IELTS Writing Task 2 Introduction Paragraph: Band 7 Examples & Templates (2026)

The introduction is only two or three sentences, but it is where the examiner first decides if you understood the task. A good opening shows you know what the question is asking and where your essay will go. A weak one drifts, copies the prompt, or never takes a side — and then Task Response is already in trouble before the body even starts.

Some people try a dramatic hook (a shocking fact, a rhetorical question, a tiny story) because that worked in school writing. In IELTS it is a bit risky. If the hook is vague or only loosely connected to the question, you have spent time and words without answering anything. Examiners are not grading you on how exciting the first line sounds. They want to see that you read this prompt and can answer it in calm, academic English.

Aim for roughly 40–60 words. Paraphrase the topic, then state your answer or your plan for the essay. Leave the real arguing for the body paragraphs.

Related: Essay types | Agree/disagree guide | Structure templates

Last updated: July 30, 2026

What usually goes wrong

When we mark practice essays, the introduction problems are usually ordinary. One student starts with something that could fit almost any education or technology question. Another writes two careful sentences and still never says agree or disagree. Someone else keeps half the question’s wording, or fills half the page with background and then has to rush the body. None of these feel like “big” mistakes while you are writing. Together, they are why a lot of Band 6 scripts lose trust in the first ten seconds of reading.

What you actually need is simpler than people think: show you understood the specific question, make your position or plan easy to find, and use wording that sounds like you — not a memorised opener from a phrase list.

The five Task 2 types (quick map)

You cannot write the second sentence until you know what kind of question you have. Task 2 is not one fixed format. Most questions fall into five groups teachers keep using because they match real papers: opinion (agree/disagree, to what extent), discussion (both views + your opinion), advantages/disadvantages, problem–solution, and two-part questions (two linked questions in one prompt).

If you are new here, read the fuller guide first: IELTS Writing Task 2 essay types. Below I only focus on how the introduction should change once you recognise the type.

A practical warning: do not paste I agree or I disagree onto every paper. Some questions need a clear opinion up front. Others need a short map of how you will answer the parts.

Writing the introduction by type

Opinion (agree / disagree)

This is the type where staying neutral hurts you. After you restate the issue in your own words, say what you think. If you already know your two body ideas, put them in the same sentence — it makes the rest of the essay easier to write, and easier to mark.

Take this prompt: Some people believe university education should be free for everyone. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Here is the kind of opening we see all the time:

Nowadays education is very important in modern society. Many people want to go to university but university is expensive. Some people think it should be free and I will discuss this topic in this essay.

It sounds busy, but it never answers the question. I will discuss this topic is not a position.

A clearer version:

Whether governments should scrap university tuition fees is still disputed. I mostly disagree, because fully free higher education would strain public budgets and force universities to limit places in ways that often lower teaching quality.

The gap is obvious: new wording, a real lean (mostly disagree), and two reasons ready for the body. If you want a fuller walkthrough of this essay type, use our agree/disagree guide.

Discussion (both views + your opinion)

These prompts put two camps on the table and ask you to discuss both, then give your own view. The trap is finishing the introduction after you have only described the two sides. The examiner still does not know what you think.

Prompt: Some people say children should do homework every evening. Others say homework is unnecessary. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

One opening that works:

Parents and teachers often clash over homework. Some see daily tasks as useful training; others see them as extra stress with little learning. My own view is that a little focused homework helps, but long worksheets every night usually do not.

You still write both sides in the body. You just do not hide your conclusion until the last paragraph. And you can skip This essay will discuss both views — that sentence rarely adds anything.

Advantages / disadvantages

Read the exact wording. If it only says “discuss the advantages and disadvantages,” sentence 2 can map both sides. If it asks whether the advantages outweigh the disadvantages, sitting on the fence in the introduction looks weak.

Prompt: Do the advantages of remote work outweigh the disadvantages?

A lot of office work can now be done from home. Flexibility is a real benefit, but for most full-time jobs I think weaker teamwork and slower promotion outweigh it.

Students sometimes write “there are both pros and cons” and stop there. That is true of almost every topic, so it does not help. Tell the examiner which way you are leaning when the question forces a comparison.

Problem–solution

You usually do not need I agree at all. The question is asking what causes the problem and what can be done. Your introduction should paraphrase the issue, then show that you will cover both parts — not only causes, not only solutions.

Prompt: What causes serious traffic congestion in large cities, and what can be done about it?

Heavy traffic in big cities wastes commuting time and makes the air worse. I will look at two main causes — too many private cars and weak public transport — and then suggest road pricing and better transit as the most practical fixes.

We often see introductions that lay out the causes nicely and then forget the “what can be done” half until the final paragraph. If the question has two halves, nod to both early.

Two-part questions

These look simple and then catch people out, because there are two questions sharing one essay. If you only answer the first one in the introduction, the second one feels bolted on later.

Prompt: Why are people living longer in many countries? Is this a positive or negative development?

In many countries people now live longer, mainly because healthcare and living conditions have improved. Below I explain those reasons and argue that the change is mostly positive, even though pensions and elderly care are under pressure.

Sentence 2 does the unglamorous job: it promises the “why,” and it already answers the positive/negative part. That is usually enough.

Whatever the type, the openings that waste the most marks are still the same: Nowadays…, In this essay I will discuss… with no answer, and long background paragraphs that steal time from the body. Recognise the task, write a short opening that fits it, then move on.

Paraphrasing without stock phrases

If your first line is In this day and age, It is irrefutable that, With the development of society, or Every coin has two sides, most examiners will assume you memorised it. Those phrases show up in thousands of scripts.

Try smaller changes instead. Swap the main noun (free university → abolishing tuition fees). Change the sentence shape (people believe X → X is often proposed as…). Stay near the question: if the topic is homework, do not start with “education in the modern world.” And read the sentence out loud — if it sounds like a poster slogan, rewrite it the way you would explain the idea to a teacher.

For full essay structure after the introduction, see Task 2 essay structure.

Questions students ask

Does my opinion have to appear in the introduction?

For opinion and discussion tasks, yes — burying it makes Task Response harder to follow. For problem–solution, a clear plan is usually enough. For advantages/disadvantages, check whether the question asks you to pick a side when one outweighs the other.

Can I use three sentences?

Yes. Just do not let the introduction become a mini-essay. Most full answers land somewhere around 280–320 words, and the body needs the space.

Does the introduction count toward 250 words?

It does. A strong opening will not save an essay that finishes short.

What if I change my mind halfway?

Go back and fix the introduction. A clean argument with a slightly plain opening beats a stylish first paragraph that fights with paragraph 3.

After you check your score

Name the question type first. Then write paraphrase + answer (or map), finish the essay, and score it. If Task Response is soft, look at those first two sentences before you rewrite the whole body.

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