IELTS Writing Task 2: Technology topic — questions, vocabulary, band-7 ideas

Technology is a high-frequency IELTS Writing Task 2 theme and a trap for over-confident writers, because it is easy to repeat phone clichés instead of answering the question. The short answer for a high band: identify whether the prompt asks about benefits, drawbacks, a specific technology, or its effect on a group, then argue with balance and evidence. This page gives you the question angles, the vocabulary, and band-7 thesis sentences. Use it with the Task 2 strategy guide.

Common question angles

• Advantages vs disadvantages — Does technology bring people closer together or push them apart? (discussion)
• A specific technology — Are smartphones / social media / online shopping mostly positive or negative?
• Automation and work — Will machines replace human jobs? Is this a good thing?
• Children and screens — Should children's screen time be limited? Who is responsible?
• Dependence — Have we become too dependent on technology, and what are the risks?

The weak answer lists features ("phones let us call, text, browse..."). The band-7 answer evaluates consequences: convenience versus distraction, connection versus isolation, efficiency versus job loss.

Vocabulary and collocations you need

• digital literacy, screen time, social media platforms, online presence
• automation, artificial intelligence, to streamline a process, labour-saving devices
• to stay connected, face-to-face interaction, digital detox, information overload
• data privacy, cyberbullying, a sedentary lifestyle, tech addiction
• to enhance productivity, to bridge the digital divide, cutting-edge technology

Use the summarize tool to practise condensing an argument into a clean topic sentence, and the grammar checker to catch tense slips when you write about ongoing change ("technology is changing" vs "technology changes").

Sample band-7 thesis sentences

• Discussion: "While social media undeniably helps people maintain long-distance friendships, I believe its tendency to replace genuine, face-to-face interaction makes it more isolating than connecting on balance."
• Opinion: "I largely agree that automation will displace many jobs, but I would argue this is a manageable transition rather than a catastrophe, provided governments invest in retraining."

Each sentence concedes one point and then commits to a clear overall position — a hallmark of band-7 nuance.

Avoid the common AZ/RU-speaker mistakes

Technology essays often slip on the present-perfect-vs-past distinction (when describing how things "have changed"), on the uncountable noun "technology" (no plural, no "a technology" for the field itself), and on stacking linkers. See the common English mistakes by AZ speakers guide for the precise corrections, and the how to get band 7 guide for the strategy that balances all four criteria.