Task Response is 1 of the 4 marking criteria for IELTS Writing Task 2 (worth 25%, equal weighting to the other 3 criteria). It measures how fully, clearly, and relevantly the essay actually addresses the question asked. The most common mistake is writing an essay that’s “good” in terms of language, but that doesn’t actually answer what the question asked — which caps the Task Response score significantly, no matter how strong the grammar and vocabulary are.
This is based on IELTS’s official Writing Band Descriptors. IELTS.org — Writing Band Descriptors and Key Assessment Criteria
The 4 marking criteria for Task 2 (25% each)
| Criterion | What it measures |
|---|---|
| Task Response (TR) | Fully answering the question, with a clear position and sufficiently developed supporting ideas |
| Coherence and Cohesion (CC) | Logically organised ideas, with smooth sentence/paragraph linking |
| Lexical Resource (LR) | Range and precision of vocabulary |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy (GRA) | Range and accuracy of grammatical structures |
What Task Response actually measures
- Answering every part of what the question asks, not just some of it
- Holding a clear position throughout the essay, not sitting on the fence so ambiguously the reader can’t tell whether you agree or not
- Developing supporting ideas with relevant reasons and examples, not just stating claims without backing them up
- Staying on topic — drifting off-topic is one of the heaviest hits to the Task Response score
Example: where Task Response marks are commonly lost
This example was written to illustrate a common error pattern, not a real exam answer.
Question: “Some people think the best way to reduce crime is to give longer prison sentences. Others, however, believe there are better alternative ways. Discuss both views and give your opinion.” — Many students only write about one side (for example, only the benefits of prison sentences) without mentioning “alternative ways” at all, even though the question clearly says to discuss both views. This counts as not fully answering what was asked, however polished the language is — the Task Response score is capped low.
Pre-submission checklist
- Re-read the question before writing — underline every instruction the question gives (discuss both views, give opinion, advantages/disadvantages, etc.)
- State a clear position from the introduction and maintain it throughout the essay
- Each body paragraph should have one main idea, with reasons and examples to support it — not just floating claims
- Before submitting, check that every part of the question has actually been answered — nothing the question asked has been skipped
Frequently Asked Questions
Learn to answer the exact question every time
Max Academia’s IELTS tutors help students practise analysing Writing Task 2 questions and give detailed Task Response feedback on every essay, to close the most overlooked mark-losing gap.
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