We have frequently discussed IELTS topics in the past because we believe that this is the best way to prepare for the exam. Lot of us have dealt with it as a method of learning vocabulary, and we’ve written more general articles about common topics. We focused on speaking, writing, listening, and reading in previous articles, but today we’ll only discuss IELTS writing topics.
It should be noted that this will be roughly the same for both the general and academic IELTS tests. The topics and ideas covered here will apply to both forms of IELTS, though the questions for the academic test may be phrased in a more complicated manner.
TOPICS FOR IELTS WRITING
First and foremost, here is a roundup topics covered in the IELTS writing test. This primarily applies to task 2 because task 1 consists of simply describing the data in a map, chart, graph, or table. As a result, we will disregard that and focus solely on the topics for task 2:
- Advertising
- Animals
- Art
- Business
- Children
- Communication
- Crime and Punishment
- Culture
- Education
- Entertainment
- Environment
- Ethics
- Family
- Food and diet
- Government
- Global issues
- Health
- Housing
- Language
- Media
- Money
- Reading
- Science
- Society
- Space
- Sports and Exercise
- Technology
- Tourism and Travel
- Transport
- Work
That was a lengthy list, so let me explain what I mean by “topic” and how these influence your exam preparation and success in the following sections.
WHAT ARE THE BEST TOPICS FOR IELTS WRITING?
There are 30 common IELTS writing topics in the lengthy list I provided above. These aren’t the only topics that might appear on your next exam, but they’re so common and broad that I’d be surprised if they didn’t.
It is important to remember, however, all these topics are not mutually exclusive. This means that each topic does not have to appear on its own. I’ve included “reading” as a topic, for example, because there are many possible questions about reading (and books) in IELTS writing. However, these are rarely just about books. They frequently stray into other areas, such as childhood, society, or education. For example, consider the following:
The primary idea of public libraries is to provide books, and they should not squander their limited resources and space on expensive high-tech media such as computer software, videos, and DVDs.
What percentage of the time do you agree or disagree with this statement?
The question here is about books/reading, but it is also clearly about money and society. It is about determining what kind of policy is best for people and their communities.
This is something you should keep in mind as you study for the IELTS. A reading question is about more than just reading. Sure, during the speaking test, you might be asked what kinds of books you like to read… However, for IELTS writing, it will be more complicated, as in the question above. As a result, we can see that IELTS topics frequently overlap.
TOPICS AND SUB-TOPICS OF IELTS
While I strongly recommend studying topics to learn IELTS language and techniques, it is also important to remember that these topics are not only overlapping, but they can also contain other sub-topics. This is where things get a little complicated.
I’ve already mentioned a few topics that are clearly related, such as business, money, advertising, and work. These can be viewed as separate topics, but they can also be viewed as potential sub-topics of one another. Perhaps the main topic is “money,” and the others are sub-topics as these are aspects that only arise because of the desire for money.
Then there are sub-topics that are obviously not main topics but certainly come under the purview of a single IELTS topic, such as the environment:
| Main Topic | Environment |
| Sub-topics | Alternative technologies Animal welfare Climate change Conservation Green space Outdoors activity Pollution |
Each one of those sub-topics is something that could come up in IELTS, but they are not necessarily “IELTS topics.” Nonetheless, they should be considered as part of the larger topic of environment. This can help you focus your studies and prepare for your exam more effectively.
Here are a few more IELTS topics, along with sub-topics:
| IELTS Topics | Crime and Punishment | Education | Food and Diet | Media |
| Sub-topics | Causes of crime Gender Police Prisons Reform Spying | Books Classroom technology Discipline Materials Students Teachers | Dietary education Fast Foods Imported foods Traditional food and cooking | Children’s programmes Censorship News Reporting technology Social media |
