The words 'to what extent' are asking for a degree, not a side — and answering with a side is what caps most of these essays.
A single statement is put to you and you are asked how far you accept it. A strong essay names the degree — completely, largely, only in part — and then defends that specific degree. Answering as though it were a yes-or-no question leaves the 'to what extent' unanswered.
Rephrase the statement and state your degree of agreement explicitly: 'I largely agree, with one significant qualification.' The qualification is what you will spend body 3 on.
Your strongest supporting reason, developed with an example. One reason properly developed beats three asserted.
A second, genuinely different reason. If it is a restatement of the first, cut it and develop the first further.
Where the statement does not hold. This is what converts 'agree' into 'to what extent', and it is the paragraph that distinguishes a band 7 from a band 8 on this type.
Restate the degree, not just the direction.
Use an explicit quantifier in the introduction — largely, partly, only where — and then justify that specific word. A fully one-sided essay can still score well, but it has to say that it is fully one-sided on purpose.
It asks how far you accept the statement, not merely whether you do. Naming the degree — completely, largely, partly, only in certain conditions — and then defending that degree is what answers the question as asked.
Yes. A one-sided position is legitimate if you state that it is total and defend it. What is penalised is not the strength of the view but leaving the 'extent' unaddressed.
Not necessarily, but a paragraph acknowledging where your position has limits is the most reliable way to demonstrate the 'extent' the question asks for, and it usually raises Task Response.
Our IELTS mock marks Task 2 against all four criteria and shows which sentences moved each one. The first session is free.
This guide is written from the IELTS test format published by British Council, IDP and Cambridge, in our own words. For the official wording, see the official IELTS sample questions. MockLive AI is an independent practice tool and is not affiliated with the British Council, IDP or Cambridge Assessment English.