IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Essays (Band 9 Models): Technology and AI Topics

Technology and artificial intelligence are among the most common topics in IELTS Writing Task 2 — AI and jobs, smartphones, automation, regulation. This collection of IELTS Writing Task 2 band 9 sample essays on technology and AI shows you how: take any technology question, build a clear position in five minutes, and answer every part of it in about 270 words.

This page gives you three complete model essays — agree/disagree, advantages/disadvantages and discussion — each with a structure breakdown and notes on what the band descriptors reward. All three are original MissMono study examples, written to the Band 9 standard in the public descriptors. They are not examiner-certified scripts.

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How Task 2 is marked — the four criteria

You have 60 minutes: about 20 for Task 1 (150+ words) and about 40 for Task 2 (250+ words). Task 2 counts twice as much as Task 1 — see the British Council's test-format guide for the timings. Four criteria, each worth 25%:

Criterion	What the examiner asks
Task Response	Did you answer every part, with a clear position and supported ideas?
Coherence and Cohesion	Is the essay logically organised, with ideas that connect?
Lexical Resource	Is your vocabulary varied and precise?
Grammatical Range and Accuracy	Do you use a range of structures, mostly error-free?

The public Band 9 descriptors ask for a response that fully addresses all parts of the task, cohesion so good it attracts no attention, wide vocabulary with natural control, and a wide range of structures with full flexibility.

The reusable framework: four paragraphs, forty minutes

Every essay in this guide follows the same four-paragraph frame.

Paragraph	What goes in it	Time
1. Introduction	Paraphrase the question; state your position.	5 min
2. Main idea 1	One idea, explained, with one example.	10 min
3. Main idea 2	A second idea — or the other side, answered.	10 min
4. Conclusion	Restate your position; no new ideas.	5 min

That leaves 10 minutes: 5 to plan, 5 to check your own repeated errors — usually articles and subject-verb agreement.

Three rules that apply to every essay:

1. Answer every part. A discussion essay that ignores one view, or an agree/disagree essay with no position, cannot reach Band 7 for Task Response.
2. One idea per paragraph, with one example. Two developed ideas beat four mentioned ones. Make the example specific — a place, a number, a named policy.
3. Link ideas, not sentences. Do not start every sentence with a linking word; at Band 9, cohesion "attracts no attention".

Model essay 1: Agree or disagree — AI and jobs

Question: Artificial intelligence will eventually replace most human jobs. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The essay (279 words)

It is often claimed that artificial intelligence will eventually replace most human jobs. While AI will take over many routine tasks, I disagree that it will replace most jobs, because new roles will appear, many jobs depend on human qualities machines cannot copy, and technology changes work rather than ending it.

The clearest effect is on repetitive work. Software can already sort data, answer basic customer queries and move goods around a warehouse faster and more cheaply than people. Automated systems now sort and pack goods in large distribution centres, and chatbots answer routine questions. These jobs will shrink, and workers in them will need to retrain.

However, much work depends on qualities machines do not possess. A nurse notices when a patient is frightened, a teacher adapts a lesson to a struggling child, a manager settles a disagreement between colleagues. These tasks require empathy, judgement and trust, and no algorithm can reproduce them convincingly. Even in medicine, AI analyses scans; it does not replace the doctor who explains the result.

Just as importantly, technology has always created new work. The internet destroyed some jobs in printing and retail, yet it created millions more in software, logistics and digital marketing. AI is likely to follow the same pattern, creating demand for data specialists, robot engineers and AI trainers. The transition will be painful for some workers, and governments must fund retraining, but the overall number of jobs need not fall.

In conclusion, AI will transform the labour market and remove many routine jobs, but it will not replace most human work. Jobs needing empathy and judgement will remain, and new roles will emerge if workers are helped to adapt.

Structure breakdown

• Introduction: paraphrases the question, states "I disagree", previews three reasons.
• Body 1: concedes the strongest opposing point (routine jobs will shrink) with specific examples.
• Body 2: one idea (human qualities machines cannot copy), through three jobs.
• Body 3: one idea (new jobs appear), supported by the internet's history.

Why this is Band 9

• Task Response: answered directly, with a fully developed position and an answered concession.
• Coherence and Cohesion: logical paragraphing; varied, unobtrusive linking.
• Lexical Resource: precise collocations — "routine tasks", "distribution centres", "labour market".
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy: simple, compound and complex sentences, with almost no error.

Model essay 2: Advantages and disadvantages — AI in everyday life

Question: The use of artificial intelligence tools in everyday life is increasing rapidly. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development?

The essay (274 words)

Artificial intelligence is no longer confined to laboratories. Voice assistants answer questions in kitchens, translation apps help travellers in foreign cities, and recommendation systems choose the films people watch. This rapid spread brings clear benefits, but it also creates real problems.

The main advantage is convenience. Everyday tasks that once took time and effort can now be done in seconds. A student can translate a document instantly, a driver can follow live traffic updates to avoid a jam, and a person with poor eyesight can have a text read aloud. AI also makes services cheaper: a small business can offer customer support around the clock through a chatbot, without hiring a night shift.

A second advantage is access to information. AI tools can summarise long articles, explain difficult ideas in simple language, and adapt lessons to a learner's level. For students in remote areas, this can partly make up for the absence of a good teacher or a well-stocked library.

The disadvantages, however, are serious. The first is dependence: people who rely on AI for every small decision may lose basic skills, from mental arithmetic to finding their way without a map. The second is privacy: AI systems learn from personal data, and users rarely know what is collected or how it is used. Finally, AI can spread misinformation, because chatbots sometimes produce confident-sounding answers that are simply wrong.

In conclusion, AI makes daily life faster, cheaper and more accessible, but it also weakens skills, threatens privacy and spreads false information. The sensible response is not to reject AI, but to use it deliberately — as a tool, not as a replacement for thinking.

Structure breakdown

• Introduction: paraphrases the question with three examples of everyday AI, then states a balanced position.
• Body 1: first advantage (convenience), through three examples.
• Body 2: second advantage (access to information), with students in remote areas.
• Body 3: the disadvantages — dependence, privacy, misinformation — each explained briefly.
• Conclusion: weighs both sides and gives a clear judgement.

Why this is Band 9

• Task Response: both parts answered, with a judgement.
• Coherence and Cohesion: the shape is visible without headings.
• Lexical Resource: precise, varied vocabulary — "voice assistants", "recommendation systems".
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy: a range of complex sentences, with rare slips at most.

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Model essay 3: Discuss both views — regulating AI

Question: Some people think that governments should strictly regulate the development of artificial intelligence, while others think it would hold back progress. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

The essay (288 words)

As artificial intelligence becomes more powerful, the question of how it should be controlled has become urgent. Some argue that governments must impose strict rules on its development, while others believe that regulation would hold back progress. In my view, strong regulation is necessary, although it should be designed carefully so it does not prevent useful innovation.

Those who support strict regulation point first to safety. AI systems can now create convincing fake videos, make decisions about who gets a loan, and collect vast amounts of personal data. Without clear rules, these systems can harm people before anyone notices. Supporters also argue that only governments can set standards that apply to every company, since firms competing for profit will not limit themselves voluntarily.

Those who oppose regulation warn that rules are usually written slowly, while technology moves quickly. By the time a law is passed, the technology it describes may already be outdated. They also argue that strict rules favour large companies, which can afford lawyers and compliance teams, while small start-ups cannot. In their view, heavy regulation would concentrate AI in a few large firms and push research to countries with weaker rules.

In my opinion, the risks of leaving AI unregulated are greater than the costs of regulation. Fake videos and biased decisions can damage elections and livelihoods, and such harms are hard to reverse. However, regulation should focus on outcomes — safety, fairness and transparency — rather than prescribing how each system must be built, so engineers keep room to innovate.

In conclusion, regulation may slow some development and favour larger firms, but it is the only way to protect the public. Well-designed rules can limit the harms of AI while leaving space for progress.

Structure breakdown

• Introduction: paraphrases both views and states an opinion.
• Body 1: the case for regulation — safety risks and universal standards.
• Body 2: the case against regulation — slow laws and the burden on small firms.
• Body 3: the writer's own opinion, after both views have been fairly presented.

Why this is Band 9

• Task Response: both views discussed and the writer's opinion given.
• Coherence and Cohesion: "on the other hand" turns between views; "In my opinion" signals the judgement.
• Lexical Resource: precise vocabulary — "to impose strict rules", "to hold back progress".
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy: comparatives and complex sentences, with rare slips at most.

Vocabulary bank: technology and AI essays

Steal these collocations — the difference between Band 6 and Band 8 vocabulary:

Use this	Not this
artificial intelligence / machine learning	robot brain (informal)
to automate routine tasks	to let machines do work
to collect vast amounts of personal data	to take people's information
to impose strict regulation	to make hard rules
to rely on AI / to depend on technology	to use AI too much

A note on register: IELTS essays are semi-formal. Avoid contractions and slang. Examiners reward precision, not decoration.

Structure templates for each question type

Copy the shape, not the sentences.

Question type	Introduction	Body 1	Body 2	Conclusion
Agree / disagree	Paraphrase + your position	Strongest reason, with an example	Second reason, or the other side answered	Restate position + reasons
Discuss both views	Paraphrase both views + opinion	View 1, fairly presented	View 2, fairly presented	Summarise both + restate opinion
Advantages / disadvantages	Paraphrase + a balanced judgement	Advantages, with examples	Disadvantages, with examples	Weigh both sides; give a judgement
Problem / solution	Paraphrase the problem	Causes	Solutions, one per cause	Restate the problem and best solution

Common mistakes in technology essays

• Writing about the wrong topic. A question about AI and jobs is not about smartphones. Underline the topic and instruction words first.
• Listing gadgets instead of arguing. Naming five devices is not an argument. Each paragraph needs one idea and one example.
• Exaggerating without evidence. "AI will destroy humanity" is a claim, not an argument. Qualify claims ("many routine jobs") and support them.
• Repeating your judgement. State it once, in the introduction and conclusion. Body paragraphs develop reasons, not repeat it.
• Memorised phrases that do not fit. "In this modern era" adds nothing. Start with the idea, not the phrase.
• Forgetting the other side. Answering the strongest opposing point lifts an essay above Band 7.

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Frequently asked questions

How long should a Task 2 essay be?

At least 250 words, in about 40 minutes. Aim for 270–300 words. Under 250 words, you lose marks automatically.

Do I need to write exactly four paragraphs?

No — four is a reliable frame, not a rule. Some Band 9 essays have five paragraphs. What matters is one idea per paragraph.

Can I memorise a model essay and use it in the test?

No. Memorised answers are recognisable — they do not fit the exact question. Learn the framework and the vocabulary instead, and practise fresh essays under timed conditions.

What is the difference between Band 7 and Band 9 vocabulary?

At Band 7, vocabulary is sufficient and mostly accurate. At Band 9, it is wide-ranging, precise and natural. The difference is usually collocation, not longer words.

Are these model essays real Band 9 scripts?

No. They are original MissMono study examples written to the Band 9 standard in the public descriptors. IELTS does not publish official Band 9 model essays. Use them to learn, not to copy.

What to do next

1. Copy the four-paragraph framework onto one page and keep it beside you.
2. Write one technology essay from the templates, timed at 40 minutes, then compare it with the models.
3. Read the Band 6 vs Band 7 rewrite, the Band 9 essays on education topics and the Band 9 essays on environment and climate, then take a full timed mock with our free IELTS practice tests.

All three model essays are original MissMono study material. IELTS is jointly owned by the British Council, IDP IELTS and Cambridge University Press & Assessment. This page is not affiliated with or endorsed by IELTS, the British Council, IDP or Cambridge.