howto_ writing task 2

8/12/2019 Howto_ Writing Task 2

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How to Write an IELTS Essay

On this page you will find some guidance on how you should write an IELTS essay.

There are then model answers on the following pages for different types of essay

and different questions, with some brief guidance on each.

It is important to analyse model answers for IELTS essays because there are

different essay types, and these will require different ways to answer them.

Howeer, as you will see from the guidance on this page, they can all follow the

same basic structure.

These are some of the types of IELTS essay we will loo! at"

Agree / disagree

Discuss two opinions

Advantages & disadvantages

Causes (reasons) & solutions

Causes (reasons) & effects

Problems & solutions

Compare & contrast

#ot eery essay will fit one of these patterns, but many do. $ou may get some of

these tas!s mi%ed up. &or e%ample, you could be as!ed to gie your opinion on an

issue, and then discuss the adantages or disadantages of it.

The golden rule is to ALWAY read t!e "uestion ver# carefull#to see e%actly

what you are being as!ed to do.

$ow do % identif# t!e tas'

In order to grade your tas! response, the e%aminer will be loo!ing to see if youhae answered t!e "uestion.

If you hae only partially answered the question, this will decrease your grade for

this criteria.

Let's loo! at the same essay question we loo!ed at in lesson ( when you identifiedthe topic"


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!e crime rate among teenagers !as increaseddramaticall# in man# countries

Discuss some possible reasons for t!is increase andsuggest solutions

In the preious lesson, we identified the topic for this question as teenage crime.

The tas! ) or *what you hae to do' ) is usually at the end of the prompt. +s youcan see, you are being told to Discuss some possible reasonsfor this increaseand suggestsolutions.

It's ery common in tas! IELTS essay questions to get as!ed to do two t!ings,

and this question is a good e%ample of this"

(. -hy teenage crime has increased

. -ays to sole this problem

$ou /ST discuss both those things to ensure you hae fully answered thequestion and you must write roughly equal amounts about each part.

0oing any of the following things will reduce your score for tas! response, and

hence may reduce your oerall score"

(. Only writing about reasons or only solutions

. -riting most of your essay about reasons and only a small part on solutions

1or isa ersa23. -riting about the reasons and solutions for crime in general, and not

referring to teenagecrime 1the topic2

3. -riting about neither reasons nor solutions

This is why it is so important to spend some time at the beginning ma!ing sureyou identify the tas! so that you !now what you hae to write about.

A Common *istae

It is a common mista!e for students to rush at the beginning to start writing asthey are worried about not finishing, and then write about t!e wrong t!ing.

&or e%ample, when you hae finished identifying the tas!, you will brainstorm yourideas. $ou may come up with reasonsfor an increase in crime such as +lac ofparental supervision,and +boredom,.

Howeer, I hae seen students come up withproblemsof teenage crime, such as

+more #oung people being put in prison-and +stress for t!eir parents-.

This particular tas! as!s you to write about reasons, not problems1though beingas!ed to write about 4problems and solutions4 is common2.

So if you do this you will not be answering the question. This comes from rushingand not ta!ing enough time to identify the tas! properly.


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.t!er uestion #pes

The preious question was fairly easy, so to identify the tas! was hopefully not toodifficult.

Some questions, though, will ta!e more thought in order to identify what you need

to write about.

Here is another e%ample"

Advances in tec!nolog# and automation !ave reduced t!e need for manuallabour !erefore0 woring !ours s!ould be reduced

o w!at e1tent do #ou agree'

+gain, loo! to the end of the prompt to identify the tas!.

$ou hae to say if you agree or disagree with wor!ing hours being reduced, or, inother words, automation 1machines2 ta!ing oer from some human's duties.

$ou must also say !ow muc!you agree or disagree 15to what e%tent52.

Let's assume you want to loo! at both sides of the issue. $ou therefore need todiscuss the reasons w!# #ou agree, and the reasons w!# #ou disagree. Or putanother way"

(. The adantages of reducing wor!ing hours

. The disadantages of reducing wor!ing hours

+nd of course in the introduction or conclusion you need to ma!e it clear what youropinion is.

If you do all of these things then you will hae answered all parts of the prompt. Ifyou find more reasons to agree than disagree, then you can write more about thisside of the argument, or isa ersa.

$ow do % Write an %2L 2ssa#'

In order to answer this, lets first loo! at a sample question"

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Present a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist

knowledge of the following topic.

In the last 20 years there have been significantdevelopments in the field of information technologyIT!" for e#ample the World Wide Web andcommunication by email$ However" future developments


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in IT are li%ely to have more negative effects thanpositive$

To what e#tent do you agree with this view&

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from yourown experience or knowledge.

You should write at least !0 words.

+n IELTS essay is structured li!e any other essay6 you 7ust need to ma!e it

shorter. There are three !ey elements"

". %ntroduction

. 3od# Paragrap!s

3. Conclusion

-e will loo! at each of these in turn, using the essay question aboe as an

e%ample.

4) %ntroduction

$ou should !eep your introduction for the IELTS essay short. 8emember you only

hae 39 minutes to write the essay, and some of this time needs to be spentplanning. Therefore, you need to be able to write your introduction fairly quic!ly so

you can start writing your body paragraphs.

$ou should do 7ust two things"

State the topic of the essay, using some basic facts 1that you may be able to

ta!e from the question2

Say what you are going to write about

Here is an e%ample introduction for the aboe essay question about IT"

The last two decades hae seen enormous changes in the way people4s lies are

affected by %, with many adances in this field. Howeer, while thesetechnological adances hae brought many benefits to the world, it can be arguedthat future % developments will produce more negative effects t!anpositive ones.

+s you can see, the first sentence ma!es sure it refers to the topic 1IT2 and uses

facts about IT ta!en from the question. #ote that these are paraphrased ) you

must not copy from the rubric:

The second part then clearly sets out the what the essay will be about and

confirms the writers opinion 1some questions may not as! for your opinion, but

this one does2.


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Writing t!e %ntroduction

In the writing for tas! , you must write an %2L essa# introduction, but you only hae 39 minutes.

In this time you need to anal#5e t!e "uestion,brainstormideas to write about, formulate an essayplan, and then writeyour response.

Een for a natie writer of English, this is a lot to do in 39 minutes:

So you need to use #our time carefull#. $ou need a good IELTS essay introduction, but one thing youdo not want to do is spend too long writing it so that you end up rushing your paragraphs.

$our paragrap!sare the most important t!ingas they contain all your supporting arguments anddemonstrate how good you are at organi;ing your ideas.

$ou therefore need a method to write your IELTS essay introduction fairly quic!ly. -hen you write anintroduction, you should ma!e sure you do two things"

". Write a sentence introducing the topicand giving some bac%ground factsabout it

. Tell the reader what you are going to be writing about

How you do this will ary depending on the question, but here is an e%ample"


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8urt!er 21amples

21ample 96

=uestion"

Science and technology have helped the world ma%e many advances$ The (rts" such as

painting" theatre and dance" to name *ust three e#amples" however" are also valuable$

What things do the (rts provide to the world that Science and Technology do not&

Sample IELTS essay introduction"

ocieties have developed rapidly over time due to the many advances in science and technology.!o"ever, the arts are also very important and provide our "orld "ith many things that science and

technology cannot.


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-iscuss both views and give your own opinion$

Sample IELTS essay introduction"

While some people are of the opinion that it "ould be useful to include international ne"s as a sub&ect inthe school curriculum, others believe that this is a "aste of students time because they are alreadyoverloaded "ith sub&ects to study. This essay "ill e'amine both sides of the issue.

9) 3od# Paragrap!s

&or an IELTS essay, you should hae or ? body paragraphs ) no more, and no

less.

&or your body paragraph, each paragraph should contain one controlling idea, and

hae sentences to support this.

Lets loo! at the first paragraph for the essay about IT. The essay is about thebenefits and drawbac!s of IT, so these will need to be discussed in separate

paragraphs.

Here is the first body paragraph"

To begin, emailhas made communication, especially abroad, much simpler andfaster, resulting in numerous benefits for commerce and business. &urthermore,the World Wide Web means that information on eery conceiable sub7ect is nowaailable to us. &or e%ample, people can access news, medical adice, onlineeducation courses and much more ia the internet. It is eident that theseimproements hae made life far easier and more conenient for large numbers of

people and will continue to do so for decades to come.

The controlling ideain this first paragraph is the 4benefits of %4, and there are

two supporting ideas, which are underlined. #o drawbac!s are discussed as the

paragraph would then lose coherence.

ost of the essay will focus on the negatie aspects of IT, as the writer says there

are more negatie effects in the introduction. So the ne%t two paragraphs are

about these.

The topic sentence in the ne%t paragraph therefore tells us we are changing the

focus to the negatie points"

=evert!eless0 t!e effects of t!is new tec!nolog# !ave not all beenbeneficial&or e%ample, many people feel that the widespread use of email isdestroying traditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone andface)to)face conersation. This could result in a decline in people4s basic ability tosociali;e and interact with each other on a day)to)day basis.

The final body paragraph gies the last negatie effect"

In addition, the large si;e of the -eb has meant that it is nearly impossible toregulate and control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing


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unsuitable websites and iruses. /nfortunately, this !ind of problem might een

get worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up.

:) Conclusion

The conclusion only needs to be one or two sentences, and you can do the

following"

8e)state what the essay is about 1re)write the last sentence of your

introduction in different words2

@ie some thoughts about the future

Here is an e%ample"

In conclusion, deelopments in IT hae brought many benefits, yet I beliee

deelopments relating to new technology in the future are li!ely to produce manynegatie effects that must be addressed if we are to aoid damaging impacts toindiiduals and society.

!e full %2L 2ssa#6

The last two decades hae seen enormous changes in the way people4s lies are

affected by IT, with many adances in this field. Howeer, while thesetechnological adances hae brought many benefits to the world, it can be arguedthat future IT deelopments will produce more negatie effects than positie ones.

To begin, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler andfaster, resulting in numerous benefits for commerce and business. &urthermore,the -orld -ide -eb means that information on eery conceiable sub7ect is nowaailable to us. &or e%ample, people can access news, medical adice, onlineeducation courses and much more ia the internet. It is eident that these

improements hae made life far easier and more conenient for large numbers ofpeople and will continue to do so for decades to come.

#eertheless, the effects of this new technology hae not all been beneficial. &ore%ample, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroyingtraditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face)to)face conersation. This could result in a decline in people4s basic ability to sociali;eand interact with each other on a day)to)day basis.

In addition, the large si;e of the -eb has meant that it is nearly impossible to

regulate and control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessingunsuitable websites and iruses. /nfortunately, this !ind of problem might eenget worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up.

In conclusion, deelopments in IT hae brought many benefits, yet I belieedeelopments relating to new technology in the future are li!ely to produce many


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negatie effects that must be addressed if we are to aoid damaging impacts to

indiiduals and society.

()*+ "ords

Improve your Information Technology -ocabulary

.omments

The I/T essay introduction talks in general about the increasing use of IT, thus

introducing the topic "ell. The thesis then clearly sets out the "riters opinion.

The follo"ing paragraph mentions the present benefits of these developments, butthe opening sentence in the third paragraph is a 0ualifying statement(/evertheless" not all the effects$.., so the "riter can no" focus on thenegative elements.

The fourth paragraph provides t"o other negative e'amples (lac% of regulation"

viruses. 1oth paragraphs suggest that these problems "ill continue in the future.

The essay concludes "ith a clear opinion that agrees "ith the statement.

%verall, it is a "ell$balanced te't that mentions the present situation (...this hasmade life... but importantly, also refers to the future of IT (...li%ely toincrease$.., might get worse....

odel Essay for IELTS 1 (dvertising

+ second model essay for IELTS is presented here. This one tac!les the sub7ectof advertising.

+s with model essay (, this essay is an agree / disagreeessay.

In these types of essays, you are presented with oneopinion"


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So your options are"

4 Agree 4>>?

9 Disagree 4>>?

: Partl# agree

In the answer below, the writer agrees (99A with the opinion.

+s you can see, the writers opinion is made clear in the t!esis statement1the

last sentence of the introduction2.

+ll the body paragraphs then e%plain w!#the writer disagrees. In other words, it

discusses thenegativeaspects of adertising.

*odel 2ssa# for %2L 9




Some of the methods used in advertising are unethical

and unacceptable in todays society$

To what e#tent do you agree with this view&

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your

own experience or knowledge.


2ssa# for %2L *odel Answer

The world that we lie in today is dominated by adertising. +derts are on

teleision, on the -orld -ide -eb, in the street and een on our mobile phones.

Howeer, many of the strategies used to sell a product or serice can be

considered immoral or unacceptable.

To begin with, the fact that we cannot escape from adertising is a significant

cause for complaint. Bonstant images and signs whereer we loo! can be ery

intrusie and irritating at times. Ta!e for e%ample adertising on the mobile

phone. -ith the latest technology mobile companies are now able to send

adertising messages ia SS to consumer's phones wheneer they choose.+lthough we e%pect aderts in numerous situations, it now seems that there are

ery few places we can actually aoid them.


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+ further aspect of adertising that I would consider unethical is the way that it

encourages people to buy products they may not need or cannot afford. Bhildren

and young people in particular are influenced by aderts showing the latest toys,

clothing or music and this can put enormous pressure on the parents to buy these

products.

In addition, the adertising of tobacco products and alcohol has long been a

controersial issue, but cigarette aderts hae only recently been banned in many

countries. It is quite possible that alcohol aderts encourage e%cessie

consumption and underage drin!ing, yet restrictions hae not been placed on this

type of adertising in the same way as smo!ing.

It is certainly true to say that adertising is an eeryday feature of our lies.

Therefore, people are constantly being encouraged to buy products or serices that

might be too e%pensie, unnecessary or een unhealthy. In conclusion, many

aspects of adertising do appear to be morally wrong and are not acceptable in

today4s society.

1CD words2

.omments

This essay for I/T is "ell organized as there are five clear paragraphs, each

containing ideas that are relevant, "ell e'pressed, and related to the topic.

2ocusing on the language and structures in particular, the essay starts "ith an

appropriate introductory sentence. /inking "ords are used accurately (However"

In addition" Therefore.

3hrases that signal opinions are evident (( further aspect of advertising that I

would consider unethical. .. backed up by reasons (...encourages people to

buy products they may not need or cannot afford and e'amples (.hildren

and young people in particular" are influenced by adverts.

In general, many other useful phrases are used, indicating a good control of

language (It is 3uite possible... any people consider. ..It is certainly true

to say.. ..

IELTS Sample Essay 1 (lternative edicine

This IELTS sample essay tac!les the sub7ect of alternative medicine

Here is the question"


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.urrently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of

medicine$ However" at best these methods are ineffective" and at worstthey may be dangerous$

To what e#tent do you agree with this statement&


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ineffective" and at worst they may be dangerous$

To what e#tent do you agree with this statement&

Give reasons for you answer and include any relevant examples from your



%2L ample 2ssa# *odel Answer

#lternative medicine is not ne". It is accepted that it pre$dates conventional

medicine and it is still used by many people all over the "orld. I am unconvinced

that it is dangerous, and feel that both alternative and conventional medicine canbe useful.

There are several reasons "hy the conventional medical community is often

dismissive of alternatives. 2irstly, there has been little scientific research into such

medicine, so there is a scarcity of evidence to support the claims of their

supporters. 2urthermore, people often try such treatment because of

recommendations from friends, and therefore come to the therapist "ith a very

positive attitude, "hich may be part of the reason for the cure. 4oreover, these

therapies are usually only useful for long$term, chronic conditions. #cute medical

problems, such as accidental in&ury, often re0uire more conventional methods.

%n the other hand, there remain strong arguments for the use of alternatives.

Despite the lack of scientific proof, there is a lot of anecdotal evidence to suggest

that these therapies "ork. In addition, far from being dangerous, they often have

fe" or no side effects, so the "orst outcome "ould be no change. %ne of the

strongest arguments for the effectiveness of alternative therapies in the West is

that, "hilst conventional medicine is available "ithout charge, many people are

prepared to pay considerable sums for alternatives. If they "ere totally unhelpful,

it "ould be surprising if this continued.

I strongly believe that conventional medicine and alternative therapies can and

should coe'ist. They have different strengths, and can both be used effectively to

target particular medical problems. The best situation "ould be for alternative

therapies to be used to support and complement conventional medicine.

1F9 words2

.omments


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The "riter in this I/T sample essay introduces the topic in the introductory

paragraph (lternative medicine$$$!and puts for"ard a clear vie" on the

issue I am unconvinced$$$and feel$$$!.

The essay has a "ell$balanced argument looking at both sides of the issue. The

first body paragraph e'presses some doubt about alternative therapies $$$little

scientific research$$ $only useful for long term$$$!, but in the second body

paragraph the "riter takes a different vie" ,n the other hand$$$!and e'amines

the benefits$$$few side effects!.

The "riter5s concluding paragraph offers a strong opinion I strongly

believe$$$!and sums up the fact that both types of treatment are valid today.

There is also a good range of grammatical structures If they were totally

unhelpful" it would be$$$!, and connectors despite the fact" in addition"

finally!.

IELTS Writing E#ample 1 +niversityEducation

This IELTS writing e%ample is on the topic of universit# education.

In this essay, two opposing opinionsneed to be discussed.

!is is t!e first opinion6

The aim of university education is to help graduates get better &obs.

!is is t!e second opinion6

There are much "ider benefits of university education for both individuals andsociety.

+s the prompt suggests, you /ST tal! about bot! sidesof the issue andinclude #our opinion.

%2L Writing 21ample ;

$ou should spend about 39 minutes on this tas!.

-rite about the following topic"

Some people believe the aim of university education isto help graduates get better *obs$ ,thers believe thereare much wider benefits of university education for both


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individuals and society$

-iscuss both views and give your opinion$

@ie reasons for your answer and include any releant

e%amples from your own e%perience or !nowledge.

$ou should write at least G9 words.

%2L Writing 21ample *odel Answer

These days, more and more people are ma!ing the choice to go to uniersity.

-hile some people are of the opinion that the only purpose of a uniersity

education is to improe 7ob prospects, others thin! that society and the indiidual

benefit in much broader ways.

It is certainly true that one of the main aims of uniersity is to secure a better 7ob.

The ma7ority of people want to improe their future career prospects and attending

uniersity is one of the best ways to do this as it increases a persons mar!etable

s!ills and attractieness to potential employers. In addition, further education is

ery e%pensie for many people, so most would not consider it if it would not

proide them with a more secure future and a higher standard of liing. Thus 7ob

prospects are ery important.

Howeer, there are other benefits for indiiduals and society. &irstly, the

independence of liing away from home is a benefit because it helps the students

deelop better social s!ills and improe as a person. + case in point is that many

students will hae to leae their families, lie in halls of residence and meet new

friends. +s a result, their maturity and confidence will grow enabling them to lie

more fulfilling lies. Secondly, society will gain from the contribution that the

graduates can ma!e to the economy. -e are liing in a ery competitie world, so

countries need educated people in order to compete and prosper.

Therefore, I beliee that although a main aim of uniersity education is to get the

best 7ob, there are clearly further benefits. If we continue to promote and

encourage uniersity attendance, it will lead to a better future for indiiduals and

society.

1C words2

666666666666666666666666666666666666666

Improve your I/T ducation -ocabulary

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http://www.ieltsbuddy.com/education-vocabulary.htmlhttp://www.ieltsbuddy.com/education-vocabulary.html


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.omments

The "riter in this I/T "riting e'ample has a clear thesis in the second sentence

of the introduction, establishing that t"o sides of this issue "ill bediscussed While some people are of the opinion$$$others thin% that$$$!$

/ooking at the structure, the topic sentences make it clear "hen the first opinion is

being discussed It is certainly true that one of the main aims of university

is to secure a better *ob$!and "hen the "riter is moving onto the ne't

opinion However" there are other benefits for individuals and society$!.

7onnectors To begin$$$ (lso$$$ 4irstly$$$ Secondly! are used "ell to introduce

each ne" supporting idea. 2urther connectors 4or e#ample$$$( case in point is

that$$$(s a result$$$!are used to e'pand on these ideas.

2inally, the "riter has demonstrated that they are able to use comple' sentence

structures While$$$that$$$in order to$$$as$$$!, andhas discussed both vie"s and

combined this "ith his8her opinion, thus ensuring the 0uestion has been ans"ered.

odel IELTS Essays 1 5educing .rime

IELTS essays can be on a ariety of topics, and this writing sample is

about reducing crime.

+s with the preious essay, there are two opinions, and you must discuss each one

and your opinion must also be gien.

In the preious essay, the writers opinion was gien in the conclusion.

In this one, a separate body paragraph discusses the writers opinion.

%2L 2ssa#s 21ample arents also hae to ta!e more responsibility for their

children's actions. They too should be punished if their children commit crime.

To sum up, seeral factors hae led to increases in youth crime, but measures are

aailable to tac!le this problem.

1D words2

Comments

The topic is clearly stated in the general statement of the introduction, and the

thesis tells the reader that reasons and solutions will be discussed.


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It is organi;ed well, with reasons for youth crime discussed in the first body

paragraph and solutions in the ne%t. Each paragraph has two ideas and they are

clearly signaled and well supported.

There are some good comple% structures (%n order for0 often t!e case t!at0

means t!at0)and some good e%amples of topic related

ocabulary (nurtured0 neglected0 illegal0 severe punis!ments0

deter0 commit crime)

IELTS Traffic 8roblems Essay

This is a traffic problems essay and the specific topic is the ta%ing of car driers in

order to reduce these problems.

$ou are as!ed to discuss the advantagesand disavantagesof introducing such a

policy to tac!le the issue.

This question is ery clear, and it does not specifically as! you for an opinion.

$ou 7ust need to loo! at both sides of the issue.

The logical way to answer it would be to discuss each side in a different

paragraph.

ample %2L Writing E


#rite about the following topic$

In order to solve traffic problems" governments shouldta# private car owners heavily and use the money toimprove public transportation$

What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a

solution&





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raffic Problems 2ssa# *odel Answer

Traffic congestion in many cities around the world is seere. One possible solution

to this problem is to impose heay ta%es on car driers and use this money to

ma!e public transport better. This essay will discuss the benefits and drawbac!s of

such a measure.

One of the first benefits of such a measure is that the heay ta%es would

discourage car owners from using their cars because it would become ery

e%pensie to drie. This would mean that they would begin to ma!e use of public

transport instead, thus reducing traffic problems and pollution as well. +nother

benefit would be that much more use would be made of public transport if it was

improed. It is often the case that public transport in cities is ery poor. &or

e%ample, we often see old buses and trains that people would rather not use. High

ta%es would generate enough money to ma!e the necessary changes.

#eertheless, there are drawbac!s to such a solution. &irst and foremost, this

would be a heay burden on the car driers. +t present, ta%es are already high for

a lot of people, and so further ta%es would only mean less money at the end of the

month for most people who may hae no choice but to drie eery day. In

addition, this type of ta% would li!ely be set at a fi%ed amount. This would mean

that it would hit those with less money harder, whilst the rich could li!ely afford it.

It is therefore not a fair ta%.

To conclude, this solution is worth considering to improe the current situation, but

there are adantages and disadantages of introducing such a policy.

1 words2

Comments

The topic is clearly stated in the general statement of the introduction, and the

thesis tells the reader that adantages and disadantages will be discussed.

It is organi;ed well, with the adantages of such a solution in the first body

paragraph and the disadantages in the ne%t.

Each paragraph has two ideas and they are well signaled and supported.

There are some good uses of tenses to show the writer is discussing the unreal

future i.e. something that has not happened 1would discourage car owners0

would be a !eav# burden02.

IELTS ,verpopulation EssayThis model essay is about overpopulation in cities.


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$ou specifically hae to tal! about the problemsof oerpopulation, and suggest

some solutionsto this problem.

#ote that this question specifically as!s you

what governmentsandindividualscan do.

$ou /ST, therefore, write about what both of these can do in order to fully

answer the question.

#ote as well that you must tal! about seriousproblems.

The easiest way to organi;e a problems and solutions essay is as follows"

3od# 46 Problems

3od# 96 olutions

In this essay, a separate paragraph has been written about goernment and

indiidual solutions, so it is organi;ed as follows"

3od# 46 Problems3od# 96 olutions Fovernment3od# :6 olutions %ndividuals

*odel 2ssa# G




,verpopulation of urban areas has led to numerousproblems$

Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways thatgovernments and individuals can tac%le these problems$



You should write at least 250 words.

%2L .verpopulation 2ssa# ample Answer


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any countries of the world are currently e%periencing problems caused by rapidly

growing populations in urban areas, and both goernments and indiiduals hae a

duty to find ways to oercome these problems.

Oerpopulation can lead to oercrowding and poor quality housing in many large

cities. >oorly heated or damp housing could cause significant health problems,

resulting in illness, such as bronchitis or pneumonia. +nother serious consequence

of oercrowding is a rising crime rate as poor liing conditions may lead young

people in particular to ta!e desperate measures and turn to crime or drugs.

In terms of solutions, I beliee the goernment should be largely responsible.

&irstly, it is ital that the state proides essential housing and healthcare for all its

citi;ens. Secondly, setting up community pro7ects to help foster more community

spirit and help !eep young people off the street is a good idea. &or e%ample, youth

clubs or eening classes for teenagers would !eep them occupied. &inally, more

effectie policing of inner city areas would also be beneficial.

#aturally, indiiduals should also act responsibly to address these problems, and

the motiation to do this would hopefully arise if the measures described aboe are

put into place by the goernment. This is because it will encourage people to hae

more pride in their own community and improe the situation.

Therefore, it is clear that the problems caused by oerpopulation in urban areas

are ery serious. $et if goernments and indiiduals share a collectie

responsibility, then it may well become possible to offer some solutions.

1G3 words2

IELTS .auses and Effects odel Essay

This causes and effects model essay is about obesit# in c!ildren.

$ou specifically hae to tal! about the causes1reasons2 of the increase in

oerweight children, and e%plain the effects1results2 of this.

This particular essay is organi;ed as follows"

3od# 46 Causes3od# 96 2ffects

Of course it is also possible to hae a ? body paragraph essay. &or e%ample"

3od# 46 Causes3od# 96 Causes3od# :6 2ffects

Or"

3od# 46 Causes

3od# 96 2ffects3od# :6 2ffects


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Howeer, remember not to write too little on one part.

&or e%ample, if you wrote one ery short paragraph about 4causes4 with little

support and most of your essay on 4effects4, you may then be seen to hae not

fully answered both parts of the question.

+nother possible way of organi;ing it is to put each cause and its effect within a

separate paragraph"

3od# 46 Cause 4 2ffect3od# 96 Cause 9 2ffect

If you do this though, each particular cause must relate to that specific effect.

21ample 2ssa# 4>


>resent a written argument to an educated reader with no

specialist !nowledge of the following topic.

The percentage of overweight children in westernsociety has increased by almost 209 in the last tenyears$

-iscuss the causes and effects of this disturbing trend$




Causes and 2ffects 2ssa# *odel Answer

Oer the last ten years, western societies hae seen close to a 9A rise in the

number of children who are oerweight. This essay will discuss some reasons why

this has occurred and e%amine the consequences of this worrying trend.

The main cause of this problem is poor diet. Oer the last decade there has been a

prolific increase in the number of fast food restaurants. &or e%ample, on nearly

eery high street there is a ac0onald's, Jentuc!y &ried Bhic!en and >i;;a Hut.

The food in these places has been proen to be ery unhealthy, and much of the

adertising is targeted at children, thus ensuring that they constitute the bul! of

the customers of these establishments. Howeer, it is not only due to eating out,but also the type of diet many children hae at home. + lot of food consumed is

processed food, especially with regards to ready)made meals which are a quic!

and easy option for parents who are wor!ing hard.


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The effects of this hae been and will continue to be ery serious. &irstly, there has

been a large increase in health related diseases amongst children, especially

diabetes. This debilitating illness means a child has to be in7ected with insulin for

the rest of their life. #ot only this, ery oerweight children often e%perience

bullying from other children, which may affect their mental health. The negatie

stigma of being oerweight may also affect self)esteem.

To sum up, it is eident that there are seeral causes of obesity amongst children,

and a ariety of negatie effects. Society must ensure steps are ta!en to preent

this problem from deteriorating further.

()+: "ords2

IELTS Human .loning Essay

This is a model answer for a !uman cloningessay.

If you loo! at the tas!, the wording is slightly different from the common -do #ou

agree or disagree-essay. Howeer, it is essentially as!ing the same thing.

$ou are as!ed if you agree wit! !uman cloning to use t!eir bod# parts1in

other words, what are the benefits2, and w!at reservations (concerns) #ou

!ave1in other words, what are the disadantages2.

So the best way to answer this human cloning essay is probably to loo! at both

sides of the issue as has been done in the model answer.

+s always, you must read t!e "uestion carefull#to ma!e sure you answer it

fully and do not go off topic.

$ou are specifically being as!ed to discuss the issue of creating human clones to

then use t!eir bod# parts. If you write about other issues to do with human

cloning, you may go off topic.

$uman Cloning 2ssa# ample 44


>resent a written argument to an educated reader with no

specialist !nowledge of the following topic.

(s people live longer and longer" the idea of cloninghuman beings in order to provide spare parts isbecoming a reality$ The idea horrifies most people" yet itis no longer mere science fiction$

To what e#tent do you agree with such a procedure&

Have you any reservations&


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*odel Answer for $uman Cloning 2ssa#

The cloning of animals has been occurring for a number of years now, and this has

now opened up the possibility of cloning humans too. +lthough there are clear

benefits to human!ind of cloning to proide spare body parts, I beliee it raises a

number of worrying ethical issues.

0ue to brea!throughs in medical science and improed diets, people are liing

much longer than in the past. This, though, has brought with it problems. +speople age, their organs can fail so they need replacing. If humans were cloned,

their organs could then be used to replace those of sic! people. It is currently the

case that there are often not enough organ donors around to fulfil this need, so

cloning humans would oercome the issue as there would then be a ready supply.

Howeer, for good reasons, many people iew this as a worrying deelopment.

&irstly, there are religious arguments against it. It would inole creating another

human and then eentually !illing it in order to use its organs, which it could be

argued is murder. This is obiously a sin according to religious te%ts. +lso,

dilemmas would arise oer what rights these people hae, as surely they would behumans 7ust li!e the rest of us. &urthermore, if we hae the ability to clone

humans, it has to be questioned where this cloning will end. Is it then acceptable

for people to start cloning relaties or family members who hae diedK

To conclude, I do not agree with this procedure due to the ethical issues and

dilemmas it would create. Bloning animals has been a positie deelopment, but

this is where it should end.

()+; "ords


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The first body paragraph discusses the advantages of cloning humans, and then

the second body paragraph looks at the problems associated "ith this. The change

of direction to look at the other side is clearly marked "ith a transition "ord

(=ho"ever= and a topic sentencerobably the most worrying threat to our planet at the present time is global

warming. This essay will e%amine the reasons why global warming is occurring and

discuss some possible solutions.

The predominant factors resulting in the warming of the earth are the emissions of

BO and deforestation. BO, which damages the o;one layer, comes from seeral

sources, but the most problematic are those coming from the burning of fossil fuels

from power plants. This releases thousands of tones of BO into the atmosphere

eery year. +nother cause of these emissions is the burning of gasoline for

transportation, which continues to increase because of our demand for cars and

also our increasing worldwide consumption, resulting in an increasing need to

transport goods. +lso, forests store large amounts of carbon, so deforestation is

causing larger amounts of BO to remain in the atmosphere.

#eertheless, there are potential ways to sole these problems, or at least reduce

the effects. &irstly, goernments need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and

promote alternaties. >lant)deried plastics, biodiesel, wind power and solar power

are all things that are a step in the right direction, but goernments need to

enforce the limits on BO emissions for the polluting industries in their countries

for these to be effectie. +lso, indiiduals can play a part by ma!ing lifestyle

changes. >eople should try to buy cars with the best fuel economy, and only use

their car when really necessary. They can also switch to energy companies that

use renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. &inally, small things li!e buying

energy efficient light bulbs, turning off electricity in the house, and planting treesin the garden can help.

To conclude, although global warming is a serious issue, there are steps that

goernments and indiiduals can ta!e to reduce its effects. If we are to sae our

planet, it is important that this is treated as a priority for all concerned.

(B)C Words2

IELTS (irline Ta# Sample Essay

The following essay is on the topic of airline ta%.

$ou are as!ed to decide if you agree or disagreewith ta%ing airlines in order to

reduce the problems that the increasing amount of air traffic can cause.

It is always a good idea to loo! at bot! sides of t!e issue, and this essay does

this.

So you need to brainstorm"

". the reasons w!# t!is would be a good solution

. the reasons w!# it would not

?. and of course decide w!ic! side of t!e argument #ou agree wit!.


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*odel 2ssa# 4G



(ir traffic is increasingly leading to more noise"pollution" and airport constuction$ ,ne reason for this is

the growth in low1cost passenger flights" often toholiday destinations$

Some people say that government should try to reduceair traffic by ta#ing it more heavily$

-o you agree or disagree&




Lowcost Airline a1 *odel Answer

Oer recent years there has been an enormous increase in the amount of air traffic

around the world resulting in arious problems, and a ma7or cause of this has been

the growth of low)cost airlines. +lthough some people beliee that ta%es should be

increased for air trael, I disagree.

Those that support ta%ing airlines beliee that this will result in a reduction in this

type of trael and thus sole the problems of pollution, noise and construction.

This is because a ta% would ma!e the cost of traelling more e%pensie, which will,

they claim, lead to a decrease in demand. >roponents of this solution beliee that

ta%es are fair because eeryone has to pay them and it is a wor!able solution that

will hae the additional bonus of proiding an income for the goernment.

Howeer, there are a number of reasons why this is not the right course of action.

&irstly, a ta% is not fair because it will adersely affect people on lower incomes.

Such a ta% would hae to be a fi%ed amount paid equally whether you are rich or

poor, which means that those on lower incomes would find it more difficult to

trael, but it would li!ely hae little effect on the lies of those with a higher

income. In addition, such a ta% would not wor!. &or e%ample, we hae seen

ta%es increase in most countries on cars, but this has had little affect, with car use

continuing to grow.

To sum up, it is eident that introducing heay ta%es on air trael is not fair or

wor!able. If we continue to e%plore alternaties, we can continue to en7oy the

benefits that air trael offers.


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1)*C Words2

IELTS 4ree +niversity Education Essay

The issue of free universit# educationis an essay topic that comes up in the

IELTS test.

This essay therefore proides you with some of the !ey arguments about this

topic.

The essay is an agree / disagreeessa#, which means you are gienone

opinionand then as!ed if you agree with it or not.

So remember to ma!e it clear in your essay which side you are on.

Of course you don4t hae to firmly come down on one side ) you could partly agreeif there are some aspects of the arguments you agree with but some parts you

disagree with.

In this essay, the writer beliees free uniersity education is the best policy, so

she agrees with the opinion. This is made clear in the conclusion 1though you can

put your opinion in the introduction as well if you wish2.

The writer presents bot! sides of t!e argument. This is a good idea as you may

find it more difficult to come up with a lot of ideas for one side of an argument. It

also shows you are able to see both sides of the argument ) a good academic s!ill.

21ample 2ssa# 9> 8ree Iniversit# 2ducation2ssa#


Present a written argument to an educated reader with nospecialist knowledge of the following topic.

+niversity education should be free to everyone"

regardless of income$

To what e#tent do you agree or disagree&

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples

from your own experience or knowledge.


*odel Answer


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Oer recent years, more and more people hae been attending uniersity and

arguments hae persisted as to whether students should pay for this priilege not.

+lthough there are conincing arguments on both sides, I strongly beliee that it

should be free.

One argument put forward in faour of charging students is that education is

becoming more e%pensie to fund as uniersities grow in si;e. Bonsequently,

ma!ing students pay may maintain standards and ensure the quality of the

teaching. In addition, it is argued that most students benefit from uniersity in

terms of higher paid 7obs, so it is fair that they pay for at least some of the cost,

especially gien that the ma7ority of students attending uniersity are from the

middle classes. Last but not least, in many countries, there is a shortage of people

to do manual 7obs such as plumbing and carpentry, so ma!ing uniersity more

e%pensie may encourage people to ta!e up these 7obs.

Howeer, there are a number of arguments in faour of ma!ing uniersity

education free for all. &irstly, it will encourage more people to attend and this will

benefit society. This is because it will lead to a more productie and educated

wor!force. 8esearch has generally shown that those countries that hae a better

educated population ia uniersity hae higher leels of innoation and

productiity. In addition, there is the issue of equality of opportunity. If all

students are required to pay, those on a low income may be dissuaded from

attending, thus ma!ing it unfair. The reason for this is that they will li!ely not be

able to secure financial support from their family so they will be concerned about

the debts they will incur in the future.

In conclusion, I am of opinion that all education should remain equally aailable to

all regardless of income. This is not only fair, but will also ensure that countries

can prosper and deelop into the future with a well)educated wor!force.

B); Words

.omputer 6ames Essay

This page analy;es a computer games essa#and also notes how you can ma!e

good use of the question to plan and organi;e your essay.

Ta!e a loo! at this IELTS tas! question"

=owada#s man# people !ave access to computers on a wide basis and alarge number of c!ildren pla# computer games

W!at are t!e positive and negative impacts of pla#ing computer games

and w!at can be done to minimi5e t!e bad effects'


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8emember to always analy;e the question carefully. The topicshould be fairly

clear"

7omputer games

8emember to also loo! carefully to see if the topic is being narrowed downto a

particular aspectof the topic. In this case it is"

7hildren

#ow you need to chec! what the tasis. How many things do you hae to write

aboutK

Hopefully you reali;ed there are three things that you can easily turn into

brainstorming questions"

". What are the positive impacts of computer games on childrenK

. What are the negative impacts of computer games on childrenK

3. !o" can the negative impacts be minimizedK

$our answers to these questions will form your computer games essay.

$ou do not hae much time and you hae three things to answer, so one or two

ideas for each is enough, as remember you will need to e%plain your ideas and gie

e%amples.

#ow, ta!e a loo! at the model answer.

Computer Fames 2ssa# uestion6


resent a written argument to an educated reader with no specialist knowledge

of the following topic.

=owada#s man# people !ave access to computers on awide basis and a large number of c!ildren pla# computergames

W!at are t!e positive and negative impacts of pla#ingcomputer games and w!at can be done to minimi5e t!ebad effects'

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from yourown experience or knowledge.

You should write at least 250 words.


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Computer Fames 2ssa# *odel Answer6

+ccess to computers has increased significantly oer recent decades, and the

number of children playing games on computers has increased too. This essay will

consider the positie and negatie impacts of this and discuss ways to mitigate

against the potential negatie effects.

-ith regards to the positie effects, playing computers games can deelop

children's cognitie s!ills. any popular games require abstract and high leel

thin!ing s!ills in order to win, s!ills that may not be taught at school. &or e%ample,

children need to follow instructions, sole comple% problems and use logic in many

of the games that are currently popular. Such e%perience will be beneficial to a

child's progression into an adult.

Howeer, concerns hae been raised about the prolific use of computer games by

children, much of this related to the iolence they contain. The problem is that in

many of the games children are rewarded for being more iolent, and this iolence

is repeated again and again. &or instance, many games inole children helping

their character to !ill, !ic!, stab and shoot. This may lead to increased aggressie

feelings, thoughts, and behaiours.

In order to minimi;e these negatie impacts, parents need to ta!e certain steps.

&irstly, some ideo games are rated according their content, so parents must

chec! this and ensure their children are not allowed to hae access to games that

are unsuitable. >arents can also set limits on the length of time games are played.

&inally, parents should also ta!e an actie interest in the games their children areplaying so they can find out how they feel about what they are obsering.

To sum up, there are benefits of computer games, but there are disadantages

too. Howeer, if parents ta!e adequate precautions, the seerity of these negatie

impacts can be aoided.

1)A; Words2

Bomments

This computer games essay is well)organi;ed and it directly answers the question,

with each paragraph addressing one of the tas!s.

#ote how the topic sentences match the tas!s 1which hae been ta!en from the

prompt2"

". What are the positive impacts of computer games on children'

-ith regards to the positie effects, playing computers games can deelop

children's cognitie s!ills.

. What are the negative impacts of computer games on children'


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Howeer, concerns hae been raised about the prolific use of computer games by

children, much of this related to the iolence they contain.

3. How can the negative impacts be minimi)ed'

In order to minimi;e these negatie impacts, parents need to ta!e certain steps.

This is why analy;ing the question is so important. This proides you with the basic

building bloc!s with which to write your essay

IELTS Scientific 5esearch Essay

This is an IELTS scientific researc! essa#.

&or this essay, you need to discuss whether the funding and controlling of scientific

research should be the responsibility of the goernment or priate organi;ations.

This is a fairly comple% topic so you may want to do an internet search and do

some reading about it before you attempt to write a practice answer.

The model answer below puts forward two ideas againstpriate organi;ations

holding such responsibility.

Howeer, there are further arguments around the topic in opposition to this, but

with 39 minutes to plan and write your answer you will need to choose carefully

which ideas you want to present.

+nother way to approach this scientific research essay would be to present ideas

for andideas against.



6overnments should be responsible for fundingand controlling scientific research rather than

private organi)ations.


Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples

from your own experience or knowledge.


cientific Hesearc! 2ssa# *odel Answer


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/nderta!ing scientific research is imperatie if countries want to progress and

compete in a globali;ed world. Howeer, the funding and controlling of this

research remains a contentious issue. In my opinion, the goernment should hae

the predominant responsibility for this.

One of the first issues is the !nowledge that we gain from research. If

goernments are responsible then they are drien by the need to ma!e adances

in !nowledge in order to improe people's lies. This is because they are

accountable to the public and the research is paid for by ta%es. On the other hand,

priate organi;ations are drien by profit. This may mean that some research that

could be aluable to society may not begin because there is no monetary gain.

+nother disadantage related to this is the research process. -hen the funding for

research comes from the same organi;ation that can be e%pected to gain from a

faorable outcome, there is a strong potential for biased results. Ta!ing drugs

companies as an e%ample, goernments usually require rigorous trials for new

drugs that can ta!e many years. The companies hae large amounts of money

inested in such research and the need for positie results is paramount. It is

difficult for a scientist to remain impartial in these circumstances. Howeer, if this

is controlled and funded by goernments, their accountability means that such

conflicts of interest are less li!ely to occur.

On balance, I would argue that although it is not realistic to remoe all

opportunities for priately funded research, goernments should hae the main

responsibility for the monitoring and controlling of this. Strong chec!s and

balances need to be in place to ensure future research is ethical and productie.

()*? Words

'an Smo%ing in 8ublic 8laces Essay

This is a ban smoing in public placesessay.

It is an e%ample of an essay where you hae to gie your opinion as to whether

you agree or disagree.

The sample answer shows you how you can present theopposing argument first,

that isnotyour opinion, and then present your opinion in the following paragraph.

It is always a good idea to present a balanced essay which presents both sides of

the argument, but you must always ma!e it ery clear what #our opinion is and

which side of the argument you support.

3an moing in Public Places 2ssa#



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Smo%ing not only harms the smo%er" but also those whoare nearby$ Therefore" smo%ing should be banned in

public places$





*odel Answer

edical studies hae shown that smo!ing not only leads to health problems for the

smo!er, but also for people close by. +s a result of this, many beliee that

smo!ing should not be allowed in public places. +lthough there are arguments on

both sides, I strongly agree that a ban is the most appropriate course of action.

Opponents of such a ban argue against it for seeral reasons. &irstly, they say that

passie smo!ers ma!e the choice to breathe in other people's smo!e by going to

places where it is allowed. If they would prefer not to smo!e passiely, then they

do not need to isit places where smo!ing is permitted. In addition, they beliee aban would possibly drie many bars and pubs out of business as smo!ers would

not go there anymore. They also argue it is a matter of freedom of choice.

Smo!ing is not against the law, so indiiduals should hae the freedom to smo!e

where they wish.

Howeer, there are more conincing arguments in faour of a ban. &irst and

foremost, it has been proen that tobacco consists of carcinogenic compounds

which cause serious harm to a person's health, not only the smo!er. +nyone

around them can deelop cancers of the lungs, mouth and throat, and other sites

in the body. It is simply not fair to impose this upon another person. It is also thecase that people's health is more important than businesses. In any case, pubs

and restaurants could adapt to a ban by, for e%ample, allowing smo!ing areas .

In conclusion, it is clear that it should be made illegal to smo!e in public places.

This would improe the health of thousands of people, and that is most definitely a

positie deelopment.

()AC "ords


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This essay is "ell organized and presented.

The introduction is clear $ note ho" it follo"s the ban smoking in public places

essay 0uestion $ it paraphrases the information in order to introduce the topic and

the argument.

The argument against a ban on smoking in public places is presented first. It is

made clear that it is not the authors opinion by the topic sentence

howto_ writing task 2

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