IELTS Writing for Undergraduate applicants: How to Fix Answering only one part of a two-part question

At a glance

For: Undergraduate applicants
Problem: Answering only one part of a two-part question
Scoring criterion: Task Response (Task 2)
Task affected: Task 2 (essay)
IELTS test: Academic
Typical effort: about one week
First step: Number the parts of the question: 1 and 2. Write the numbers on your plan sheet.

Why this happens to undergraduate applicants

Two-part questions ask for two separate answers, for example a cause and a solution or a reason and an opinion. Candidates answer the first part well and let the second shrink to one sentence in the conclusion.

Why this affects undergraduate applicants: school essays reward a memorised structure and topic knowledge more than a direct answer to a new question.

School habits push candidates to write everything they know about a topic instead of answering the exact question.

A strength to build on: Recent classroom writing practice means essay structure is already familiar.

Fix it in four steps

Number the parts of the question: 1 and 2. Write the numbers on your plan sheet.
Draft a one-line answer to each part and check they are not the same point reworded.
Give each part a full body paragraph with the same level of development.
In the conclusion, answer both parts again in one sentence each.

Before and after

Before

There are many reasons for this and governments should do something.

After

The main cause is rising rents in city centres, and the most practical response is for councils to fund affordable housing near transport links.

Ten-minute drill: Collect five two-part questions and for each write two one-line answers in 2 minutes. Mark any where both answers sound alike.

Questions and answers

How can undergraduate applicants fix answering only one part of a two-part question?

Split the question into its parts before planning, give each part its own body paragraph, and say in the introduction that you will address both. Missing one part caps Task Response because the task is only partly answered. School habits push candidates to write everything they know about a topic instead of answering the exact question.

How long does it take undergraduate applicants to fix answering only one part of a two-part question?

Most learners need about one week. Study around school or a gap year gives time, so regular weekly essays with feedback are realistic.

What counts as a two-part question?

Any question with two direct questions, such as 'Why is this happening and what can be done?'. Both questions need a developed answer.

Do both parts need equal length?

Roughly equal is safest. One part receiving a single sentence signals that the task was only partly addressed.

What does a good practice drill look like for undergraduate applicants?

Collect five two-part questions and for each write two one-line answers in 2 minutes. Mark any where both answers sound alike. Study around school or a gap year gives time, so regular weekly essays with feedback are realistic.

How can undergraduate applicants tell they have fixed answering only one part of a two-part question?

You can point to a paragraph for each part of the question and both paragraphs are about the same length.

What should undergraduate applicants know about their IELTS Writing target?

Universities set an overall IELTS score and often a minimum Writing score that varies by course and institution. Check each offer's conditions.

Should undergraduate applicants practise this on Task 1, Task 2 or both?

This is a Task 2 issue, so practise it on full essays. Task 2 carries about twice the weight of Task 1 in the Writing band, so progress here moves the score most. Recent classroom writing practice means essay structure is already familiar.

Can an AI checker help undergraduate applicants with answering only one part of a two-part question?

An AI checker can show where this pattern appears in your own essay and which criterion it affects, which makes the fix concrete. It gives a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score, so use it to choose the next revision, rewrite, and check again. The first check on this site is free.

Check your own essay

See where answering only one part of a two-part question appears in your own writing and which criterion it affects, then rewrite the weakest paragraph.

Run a free first check

Feedback is a practice estimate, not an official IELTS score. Last reviewed 2026-11-11. Score requirements change, so confirm them with the organisation that will read your result.