There are five main types of essay questions in IELTS Writing Task 2. However, an IELTS Hybrid Essay question will combine any two of the five types and create a Double Question essay.
An IELTS Hybrid Essay should be solved by combining the formats for other types of essay. First, we have to figure out whether the question has two or three parts. Then, we cover all the parts of the Double Question essay in four or five paragraphs.
Examples of IELTS Hybrid Essay questions
WRITING TASK 2
You should spend around 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
| In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasize that their products are new in some way. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development? |
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.
Write at least 250 words.
WRITING TASK 2
You should spend around 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
| It is important for children to learn the difference between right and wrong at an early age. Punishment is necessary to help them learn this distinction. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? What sort of punishment should parents and teachers be allowed to use to teach good behavior to children? |
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.
Write at least 250 words.
WRITING TASK 2
You should spend around 40 minutes on this task.
Write about the following topic:
| In some countries, owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people. Why might this be the case? What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a home? |
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge and experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Format for Hybrid Essay IELTS
The basic structure of an IELTS Double Question essay is similar to the format for other essays in Writing Task 2. How many paragraphs to write depends whether the question has two parts or three parts.
For a two-part Double Question essay, we need four paragraphs. Alternatively, we have to write five paragraphs for a three part IELTS Hybrid Essay.
| Paragraph | Format |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction |
| 2 | First part of the question |
| 3 | Second part of the question |
| 4 | Third part of the question (only if asked) |
| 5 | Conclusion |
The following is an example of a two-part IELTS Hybrid Essay question:
| In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasize that their products are new in some way. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development? |
For such essays, we need four paragraphs. The first and the last paragraphs are Introduction and Conclusion respectively. In the body, we need one paragraph for “Why is this?” and one more paragraph for “positive or negative“.
On the other hand, here is a sample three-part IELTS Hybrid Essay question:
| In some countries, owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people. Why might this be the case? What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a home? |
Here, we need five paragraphs. One of the three body paragraphs should focus on “Why might this be the case?“. Similarly, there should be one paragraph dedicated to “advantages” and the other to “disadvantages“.
Introduction for IELTS Two Question essay
Like any other essay, the first paragraph is the Introduction paragraph where we need to set the background of the essay and present our central thesis.
- Paraphrase the statements from the question
- Outline your main arguments in short
We can present the background of the question by simply rewriting the topic of the essay from the question. Then, we have to answer the three parts of the essay in short; they will be elaborated in the body paragraphs.
| In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasize that their products are new in some way. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development? |
| Introduction: |
|---|
| Most products these days are marketed as being “new”. This, in my opinion, is due to the positive connotation that people have with the word “new”, making such products easier to promote. However, I am cynical of this because in most cases they are falsely exaggerating the newness of the item. |
IELTS Hybrid Essay: The Body paragraphs
Whether we write two or three body paragraphs for an IELTS Two Question essay, each of these paragraphs follow the same structure.
The paragraph should begin with an original idea followed by explanation or clarification of it with the help of reasons and examples. These ideas should be the same ideas touched upon in the Introduction paragraph.
It is best to make the body paragraphs equal in length so that our response to the essay is viewed as balanced.
| In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasize that their products are new in some way. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development? |
| Example: |
|---|
| Introduction: Most products these days are marketed as being “new”. This, in my opinion, is due to the positive connotation that people have with the word “new”, making such products easier to promote. However, I am cynical of this because in most cases they are falsely exaggerating the newness of the item. Why is this?: I believe that the trend of claiming a product as new stems from the favorable association people have with the word “new”. In other words, new products are seen as advanced, state-of-the-art, and innovative as opposed to the “old” items which are considered as outdated or old-fashioned. People like me always want to keep with up the ever modernizing world, so we prefer new things over the old ones. For example, commercials for shampoos and soaps always assert that they are using new formula for the current batch of products in order to entice the potential consumer. Positive or Negative: From my perspective, the tendency of characterizing everything as new is an unscrupulous business practice. Effectively, businesses are preying on impressionable individuals hoping to lure them to make a purchase. What I have noticed is that despite of the claim of novelty, the products have simply been repackaged to give them a fresh look. In other instances, adding a minor feature, which is inconsequential to the core use of the product, leads sales teams to manipulate customers by the means of ad campaigns into thinking as if the “new” item is somehow entirely original. Video game companies are often found doing this. Games like FIFA, created by EA Sports, are released every year as the “latest version”, but regular players know that core gameplay has remained the same for nearly a decade now. |
IELTS Double Question Essay: The conclusion
The last paragraph or the Conclusion of an IELTS Hybrid Essay question should comprise of the outline of the essay. This is to say that we have to conclude by mentioning the same points which were discussed in detail in the body paragraphs.
| In their advertising, businesses nowadays usually emphasize that their products are new in some way. Why is this? Do you think it is a positive or negative development? |
| Conclusion: |
|---|
| Overall, there is increasing pressure upon businesses to create new products otherwise they might not be able to attract consumers. However, in this rat race, some companies involve in false advertising by promoting old items as new. This, I think, is an unethical business practice. |
IELTS Hybrid Essay Example
| In some countries, owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people. Why might this be the case? What are the advantages and disadvantages of owning a home? |
| Sample answer: |
|---|
| Many people fancy living in their own house instead of renting an accommodation. This is because home ownership is not only a personal preference but also a form of investment in real estate. The main benefits of buying a house are the improvement of the neighborhood as well as the elimination of monthly rent. However, demerits like huge initial investment and hassles in maintaining the house cannot be overlooked. I believe that financial incentives attract people towards buying a house. The price of residential homes in urban or suburban areas are always increasing, tempting people to purchase the property as investment. In addition to living in the house, residents can be secure for the future. If they are in any desperate situation in the future, the house can be sold to generate money. Plus, owing a house means no landlords. Hence, you can stay in your property according to your own rules, and there will be no dispute with the landlord. There are many rewards of home ownership. For one, people who own homes in a neighborhood are more invested in the prosperity of their area. Generally, they would try to maintain good relations with their neighbors and contribute more to the development of the area, unlike tenants who move away after some time and therefore are comparatively less concerned. Not having to shell out cash at the end of every month to the landlord is an icing on the cake. By contrast, regardless of the potential perks of home ownership, not everyone can afford a house. In this day and age, even a modest house costs an arm and a leg and then some. For most individuals, this is only limited to a dream. Even getting a house on mortgage requires a huge initial down payment and a good credit portfolio. Besides, a homeowner has to bear all the responsibilities of preserving the property. This includes cleaning, painting, and repairing the house. For someone with less time and experience, these inconveniences might be off-putting. To conclude, home ownership is gaining momentum as homes are good fixed asset investments for many people, alongside the appeal of becoming the king of one’s own castle. This trend has led to the gentrification of many communities as well as lessened the burden of rent payment to the individual. Nevertheless, we need to consider the lump sum payment required for purchasing homes together with the duty of home management. |
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