IELTS Writing Task Two #14

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Wealth does not necessarily guaranty happiness.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from
your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
Many people believe that money is the key to happiness and that the
more money you have the happier you become. Other people feel that
having a lot of money actually causes more problems than it solves. I
believe that as long as people have enough money for basic
necessities such as food and a reasonable place to live, a great deal of
surplus money tends to make life less rather than more content.
There are a several reasons for this. First of all, if you have a great
deal of money there is no real reason to go out to work or to strive for
anything. Secondly, wealthy people tend to attract the wrong sort of
people. After a while, the rich start to believe that the people around
them are only after one thing; having a share in their money. This
makes rich people distrustful even of those good and loyal people
who are their genuine friends.
Another result of having plenty of money is the fear of losing it. Rich
people start to build high walls around themselves and invest in hi-
tech security systems to keep out the rest of the world. They also
become snobbish about whom they meet, always frightened that
people without money are potential thieves or con artists.
For all these reasons I feel that having a great deal of money actually
brings the opposite of happiness. It leads people to lose sight of the
real sources of happiness, which often come from simple things like
family life and friendship. Wealth prevents people from seeing the
true value of things, only recognising what they cost.
(272 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #13
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Inventors are not as important to society as doctors.

To what extent do you agree with this statement?
Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:

Inventors are creative people who develop new ideas and products,
whereas doctors are specialists who make us feel better when we are ill. I
believe that both types of people are important to society, but in different
ways.
Inventors have had an enormous impact on our lives. In the past, they
developed things like electricity, television and aeroplanes. These
transformed people’s home lives and working conditions and enabled them
to travel more quickly to other countries. More recently, inventors have
created computers, the World Wide Web and many other technological
products that we now rely on completely. For these reasons, most people
would agree that inventors are important people.
Doctors, on the other hand, save lives. They train for many years and they
develop knowledge and skills that ordinary people do not have. If we get
ill, we need someone who knows what is wrong and can tell us what
medicine to take. If we go to hospital, we expect doctors to look after us.
Everyone depends on doctors in this way all through their life.
Although we cannot live without doctors, it is also true that we cannot live
without inventors. In fact, they also depend on each other. Doctors use
inventions to help them in their work, and inventors get ill and need
doctors to cure them.
To conclude, I think doctors and inventors are equally important. Like
many people in society, they play an important part in human progress. So
it is impossible to say who is more important.
(252 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #12
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people think that the teenage years are the happiest times of most
people’s lives. Others think that adult life brings more happiness, in spite of
greater responsibilities.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
What’s the happiest time in people’s lives: youth or old age; school, career or
retirement? All of these have been suggested, but teenage years and adulthood
both have many supporters.
Those who believe teenagers are the happiest people cite their lack of
responsibilities as a significant factor. They are supported financially and
emotionally by their parents, and although they may be included in family
decisions, they’re not ultimately responsible. However, adolescents are on the
threshold of adult life: they’re old enough to get a part-time job, so they can
enjoy their first taste of financial independence, and their future study and
career lie ahead.
Away from these serious concerns, young people have an active social life with
their friends, often simply by hanging out with them. And of course, there’s the
excitement of first love and first heartbreak. With all this to experience,
teenagers see their parents’ lives as boring and stressful.
However, the reverse is also true. Adults see anxious, self-dramatizing
adolescents, and appreciate the joys of maturity. These may include a contented
family life, long-lasting friendships and a career. Long-term relationships may
not have the fireworks of adolescence, but are stronger for it, because of the
wealth of shared experience. At work, many of us are challenged and stimulated
by the increasing professional skills we acquire, which ensures that our jobs
remain interesting.
The greatest benefit, though, is that maturity gives you greater confidence in
your own judgement, in all areas of life. You’re not afraid to express your
opinion when others disagree and, unlike a teenager, you know when to let
things go.
Both these periods can be happy times, but I look back at my own teenage years
with no desire to go back. Adult life may be less dramatic, but fireworks don’t
keep you warm. (300 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #11
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Since the 18th century technological advances have replaced people in

the workplace. With today’s technology this process is happening at a
greater rate. Technology is increasingly responsible for
unemployment.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
Technological advances always have an impact on people at work.
Sometimes it can mean that people are no longer necessary in their job, but
sometimes they make people work easier. We can define technology as
scientific knowledge used for practical purpose in industry and commerce.
I would also like to make a further distinction between this and high
technology, which is electronic or information technology.
In my view, technology really began to have an effect on industry in the
early of the 20th century. The result of this was that certain industries like
the car industry did not really need as many people, as automated
machines and robots were able to do jobs such as painting the car, or
putting the car together.
However, if we now turn to look at the effect of high technology on the
workplace, in my opinion, there has been a different effect. It is true that
computers are able to do some things that people used to do and advanced
in high technology have made people’s lives better through improvement
in communication. For example, now we have e-mail, MSN and some
electronic tool to chat with friends or business partners. In addition, people
working in service industries like banking use computers much more than
pen and paper nowadays. In addition, some work can be done from home,
which means that people do not need spend time travelling and can work
where and when they want to.
In conclusion, technology has resulted in unemployment in some
traditional industries like car industry. On the other hand, in other
industries such as service industries, technology has improved the way the
work.
(274 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #10
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Compare the advantages and disadvantages of three of the following ways
of learning a foreign language. State which you consider to be the most
effective.
 studying on your own
 taking lessons with a private tutor
 taking lessons as part of a class
 taking lessons online
 going to live in a country where the language is spoken
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
The question of how to learn a foreign language has become increasingly
important in recent years as business has become more international. Although
there are a number of effective ways, l am convinced that living in a country,
where that language is spoken is the most efficient way of learning.
Traditionally, people have learned languages as part of a large group in a
classroom. This has the advantage of providing many opportunities to practise
what you learn with a number of different people. In addition, the fees for this
form of education are usually reasonable, since a large number of people are
taught at once. However, the size of the group means that more demands are
placed on the teacher’s time. Students may not get the individual attention they
require to improve.
The amount of individual attention you receive is certainly an advantage of
working with a private tutor. Also, the student can work at a pace which is
comfortable for them. On the other hand working with a private tutor can lack
the social element, which is crucial in learning to communicate well in a foreign
language. It can also prove to be beyond the means of many people.
By far the most natural way to acquire a language is to go where it is spoken.
Not only is every social interaction a chance to practise, but you are also
exposed to the real, living language. As well as that, you are able to acquire a
natural accent by imitating the people around you. This is not to say, of course,
that there are not drawbacks. Many people suffer from culture shock away from
home, and it can be very difficult to integrate into a foreign culture.
In conclusion, l would argue that the advantages of going to another country to
learn far outweigh the disadvantages, making it the best option.
(312 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #9
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Money is important in most people’s lives. Although some people

think it is more important than others.
What do you feel are the right uses of money? What other factors are
important for a good life?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from
your experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
Money has an important impact on most people’s lives, whether by being
plentiful or in short supply. While it cannot buy happiness, it can provide
much that is of value.
In my view the right use of money is to improve people’s lives, starting
with one’s own family. First, it helps to provide the means for people to
develop themselves – by supporting children’s growth, education and
interests, through enabling adults to study and train or re-train and to
develop skill to high level. A third way in which money contribute is to
provide pleasure, so that family members can pursue hobbies and enjoy
holidays. Money is also necessary for many cultural interests: attending
concerts and theatre, for example, or buying a musical instrument. A
further use of money is to provide security against emergencies and in
retirement. Last and not least, one of the right uses of money is to give to
others, perhaps in the form of charity, so they can enjoy the same things
that we can.
All the elements of life mentioned above are important, but ultimately
people find satisfaction – a good life, that is – in relation to other humans.
We need to be part of a community, to give and receive, to have
relationships with others in family, community and work environment. We
need to be useful and to help others. The contributions we can make (or
receive) in these endeavours may or may not be financial.
In other words, money is not the only, or even the most important, factor
in developing a good life, but it can certainly make an important
contribution.
(268 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #8
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

As part of a class assignment you have to write about the following topic:

Disruptive school students have a negative influence on others.

Students who are noisy and disobedient should be grouped together
and taught separately.
Do you agree or disagree with this view? Give reasons for your answer
and include any relevant examples from your experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
There is no doubt that some students in schools behave badly and their
behaviour causes difficulty for others either because it has a negative
effect on the group or because ordinary students find it difficult to study
with them.
One solution is to take these students away and teach them on their own.
However, if we simply have them removed after one or two warnings, we
are limiting their educational opportunities because it seems to me that a
school which caters for difficult students is a sort of “prison” whatever
name you give it and the people who go there may never recover from the
experience. This can then cause problems for the wider society.
Perhaps we need to look at why the disruptive students behave badly
before we separate them. Disruptive students may be very intelligent and
find the classes boring because the work is too easy. Perhaps these
students need extra lessons rather than separate lessons. Or perhaps the
teachers are uninspiring and this results in behavioural problems so we
need better teachers. On the other hand, most students put up with this
situation rather than cause trouble, and some people argue that we have to
learn to suffer bad teachers and boring situations and that students who
can’t learn this lesson need to be taught separately.
So before we condemn the students to a special school, we should look at
factors such as the teaching, because once the children have been
separated, it is very unlikely that they will be brought back.
(255 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #7
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

Some people warn that the era of silver screen is coming to an end and
that people will eventually lose interest in going to the cinema.
Do you agree or disagree with this view?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from
your experience.
You should write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
The cinema has been a popular form of entertainment for many decades.
Even the silent films of the early twentieth century were loved by
audiences around the world. Hollywood is now an enormous business and
film stars like the Australian actress Nicole Kidman earn millions of
dollars.
People think that going to the cinema will become out of date because of
the increase in the production of DVDs and videos. It’s certainly true that
we can all stay at home now and watch films in comfort. Also the cost of
these films is cheaper for a big family than going to the cinema. Young
people enjoy spending a night at home and watch a DVD or video. And
small children adore videos because they can watch them over and over
again.
However, the cinema in my home country are still full every weekend and
when a new film is released we are all very keen to go and watch it. In
fact, many small cinemas have been rebuilt and we can now go to large
centres that have six or eight cinema screens and show up to ten different
films a night. An evening out at the cinema is fun and some films,
particularly horror and science fiction films, are much better on the big
screen.
So it seems that we are enjoying both the cinema and the facilities that
technology can offer us and that each of these has its merits. In my view,
people will never stop going to the cinema but they will watch DVDs as
well.
(260 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #6
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In many countries it is now illegal to smoke in public places. It is only

fair that people who wish to smoke should have to leave the building.
Do you agree or disagree?
Give reason for your answer and include any relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
The issue of smoking and smoking bans is an emotive one because
smokers and non-smokers both tend to hold strong views about their
rights. Many countries have now chosen to ban smoking altogether from
indoor areas and public places, which is a radical change from the way
things used to be until quite recently.
Non-smokers have been complaining for years that they should not have to
breathe in other people’s smoke in places such as the workplace,
restaurants and cafes and on buses, trains and planes. It is hard to argue
that non-smokers do not have a right to be protected from this. Smoking
also causes problems for the owners and workers in such places who have
to clean up after smokers or redecorate more often.
Generally speaking, therefore, I am in favour of smoke-free workplaces,
transport and buildings. Non-smokers should not have other people’s
smoke imposed on them. We have to accept, however, that there are a
large number of people who smoke and will continue to smoke. Many of
them enjoy the company of other smokers and feel it is unfair that they
should always be made to stand in doorways when they want to smoke.
In a consumer age that seems to put choice above everything else,
shouldn’t they have the right to meet and socialise with other smokers if
they want to? A more balanced policy than the one now in place in many
countries would be to allow certain cafes and restaurants to apply for a
smoking licence. These places would then have to advertise themselves as
smoking places. Certain areas of buildings such as workplaces could also
be made into smoking rooms or areas but only if the company wished to.
Such measures would still give the majority their smoke-free environment
but protect the wishes of the minority that smoke. (306 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #5
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Television dominates the free-time for too many people. It can make
people lazy and prevent them from socialising with others. Do you
agree or disagree?
Give reason for your answer and include any relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
Television plays a major part in the majority of peoples’ lives; soap
operas, sports programmes, music programmes, everyone has their
favourites. However, watching television can take up a lot of spare time
which could be used for social or leisure activities. In my opinion, if we
limit the amount of television we watch, we can also enjoy our free time.
Television in some ways is a device that allows the viewer to relate to
what is happening on the screen. We choose our favourite music from
videos, get news, watch our preferred football teams, connect to the
characters in the family drama and watch educational documentaries. We
discuss our preferences with friends and co-workers when we talk to them
so it can be said that TV enriches our emotional and cultural selves.
On the other hand, television has negative effects on the body, as well as
social interaction. Doctors tell us that too much time sat down can lead to
weight gain and heart disease and if we are sitting in front of the TV all the
time it means we are not going out to meet our friends. I believe, if we
watch television in moderation, we can enjoy our favourite programmes as
well as have an active social life.
As a child, my parents insisted that I only watched one or two programmes
a night. Today I captain my local football team and enjoy talking about the
previous week’s programming after a match on Saturday. It is my opinion
that, if we sit at home all the time watching television and do not go out,
then it will have an unhealthy effect on our bodies, minds and friendships.
However, if we regulate how much we watch and get on with other things,
then TV can be a important part of our social lives.
(305 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #4
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In some countries in Europe, some children from the age of 11 or 13

go to schools to learn more practical skills that will help them get a
job. Other children stay in schools which provide a more general
academic education.
What should schools do to prepare students for the world of work?
Give reason for your answer and include any relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
We live in a changing world, one that needs adaptable students who are
ready to deal with the challenges of the communications age. However, we
must not overlook the fact that students need to have some practical skills
which will also help them in the future. It is, therefore, the responsibility
of schools to provide a balance between the two.
By the age of 11 or 13, some children have a vague idea of what they may
want to do as a career; on the other hand, many do not. In my opinion, it is
unfair to expect children to decide whether or not they want to specialise
in vocational or academic training at such a young age. Schools should
offer a wide variety of subjects for children to choose from and not force
them onto a path they may later regret.
The majority of occupations today require an understanding of the basic
academic skills. Therefore, even if a child does know that they want to
follow a career in a particular trade, institutions that offer practical
subjects must include core subjects such as literacy and arithmetic, as well
as computer literacy, as a part of their curriculum.
In my country, children do not have to specialise until they reach the age
of 76. This means they have been taught several subjects and can decide
what they want to do when they complete their schooling.
Today there are many career options for children and they are no longer
restricted in their choice of work. It is the duty of the school to give young
learners the chance to choose their own career options or, at least provide
them with the right tools to truly make it in the modern world. (290 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #3
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Modern technology is changing our world. This has advantages

such as bringing people closer together through communication. It
also has disadvantages such as destroying the differences between
cultures. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?
Give reason for your answer and include any relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
Modern technology with its advantages and disadvantages has changed
today’s world enormously. Communication allows people all over the
world to stay in contact with each other. For instance, I can easily
exchange e-mails with a good friend of mine who recently had to move
back to her mother country, Malaysia. Furthermore, if I have to make a
really important decision or something is bothering me, I simply have to
press the buttons on my mobile phone in order to ask my parents or a good
friend for advice.
Additionally, technology remarkably contributes towards making everyday
procedures more convenient as well as helping to transmit messages
rapidly. For example, an appointment that cannot be met due to an
unexpected incident can quickly be cancelled by writing a text message or,
in terms of business, employees can send an e-mail cancelling or
postponing a meeting which will be received within seconds by their
business partners.
While improvements in technology are, to a large extent, helpful, they
do have a disadvantageous side to them. The most significant disadvantage
is the westernisation of traditional cultures, which we can see in the
growing number of fast food outlets for example. We can also see this in
the way that foreign words are being incorporated into local languages.
On the whole, I agree to a great extent that technology is bringing people
closer together and this can only be a good thing, but the disadvantage is
that people may take ideas from other cultures and forget their own
traditions. (254 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people think that it is better to educate boys and girls in separate
schools. Others, however, believe that boys and girls benefit more from
attending mixed schools.
Discus both these views and give your own opinion.
Give reason for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
Some countries have single-sex education models, while in others both single
sex and mixed schools co-exist and it is up to the parents or the children to
decide which model is preferable.
Some educationalists think it is more effective to educate boys and girls in
single-sex schools because they believe this environment reduces distractions
and encourages pupils to concentrate on their studies. This is probably true to
some extent. It also allows more equality among pupils and gives more
opportunity to all those at the school to choose students more freely without
gender prejudice. For example, a much higher proportion of girls study science
to a high level when they attend girls’ schools than their counterparts in mixed
schools do. Similarly, boys in single-sex schools are more likely to take cookery
classes and study languages, which are often thought of as traditional subjects
for girls.
On the other hand, some experts would argue that mixed schools prepare their
pupils better for their future lives. Girls and boys learn to live and work together
form an early age and are consequently not emotionally underdeveloped in their
relations with the opposite sex. They are also able to learn from each other, and
to experience different types of skill and talent then might be evident in a single
gender environment.
Personally, I think that there are advantages to both systems. I went to a mixed
school, but feel that I myself missed the opportunity to specialise in science
because it was seen as the natural domain and career path for boys when I was a
girl. So because of that, I would have preferred to go to a girls’ school .But
hopefully times have changed and both genders of student can have equal
chances to study what they want to in whichever type of school they attend.
(304 words)
IELTS Writing Task Two #1
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

In many countries the level of crime is increasing and crimes are

becoming more violent.
Why do you think this is and what can be done about it?
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from
your experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
It is true that the crime rate is increasing in many areas of the world. Many
governments react to this problem by building prisons to contain the
criminals. This has proved so unsuccessful that each year bigger and
tougher prisons are needed. Perhaps we need to go back to the basics of
this problem and assess the possible causes.
One of the reasons that is often given is the increase in violence both on
television and in computer games. While this may be responsible for
making crimes more violent, I think, it is unrealistic to lay the blame for
all criminal activity on the media. I think the main cause of the crime is the
increasing gap between the rich and the poor, as well as the increasing use
of drugs. The majority of crimes are being committed by people in need
who are forced to take what they do not have and by people addicted to
drugs.
Solving these problems is not easy. We could try to ensure that more jobs
are created so that the divide between rich poor is reduced. However,
criminals need to be trained and rehabilitated so that they can enter the
workforce. Furthermore, providing employment only addresses part of this
problem; so far there has been little success in the war against drugs.
I believe that crime will continue to rise, particularly in crowded and
overpopulated areas, unless we can find an effective way to address these
issues. Perhaps we can help to break the cycle by trying to ensure fewer
young people enter a life of crime in the first place. We could do this
through education and by making sure that they are able to work.
(284 words)
IELTS Writing Task 2 #24
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Too much emphasis is placed on testing these days. The need to

prepare for tests and examinations is a restriction on teachers and also
exerts unnecessary pressure on young learners. To what extent do you
agree or disagree? What other measures do you think might be
effective? Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples
from your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
For many people interested in studying abroad, one of the first problems
they face is obtaining a visa to enter the country and, in many situations,
the procedure is time-consuming and frustrating. As a result, there is a
clear case for making visa applications less stringent. However, there is
also a potential for abuse if the system was made more lenient, and both of
these opinions need to be considered.
In support of simplifying the visa-application procedure, it must be
remembered that obtaining a visa is one of the first steps towards studying
in a foreign country. If this process is difficult then it reflects poorly on the
country the student is intending to go to. Moreover, once in the country,
students often find it less problematic to use the services of an immigration
agent, to whom they surrender their passports and pay sometimes
phenomenal sums of money. In the same way, this again reflects poorly on
the host country.
Yet there is a point of view that suggests visa regulations should remain as
they are, or even become stricter. It is inevitable that once a developed
country opens its door to students, there will be some who exploit the
opportunity without any intention of fulfilling the study requirements of
their visa.
To conclude, perhaps the best solution would be to allow the schools,
colleges and universities that attract international students to have greater
control over those students that do arrive in a country. This would allow
the institutions themselves to police the students while being overseen by
the Immigration Service itself.
(267 words)
IELTS Writing Task 2 #25
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

A number of different medical traditions are now widely known and used:
Western medicine (using drugs and surgery), herbal medicine, acupuncture
(using needles at certain points of the body), homoeopathy (using minute
doses of poisons), and so on. How important is the patient’s mental attitude
towards his/her treatment in determining the effectiveness of the
treatment?
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
A wide range of medical treatments is available today. Patients may wonder
which will be the most effective, and whether their own mental attitude to the
type of treatment might affect its success. This essay will consider the second of
these questions.
Many people visit their doctor or go to hospital with complete trust in the expert
care offered by conventional services. However, some people do not get a
satisfactory result. For example, the drugs they are prescribed may have
unpleasant side-effects. Their initial positive attitude towards their treatment
does them little good.
Similarly, those patients who choose alternative treatments over traditional
medicine may find themselves disillusioned. Less rigorous qualification
standards among alternative practitioners may mean that some healers give
ineffective or damaging advice. The result, again, is that a patient who entered
treatment with confidence leaves that treatment disillusioned.
On the other hand, patients may try a style of treatment with some scepticism. A
person used to conventional medicines and drugs may be suspicious of
treatments based on diet and lifestyle changes. Yet if they follow such
programs, they may in fact notice improvements in their condition, in spite of
their scepticism. Equally, a patient opposed to conventional medicine may have
an accident and be saved by the effective treatment of conventional emergency
services.
In conclusion, it appears that the mental attitude of the patient is not the most
significant factor in determining the outcome of the treatment. Patients who
enter treatment confidently may leave disillusioned while those who begin
treatment sceptical of the results may find themselves surprised with what they
have gained. Patients should seek the advantages which each style of care can
offer. (277 words)
IELTS Writing Task 2 #26
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Around the world, children learn English as a second language at

school. However, in some places, they also learn at kindergarten
(pre-school care, when children are aged two to five).
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of learning English at
kindergarten.
Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from
your own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
model answer:
As English has become the dominant language worldwide, vast
numbers of people are learning it. The age of English-language
acquisition is also lowering at the same time. Personally, I believe it is
essential for a person from a non-English speaking community to
learn English, but I think it is not necessary to do so until a child is
around seven or eight.
Supporters of teaching English at kindergarten – that is, when a child
is aged between two to five – believe that early exposure will produce
more competent speakers. Parents who are keen to give their child a
head start in an ever more competitive world are persuaded by this
idea. They think that if English is combined with play, it will be easily
absorbed, and not seem like study at all. However, there are strong
arguments against teaching English at kindergarten.
Firstly, linguists claim that a child needs to be literate in his or her
own language before another is begun unless that child is already
living in a completely bilingual environment – that is: his or her
parents are native speakers of both languages, and both languages are
used around the child.
Secondly, kindergarten teachers are less likely to be native English
speakers themselves, or to be competent language teachers, which
means that what children learn at kindergarten could be no more than
a smattering of words – ‘Hello’ ‘Goodbyes’, numbers, colours, and
the names of animals. All of these could be learnt very quickly in a
school classroom at the age of seven in addition to proper grammar
and good pronunciation.
Then there is the issue that kindergartens provide ‘English’ more as a
marketing tool than an educational one, cashing in on concerned
parents. It could also be a status symbol that a child is learning
English at the age of three among the friends of his or her parents,
meaning that the child’s learning experience is subordinated to the
parents’ prestige.
In my view, kindergarten is a time to acquire social skills, motor
skills, and a deeper understanding of a child’s own language. English
can come later when a child is more capable of focused learning, and
when the teaching is likely to be better. In an age where the endless
pursuit of qualifications and accomplishments seems the norm, why
not let a child be a child at kindergarten?
(390 words)
IELTS Writing Task 2 #27
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve growing traffic and
pollution problems.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
What other measures do you think might be effective?
Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from your own
knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
Model answer:
There is no doubt that traffic and pollution from vehicles have become huge
problems, both in cities and on motorways everywhere. Solving these problems
is likely to need more than a simple rise in the price of petrol.
While it is undeniable that private car use is one of the main causes of the
increase in traffic and pollution, higher fuel costs are unlikely to limit the
number of drivers for long. As this policy would also affect the cost of public
transport, it would be very unpopular with everyone who needs to travel on the
roads. But there are various other measures that could be implemented that
would have a huge effect on these problems.
I think to tackle the problem of pollution, cleaner fuels need to be developed.
The technology is already available to produce electric cars that would be both
quieter and cleaner to use. Persuading manufacturers and travellers to adopt this
new technology would be a more effective strategy for improving air quality,
especially in cities.
However, traffic congestion will not be solved by changing the type of private
vehicle people can use. To do this, we need to improve the choice of public
transport services available to travellers. For example, if sufficient sky trains
and underground train systems were built and effectively maintained in our
major cities, then traffic on the roads would be dramatically reduced. Long—
distance train and coach services should be made attractive and affordable
alternatives to driving your own car for long journeys.
In conclusion, I think that long-term traffic and pollution reductions would
depend on educating the public to use public transport more, and on
governments using public money to construct and run efficient systems.
(267 words)
IELTS Writing Task 2 #28
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good
members of society.
Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this.
Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.
Provide reasons for your answer. Include relevant examples from your
own knowledge or experience.
Write at least 250 words.
model answer:
A child’s education has never been about learning information and basic
skills only. It has always included teaching the next generation how to be
good members of society. Therefore, this cannot be the responsibility of
the parents alone.
In order to be a good member of any society the individual must respect
and obey the rules of their community and share their values. Educating
children to understand the need to obey rules and respect others always
begins in the home and is widely thought to be the responsibility of
parents. They will certainly be the first to help children learn what is
important in life, how they are expected to behave and what role they will
play in their world.
However, learning to understand and share the value system of a whole
society cannot be achieved just in the home. Once a child goes to school,
they are entering a wider community where teachers and peers will have
just as much influence as their parents do at home. At school, children will
experience working and living with people from a whole variety of
backgrounds from the wider society. This experience should teach them
how to co-operate with each other and how to contribute to the life of their
community.
But to be a valuable member of any community is not like learning a
simple skill. It is something that an individual goes on learning throughout
life and it is the responsibility of every member of a society to take
responsibility for helping the younger generation to become active and
able members of that society.
(264 words)
IELTS Writing Task 2
You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

In many countries schools have severe problems with

student behaviour.
What do you think are the causes of this?

What solutions can you suggest?

In numerous nations educational institutions are facing serious

difficulties with the conduct of their pupils. This essay will suggest that
poor parenting is the root cause of this phenomenon and submit that a
public awareness campaign is the most viable solution, followed by a
reasoned conclusion.

The principal cause of poor discipline in schools is poor discipline at

home. Many mothers and fathers either do not have the time or the skills
required to teach their youngsters the value of manners and respecting
authority. This results in many young people not listening to their
teachers, being rude and actively rebelling against rules and regulations.
For example, a recent study by Cambridge University found that 1 in 3
teenagers would refuse to comply with a rule if they didn’t agree with it,
compared to just 1 in 8 in a similar study in 1990.

The most practical solution to this problem is a government sponsored

awareness campaign. An effective advertising campaign could warn of
the dangers of misbehaviour and hopefully raise awareness amongst the
public. For example, the United Kingdom recently lobbied their citizens
to teach their children about the importance of respecting teachers and
this resulted in a dramatic improvement.

In summary, widespread negative behaviour in the classroom has been

caused by caregivers not instilling the values of deference and civility in
their offspring; however this can be tackled through a public education
programme that promotes these values. It is also recommended that
people should attend parenting classes before their child starts
kindergarten.