IELTS 雅思写作Writing Task 2 申论题是许多考生感到棘手的考试项目。考生需要在40分钟内，针对一个主题，撰写一篇250字以上的短文表达个人意见。除了意见或想法之外，考生更需要提供解释、证据以及例子，来支持他们的意见与想法。雅思写作不仅考察考生的英文能力，更考察考生的思考与组织能力。这点可由Writing Task 2 的四项评分指标清楚看出。
除了「词汇丰富度」(lexical resource)以及「文法准确度」(grammatical range and accuracy)这两个英文能力指标外，「文章切题性」(task response)评量考生的论点是否切题而非答非所问， 「文章连贯性与逻辑性」(coherence and cohesion)则评量考生能否有条理地陈述与支持自己的论点。考生该如何利用短暂的时间，写出一篇既有想法、又有条理的文章呢？
在开始写作之前，我们建议考生花大约五分钟的时间，仔细阅读题目，并且思考适当的答题方式，如此才能确保文章切题。让我们用以下的题目当例子：
Prison is not a cure for crime. To reduce crime in the long-term, courts should significantly reduce prison sentences and focus on education and community work to help criminals not to re-offend. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion ？
这个题目要求考生评估一个论证，表达自己的意见。在仔细阅读题目后，我们可以发现考生要评估的论证为：监狱并非遏制犯罪的良方。为了降低犯罪，法院应该大幅减低刑期，并且致力于罪犯教育与社区服务，好让罪犯出狱后不再犯罪。
针对许多To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?的题目，我们建议考生采取agree AND disagree的答题方向，也就是正反两方都有道理的论述方式。针对「如何降低犯罪」的这个议题，我们可以论证：虽然监狱有缺点，但还是有必要性。在确定论述的大方向后，我们可以用简单的图表打草稿，说明(1)监狱无法减低犯罪，教育以及社区服务才可以，以及(2)监狱可以减低犯罪。
当我们列举想法时，我们必须确认这些想法符合正方或反方的立场，否则文章可能离题或者变得难以阅读。举例来说，如果考生把Long sentences make prisoners reflect on their crimes. 放在Agree的立场之下的话，将使读者(阅卷官)感到困惑，而在「文章连贯性与逻辑性」(coherence and cohesion)的项目被扣分。
文章段落与组织
在列举正反两方的立场之后，我们就可以动手写作。以例题来说，我们可以采取四段文章的写法。第一段介绍议题，第二段与第三段分别叙述正反两方的论点，第四段则为结论。此外在写作时，我们需变化句型结构或句子长度，以增加句型的丰富性。最后，我们需使用适当的连接词(例如because、although与so)以及转折语(例如however、consequently、for example)，以确保论点之间衔接的连贯性。范例文章如下：
There are many different opinions on the best way to reduce crime. The traditional solution is to be hard on criminals and put them in prison for a very long time. An opposing view is expressed by people with more modern ideas. They think that education and community work are the long-term solutions to cutting crime. So who is right – the traditionalists or the modernists?
People in favor of reducing prison sentences often argue that prisons should not simply be places of punishment. In traditional prisons, people learn a lot about crime, so when they leave prison, they will commit more crimes. Education, however, gives people the skills to get a job when they leave prison, which means that they will probably not re-offend. Part-time work experience in the community is also very helpful, as it is a step back into everyday life in society. People can be in prison , but they can also feel they are doing useful work.
On the other hand, some people argue that long prison sentences are right because the punishment should fit the crime. If, for example, someone commits a serious crime such as bank robbery, they should go to prison for a long time. They also believe that reducing prison sentences significantly reduces people's fear of prison and consequently, people will commit more crimes. People will not be frightened of going to a prison which is like a university with learning and work experience opportunities.
In short, I agree that education and community work can have an important role in helping reduce crime, but there should be strict controls on the type of community work prisoners can do. It is important to understand that some people are a real danger to society and need to stay in prison for a very long time.
在写完文章之后，我们建议考生留三分钟左右的时间校对文章，确认拼字、标点符号，以及文法的正确性。
总结
在本篇文章中，我们示范雅思写作Writing Task 2申论题的写作流程。通过这些步骤，考生应可在40分钟内，写出一篇既有想法、又有条理的文章。
