How to Use Real Examples in IELTS Writing Task 2 – Without Needing Statistics

In Writing Task 2, a lot of people have trouble with how to give examples, especially when they can’t remember the exact numbers or figures. Good news: you don’t need exact numbers or personal stories to use strong, relevant examples in your essay.

What you’ll learn in this piece is:

• Why Band 7+ examples are important
• What kinds of examples you can use on the IELTS
• What kind of examples to use (real, general, and fictional)
• A list of common mistakes with examples
• Examples of texts from Bands 7 and 8 with the right words
• Templates to help you write faster when you’re in a hurry

Why Examples Are Important for Task 2 of the IELTS

Task Response, which accounts for 25% of your writing grade, includes examples. There are no points for facts or figures, but you do get points for:

• Using logic to back up your claims
• Making it easy to understand vague ideas
• Getting the examiner to see that your points are useful and important

Citations aren’t required by IELTS like they are in academic papers. Use general, realistic examples from real life instead.

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Three Types of Good Examples (No Need for Stats)

1. Examples from Real Life (General Knowledge)
Don’t quote data; just use facts or events that everyone knows.

For example:
To cut down on traffic, many towns, like London and Singapore, have put in place congestion charges.
There are fast food chains in almost every country, which shows how the world has moved towards a culture of ease.

2. Examples of What Could Happen
Make a plausible situation that shows your point. Modal verbs are words like would, might, or could.

For example:
A student who learns online might have trouble keeping track of time and being self-disciplined.
It might be hard for an elderly person who lives alone to get used to digital payment methods.

3. Some Examples from Systems or Trends
Look at how things are changing in healthcare, schooling, technology, or the workplace.

For example:
A lot of companies now let their workers do their jobs from home, which helps them handle their work and personal lives better.
Tablets are sometimes given to students instead of textbooks in some schools.

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Examples Not to Use

Type	What’s Wrong with It
Stories about people	If you want to do well on IELTS Writing Task 2, don’t use “I” or “my friend” as examples.
Not true numbers	Making up numbers hurts your credibility: “70% of people eat junk food every day”
Not important information	Don’t tell a story; use short examples that lead to your major point instead.

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How to Put Together an Example (Step by Step)

Follow this path:

• Make your main point clear
• Briefly explain it
• Give a good case to back it up
• Connect it to the main point (not required but helpful)

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A Sample (Quality Band 8)
Some people think that kids should start learning a second language when they are in elementary school.

Body Paragraph Example:
Learning a new language early in life makes your mind more flexible and improves your memory. Because their brains are still growing, young children are more open to learning how to say words and pronounce them. In some countries, like the Netherlands and Sweden, English is taught in early schools, and by the time they are in high school, many students speak English as fluently as a native speaker. This shows how early language learning can help in the long run.

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Links That Are Useful for Examples

Function	Phrases
Giving an example	For instance, For example, This is shown well by, One such case is
Adding fictional case	You can see this when…, Think about a case in which…, Take the case of…
Linking back up	This proves that…, This brings out the fact that…, As a result…

Tip: Don’t use “Take for example” as it sounds less professional.

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Practice Activity – Make Examples Without Using Statistics
Topic: The way we talk to each other changes because of social media.
Main idea: Social media has made it less common for people to talk to each other in person.

Acceptable example:
Today, friends often text each other instead of meeting up in person, even if they live in the same city.

Unacceptable example:
I never meet up with my cousin in person; instead, I always talk to him on WhatsApp.

Make sure your examples are formal, general, and useful.

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Templates for Real-Life Examples (No Stats Needed)

For quick thinking on the test, use these fill-in-the-blank formats:

• One place where this is common is [country/situation], where [system/trend] is common.
• This is clear from the fact that [industry/government/policy] has put in place [solution].
• As an example, many [schools, businesses, and cities] are now taking steps to deal with this problem.
• In modern culture, the workplace, and school systems, this kind of thing happens all the time.
• Take the case of [group of people] who have [problem/benefit] because of [factor].

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Example Mistakes You Should Never Make and How to Fix Them

Mistake	Why It’s a Snag	How to Make It Right
“In this case, I think…”	Too personal and informal	Use: “For instance,” or “One such instance is…”
Quotes like “90%” without a source	Sounds fake	Swap out with: “Usually” or “It usually happens that…”
Too long stories	Wastes time and focus	Only use one or two sentences per case
Not related example	Doesn’t support main idea	Ask: Does this example back up my point? If not, remove it

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Some Examples: Band 6 vs. Band 8

Band 6 Example Paragraph:
The government should put money into improving public travel.
Taking the bus or train is helpful. It helps people go places. One example is that my uncle always takes the bus. It’s cheap, he says. For buses, I believe the government should spend more money.

Trouble:

• One-off personal example
• Poor word choice
• Lack of a clear link or reason

Band 8 Example Paragraph:

Public transport methods cut down on traffic jams and carbon emissions. Building more bus and train lines makes people more likely to take public transport instead of their own cars. For instance, Seoul and Singapore have built train systems that work well and are cheap, quick, and used by a lot of people. Because of this, they have cut down on pollution from cars and daily travel times by a large amount.

Why it’s better:

• Simple main idea
• Example from real life
• Use of linking words
• Academic tone

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Subjects with Simple Examples from Real Life

• Education: Many Scandinavian countries make college free, which makes it easier for people to go to college.
• Environment: To clean up the oceans, the UK has banned plastic straws.
• Technology: Since the COVID-19 outbreak, many companies have made it okay for employees to work from home.
• Health: The number of people eating fast food has gone up around the world, especially in cities.
• Crime: A lot of city centres use CCTV cameras to keep people from stealing.
• Transportation: Bicycles are promoted as a green way to get around in cities like Amsterdam.

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Last Words on Setting a Good Example

• Only use one to two lines per example
• Give detailed examples that show how the main idea is true
• Don’t use information unless you’re sure it’s real and correct
• Refer to countries or general facts
• Learn how to use the PEEL format to write paragraphs

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Practice Task

Topic: A lot of people think it’s better to work from home than in an office.

 

Use this format to write one body paragraph:

• Subject line
• What it means
• Example from real life or a hypothetical story (no numbers)
• Link to the argument

Try to complete it in under 8 minutes for test prep.

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Last Thoughts
To write a good IELTS essay, you don’t need to use exact numbers or personal stories. Strong examples are:

• Important
• Clear
• Believable
• Brief

You can make your case stronger and get closer to Band 7 or 8 in Writing Task 2 by learning how to use general knowledge, real-life examples, and hypothetical scenarios.

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Call to Action
Which IELTS topic is hardest for you to give examples for? Is it health, education, or the environment? Leave a note, and I’ll send you five good essay templates you can use in your next paper.