Jaideep’s essay claimed that “a recent university study found that 82% of students prefer online classes”. No such study exists, and an invented figure like this reads as filler.

Support your arguments with believable examples: a general real-world observation, a hypothetical situation, or a brief personal experience. The task itself invites examples from your own knowledge or experience; invented figures and fake studies add nothing and can make your essay sound memorised.

Practice question: Some people think that online learning is as effective as learning in a classroom. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

What the Rubric Permits

The standard rubric line reads: “Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience.” Personal examples and everyday observations are therefore allowed, so you do not need formal research citations. For how the four criteria are marked, see the Task 2 complete guide; for why memorised material does not help, see 10 IELTS myths busted.

Three Effective Example Types

Type When to use it Example sentence
General real-world Most essays During school closures, many schools in India moved lessons online.
Hypothetical When you lack a real case Consider a pupil who replays an online tutorial until calculus makes sense.
Personal Briefly, on less formal topics In my own experience, hands-on laboratory work was hard to learn from videos.

Why Invented Statistics Don’t Help

This is trainer advice, not an official rule. Inventing precise statistics such as “a 2019 university report proved that 74.3% of workers…” is unhelpful for three reasons:

  1. It shows no language ability: A made-up figure says nothing about your vocabulary or grammar.
  2. It can sound memorised: Examiners are trained to spot memorised answers, and the descriptors list inappropriate formulaic language as a weakness.
  3. It replaces reasoning: A number is not an explanation.

Instead of writing “67.4% of Indian students prefer online courses”, write: “During the pandemic school closures, many students in India attended classes online.”

Introducing and Explaining Your Example

Introduce examples with standard signposts:

  • “For instance,”
  • “A clear example is…”
  • “This can be seen in…”
  • “In my own experience,”

Always explain the example; see IELTS Task 2 body paragraphs.

Model body paragraph (Band 7+)

In subjects that depend on discussion, classroom learning is more effective than online learning, because a teacher can respond to students’ reactions as they happen. In a physical classroom, an instructor can see from faces and body language when pupils are confused and can adjust the explanation straight away. For example, a teacher leading a literature seminar can turn a disagreement about a poem into a class debate, guiding pupils towards a deeper reading of the text. This kind of interaction keeps learners engaged in a way that recorded lectures rarely achieve, so online learning is not as effective as classroom teaching for such subjects.

Why It Works

  • Task Response: The example is a clear hypothetical case, a teacher leading a literature seminar, and it supports the claim directly.
  • Coherence and Cohesion: “For example” introduces the illustration, and “This kind of interaction” refers back to it and returns to the position.
  • Lexical Resource: Natural collocations: “body language”, “class debate”, “deeper reading”.

Common Example Mistakes to Fix

Incorrect: According to a 2021 university survey, 78% of students learn better online.

Correct: During school closures, many students in India discovered that recorded lectures let them revise difficult topics at their own pace.

Invented studies and exact percentages add nothing; a believable general observation does.

Incorrect: Online platforms offer wide access to courses. For instance, many people use learning apps.

Correct: Online platforms expand educational access. For instance, commuters can use language-learning apps on the train, which shows that people without time for evening classes can still study.

Every example needs a phrase such as “which shows that” to link it to your claim.

Try It

Task: Read this claim: “Public libraries are still important in the digital age.” Write one hypothetical example and one general real-world example supporting it.

Show sample answer
  • Hypothetical: Consider a student without internet access at home who relies on a municipal library to complete school research.
  • General real-world: Public libraries in many countries offer free internet access and help with online forms.

Key Takeaways

  • Use believable examples rather than invented studies.
  • Always add one sentence explaining what your example proves.
  • The standard rubric invites examples from your own knowledge or experience.

Tip

After writing an example, add “This shows that…” and finish the sentence. If you cannot, choose a different example.

The bottom line: Use believable, well-explained examples, and leave invented statistics out.