Task 2 questions › Technology
Technology: IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Artificial intelligence tools can now write essays and solve problems for students in seconds. Some people believe this will make young people less able to think for themselves. To what extent do you agree or disagree?
Question type: Opinion (agree or disagree) · Write at least 250 words · About 40 minutes
How to approach it
This opinion question is about a prediction, so your position should say how likely you think this effect is and why. You can agree, disagree or take a partial view, but every body paragraph must support that view. Keep the focus on thinking skills, not on AI technology in general.
Suggested outline
- Intro: paraphrase the claim and state a position, e.g. AI can weaken independent thinking when it replaces effort, but not when it is used as a learning aid.
- Body 1: the risk - students who copy AI answers skip the struggle that builds reasoning, writing and problem-solving skills; example of a student who submits AI-written essays but cannot explain their own argument.
- Body 2: the limits of the risk - teachers can redesign tasks, such as in-class writing and spoken explanations, and AI can give step-by-step explanations that support understanding.
- Conclusion: restate that the effect depends on how schools and students use these tools.
Arguments for
- Students may rely on instant answers instead of working through problems
- Writing skills develop through practice, which AI can replace
- Students may accept AI answers without checking whether they are correct
Arguments against
- Calculators and search engines did not stop people thinking
- AI can explain difficult ideas step by step, like a personal tutor
- Teachers can set tasks that require personal reasoning and discussion
Band 7+ vocabulary
- critical thinking – the ability to analyse information and judge it carefully
- rely heavily on – depend on something too much
- problem-solving skills – the ability to find solutions to difficult situations
- academic integrity – honesty in study, such as not copying other people's work
- a learning aid – something that helps people learn
- take shortcuts – do something in a quicker but less thorough way
- foster independence – help someone become able to act on their own
Common mistakes on this question
- Writing a general essay about the advantages and disadvantages of AI instead of answering whether it reduces thinking skills.
- Making extreme claims, such as 'AI will destroy education', without support.
- Describing both sides equally and never giving a clear opinion.
Band 8 model answer
Show the model answer (try writing your own first)
Artificial intelligence programs can now produce an essay or solve a maths problem almost instantly, and some people fear that this will leave young people unable to think independently. I agree that this danger is real when AI replaces a student's own effort, but I believe the same tools can strengthen thinking if they are used as a learning aid rather than a substitute.
The main risk is that students skip the struggle through which reasoning develops. Planning an argument, finding the right words and checking each step of a calculation are slow and sometimes frustrating, but this effort is exactly what builds critical thinking and problem-solving skills. A student who submits AI-written essays may receive good marks for a while, yet when asked in class to explain or defend the argument, they often have nothing to say, because the thinking was never their own. If young people rely heavily on such tools throughout their education, they may enter university or work without the confidence to tackle an unfamiliar problem alone.
However, this outcome is not inevitable. Teachers can redesign assessment so that it rewards understanding rather than finished products, for example through timed writing in class, short presentations and questions about how a student reached an answer. Tasks like these make copying pointless. At the same time, AI can act as a patient tutor. A learner who is stuck on an algebra question can ask for a step-by-step explanation, attempt a similar problem without help and then ask the tool to check the reasoning, which is very different from copying an answer.
In conclusion, AI will weaken young people's ability to think for themselves only if it is allowed to do their thinking for them. Its overall effect will depend on how carefully schools and students choose to use it.
Written for StudyChat as an example of a high-band answer. Word count: 301.
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