2 Task 2 questions on poverty & development. Click any question to open the full breakdown, examiner watch-outs, and a 40-minute mock.
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“The gap between the richest and poorest people in many countries is widening. What problems does this cause, and what solutions can you suggest to reduce this gap?”
Task 2Problem & solution·Poverty & Development·40 min
“Many wealthy countries give financial aid to poorer countries, but some people argue that this aid does not solve the underlying problems of poverty. To what extent do you agree or disagree?”
Task 2Opinion (Agree / Disagree)·Poverty & Development·40 min
How often does poverty & development come up in IELTS Writing Task 2?
It's one of the most-tested themes. Examiners draw on it because it generates strong opinions while remaining accessible to candidates from any background. You can reasonably expect to encounter a poverty & development question in practice tests and on the real exam.
What question types should I expect on poverty & development?
All five Task 2 shapes are fair game: opinion (agree/disagree), discuss both views, problem-solution, two-part, and advantages-and-disadvantages. The same theme can appear in any of these shapes, so practise the same idea across multiple question types rather than memorising essays.
How specific do my examples need to be?
Specific enough to be falsifiable. "Many studies show X" is empty; "a 2019 OECD report on X found Y in Z country" is concrete. You don't need a real citation. Examiners reward the specificity of the claim, not the accuracy of the source. Naming a country, a year, or an industry counts.
Can I use the same vocabulary across all poverty & development essays?
Topic-specific lexis matters. Each of the 2 questions below hides a slightly different angle, and Band 7+ vocabulary depends on naming the precise mechanism: "carbon-intensive industries" beats "polluters", "screen-mediated communication" beats "talking online".