IELTS Writing task 2: How to brainstorm ideas in minutes

You can generate strong ideas for the IELTS Writing task 2 by understanding the question type and using simple brainstorming techniques like the 5W + H method to explore different perspectives. You can just focus on two clear ideas and support them with logical explanations and real-world examples.

How exactly do you do this?

First, you have to be familiar with the topics commonly asked about in IELTS Writing Task 2. 

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IELTS Writing Task 2 questions usually focus on broad, real-world issues that anyone can relate to. You don’t need to be an expert, but having a general understanding helps a lot.

Here are the most common topics:

• Education

• Environment

• Health

• Technology

• Crime and Punishment

• Globalization

• Government Policies

• Social Issues

• Work and Employment

• Media and Advertising

In this guide, we will discuss some key strategies to help you generate ideas when writing about any of these topics. But first—let’s address a dreaded question: 

The IELTS Writing Task 2 does not test how much you know about a topic. It’s testing how well you can write about it in English.

So instead of stressing over coming up with the most brilliant idea ever, just aim for simple, general ideas—the kind that would pop into the average person’s mind. You don’t have to be an expert. You just have to pick a side and defend it logically.

And if you’re thinking, “But the practice questions I’ve seen are so hard!”

Many unofficial practice questions are harder than what you’ll see on the real test. 

The actual exam usually gives you more relatable topics.

In the IELTS Prepare Hub, you’ll see accurate Writing Task 2 practice tests that are closer to actual test questions. Be sure to practise with them!

Now, let’s hop on to how you can generate ideas quickly in your IELTS Writing test.

Don’t ever skip this step!

Read the question twice or more to make sure you understand exactly what it’s asking for. You don’t want to spend your time writing only to realise that you misunderstood the question.

Here’s an example of why you should read the essay prompt carefully. 

Quick Guide to IELTS Essay Types

Prompt 1: Healthcare costs are increasing, and many governments are finding it difficult to balance their healthcare budget. Should citizens be responsible for their health with private health insurance, or should the government provide free healthcare for all? 

Discuss your viewpoint on this issue.

Prompt 2: Some feel that a country can't be economically progressive and environmentally friendly at the same time. Others disagree with this view.

Discuss both points of view and give your opinion.

Take a look at the sentences in bold. They are two different instructions. 

First prompt: It asks for your opinion on the issue. You need to choose a side (government-funded healthcare or private insurance) and explain why you support it.

Second prompt: It asks you to discuss both sides of the argument first—why some people think economic progress and environmental protection can't go together and why others believe they can. Only after that should you give your own opinion. 

Phew! That’s a lot! But when you get familiar with the question types, it’ll be easier for you to distinguish them. 

Pro Tip: Reword the Question in Simple Words

Some questions may sound complex, but they are not. You simply have to break them down. 

If the question feels confusing, rewrite it in your own words before brainstorming. This will help you clarify the topic and focus your ideas.

Question: Some people believe online education is more effective than traditional classroom learning. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Simplified version: Is online learning better than classroom learning? Why or why not?

Now, let’s move on to the first strategy you can use to generate ideas!

Mind mapping helps you generate ideas quickly for IELTS Writing Task 2 by using keywords, phrases, and images. It connects ideas and shows how they relate to the main topic.

How to use this strategy

Let’s apply this strategy to the essay prompt:

Step 1:  Identify the main topic

The question asks you whether you agree or disagree with this last sentence: Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged, and international laws should be introduced to control car ownership and use.

To identify the main topic, ask yourself: 

• To what issue should I agree or disagree? 

Answer: controlling car ownership

Step 2: Unpack the question

Highlight the main keywords that tell you what you should do in your essay. It also tells you what the question type is. Here is an in-depth guide to the IELTS Writing Task 2: Question Types and how to understand them.

For this question, you should choose whether to agree or not, and answer that in your essay:

Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged, and international laws should be introduced to control car ownership and use. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Step 3: Add more keywords

In normal mind maps, you’ll list down anything that comes to your mind when you think of a certain topic. Then, you will organise them. 

But to save you more time in your IELTS Writing Task 2, use the question type as a guide. For this example, the question asks you whether you agree or disagree with controlling car ownership. Hence, you will then list down keywords for each stance. Here’s a sample mind map:

Notice how the related keywords are the positives (on the left) and negatives (on the right) of car ownership? 

Now, which of these things matters more to you? Is it more important to you that more people can freely travel when more of them have cars? Or is it more important to you to decrease pollution by limiting car ownership?

From these ideas, ask yourself: Do you agree that car ownership should be controlled or not? 

Step 4: Use your keywords as the outline of your essay

After mind mapping, you finally have a starting point. This way, you were able to generate ideas, plus you won’t be rambling randomly in your essay. Through mind mapping, you’ll have a structure for your thoughts. 

Give this strategy a try! Here’s a sample prompt from our IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice Test. 

The "5W + H" trick is a powerful way to generate multiple ideas for your IELTS Writing Task 2 essay. By simply asking Who, What, Where, When, Why, and How, you can break down any topic and come up with a variety of angles to explore. 

How to use this strategy

Let’s apply this to the same essay prompt:

Now, your goal here is whether to agree or disagree and choose a stance you can defend. Let’s see how the 5W + H can help. 

What 

• What is the topic all about (the main idea)?

• Answer: There are too many cars on British roads.

You can also ask yourself: What is the problem being talked about? What is the main issue presented? 

Who

• Who might benefit or not benefit from this?

Answer:

• Beneficiaries: Car owners, car manufacturers, and industries that rely on cars. 

• Negatively affected: People living in crowded cities, pedestrians, the environment, and cyclists.

Where

Depending on the question, answering the “where” can be relevant or not in your brainstorming. 

• Where might car use be a bigger problem?

• Answer: In major cities, it can cause traffic and pollution.

When

You might find the answer to this in the question. But on some, you might not. In those cases, you can skip answering the ‘when’. 

• When did car ownership become a big issue?

Answer:

• Post-World War II: Mass production of cars led to rapid increases in ownership.

• Since the 1980s: Globalization and urbanization have increased car dependency, especially in developed countries.

Why

• Why is controlling car ownership important?

• Answer: Reduces traffic, pollution, and health problems related to pollution.

• Why is controlling car ownership not important?

• Answer: Car ownership is a personal choice, the public transport system is not good enough, etc.

How

• How can this problem be solved?

• Answer: Build better public transport systems (buses, trains) so people don’t always have to rely on having cars.

Tip: For the questions “who” and “why”, it’s best to present the positive and negative sides of the topic. Notice how we listed down: who might benefit and not benefit from the topic? Plus, why is controlling car ownership important or not important?

What to do next?

After answering these 5Ws and H, you should have a better idea of which stance you agree with. For example, do you think more people benefit from increased car ownership in the country? Or do you think that controlling car ownership is important or not?

In the IELTS Writing Task 2, particularly with "Do you agree or disagree?" prompts, there is no right or wrong answer. The key is how well you can support your stance with clear reasoning, examples, and arguments.

So after this brainstorming strategy, you should be able to choose a stance (agree or disagree) that you feel more strongly for, and you are confident you can defend well. 

The "5W + H" trick is a great tool for brainstorming and structuring ideas in other IELTS Writing Task 2 question types as well.

Here's how it can help:

• Opinion Essays (Agree/Disagree): Helps you explore reasons why you agree or disagree, providing clear points to support your stance.

• Discussion Essays (Discuss Both Views): Helps break down both sides of the argument (agree and disagree), ensuring you cover each viewpoint clearly before giving your opinion.

• Problem-Solution Essays: Helps identify the main issues (What? Why?) and suggests effective solutions (How? What can be done?).

• Advantages-Disadvantages Essays: Helps you list the pros and cons (What? Why?) of a given situation, allowing you to weigh the arguments effectively.

Give this strategy a try! Here’s a sample prompt from our IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice Test. 

This method helps you quickly think of pros and cons for a given topic, making it especially useful for both opinion and problem-solution essays.

How It Works:

1. Pick Your Stance (Agree or Disagree): Even if you’re not sure yet, you can still start by brainstorming both sides.

2. List Two Points For the Topic: Think of reasons why the statement or action might be beneficial.

3. List Two Points Against the Topic: Consider potential downsides or opposing viewpoints.

How to use this strategy

Let’s use this strategy on the same essay question as before. 

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Step 1: Pick your stance

Let’s try to unpack this question. You can have two stances on it.

You can even simplify your stance into: 

Step 2: List Two Points For Controlling Car Ownership

3. List Two Points Against the Topic

How does this help build your essay (for IELTS Writing Task 2: Agree/Disagree)

This strategy helps you plan your answer before you start writing.

• First, you choose if you agree or disagree with the question.

• Then, you use bullet points to list reasons for each side.

• Each bullet point becomes the main idea in a paragraph.

Let’s say you chose to agree that car ownership should be controlled. Here’s how you can elaborate on your list. 

See how, from brainstorming for and against ideas and listing them in bullets, you were able to generate an outline?

Now, you have the main points to guide your essay! You can simply refer to this outline and elaborate on each point into paragraphs.

Practice this strategy

Give this strategy a try! Here’s a sample prompt from our IELTS Writing Task 2 Practice Test. 

Yes! But it depends on the type of question.

Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Opinion essays: Your viewpoint is required—state it clearly and support it with reasons and examples.

• Discussion essays: You need to present both sides of the issue fairly before sharing your own opinion.

• Problem-solution essays: These focus more on logic and practical solutions. Personal feelings aren’t as important here—stick to real-world examples.

Just two strong, well-developed ideas are enough for a high band score in Task 2. It’s not about how many points you can list. It’s about how clearly and deeply you can explain them.

Here’s a simple structure to follow for each main idea:

• Introduce the idea

• Explain why it matters

• Support it with a real or realistic example

This approach shows clear thinking and strong organisation—exactly what examiners are looking for. So, focus on quality over quantity.

You’ve learned the key techniques to brainstorm ideas for IELTS Writing Task 2. The next step? Put it into action.

Head over to IELTS Prepare and try out our practice tests.

Use the strategies you’ve learned, time yourself, and focus on building strong, clear arguments.

Here are some IELTS Academic Writing Task 2 practice tests to get you started:

• Advantage/Disadvantage Essay

• Two-Part Question Essay

• Discussion Essay

• Agree/Disagree Essay

The more you practise, the easier it gets. Start today and train your brain to think faster, stay focused, and write with purpose.

With these brainstorming strategies in hand, you can tackle any essay prompt with confidence. Whether you’re listing points, using real-world examples, or simply planning your essay structure, you'll be ready to write a clear, well-supported response in no time.

But remember, like all skills, brainstorming takes practice.

In our IELTS Prepare section, you’ll find free IELTS Writing Task 2 practice tests, expert-led video podcasts, and in-depth articles designed to sharpen your writing skills. With these tools, you can practice generating ideas on different topics and boost your confidence. 

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