Manoj from Guwahati froze when he saw a question contrasting life in a big city with life in a small town. Convinced he had no suitable ideas, he spent twelve minutes staring at the screen while the test clock ticked down.

Spend five minutes planning an IELTS Task 2 essay before you write. Analyse the question, choose your position, use a perspectives checklist to generate ideas, and pick your two strongest ideas with one example for each.

Practice question: Some people prefer to live in a big city, while others prefer to live in a small town. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

The 5-Minute Planning Breakdown

A plan makes the writing stage faster, because you know what each paragraph will say. Divide your planning into four stages:

  • Minute 1: Analyse the question. Identify topic and instructions; see how to analyse the question.
  • Minute 2: Decide your position. Stating your stance early helps you keep a clear position throughout.
  • Minutes 3–4: Generate ideas. Use the perspectives checklist to brainstorm without self-censoring.
  • Minute 5: Select and pair. Choose your two best ideas and pair each with a concrete example.

The Perspectives Checklist

When a topic feels unfamiliar, examine it through different lenses: individual, family, society and government; money, health, education, environment and culture; and short term versus long term.

Perspective Idea for the practice question
Money Higher salaries and rents in cities versus lower living costs in towns
Health Cleaner air in towns versus traffic smog and stress in cities
Education More university and coaching options in cities
Society Close community in towns versus social anonymity in cities
Time Short local travel in towns versus long city traffic delays
Environment More green spaces in towns versus concrete urban density

Extending Thin Ideas: The “Why? So What?” Chain

Turn a brief thought into a complete paragraph by asking why it happens and what follows:

  • Idea: Big cities can be stressful places to live.
  • Why? Long commutes through heavy traffic are tiring.
  • Result: Tired workers have less time and energy for their families.
  • So what? Over time, stress and tiredness can harm health.

For the full paragraph, see IELTS Task 2 body paragraphs.

The Indian-Context Example Bank

  • Commuting: Metro expansions versus road congestion; fits transport and urban growth essays.
  • Digital payments: Mobile UPI apps; fits technology, banking, and consumer spending essays.
  • Coaching culture: Evening tuition and entrance examination preparation; fits education pressure and parenting topics.
  • Joint families: Multi-generational households; fits eldercare, social changes, and housing essays.
  • Rural-to-urban migration: Workers moving to cities for jobs; fits employment and regional development essays.
  • Online learning: Remote classes; fits classroom technology and university access essays.

The Finished 5-Minute Plan

  • Position: Small towns can offer healthier, cheaper living, but big cities offer better career prospects, so city life is preferable for young professionals.
  • Body 1 (Towns, health): Lower costs and cleaner air can reduce stress. Example: a teacher in a small town can walk or cycle to work.
  • Body 2 (Cities, careers): Concentrated industries create more openings and contacts. Example: a graduate in a large city can choose between many employers.

Common Planning Mistakes to Fix

Incorrect: Writing down six different ideas and trying to squeeze all of them into two paragraphs.

Correct: Select only the two strongest ideas from your brainstorming notes and develop each with clear reasons and an example.

Trying to cover too many points can lead to an undeveloped list, which is typical of Band 6 Task Response.

Incorrect: Starting an essay with a neutral stance and deciding your true opinion in the conclusion.

Correct: Decide your position during minute two of planning so that your introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion remain unified.

A shifting position tends to produce the unclear or unjustified conclusions typical of Band 6 Task Response.

Tip

Write your position in one line at the top of your plan, and drop any idea that contradicts it.

Try It

Task: Read this essay question: “Some people think that governments should spend money on space exploration, while others believe it should be spent on problems on Earth. Discuss both views and give your opinion.” Use the perspectives checklist to generate two distinct ideas for each side.

Show sample answer
  • Space exploration (Technology): Satellite research supports weather forecasting and telecommunications on Earth.
  • Space exploration (Resources): Long-term missions could open up new sources of minerals and energy.
  • Earth problems (Health): Investment in clean drinking water and hospitals can save lives quickly.
  • Earth problems (Environment): Funding renewable energy helps to tackle climate change.

Key Takeaways

  • Allocate five full minutes to planning before you write your introduction.
  • Decide your position before choosing your arguments.
  • Use the perspectives checklist to spark ideas on unfamiliar topics.

The bottom line: A five-minute plan gives each paragraph one clear job and makes it less likely that you will write in circles.