write full essays and get objective feedback: our free AI writing checker scores your essay against the four official criteria and flags exactly where your Task Response and cohesion are losing marks, so you can see whether your introduction is doing its job. A clear, confident opening is one of the easiest gains in Task 2 — spend a week on it and it becomes a habit you never have to think about again.