Saying what you think, claiming only what you can support, and not disappearing behind either.
How this drill works, and why it is built this way›
Task 2 asks for a position. An essay that never takes one loses marks even if every sentence is correct.
A position is not the same as certainty. The evidence points one way, though it is not settled is a position.
Two opposite failures. Over-claiming: saying more than you can support. Over-hedging: so many qualifications that no claim survives.
Hedge the claim, not the sentence. Smaller classes probably help weaker students most hedges once, in the right place. Four hedges in one sentence is avoidance.
Concede properly. A concession only earns marks if it names something real that works against you — and you then answer it.
Worked example
Which takes a position an examiner can mark?
A There are arguments on both sides and it depends on the situation. · B Both arguments have force, but the case for regulation is stronger where children are involved.
Answer: B
A is true of every Task 2 question ever set, and commits to nothing. B concedes the other side in four words, then states a position and the condition under which it holds. The point: balance is not the absence of a view.
Moderate · CEFR B1around band 5 – 5.5change level:
The drill moves you up or down on its own. Two good sets and it gets harder; two hard ones and it steps back.
The band range is what this level practises for — it is a guide, not a score. Only your first answer to each item counts towards the level decision.
Your answers and explanations open after the set is complete, the attempt is saved and your email is verified.
For whole-sentence tasks, the checker looks for the required structure and facts; it is not an examiner and cannot judge every possible sentence.
