WRITING TASK 2

DIRECT QUESTION
ESSAY
 How do you know if it is
a ‘direct question’ essay?
• Also known as ‘double question’ essay ‘two
question’ essay or ‘two-part question’ essay.
• It can be only one question, WH-question or
Yes/No question.
• It is possible to get more than two questions.
• They have one statement with one, two or
three different questions after it.
• The questions may or may not be linked.
 Examples of ‘direct question’ essay
(one question)
Some people say that TV advertisements are helpful for viewers, while others
disagree.

What is your opinion?

These days, older people who have retired often choose to

spend money on themselves (for example on holidays) rather
than save money for their children.

Is this a positive or negative development?

 Examples of ‘direct question’ essay
(one question)

Today, some young people say that their mobile phones are the most important thing they own.
Do you think that the popularity of mobile phones is a good or bad thing?

These days some people spend a lot of money on tickets to go to sporting or cultural events.
Do you think this is a positive or negative development?
 Examples of ‘direct question’ essays
(double questions essay)
Happiness is often considered difficult to define. Why is this?
What factors determine happiness?

Success is often measured by wealth and material

possessions.
Do you think wealth is the best measure of success?
What makes a successful person?
 Examples of ‘direct question’ essays
(double questions essay)

Nowadays the government is investing more in public

transport such as buses and trains rather than
building new roads.
What is the reason for this?
Is this a positive or negative development?
 Examples of ‘direct question’ essay
(double questions essay)
Living in large cities today poses many problems for people.
•What are these problems?
•Should the government encourage more people to live in
small towns?

Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve growing

traffic and pollution problems.
•To what extent do you agree or disagree?
•What other measures do you think might be effective?
 Examples of ‘direct question’ essay
(double questions essay)
Some parents buy their children whatever they ask for,
and allow their children to do whatever they want.
•Is this a good way to raise children?
•What consequences could this style of parenting have
for children as they get older?
 Examples of ‘direct question’ essay
(double questions essay)
The arts, including art, music and theatre are
considered to be important in society.
•Do you think the arts still have a place amongst our
modern lifestyles?
•Should the arts be included in the school curriculum?
 Examples of ‘direct question’ essay
(double questions essay)

Many youngsters have unsupervised access to the internet and use

it to contact other people, friends, and strangers.

What issues do children face when going online without their

parents supervising?
How can these problems be solved?
 Examples of ‘direct question’ essay
(double questions essay)

Some people believe that nowadays too much money is being spent
on weddings and birthdays.

Why do you think it is happening?

What can be done to improve the situation?
 Sample question 1
Women and men are commonly
seen as having different strengths
and weaknesses.

Is it right to exclude males or

females from certain professions
because of their gender?
Paragraph Structure
• The paragraph structure you can use for this type of essay is like in an opinion essay:

Paragraph 1- Introduction
• Sentence 1- Paraphrase Question
• Sentence 2- Thesis Statement
• Sentence 3- Outline Statement (Optional)

Paragraph 2- supporting paragraph 1

• Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
• Sentence 2-3 - Explain topic sentence
• Sentence 4 - Example
• Sentence 5 – a short summary of your ideas in this paragraph (optional)

Paragraph 3- supporting paragraph 2

• Sentence 1 - Topic sentence
• Sentence 2-3 - Explain topic sentence
• Sentence 4 - Example
• Sentence 5 – a short summary of your ideas in this paragraph (optional)

Paragraph 4- Conclusion
• Summary
 Males and females are often viewed as having differing skill sets. It is agreed
that it is correct to exclude people from certain jobs on the basis of their gender, but
only in very limited circumstances. This essay will first discuss how physical attributes
prevent women from excelling in particular roles; secondly discuss how society at large
rejects men from undertaking certain careers, followed by a reasoned conclusion.
For many years the general consensus in the armed forces is that women
should not be allowed to participate in combat missions. This is because most women
lack the brute strength required for this particular occupation and it is therefore right to
prevent them from joining the ranks. For example, the American Army recently allowed
some women to fight on the front line and the Department of Defense deemed the
experiment a failure, due to lack of fighting effectiveness. Despite this, many women
have fought in many wars, famously on the Eastern Front for Russia and the Viet Cong in
Vietnam, so maybe it is men’s’ attitudes that prevent them performing rather than their
stature.
Society has yet to accept men in many traditionally female positions, such as
nanny or beautician. Businesses feel that it is fine to not hire men for these posts
because most of their customers would not be willing to have a man perform that
service. I personally know of one example when a friend failed at the interview stage
when applying to become kindergarten teacher because he was the wrong sex.
To summarize, in limited circumstances it is just to prohibit people from certain
occupations, but only if they cannot physically perform or if the general consensus is
that it is a single sex post.
 Sample question 2
The arts, including art, music and theatre are
considered to be important in society.
•Do you think the arts still have a place amongst
our modern lifestyles?
•Should the arts be included in the school
curriculum?
 Paragraph Structure
Paragraph 1 – Introduction
Paragraph 2 – Body Paragraph 1
Answer Question 1
Paragraph 3 – Body Paragraph 2
Answer Question 2
Paragraph 4 – Conclusion
 Paragraph 1
Introduction

Sentence 1- Paraphrase question

Sentence 2- Outline sentence (say what you will
discuss in the rest of the essay)
 Paragraph 1
Paraphrasing and outline sentence
The arts, including art, music and theatre are
considered to be important in society.

Creative pleasures such as viewing fine arts,

listening to music and watching a play are treated by
many as enjoyable and essential as part of their
everyday living. Firstly, this essay will discuss how the
arts are a crucial element in most people’s lives and
secondly will discuss how it is vital that creative
subjects are included in the school’s curriculum.
 Paragraph 2
Answer Question 1

Sentence 3 - Topic sentence

Sentence 4-5 - Explain / give details
Sentence 6-7 - Example
 Firstly, the creative arts, such as paintings, sculptures,
music and theatre have a long and ardent history throughout
the ages. They have grown and evolved with the times,
appealing to new generations every year, in order to keep being
a part of everyday life. People enjoy the arts, often as an escape
from their lives, listening to music they enjoy, going to see a
play with friends or visiting galleries and museums to see
paintings, photography or sculptures. For example, a study from
the New York Times in 2017 showed that over 75% of New
Yorkers said that they regularly visited the cities art galleries,
museums and theatres. A further 35% said that they donated
money regularly to art societies, for the preservation of the
collections, so they can continue for many years to come.
 Paragraph 3
Answer Question 2

Sentence 8 - Topic sentence

Sentence 9-11 - Explain / give details
Sentence 12-13 - Example
 Secondly, many people develop a love for the arts
early in life, when they are at school. In my opinion, I
think that a range of arts subjects should be included in
the school curriculum, as not all students are ‘left
brained’ enjoying logical, core subjects like mathematics.
Others are more ‘right brained’ where they enjoy being
creative, whether that is in writing, painting or making
music. Children should be encouraged to find their
talents at school and develop them for their own
enjoyment and advancement. For instance, St. Cuthberts
school in the north of England dedicated 40% of the
curriculum of creative subjects, including fine art,
pottery, music, drama and dance. Those subjects proved
to enhance school results by over 25% in 2017.
 Paragraph 4
Conclusion
Sentence 14 - Summary of the Main Points
Sentence 15 - Give a recommendation
 In conclusion, there are clear benefits to
individuals who are passionate about the arts
and find enjoyment in them regularly. If more
people tried to become involved in the arts,
then perhaps they would find a way to allow
themselves time to become creative or to
relax, while learning something new.
 Creative pleasures such as viewing fine arts, listening to music and watching a play are
treated by many as enjoyable and essential as part of their everyday living. Firstly, this essay will
discuss how the arts are a crucial element in most people’s lives and secondly will discuss how it is
vital that creative subjects are included in the school’s curriculum.

Firstly, the creative arts, such as paintings, sculptures, music and theatre have a long and
ardent history throughout the ages. They have grown and evolved with the times, appealing to new
generations every year, in order to keep being a part of everyday life. People enjoy the arts, often as
an escape from their lives, listening to music they enjoy, going to see a play with friends or visiting
galleries and museums to see paintings, photography or sculptures. For example, a study from the
New York Times in 2017 showed that over 75% of New Yorkers said that they regularly visited the
cities art galleries, museums and theatres. A further 35% said that they donated money regularly to art
societies, for the preservation of the collections, so they can continue for many years to come.

Secondly, many people develop a love for the arts early in life, when they are at school. In
my opinion, I think that a range of arts subjects should be included in the school curriculum, as not all
students are ‘left brained’ enjoying logical, core subjects like mathematics. Others are more ‘right
brained’ where they enjoy being creative, whether that is in writing, painting or making music.
Children should be encouraged to find their talents at school and develop them for their own
enjoyment and advancement. For instance, St. Cuthberts school in the north of England dedicated 40%
of the curriculum of creative subjects, including fine art, pottery, music, drama and dance. Those
subjects proved to enhance school results by over 25% in 2017.

In conclusion, there are clear benefits to individuals who are passionate about the arts and
find enjoyment in them regularly. If more people tried to become involved in the arts, then perhaps
they would find a way to allow themselves time to become creative or to relax, while learning
something new.
 Sample question 3
Nowadays the way people interact with each
other has changed because of technology.

•In what ways has technology affected the

types of relationships people make?
•Has this become a positive or negative
development?
 Modern advancements have altered the way we communicate with one
another. This essay will discuss how we can now form bonds with people all over the
world, and then state that on the whole, this is a very welcome development.
For the first time in human history, people can communicate with someone
they have never met before, in a country they have never been to, through the
internet. These may not be the same kind of friendships we traditionally form face-to-
face, but it is hard to dispute that they are not ‘relationships’. Social media, such as
Facebook and Instagram, provide a platform that allows us to chat and comment on
someone else’s life instantaneously. For example, there are now IELTS groups on
Facebook where students can help and support each other by providing helpful
resources and feedback on essays.
Overall, this new phenomenon has great benefits, principally encouraging
tolerance of other cultures. Before computers we hardly ever came across someone
from another culture, let alone people from a myriad of different places in one
Facebook group. This has led to people understanding that we are all mostly the same
and you should not judge someone because they were born in a different place. For
example, thousands of Palestinians and Israelis have joined the same online groups
that show support for peace and solidarity, something that would not have been
possible 25 years ago.
In conclusion, the web has changed our interactions forever, making the
world a global village where people can freely chat and form lasting connections and
this essay only sees this as a good thing that will continue to bring citizens of the
world together.