ILETS WRITING TASK 1 PRATICE ANSWERS

1) Sample Band 9 answer

Newspapers and magazines are full of stories about famous people and the wonderful lifestyles that they
enjoy. I think it's something that we get used to. We expect to see them wearing very expensive clothes
and, going to amazing parties. It seems natural that if you have a lot of money, you will spend it in these
ways.
(Opening paragraph agrees with first part of premise.)
Some people who are rich and famous do manage to have a happy life as well. They get married and
have children and, although they have to work hard, they still have time to give to their family. Victoria and
David Beckham are just one example of a happy celebrity couple.
(Second paragraph disputes second part of premise.)
However, money doesn't always bring happiness. In fact, sometimes the opposite is true. Stars often talk
to the press about the pressures of being rich and famous. Some of them end up drinking too much or
taking too many drugs. The actress Elizabeth Taylor, for example, has been in clinics many times for
these problems. The divorce rate is also very high among celebrities. Often their marriages last only a
short period of time and they re-many very quickly but the same thing happens again.
(Third paragraph agrees and gives two clear examples.)
Ultimately, I think it depends on the person. I don't really believe that being unhappy is a consequence of
fame but I do think that it may be very difficult to cope with having a lot of money and fame. Celebrities
are ordinary people underneath and perhaps some of them are not strong enough to deal with their fame.
(Conclusion provides a possible explanation and gives a personal view.)
(254 words)

2)

Model answer

Practical skills are very important and it could be argued that they are as important as academic
qualifications when it comes to getting a job. Nevertheless, it is unlikely that academic qualifications will
ever become unnecessary.
There are certain manual jobs such as cleaning and labouring where formal qualifications are less
important. Employers in these industries are more likely to employ people with a good working knowledge
of the job and what it entails. However, even in these jobs it is important for people to have a minimum
level of education, especially if they want to rise above the lowest working level. How can a person

without good writing and mathematical skills balance a budget or manage staff? How can such a person
make informed decisions about which products to use or safety issues in the workplace?
Having said this, a student graduating from university with the highest level of qualifications, but limited
practical skills, still has a great deal to learn. None of us would expect or want a doctor without many
years of practical experience and training to perform an essential operation. Students from all disciplines
need to understand that entering the job market with a degree in management, for example, does not
automatically qualify them for a managerial role.
Clearly, education is important in teaching the theoretical side of any profession. This theoretical
knowledge forms an important basis for practical skills which are also essential. In truth neither one nor
the other is dispensable when it comes to getting a good job.
(255 words)

3)

Model answer

Many countries in the world rely on motorways for speedy and efficient transportation, as they are a very
convenient way of travelling long distances. However, motorways also have negative aspects such as
dangerous traffic, damage to the environment and pollution. In this essay, I will look at some of the
problems of motorways and how they can be overcome.
One major problem of motorways is that they can be dangerous. In many countries, the speed limit on
motorways is very high. This means that any accidents are more likely to be serious and involve many
vehicles. Sometimes in bad weather, several vehicles crash into each other and many people are killed or
injured. This problem could be solved in a number of ways. People could have special lessons on how to
drive safely on motorways. In addition, special signs could be displayed when driving conditions are bad
to make people drive more slowly and safely. Alternatively, the general speed limit could be reduced
slightly.
Secondly, motorways can spoil the environment. Motorways often go through beautiful areas and may
damage plants and wildlife. This problem could be avoided by building motorways through less beautiful
areas or putting some sections in tunnels. In addition, the large amount of traffic on motorways produces
both air pollution and noise pollution. However, governments could help to reduce air pollution by making
environmentally-friendly cars cheaper. Noise pollution could be reduced by changing motorway surfaces
or by putting up sound-proof fences.
Despite the problems of motorways, they are necessary and useful. With careful preparation and
planning, the problems they cause could be reduced. People today are also more aware of environmental
issues and as a result cars and road transport in general are becoming more environmentally friendly.
(290 words)

4)

Model answer

Using the Internet has become a normal part of everyday life for many people. They use it to book airline
tickets, or to access news about world events, or to follow the fortunes of their favourite football club.
Millions of people across the world belong to social networking groups where they keep in touch with their
friends and if they live away from them, their family. In my opinion these are all good ways to use the
Internet.
When it comes to finding out information there are some very good sites where it is possible to check, for
example, someone's biographical details or statistics about global warming. However, information from
the Internet should be used with caution, because although there are many reliable sites, such as
academic journals and well-known newspapers, there are also unreliable ones, so it is important to check
where information originates from before using it.
Some students use websites which offer ready-made assignments. This is not a good idea, even if you
ignore the fact that it is cheating, because such websites may contain factual errors or biased views. In a
recent case, a student found herself in serious trouble when she submitted an essay from one of these
sites only to discover that it was about Austria, not Australia, but had an error in the title.
Nevertheless, it is nowadays possible for people all over the world to study or do business on an equal
footing, in a way that was unimaginable only a few years ago. On the whole I believe that the Internet is
an excellent way both to communicate and to find information, as long as it is used intelligently.
(278 words)

5)

Model answer

Being famous should not mean that you give up all right to a private. Although a lot depends on the
reason why a person is famous, everyone should be able to enjoy a certain amount of privacy.
I believe it is useful to draw a distinction between those who have sought a career in the public eye and
those who have not. Prominent performers in film, television and music, for example, have clear chosen a
career path that potentially leads to fame. In fact, for many of them, becoming as widely known as
possible is a key ambition. Since they have invited the public to focus their attention on them, they should
not be too surprised to find that people are interested in gossip or scandal about their private lives. Public
attention is not something that you can turn on and off at will. Having said that, even those who seek
fame still deserve the protection of the law and the media should be prevented from harassing them.
Other public figures, on the other hand, have not chosen to be famous. Members of royal families are
born into fame, as are the children of celebrities. Ordinary people in the news often become well-known
through no fault of their own. It is my opinion that the media have no right to intrude into these peoples
private lives. I would even go so far as to say that I support an extension of the law to guarantee their
privacy. The media should be prevented from reporting on things that should be private matters.

As the media continue to become more and more powerful in our society, so the question of privacy
becomes more important. Everyone deserves a private although perhaps some deserve it more than
others.
(294 words)

6)

Model answer

It is true that many parents purchase a multitude of playthings for their offspring. Whether or not this is a
good thing for the child, is a moot point. On the face of it the advantages seem most apparent, but could
there be a downside to this phenomenon of devoted parenting as well?
Most people would consider children who have many toys to be the fortunate ones. Interesting things to
play with stimulate many positives in the young boy or girl, such as optimum brain development, handeye coordination and colour recognition, apart from the simple joy of playing. Modern toys are designed to
be educational as well as fun, and concerned parents carefully select products which might speed their
child's acquisition of numbers or the alphabet.
Is it possible that owning multiple toys could be in any way detrimental to a child? This is an unusual
question, but there are some hidden pitfalls. For one, wealthy parents might spoil their son or daughter by
showering him/her with toys, resulting in a negative effect on the child's character. For another, a growing
child's concentration span may suffer if they are constantly surrounded by too many tempting objects, so
that they become unable to focus on any one game for a decent length of time before being distracted.
On the social side, older children may become targets of envy from classmates, if they are perceived as
having far more possessions than their peers. Finally, the majority of toys today are made of plastic which
commonly contains the chemical BPA, proven to be dangerous for infants to suck on or ingest.
It is clear then that this situation is not as straightforward as it first appears. It would seem that one of the
many duties of parents is to make an informed choice about how many toys they buy for their young
ones.
(310 words)

7)

Model answer

In the past, neighbours formed an important part of people's social lives and they helped them when they
had problems. Nowadays, people often do not even know their neighbours and in consequence they live
much more isolated lives.
There are a number of reasons why we have less contact with our neighbours. Firstly, our lifestyles are
more mobile. This means people may change the area where they live quite frequently and this causes
their relationships with their neighbours to be more superficial. Secondly, nowadays people often live and
work in different places. This leads to people forming closer relationships with work colleagues than the
ones they have with their neighbours. Finally, modern lifestyles make us spend more time inside our
houses watching television, and when we go out, we travel by car. Consequently, we do not speak to the
people in our neighbourhood so much.

There are a number of ways in which I think contact between neighbours can be improved. First of all,
local authorities can provide communal areas such as playgrounds for children and community halls so
that there are places where neighbours can meet and make friends. Next, I think that when new
neighbours come to a street, the people living there ought to introduce themselves and welcome them.
Lastly, people living in a street or small district should form neighbourhood associations and meet
regularly to discuss the things which affect them.
In conclusion, these suggestions will probably not make neighbours as important in our lives as they were
in the past. However, they will help our relationships with our neighbours to become more useful and
valuable.
(270 words)

8)Model answer
Some argue that people in the modern world are in possession of much more knowledge than people of
ancient cultures. Others believe that this ignores the accomplishments of the past and places too much
emphasis on present achievements.
While it is undoubtedly true that modern technologies, such as the internet could not have been imagined
in ancient cultures, it is a mistake to view these ancient cultures as ignorant. Few would argue that the
builders of the Sphinx were mere primitive cavemen, for example. People at the time had the knowledge
they needed to understand and deal with their world and in fact one argument that is sometimes put
forward is that, even with all we know today, we do not have the technology to build the Pyramids of
Egypt.
Even if we do accept that modern society is richer in technological terms, it is undoubtedly poorer in
spiritual terms. Our societies have become so complex that people often become victims to the lifestyles
they lead and must face a whole new variety of widespread modern-day problems, such as stress and
obesity which affect people in developed countries worldwide. Furthermore, the number of uneducated
people still living in poverty with little opportunity to benefit from technological achievements suggests that
our modern society is not so advanced after all.
In my view, however, there is no comparison between what we can achieve today and what people even
two hundred years ago could achieve as we now know so much more. The vast majority of people in
developed countries are able to benefit from an education system, standard of living, healthcare and life
expectancy that are so much more advanced than ever before. It is my personal opinion that although we
must remember and respect ancient cultures, modern day achievements have brought us to the peak of
human civilisation.
(307 words)

9)

Model answer

Climate change is a phenomenon affecting all people in all walks of life, from individual citizens to whole
countries and huge multinational companies. The question of what we can do to prevent global climate
change and whether individual action is effective or not is a hotly debated issue.
There are those who say that the majority of the damages is wrought by big businesses. By imposing
restrictions on emissions and by strictly monitoring waste disposal from factories, plants and businesses,
governments would go a long way towards preventing climate change. It is thought that governments
around the world should come up with solutions to help prevent imminent environment disaster.
Proponents of this view claim that individual action is irrelevant in the face of massive, wide-scale
prevention policies set and controlled by governments.
On the other hand, there are a growing number of people who believe that individual action combined
with governmental and business action will do a lot more to prevent climate change than if individual
citizens were not involved. In a world of six billion people, if everyone thought about the number of water
they use, how they dispose of their rubbish, whether or not something needs to be thrown away or if they
can, in fact, re-use certain items then we would be giving the problem of climate change and its
prevention a massive boost.
Taking both points into consideration, I firmly believe that individual citizens cannot sit back and say it is
someone elses responsibility to protect the environments; we must all play our part-individual citizens,
governments and big businesses alike.
(264 words)
10)

Model answer

In the past, news about famous people may have been confined to gossip columns in newspapers; these
days it is not uncommon for celebrities to feature as front page news. There is evidence that the public
feels there is too much news coverage of famous people. Not surprisingly, there is concern about how
this might be affecting people, and in particular children.
One of the possible negative consequences of the 'cult of celebrity' is the tendency to confuse fame and
notoriety. Celebrity scandals are just as likely to receive publicity as celebrity achievements. Indeed,
some famous people have received more attention for their misuse of drugs and alcohol than for their
successes on the stage or in sports. Children who crave attention may come to see misbehavior as
normal.

The emphasis on individuals in the public eye may also be at the expense of serious news coverage.
Next to the superficial excitement of celebrity gossip, news about serious events and issues that have a
more profound effect on people's lives may seem uninteresting. Children may be forming a very distorted
picture of how the world works.
The negative influence of celebrities on children can also be seen in children's career aspirations. These
days, young people are much more likely to see themselves as potential sports stars or entertainers. The
prevalence of these figures in the mass media may convey the impression that such positions are
plentiful. Children may be developing unrealistic expectations that they too will become rich and famous.
In summary, the 'cult of celebrity' may be affecting children in a number of undesirable ways. It is
important that children be taught to critically evaluate what they see in the media so that they can form a
more realistic view of society, acceptable behavior, and indeed themselves.
(298 words)
11)

Model answer

In many countries these days, females make up over 50 per cent of the workforce, and increasingly highly
skilled women are taking managerial positions. However, it is still a fact that high positions such as CEO
posts are still dominated by men. Although this is not desirable, I do not personally believe that imposed
quotas are the solution.
Firstly, I believe companies have a right to choose the best person for the job, whatever their gender, in
order to contribute to the success of the business. Forcing companies to hire, promote and appoint
women could negatively affect business in the short term and even the long term.
Secondly, to my mind the solution to this problem should be solved outside the workplace. Girls need to
be encouraged to take more male-dominated subjects at school and later at university, and to aspire to do
well in their careers. Girls and boys also need to be taught equality from an early age. This education can
take place in schools and career programmes and in the home.
To those who argue that quotas are a good way to initiate this change, I would like to point out that
artificially imposing rules has not always had the desired effect. When governments required males and
females to receive the same pay for the same jobs, employers simply changed job titles to ensure that
women were still paid less than men. It is my belief that employers will simply try to find loopholes to get
around any such law.
In summary, I do not believe that forcing companies to allocate jobs to women is the best way to address
the imbalance. Rather, it is a question of education and of changing mindsets so that those who deserve
to be at the top will earn it and be appropriately appointed.
(303 words)

12)

Model answer

As the number of private cars has increased, so has the level of pollution. Overreliance on cars at the
expense of public transport has made this problem even worse, causing many concerned citizens to look
for a solution to the problem.
One potential solution to this problem is to discourage the use of private cars by raising taxes. If the cost
of petrol was increased, then many people would consider using alternative forms of transport or even
walking. Admittedly, there would be a number of complaints from car drivers, but these would not be of
much importance when balanced against the environmental benefits.
Another solution could be to look at more specific causes of the problem. Modern cars are fitted with
cleaner burning engines and catalytic converters. Accordingly, they do not cause as much of an
environmental hazard as some older cars. In Japan, for example, cars are heavily taxed once they have
been on the road for three years or more, encouraging people to buy new cars which pollute less. By
heavily taxing older vehicles from the road, some of the worst-polluting vehicles would be taken off the
road. However, this would not really be fair to those who cannot afford a new car with such regularity.
An improvement in the quality and efficiency of public transport would also encourage people to use their
cars less. In London, for example, a system has been operating for some time in which people are
allocated days of the week when they can use their cars. On days that they are not allowed to drive,
public transport is taken.
Although these are potential solutions to the problem, none of them are perfect. Only by a concerted
effort by both the government and the public can this situation truly be resolved.
(298 words)
13)

Model answer

People everywhere like watching sports. Many top athletes are admired throughout their countries, and
some even have fans all around the world. Young people especially, view many athletes as role models
and want to emulate the way these stars dress, act and live their lives. While some athletes aren't
deserving of their "role model" status, others act like role models and responsible community citizens.
Top athletes get the attention of young people. Most children and teenagers like to follow professional
sports. For many of them, star athletes represent heroes, and children want to be like their heroes. This
means they will want to play sports, which is good for their health. Playing sports also teaches valuable
life lessons such as teamwork, discipline, goal setting, and the realities of dealing with success and
failure. Professional athletes demonstrate the importance of working hard to achieve a goal, or practicing
regularly to become good at something. This is a good example for children to follow.
However, professional athletes are not always good role models. For one thing, when young athletes
reach a level of fame, it comes with media attention, large financial benefits and social attention. This can
lead children to believe that money and fame are an important part of sports. Children might focus more

on these aspects than on the fun of the game or on the challenge of learning how to play well. Then there
are those athletes who behave badly. For example, some cheat to win their games or take drugs to
improve their performance. This kind of behavior sends the wrong message to children.
Athletes are people who are held at a lofty place in the society owing to their popularity and wealth. These
attributes are what makes people want to look up to them and model various facets of their lives along
those of the athletes. We can thus be led to conclude that professional athletes can be very good role
models for children, as long as they focus on the positive aspects of playing sports.
14)

Model answer

In the last decade, there has been considerable debate over the role of free speech in a free society.
Some object to absolute freedom of speech. Others advocate free speech, arguing that the freedom of
speech is the single most important political right of citizens in a civilized society. Whilst I believe that
there are strong arguments on both sides, I would suggest that freedom of speech should be protected in
all but extreme circumstances.
The freedom of speech is important at all levels in a society. Yet it is most important for the governments.
A government which does not know what the people feel and think is in a dangerous position. This is how
the communist regimes of Eastern Europe were toppled in the 1980s. The same is happening again in
other regions of the world today. The governments that muzzle free speech run a risk of pushing their
people to behave destructively or to rebel.
Furthermore, without free speech no political action is possible and no resistance to injustice and
oppression is possible. Without free speech elections would have no meaning at all. Policies of
contestants become known to the public and become responsive to public opinion only by virtue of free
speech. Between elections the freely expressed opinions of citizens help restrain oppressive rule.
Without this freedom it is futile to expect political freedom or consequently economic freedom.
In conclusion, I believe that the importance of free speech as a basic and valuable characteristic of a free
society cannot be underestimated. It may be challenging for society to allow differences of opinion out
into the open; however, the consequences of restricting free speech are likely to be more damaging in the
longer term.
(285 words)
15)

Model answer

Whether women should be allowed to serve in the military has triggered spirited debate. Some assert that
women should be allowed to defend their country in the same capacity as their male peers. Personally, I
agree with their assertion for two reasons.
History has shown that women are fully capable of performing well in the military. Historically, there were
a host of valiant women soldiers whose achievements really put their male counterparts to shame. One
need only look at the classic examples of Joan of Arc and Mulan to see how exceptionally women could

perform on the battlefield. In my observation, their determination, courage and dignity, to this day, are still
being admired by male soldiers and civilians alike throughout the world.
Moreover, from an enlightened standpoint, female patriots should be granted the right to go to the front
line when their motherland is involved in a war. Admittedly, gender inequality was a highly controversial
issue in the twentieth century. However, now twelve years into the new millennium, women can learn and
teach, work and supervise, vote and voted in most countries just like men. In light of this sweeping
progress in gender equality, there is no sense in denying them the right to defend their home country
when a war breaks out.
In sum, keeping military services out of bounds of women in the information age is unwarranted. I have
been convinced that it is in the best interest of a nation if women are also granted equal rights in this
particular arena.
(254 words)
16)

Model answer

Read the following sample answer. Complete the answer by filling the gaps with a word or
phrase from the box below.

on the contrary

for instance

especially

because

for these reasons

in order to

it is true

of course

similarly

however

it seems to me

for example

It is true that there have been great advances in technology over the last forty years. ....................the use
of mobile phones and e-mail communication are common these days. ...................., machines that
translate from one language to another are still in their early stages.
.................... that a machine could never do as good a job as a human, .................... when it comes to
interpreting what people are saying. ...................., machines can translate statements such as Where is
the bank? but even simple statements are not always straightforward.................... the meaning depends
on more than just words. .................... the word bank has a number of different meanings in English.
How does a translating machine know which meaning to take?
.................... Understand what people are saying, you need to take into account the relationship between
the speakers and their situation. A machine cannot tell the difference between the English expression
Look out! meaning Be careful! and Look out! meaning Put your head out of the window. You need a
human being to interpret the situation.

.................... With written language, it is difficult for a machine to know how to translate
accurately.................... We rarely translate every word. ...................., we try to take into consideration
how the idea would be expressed in the other language. This is hard to do.................... every language
has its own way of doing and saying things.
.................... I feel that it is most unlikely that machines will take the place of humans in the field of
translating and interpreting. If machines ever learn to think, perhaps then they will be in a position to take
on this role.
It is true that there have been great advances in technology over the last forty years. For example / For
instance the use of mobile phones and e-mail communication are common these days. However,
machines that translate from one language to another are still in their early stages.
It seems to me that a machine could never do as good a job as a human, especially when it comes to
interpreting what people are saying. Of course, machines can translate statements such as Where is the
bank? but even simple statements are not always straightforward because the meaning depends on
more than just words. For instance / For example the word bank has a number of different meanings
in English. How does a translating machine know which meaning to take?
In order to understand what people are saying, you need to take into account the relationship between
the speakers and their situation. A machine cannot tell the difference between the English expression
Look out! meaning Be careful! and Look out! meaning Put your head out of the window. You need a
human being to interpret the situation.
Similarly with written language, it is difficult for a machine to know how to translate accurately
because we rarely translate every word. On the contrary, we try to take into consideration how the idea
would be expressed in the other language. This is hard to do because every language has its own way of
doing and saying things.
For these reasons I feel that it is most unlikely that machines will take the place of humans in the field of
translating and interpreting. If machines ever learn to think, perhaps then they will be in a position to take
on this role.

17)

Model answer

Generally, people read newspapers to find out about world current affairs and they read magazines to be
entertained. Therefore, one would expect to find articles that feature the private lives of famous people in
magazines rather than newspapers. However, nowadays, more and more newspapers include stories like
these which are neither informative nor useful.
In my opinion, this type of gossip about people's private lives should not be in newspapers for several
reasons. Firstly, for example, the fact that Princess Diana is going out with a sportsman is not important

news. Secondly, if newspapers want to publish articles about famous people they should focus on their
public events and achievements. In other words, if there is an article about Princess Diana it should be
about her works of charity, which will increase public awareness of important problems. In addition,
journalists should make sure that they write about the facts only, not rumours. One should be able to rely
on newspapers for the actual truth.
Magazines, on the other hand, focus on social news. But I feel it is more acceptable for them to contain
some features about famous personalities. In addition to being popular reading, these stories often
benefit the stars by giving free publicity to them, thereby helping their careers. However, I also believe
that magazine stories should not mention things that are too embarrassing or untrue just to attract people
to buy the magazine. Sensational stories, such as these, cause great unhappiness to the people
concerned.
In conclusion, I think newspapers should concentrate on real news but magazines can feature some
articles on people's private lives.
(268 words)

18)

Model answer

Nobody can deny that there are certain professionals like nurses, doctors and teachers who are essential
to the fabric of society, and who should therefore be rewarded accordingly. However, this is seldom the
case. When we look at the salaries and fees commanded by certain film stars and actresses and people
who run large companies, this does not seem fair.
First of all, not all film stars earn huge sums of money. In fact, at any one time in the UK, for example,
roughly 80 per cent of actors are out of work and on top of that the number who are paid so-called
telephone number fees is even smaller. One must also remember that the career of many actors is very
short and that therefore the money they earn has to be spread over many years. The same applies to
company bosses.
Stating a set of criteria as to how much people should be paid is not easy. The idea of performancerelated pay is very much in vogue at the moment. Rewarding people according to qualifications has long
been used as a yardstick for paying people, but it is not a consistently good measure. Another is years of
relevant experience, but there are many cases where a younger person can perform a task better than
someone with lots of experience.
Whatever criteria are used to assess salaries, an on-going cycle will develop. This will create pressure in
other areas. This considered, generally I feel that certain key professionals should have their salaries
assessed by independent review bodies on an on-going basis so that they do not fall behind.
(269 words)

19)

Model answer

Look at the words or phrases in capitals. Correct your version where necessary.

It is easy to understand why some people THINK computers are more of a hindrance than a
help.THINGS LIKE GETTING MY MONEY BACK FROM BANK or changing a ticket ARE EASY
WITHOUT USING COMPUTER, yet once one is involved, the process can become time-consuming,
complex and prone to errors. IN ALL THE OFFICES I'VE SEEN, it can sometimes seem that for every
hour saved by computers, at least set of problems caused by THE COMPUTERS BREAKING DOWN.
THIS WASTES A LOT OF TIME.
ALSO, over-enthusiastic use of computers in the home has the potential to divert large amounts of free
time away from THINGS LIKE socialising, tasking exercise or having dinner with your family. Spending a
lot of leisure time looking at a computer monitor screen HINDERS achieving other goals in
life, LIKE being healthy and socially integrated.
However, it would be simplistic to SAY that computers ARE BAD. THEY HAVE CAUSED ENORMOUS
IMPROVEMENTS in communications, medicine, design, education and LOTS OF OTHER
THINGS. THESE DAYS, virtually EVERYTHING WE KNOW is as far away as the nearest internet point.
Computers have brought about a profound change in the way most people in RICH COUNTRIES live.
(Although it should not be forgotten that the majority of the inhabitants of this planet have never EVEN
USED A COMPUTER ONCE.)
THERE ARE DEFINITELY MORE GOOD THINGS THAN BAD THINGS ABOUT COMPUTERS. The
question is not DO computers help or hinder, but DO WE always use THEM in a sensible and responsible
way?

Model answer
Look at the words or phrases in capitals. Correct your version where necessary.

It is easy to understand why some people believe that computers are more of a hindrance than a
help. Operations such as obtaining a refund or changing a ticket tend to be fairly straightforward without
the aid of a computer, yet once one is involved, the process can become time-consuming, complex and
prone to errors. In an office environment, it can sometimes seem that for every hour saved by computers,
at least set of problems caused by a system malfunction.
Another consideration is that, over-enthusiastic use of computers in the home has the potential to divert
large amounts of free time away from activities such as socialising, tasking exercise or having dinner with
your family. Spending a lot of leisure time looking at a computer monitor screencould perhaps achieving
other goals in life, such as being healthy and socially integrated.
However, it would be simplistic to assert that computers have a generally negative impact. There have

been enormous advences in communications, medicine, design, education and numerous fields of human
endeavour. Nowadays, virtually the entire sum of human knowledge is as far away as the nearest internet
point. Computers have brought about a profound change in the way most people in the developed
world live. (Although it should not be forgotten that the majority of the inhabitants of this planet have
never so much as touched a computer keyboard.)
The benefits of computers undoubtedly outweigh the disadventages. The question is
not whethercomputers help or hinder, but whether people always use their huge potential in a sensible
and responsible way?

20)

Model answer

Look at the words or phrases in capitals. Choose the word or phrase which sounds more
formal. Rewrite the final paragraph in a more formal style.

People who SAY/ARGUE that nowadays parents give less attention to their children than in the past
are FREQUENTLY/OFTEN looking back to a SHORT/BRIEF period of time in the twentieth century
when MOTHERS/MUMS in middle-class families REMAINED/STAYED at home to look after their
children. What these people are SUGGESTING/SAYING is that women nowadays should not go out to
work.
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT/ACTUALLY in MOST/THE MAJORITY OF families in the past both
parents worked MUCH LONGER HOURS/MORE than they do nowadays. What has changed is that now
in most countries their children ATTEND/GO TO school rather than also working themselves. In that
sense they may SEE LESS OF/HAVE LESS CONTACT WITH their parents.
Nowadays, as a result of ACQUIRING AN EDUCATION/GOING TO SCHOOL, children come into contact
with teachers who NATURALLY/OF COURSE have to explain why some of their students are failing.
What teachers come up with are LOTS OF/FREQUENT stories of parents who areSIMPLY/JUST too
busy for their CHILDREN/KIDS. And IF CHILDREN ARE NOT SUPERVISED BY THEIR PARENTS/IF
PARENTS DONT KEEP AN EYE ON THEIR CHILDREN, they will often DO
BADLY/UNDERPERFORM at school. However, FAILURE AT SCHOOL/ACADEMIC FAILURE is nothing
new even when one or both parents are at home. If children ARE NEGLECTED/DONT HAVE
ATTENTION GIVEN TO THEM by their parents, they will suffer.
I guess children probably had more problems in the past when they and their parents had to work nonstop just to get by. These days, the law looks after children and they can go to school, so children have
lots more chances than they ever had before.
BETTER FORMAT
opinion, children probably suffered more in the past when the whole family was obliged to work lon
People who ARGUE that nowadays parents give less attention to their children than in the past
areFREQUENTLY looking back to a BRIEF period of time in the twentieth century when MOTHERS in
middle-class families REMAINED at home to look after their children. What these people

areSUGGESTING is that women nowadays should not go out to work.

THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS THAT in THE MAJORITY OF families in the past both parents
worked MUCH LONGER HOURS than they do nowadays. What has changed is that now in most
countries their children ATTEND school rather than also working themselves. In that sense they
may HAVE LESS CONTACT WITH their parents.
Nowadays, as a result of ACQUIRING AN EDUCATION, children come into contact with teachers
who NATURALLY have to explain why some of their students are failing. What teachers come up with
are FREQUENT stories of parents who are SIMPLY too busy for their CHILDREN. And IF CHILDREN
ARE NOT SUPERVISED BY THEIR PARENTS, they will often UNDERPERFORM at school.
However, ACADEMIC FAILURE is nothing new even when one or both parents are at home. If
children ARE NEGLECTED by their parents, they will suffer.
I guess children probably had more problems in the past when they and their parents had to work nonstop just to get by. These days, the law looks after children and they can go to school, so children have
lots more chances than they ever had before.
In my opinion, children probably suffered more in the past when the whole family was obliged to work
long hours just to survive. Nowadays children are protected by the law. Moreover access to education
means that they have greater opportunities than ever before. g hours just to survive. Nowadays children
are protected by the law. Moreover access to education means that they have greater opportunities than
ever before.