IELTS Advice: you need ideas and opinions

A problem for many students (for writing task 2 and speaking part 3) is that they don't have opinions. They don't have any idea what to write or say. Look through the following list of common IELTS topics. Do you have opinions about them? Could you discuss them in an essay or in a conversation? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Advertising Animal Rights: testing on animals, vegetarianism, zoos Cities: urbanisation, problems of city life Crime: police, punishments/prisons, rehabilitation, capital punishment Education: studying abroad, technology in education, education in developing countries, higher education, home-schooling, bad behaviour, corporal punishment, single sex education, streaming (grouping children according to ability) 6. Environment: global warming, impact of humans on the environment, solutions to environment problems, waste/rubbish, litter, recycling, nuclear power 7. Family: family size, working parents, negative effects on children, divorce, care for old people 8. Gender: gender and education, gender and work, womens and mens role in the family 9. Genetic Engineering: positives, negatives, genetically modified foods 10. Global Issues: problems in developing countries, how to help developing countries, immigration, multi-cultural societies, globalisation 11. Government and Society: what governments can do, public services, censorship, video cameras in public places 12. Guns and Weapons: gun ownership and possession, police and guns, nuclear weapons, armed forces 13. Health: diet, exercise, state health systems, private healthcare, alternative medicine, stress 14. Housing and Architecture: state housing, old buildings, modern/green buildings 15. International Language: English as an international language 16. Money: money and society, consumerism 17. Personal Development: happiness, success, nature or nurture 18. Sport and Leisure: professional/competitive sport, sport salaries, sport and politics 19. Tourism: positives, negative effects on environment, future of tourism 20. Traditions and Modern Life: losing traditional skills, traditional customs 21. Transport: traffic problems and solutions, public transport, road safety 22. Television, Internet and Mobile Phones: positives and negatives, Internet compared to newspapers and books 23. Water: importance of clean water, water supply, water should be free, bottled water 24. Work: same job for life, self-employment, unemployment, work/life balance, technology and work, child labour This is the topic list that I work with when preparing lessons, and it's the basis of my ebook. It's a good idea to print this list and try to work through it

How to write an introduction

For IELTS Writing Task 2, keep your introduction short and simple. Don't waste time writing a long introduction; the main body paragraphs are more important. A good IELTS Writing introduction needs only 2 things: 1. A sentence that introduces the topic 2. A sentence that gives a short, general answer to the question Here is an example of an IELTS Task 2 question: As computers are being used more and more in education, there will soon be no role for the teacher in the classroom. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Here is my introduction: It is true that computers have become an essential tool for teachers and students in all areas of education. However, while computers are extremely useful, I do not agree with the idea that they could soon replace teachers completely. 1. In the first sentence I introduce the topic of computers in education. 2. In the second sentence I answer the question and make my opinion clear. Don't wait until the conclusion to give your opinion. Remember, do a simple introduction, then you can focus on the main paragraphs.

IELTS Writing Task 2: discuss both views

Task 2 questions often ask you to Discuss both views and give your own opinion. Here's how I structure a 4-paragraph essay for this kind of question: 1. Introduction (2 sentences):

First introduce the topic. I often begin with the phrase "People have different views about...". In the second sentence, mention both views and your own opinion. I often use the word "although" in this sentence e.g. Although there are good arguments in favour of..., I personally believe that...

2. The first view 3. The second view (I make it clear that I agree with this view) 4. Conclusion: summarise both views and your own opinion

IELTS Writing Task 2: when to give your opinion

Do the following questions ask for your opinion or not?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Discuss the advantages and disadvantages. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Do the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? Is this a positive or negative development? What are the benefits and drawbacks?

Answers: - Numbers 2 and 6 are discussion questions. Discuss both sides of the issue, but don't give an opinion about which side you agree with. - Numbers 1 and 5 are opinion questions. Give your opinion and support it. If you have a strong opinion, you don't need to mention the other side of the argument. - Numbers 3 and 4 can be called discussion + opinion questions. Discuss both sides and make your opinion clear too

IELTS Writing Task 2: agree or disagree?

When the question asks whether you agree or disagree, you can either express a strong opinion (completely agree or disagree) or you can express a balanced opinion (partly agree, or agree to a certain extent). Let's look at two ways to answer the following question: After leaving school or university, young people should choose a job or career that they love, rather than one that pays the best salary. To what extent do you agree with this statement? 1) Introduction for a strong opinion Some people make their career choices according to what they enjoy doing, whereas others place more importance on earning a high salary. Personally, I support the view that job satisfaction and a sense of fulfillment are much more important than money.

2) Introduction for a balanced opinion Some people make their career choices according to what they enjoy doing, whereas others place more importance on earning a high salary. Personally, I believe that both criteria should be given equal consideration.

quick conclusions

The easiest way to write a short, effective conclusion is to paraphrase what you wrote in your introduction. Let's try this with the introduction I wrote last week. Introduction It is true that the top sports people earn incredibly high salaries. Although reasons can be given to justify this, I personally believe that sports stars should be paid much less. Conclusion (loosely paraphrasing the introduction) In conclusion, I do not accept the argument that sports professionals deserve to be paid so much more than people who do other important jobs.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things that we really do not need. Others say that advertisements tell us about new products that may improve our lives.

Which viewpoint do you agree with? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. Write at least 250 words. Model answer: The purpose of advertising is to tell the consumer about any new product or service or any new promotion on the existing product and service. We need it so we can make good decisions when we go shopping. Advertising tells us when new and improved products become available and lets us know which ones have the best price. Through advertising we learn about new products. For example, many grocery stores now sell prepackaged lunches. These are very convenient for busy parents. They can give these lunches to their children to take to school. Busy parents dont have time to look at every item on the store shelf, so without advertising they might not know about such a convenient new product. Even products we are familiar with may be improved, and advertising lets us know about this. Most people use cell phones, but new types of cell phone service become available all the time. There are different plans that give you more hours to talk on the phone, you can send text messages and photos, and next week probably some even newer type of service will be available. By watching advertisements on TV it is easy to find out about new improvements to all kinds of products. Advertisements keep us informed about prices. Prices change all the time, but everyone can look at the ads in the newspaper and see what the latest prices are. Advertisements also inform us about sales. In fact, some people buy the newspaper only in order to check the prices and plan their weekly shopping. Advertisements improve our lives by keeping us informed about the latest products developments and the best prices. Advertisements serve a useful purpose. (281 words) You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this. You should write at least 250 words. model answer: It is quite common these days for young people in many countries to have a break from studying after graduating from high school. This trend is not restricted to rich students who have the money to travel, but is also evident among poorer students who choose to work and become economically independent for a period of time. The reasons for this trend may involve the recognition that a young adult who passes directly from school to university is rather restricted in terms of general knowledge and experience of the world. By

contrast, those who have spent some time earning a living or traveling to other places have a broader view of life and better personal resources to draw on. They tend to be more independent, which is a very important factor in academic study and research, as well as giving them an advantage in terms of coping with the challenges of student life. However, there are certainly dangers in taking time off at that important age. Young adults may end up never returning to their studies or finding it difficult to readapt to an academic environment. They may think that it is better to continue in a particular job, or to do something completely different from a university course. But overall, I think this is less likely today, when academic qualifications are essential for getting a reasonable career. My view is that young people should be encouraged to broaden their horizons. That is the best way for them to get a clear perspective of what they are hoping to do with their lives and why. Students with such a perspective are usually the most effective and motivated ones and taking a year off may be the best way to gain this. (291 words) Economic progress is often used to measure a country's success. However, some people believe that other factors are more important. What other factors should also be considered when measuring a country's success? Do you think one factor is more important than others? The relative success of different countries is usually defined in economic terms. There are several other factors, apart from the economy, that could be used to assess a country, and in my opinion education is the most important of all. Standards of education, health and individual human rights should certainly be considered when measuring a countrys status. A good education system is vital for the development of any nation, with schools, colleges and universities bearing the responsibility for the quality of future generations of workers. Healthcare provision is also an indicator of the standard of living within a country, and this can be measured by looking at average life expectancy rates or availability of medical services. Finally, human rights and levels of equality could be taken into account. For example, a country in which women do not have the same opportunities as men might be considered less successful than a country with better gender equality. In my view, a countrys education system should be seen as the most important indicator of its success and level of development. This is because education has a considerable effect on the other two factors mentioned above. It affects peoples health in the sense that doctors and nurses need to be trained, and scientists need to be educated to the highest levels before they can carry out medical research. It also affects the economy in the sense that a well-educated workforce will allow a variety of companies and industries to flourish, leading to trade with other countries, and increased wealth. In conclusion, nations can be assessed and compared in a variety of ways, but I would argue that the standard of a country's education system is the best measure of its success.

Trying to save endangered animal species from extinction is a waste of valuable resources. Do you agree or disagree? It has been known for some time that the issue of whether we should attempt to protect endangered species from extinction or not is always a contentious one. Some people believe that such animals serve no useful purposes and should be allowed to die out just as many others (including dinosaurs), while others think that it is not true. It is my belief that endangered animals species in fact should be preserved. The principal reasons for my view are as follows

First, it is vital to appreciate the importance of endangered animals in maintaining the balance of nature. Although there is much we do not know how ecosystems or biological communities function, we do know that no creature exists in isolation and that ecosystems are delicate arrangements where plants and animals all depends each other for survival. The removal of a single species can disrupt the balance, conceivably set off chain reaction affecting others by breaking the food chain and altering the habitat where they live. The impacts of these imbalances, though, are difficult to predict and frequently haunt us unexpected ways. Just as dingoes, Australias top predators, they are classified as vermin as their appearance cause the loss of sheep. Dingoes even carry a bounty of AUD 20$ a head. It is because of this policy that the amount of dingoes decreased significantly over the time. Where dingoes had been exterminated, though, scientists found increased abundances of introduced red foxes and herbivores, while small native mammals and grasses were lost. Without a native predator, the kangaroo population exploded. They have become rivals of sheep, competing for water and grass. Consequently, kangaroos are now cursed more than dingoes. The extinction of a predator can cause plagues by allowing its prey multiply unchecked. Therefore, since ecological change constitutes potential risks to us and our environment, it is clearly our own interests to protect endangered species. Despite the fact that extinction is part of natural order and that it does occur naturally, the accelerating decline of wild animals is less and less a result of natural events. Most dangers to wildlife are from habitat loss and degradation, environmental pollution, the introduction of exotic organisms, etc; all generally a direct result of human activities. One important example is that during the 3000 years of Ice Age period, all North America lost only about three species every 100 years while since the Pilgrims landed in 1620, more than 500 plants and animals have become extinct in North America alone. Aside from these, perhaps the strongest argument in favor of saving endangered species is that every creature has intrinsic value and a right to exist, even if they are not useful to us in any practical ways, they are needed to be preserved nevertheless. In conclusion, I once again reaffirm my position that preserving endangered species is our vital mission and worthwhile. Not only, do they help to maintain the balance of our ecological systems, but they have value in and of themselves; and given that the human activities cause damages to them, we need to make every possible effort to save them. Endangered means there is still time, but extinction is forever
Even though developing countries receive financial help, poverty is still an issue. Some say they should be receiving other kind of help, to eliminate poverty. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give examples and suggest what other form of help can be offered. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task and write at least 250 words. Introduction version 1 Millennia have passed but the problem of poverty still hounds mankind. So-called developed countries have largely tamed this issue; however, developing countries are still suffering despite receiving billions of dollars in the form of international aid. It is clear that simply providing monetary assistance will not be sufficient and radical approach is required on the part of the rich nations to deal with the menace of poverty in the Third World. Introduction version 2

In the wake of the present financial crisis that has swept across most of the rich world, questions are being raised as to why governments of these nations are giving financial aid to the developing countries when this money yields little tangible results. Intelligentsia has proposed non-monetary measures to help poor countries deal with the problem of poverty more effectively. I sincerely agree that the age-old system of pouring money into the bottomless pit of developing nations should be changed for good. Argument 1 Poverty alleviation programs are nothing less than large scale national projects. In most of the cases, developing countries lack experience to implement these projects. Rich nations, with their proven track record in such ventures, can provide great help by providing the know-how and guidance in implementation of the right systems. Argument 2 The root cause of poverty is not shortage of money but lack of knowledge on how to generate wealth. It has been aptly said, Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime. Developed nations need to take active interest in education and skill development of citizens of poor countries. Argument 3 Programs that link aid to performance are bound to offer better results. The governments in the Third World have wrongly found a virtue in being poor, as they know they are likely to get financial aid on humanitarian grounds. This leaves them with no sense of accountability. If rich nations toughen their stand and provide aid only when improvements are visible, based on predetermined criteria, we are more likely to see reduction in poverty. Argument 4 The whole practice of offering financial aid to developing countries has to be reworked. What are the reasons for a country like India, which is the tenth largest economy that rubs shoulders with powerful nations on several international fora, to continue being one of the biggest recipients of international monetary help? International aid agencies still provide financial assistance on the basis of the number of underprivileged people in a nation. This logic is flawed; hence, they need to devise new ways to help reduce poverty in these countries. Conclusion In conclusion, there is an urgent need to change the antediluvian system of providing financial aid to developing countries. Instead, education, skill development, and performance linked schemes need to be emphasized to bring hope to the lives of the poor in developing countries. Vocabulary Millennia, hounds, tamed, radical, menace, Third World, swept across, yields, tangible, Intelligentsia, bottomless pit, alleviation, know-how, generate wealth, aptly, bound, virtue, humanitarian grounds, toughen

Some say that public health is important and there should be more sports facilities. Others say that they have small impact on individuals. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task and write at least 250 words. Introduction Public health has been the primary concern not only for civilians but also for governments around the globe. However, when it comes to measures of its improvement, views differ greatly. View 1 arguments 1. Since sports facilities are of great benefit to citizens physical health, it is absolutely necessary and wise to enhance their numbers for the sake of the improvement of public health. 2. Sports facilities that are easily found and controlled can provide great convenience to people who have paucity of time to take physical exercises more flexibly. 3. Sports facilities are particularly welcomed by senior citizens and youngsters whose health is vital to the whole society. Therefore, more sports facilities should be built to meet the great demand of citizens of all ages. 4. There is no doubt that taking regular physical exercise reduces the incidence of obesity and heart diseases to some extent, so that increasing the number of sports facilities in the local communities can help some people to establish an active lifestyle, thereby improving their health condition. View 2 arguments 1. It is a fact that only a minority of people utilize facilities at sports centres to keep fit, which means the vast majority of people do not benefit from this programme. 2. Some people argue that the use of sports facilities is restricted by time, seasons and location. Therefore, they are not suitable for all citizens, especially those working from 9am till 5pm. 3. Modern diseases are triggered by various factors, such as eating unhealthy food and neglecting regular checkups. Hence, it is recommended that governments and health authorities put health education among the masses high on their agenda and raise public awareness on health issues. This can be accomplished by delivering information on how to lead a healthy life to every household, and putting stringent regulations on the fast food industry. Opinion Improving public health requires a combined effort and no single action can resolve the problem effectively. In addition, although solving the problem is not insurmountable, yet a long term commitment by both individuals and governments is required. Vocabulary paucity, stringent, vital, incidence, obesity, triggered, advocate, accomplish, neglecting, insurmountable

Some people think that foreign visitors should be charged more than locals when they visit culture and tourist attractions in a country. To what extent do you agree or disagree? You should spend about 40 minutes on this task and write at least 250 words. Suggested essay plan

Introduction Your introduction paragraph would be a good place to explain that the practice of charging foreign visitors a premium is something that several countries do for logical and economic reasons. Arguments in favor As far as the differential pricing is concerned, the local government subsidizes the tickets for the citizens to promote national heritage and create more interest / awareness / national pride. In addition, in several poor countries, there is no way a common person can afford the kind of prices that these monuments deserve. This is a dent in the government coffers, but it is a decision in the national interest which the tourism department of the government has the right to make. Arguments against Its not in the best interest of a nation to ask for more from foreign tourists as it clearly shows that the government considers foreigners a source of easy money. These people have traveled thousands of miles to understand , experience and praise the historical and cultural jewels, which are a treasure for the entire mankind and not just one nation . Hence, charging them a hefty premium is immoral. Moreover, this differential pricing works as a deterrent for people from underdeveloped and developing nations who could have visited tourist attractions in foreign countries, but missed out due to the combination of high price and unfavorable exchange rate. Conclusion Summarize the ideas above, do not add new information. Vocabulary premium, differential pricing, immoral, mankind, treasure heritage, coffer, historical and cultural jewels, deterrent

A student asked me about the following topic, whether I think it is a situation essay or an argument one. The first car appeared on Britains road in 1888. By the year 2000 there may be as many as 29 million vehicles on British roads. Alternative forms of transport should be encouraged and international laws introduced to control car ownership and use. What are your views? I think this is a situation essay because it is talking about a problem and is looking at a possible solution. Essay plan Introduction paragraph Here you should explain what is the problem, what is its reason and its consequences. The problem is traffic congestion and a higher number of traffic accidents, the roads are jammed and the environment suffers from increasing amounts of pollution. First body paragraph an explanation of the reasons for this situation

The reason is people are accustomed to using their own cars and that population growth combined with higher living standards means that more and more people own cars. Second body paragraph a possible solution (alternative transport) Explain what forms of public transport should be developed more and why the state they are now is not sufficient to convince people use the public transport. How exactly can government develop the public transport and how can it encourage people use it. Third body paragraph another possible solution (laws to control cars ownership) Write about what kind of laws can be introduced world wide to limit the number of cars per family / per company. Write whether or not you think it will work and why. Conclusion paragraph Summarize what was said before, do not add new information Today a lot of different cultures and ethnic groups live together in one country. Why is this so and do you think this is a positive or negative development? Essay plan Introduction paragraph In the introduction paragraph you should first explain about the situation, mention its reason and consequences: Example: Due to the highly developed technology, advanced communication channels and massive amounts of information delivered by media about various countries, people get more motivated to leave their home country and move somewhere else in the world. In turn, this creates a situation where well-developed and thus desired countries are getting filled of a mixture of cultures, all brought by immigrants. As beneficial as this development is to the well-being of a country, its drawbacks shouldnt be forgotten. First body paragraph 1 point against multicultural society hnic group and dont interact with other groups, thus creating the opposite of united society. Make that point, explain why this is so and why this is bad for the country. Then mention the good sides of cultural mix to smoothly move on to the 2nd paragraph Second body paragraph 1 point for multicultural society

bring with them different sets of skills, characteristic to their home country. Make that point, explain why this is happening and why this is to the benefit of the new country. Third body paragraph 1 point for multicultural society

country. Make that point, explain how this is happening and what are the benefits for the new country.

Conclusion Summarize what was already said without adding new information, express your own opinion. Ive received a letter from a student who ran out of ideas to write about in his IELTS essay. Nick (not his real name) was asking me if I could send him a plan for his essay and I thought that more people could find it useful, so here it is: Essay topic: Some people think that if women were to rule the world, there would be less violence in it. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Essay plan Introduction paragraph In the introduction you can first state that there are people who think that women have a less violent nature than men and for this reason suggest that women would make the world a less violent place if they were in power. Then you could mention that putting the women in charge wont necessarily have that effect, because there are arguments for and against. First body paragraph 3 points against women in power

e than men, women can create even more violence

Second body paragraph 3 points in favor of women in power

ce

Conclusion State your personal opinion (lets assume that youre in favor of women in power), then summarize what was said in the second paragraph. When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of life die out. It is pointless to try and keep them alive.To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Nowadays, technological advances and their rapid and wide applications are having a significant impact on a nations traditional skills and ways of life. Some argue that such impact is so extraordinary that it would make conventional skills and life styles obsolete. However, I believe they would continue to thrive by providing alternatives to modern ways of life, and innovative ideas for modern technologies. First of all, traditional skills and ways of life are becoming an alternative solution to the problems caused by mainstreamed ways of life which are greatly influenced by modern technologies. For instance, a cozy restaurant where traditional, home-brewed beer is served, offers another experience to people who are bored with branded beers that have the same flavor and come out of mass production with new technologies. It is in such a venue where traditional skills are preserved, people become relaxed and educated. Providing diversity and thus enriching modern ways of life, such traditional skills and ways of life would continue to have their place.

Furthermore, conventional skills provide innovative ideas to the development of modern technologies. For example, sparkled by how the word Love is traditionally knitted into a sweater by some ethnic minority women in some parts of Asia, some business managers from textile industry have developed some production lines by applying the traditional skills to Computer-Aided Designs (CAD). The products have boosted the companies sales which in turn have increased their investment in preserving traditional skills for further developing their technologies. To conclude, traditional skills and life styles are increasingly becoming a useful alternative to the homogeneity brought by global applications of modern technologies. However, the evolution of technologies is a selection process, whereby some would become obsolete, but there is no doubt that some would thrive when their roles are appreciated. This is a good essay. The requirements of the task statement are covered, the arguments make sense and are presented in a coherent, easy to follow way, the range of vocabulary is wide enough and the writer shows fluency and flexibility. There are only a few errors (mouse over the words underlined in blue shows suggested corrections). Overall this looks like an IELTS Band 8 essay. Many offenders commit more crimes after serving the first punishment. Why is this happening, and what measures can be taken to tackle this problem? It is true that some criminals commit crimes again after they have been punished. While there are several reasons for this alarming trend, some effective measures can be taken by governments to tackle this problem. There are two main reasons for re-offenders. Firstly, the prison system can make the situation worse. Criminals put together in prison and they make friends with other offenders. While they are locked up in prison, they do not have much to do there, and they would exchange information about what they have done before they came to the prison or they may plan crimes with other inmates. Secondly, offenders often do not have any other means of earning money. They are poor, uneducated and lacking skills needed to maintain a job. Also, a criminal record makes finding a job difficult as people usually avoid hiring ex-convict. To solve this problem, governments should focus on rehabilitation of criminals rather than punishment. Above all, prisons need vocational training which makes inmates to prepare for life outside the prison. They can learn practical skills such as computer programming, car maintenance and graphic design. In this way, they can be hired for a position that requires this certain knowledge and skills. Community service is another way to reform offenders. Rather than being locked up in prison with other inmates, offenders can help society and become useful to their local community, and these activities would eliminate the negative influence that prisons can have. In conclusion, it is true the re-offenders are one of the problems in our community; it can be solved by focusing rehabilitation rather than punishment itself.

This is a good essay. The requirements of the task statement are covered, the reasoning is logical and presented in a coherent, easy to follow way, the range of vocabulary is wide enough and the writer shows fluency and flexibility. Some minor errors in this essay include word choice and preposition errors (mouse over the words underlined in blue shows suggested corrections). Overall this looks like an IELTS Band 8 essay.

Some people think that schools should select students according to their academic abilities, while others believe that it is better to have students with different abilities studying together. Discuss both views and state your own opinion. Some people contend that mixed ability classes are more beneficial for childrens development than streaming them on the basis of judgement about their academic abilities. However, from my perspective, I disagree with this contention. Admittedly, mixed ability classes provide a better environment for childrens all -round development. In such classes, children with different abilities study together and in turn they can learn from one another. From example, a student, who is good at academic study but weak in dancing or painting, can learn how to dance or paint form his peers. In this sense, mixed ability classes allow students to develop their abilities in different subjects instead of only academic abilities. Despite the argument above, I believe streaming students brings more benefits to teachers and students. As for teachers, separating children with better academic abilities from others facilitates effective teaching. This practice helps teachers to control their students more conveniently and easily. Compared with mixed ability in which teacher should consider students differences when they are using teaching methodologies, streaming makes this situation simpler. To be more specific, students are at the same level of academic ability in a class, and in turn teachers can use the same methodologies for them all. In this way, the narrower the spread of ability in the class, the more convenient the teaching can be. On top of this, steaming enables students to learn in an effective way. According to students different abilities, they are taught in different ways that are more suitable for them. In the top streams, students use more difficult materials, therefore, they can learn more. In sharp contrast, teachers can explain the material more slowly to those in bottom streams. Under this circumstance, students with different academic abilities can study effectively and efficiently. In the final analysis, mixed ability classes are beneficial for students versatile development, but in my opinion, segregating students based on different academic ability is better for both teachers and students. The writer presented a balanced discussion of the topic, effortlessly delivered in a form of a fluent, well-written IELTS essay. The arguments and reasoning are laid out in a coherent, logical way. A wide range of vocabulary is used in this work. There are very few spelling errors that could have been caught in an additional round of proofreading (mouse over the words underlined in blue shows corrections). Keep up the good work! Overall, this essay seems worthy of IELTS Band 8. Modern children are suffering from the diseases that were once considered to be meant for adults only. Obesity is a major disease prevalent among children. What are its causes and what solutions can be offered? Nowadays, the increasing rate of overweight children and adults is a worldwide health issue. Obesity is a major problem which is increasing day by day in school going children. There are various reasons behind it. This essay will discuss the causes of obesity and offer some solutions. The first cause of obesity is junk food. It is often seen that mostly children are fond of burgers, pizzas, noodles and coke. These types of foods are easily available to them in school canteens. Children love to purchase chips, chocholates, - ice-cream for lunch. Moreover, in this modern era, parents are working and they do not have time to cook at home. Parents often buy dinner for their children instead of preparing food at home. This calorie-rich diet is making children obese. This problem can be

solved by teaching children to cook healthy foods for themselves and banning junk foods and fizzy drinks in schools. This diet can be replaced by milk, juice and fruits for lunch. The second cause of obesity is sedentry life style. It is true that the use of computers and television is increasing in children. They spend most of their time watching television or playing video games on a computer. This technological advancement has reduced the level of physical activity in this specific age group. This issue can be resolved by encouraging children to do physical exercises. Parents can take their children to park to encourage playing with friends. Furthermore, schools can add sports in their curriculum to maintain physical fitness in their students. To sum up, it is clear that main causes of obesity are unhealthy eating and not enough physical activities. This ailment can be prevented and treated by healthy eating habbits and physical exercises. This is a good essay. There are only a few minor errors that could have been easily prevented by proofreading this essay one last time before submission (mouse over the words underlined in blue shows corrections). Overall, this work seems worthy of IELTS Band 8. Keep up the good work! Click here to see more IELTS essays of Band 8 Public libraries should only provide books and should not waste their limited resources on expensive high-tech media such as software, videos or DVDs. Do you agree or disagree? With the proliferation of high-tech media, some people hold that the public libraries would be rendered obsolete if they do not offer software, videos or DVDs to their users while other assert its only a waste of limited resources and the libraries should offer books only. High-tech media is, in many ways, indeed superior to the books in terms of entertainment, attraction, and functionality. For instance, videos and DVDs function as a visual means to assist people to have a first-hand experience even though those people have not physically visited or seen the objects which are introduced in the books. Also, despite the audio-visual equipment would be prohibitive to install, the capital cost would be lowered by appealing to a sizable number of users More importantly, software could assist the library goers to access the Internet to update their knowledge on a daily basis; in contrast, books typically take multiple months to be published, which in turn render their contents outdated to some extent. In addition, upon learning that the computer literacy has become an essential skill recently, public libraries should take on the responsibility to educate its users how to operate a computer. Furthermore, it is a common practice for most public libraries to share their resources via the Internet. In this way, even if one book of interest cannot be found in one library, the borrower still could locate the book from other libraries and then request the librarians to transfer the book to that particular library. In conclusion, public libraries would benefit in multiple ways if they are equipped with the high-tech media. This is a good essay. There are only a few errors indicating that the writer needs to take care with verbs, prepositions and sentence formation (mouse over the words underlined in blue shows corrections). Overall, this work seems worthy of IELTS Band 8. Remember to always proofread your essay before submitting it. Keep up the good work! Click here to see more IELTS essays of Band 8

In many countries children are engaged in different kinds of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it a valuable work experience, important for learning and taking responsibility. What is your opinion? The issue of whether or not children should be engaged in some paid work has sparked a heated debate. While some argue that having some employment experience is conducive to a childs learning and development, I contend that it would bring harm to the childs heath and learning. First of all, a workplace designed for adults is normally shortage of child-friendly facilities. Desks and chairs are too high for a child; the light switches are installed on the walls unreachable by children; also emergency training and facilities such as phones are only provided to adults. Furthermore, various hazards such as polluted air and chemical fumes are still produced in factories and farms. Undoubtedly young people would suffer in such workplaces. Also, children would find it frustrating when they are not properly inducted before starting a job. A child working in a cement factory would feel a setback when he could not get immediate support while struggling with the procedures of recording different raw materials that is required by the job. Further, without sufficient support, a childs misunderstanding or inappropriately communicating with adults would only disappoint him and prevents him from active learning and interacting with other people. To conclude, a childs paid employment experience would lead to a negative impact on their health and active learning. However, recognizing the importance of childrens learning and their awareness of responsibility, it is advisable to encourage them to be involved in some volunteering opportunities where they can meaningfully learn and interact with other people with sufficient care and support in place for such jobs. This is a good essay. There are only a few errors (mouse over the words underlined in blue shows corrections), but otherwise this work seems worthy of Band 7.5 or 8. Remember to always proofread your essay before submitting it. Keep up the good work! Click here to see more IELTS essays of Band 8 Some people think that spending a lot on holding wedding parties, birthday parties and other celebrations is just a waste of money. Others, however, think that these are necessary for individuals and the society. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Throwing parties can be expensive. While some people do not find these fancy parties worth what they cost, others believe parties are important to both individuals and the society. People choose to throw parties for a number of reasons. For starters, parties can make better teams. Project kick-off parties are good opportunities to break the ice and help team members to know each other better. Victory parties create a sense of success and belonging. Companies do not see parties as wastes of money and allocate budget to support such events. Moreover, parties often leave good memories. From our own experiences, we all have happy memories of our birthday parties when we were little. Every family has great photos took on family parties in their album. In addition, contrary to what some people believe that spending on parties is a waste of social resources, parties actually create value, either by employing people in the party planning business or by offering people better party experiences. The popularity of parties, however, causes some tension in the society. Parties are hard on introverted people who find themselves uncomfortable in parties. This is a clinic symptom which psychologists call it social anxiety disorder. There are other ways to celebrate important events that may have

greater value for their cost. For instance, companies could send out gifts after successful projects and parents could take their children on family trips to celebrate birthdays. In my opinion, while a party is a form of social event that brings many benefits to individuals and the society, other choices should also be considered, either to cut spending or to relieve the stress of those who are not fond of parties. This is a very good essay. Other than minor inaccuracies there are no problems (mouse over the words underlined in blue shows corrections). Seems to be worth IELTS Band 8. Click here to see more IELTS essays of Band 8 Even though globalization affects the worlds economies in a positive way, its negative side should not be forgotten. Discuss. In the present age, globalization is playing an increasingly important role in our lives. But in the meantime whether it is a blessing or a curse has sparked a heated debate. Some people argue that globalization has a fundamentally beneficial influence on our lives, while many others contend that it has a detrimental effect as well. A convincing argument can be made about globalization not only playing a pivotal role in the development of technology and economy, but also promoting the cultural exchange between different countries. To start with, it is the globalization that impelled many corporate to become international groups, thereby making a contribution to the local technology and employment. Specifically, when a multinational group establish a factory in a developing country, the new equipment, the new management skills and the job vacancies are all in the best interest of the local society. Moreover, people worldwide can get to know each other better through globalization. It is easy to see that more and more Hollywood blockbusters show cultures different from American, some recent examples are Kungfu Panda and The Mummy. Admittedly, the profit driven side of globalization has severely affected young people. Today, in the metropolises in different countries, it is very common to see teenagers wearing NIKE T-shirts and Adidas footwear, playing Hip-Hop music on Apple iPods and eating at KFC. The culture that took a thousand years to form just seems similar in these cities; it seems as though you can only distinguish them by their language. Meanwhile, in some developing countries, sweat workshops are always a concerning issue. For instance, reports show that some teenagers employed by NIKEs contractors work in smelly factories over 14 hours a day, but are only paid fifty cents per hour. To sum up, I would concede that globalization does come with some adverse effects. Despite that fact, benefits created by it far outweigh the disadvantages. Overall, I am convinced that we should further promote globalization and meanwhile the local government should take measures to combat culture assimilation and sweat workshops. This essay is extremely long (338 words instead of the advised 250-265). It has a sound structure, your position is clearly expressed, the information is well-organized, and structure-wise the sentences are fine. The vocabulary is impressive and there were only a few grammatical errors (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, this seems to be a band 7.5 + essay. Click here to see more IELTS essays of band 8 In some countries children have very strict rules of behavior, in other countries they are allowed to do almost anything they like. To what extent should children have to follow rules?

The extent to which children have to follow rules is in itself a very complex issue, since children across the world grow up in very different cultures. In India for example, children are expected to be very submissive to their parents as well as other adults around them. This, however, is not the case with the Western countries of the world where children follow the motto Thou shalt do what thou wilt as promoted by celebrities and rock stars. I believe that following strict rules has both advantages as well as serious drawbacks as discussed below. Firstly, strict rules of behavior create responsible and respectful children who in turn mature into respectful adults. This forms a stable society which is virtually free from negative trends such as prostitution and drug abuse. Secondly, if children do not follow strict rules of behavior, they may get out of hand and become work-shy and indolent. This may then create a burden on the society since the government has to find ways to cater for these social ills. However, forcing children to follow strict rules of behavior doesnt always yield positive results as discussed above, most of the time it backfires and works against society. For example, teenagers are more likely to do the opposite of what theyre told to do simply because they want to be independent. Children should also have rights to exercise their free will and develop their own pattern of behaviors. Imposing strict rules may simply destroy the individuality of children. At the end of the day, it is clear that children should be guided by rules, but these rules should not be imposed on them because as human beings, they need to have room to develop their own traits of character and adopt a behavioral pattern of their own. This essay is too long (309 words instead of advised 250-265). Otherwise this work is a very good one; it covers the task, your position is clear, the ideas are well-organized, expressed, explained and supported. The sentences show a wide range of language structures, cohesive devices and your grammar is fine. Overall, this seems to be a band 7.5 or higher essay. Click here to see more IELTS essays of band 8 Even though globalization affects the worlds economies in a very positive way, its negative side should not be forgotten. Discuss. Globalization is such a commonly used term in the twentieth century. It simply means that the world has become integrated economically, socially, politically and culturally through the advances of technology, transportation and communication. It is undeniable that globalization has resulted in both positive and negative effects which must be addressed accordingly. To begin with, globalization has contributed to the worlds economies in many beneficial ways. The advances in science and technology have allowed businesses to easily cross over territorial boundary lines. Consequently, companies tend to become more productive and competitive thereby raising the quality of goods, services and the worlds living standard Secondly, several companies from the more developed countries have already ventured to establish foreign operations or branches to take advantage of the low cost of labor in the poorer countries. This kind of business activity will provide more influx of cash or investment funds into the less developed countries. However, one cannot deny the negative effects which have derived from globalization. One crucial social aspect is the risk and danger of epidemic diseases which can easily be spread as the transportation becomes easier and faster in todays advanced society. This is evidenced in the recent birds flu disease which has infected most Asian countries over a short period of time.

As large corporations invest or take over many offshore businesses, a modern form of colonization will also evolve which may pose certain power pressure on the local governments of the less developed countries. Unemployment rates in the more developed regions such as Europe may also escalate as corporations choose to outsource to the cheaper work force from Asian countries. In conclusion. I like to reiterate that globalization is inevitable and we must urge individuals, companies and governments to use a more balanced approach by taking the appropriate steps to deal with matters relating to the financial or economical gains verses the social, political or ecological concerns of the world. This essay is too long, 318 words instead of 250-265. Otherwise (except for some minor grammatical errors) it is a very nice work. It covers the task, has the right structure, the paragraphs are coherent and are logically connected by elegantly used linking words, the structure of sentences is fine and so is your vocabulary. Seems worthy of Band 7.5 or 8. Click here to see more IELTS essays of band 8 Financial education should be a mandatory component of the school program. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? It is an obvious fact that financial aspects are a major part of the daily life, as an adult and even as a young individual. Each and every one of us has to make financial decisions concerning recreation, health, education and more. The question is whether to start with financial education as part of school program or to postpone it for a later stage in life. To begin with, being able to understand the value of money, the way the economic system works and to interpret financial news and its implications is a virtue. Without this virtue, an individual, even a young one, might suffer to some extent. For an example, a child who doesnt understand the concept of money might find it more difficult to except choosing only one present out of more possible ones. In addition, many adults are lacking capability of financial analysis. Quite often, the reason can be the lack of sound foundations or insecurity when it comes to financial terms and concepts. Starting from an early age, building a strong background, can very likely prevent such situation. However, financial education necessarily involves quantifying and setting prices and value for services and goods. It can easily turn young people into cynical human beings who lack emotion. Furthermore, a tendency to self-concentration and egoism might rise when one start measuring everything from a profit-making perspective. In conclusion, financial education has both pros and cons. In my opinion, the advantages are more significant than the disadvantages, making financial education an advisable component of the school program. The disadvantages should be thought of as a certain price that young people have to pay due to the characteristics of the world that we live in. This is a wonderful essay. It covers the task, is correctly structured, the paragraphs are logically connected, the structure of sentences shows excellent command of the English language. The vocabulary is fine and both spelling and grammar are very good. See comments underlined in blue for some minor corrections. Overall, looks like a Band 7.5 Band 8 essay. As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom. There have been immense advances in technology in most aspects of peoples lives, especially in the field of education. Nowadays, an increasing number of students rely on computers for research and to

produce a perfect paper for school purposes. Others have decided to leave the original way of learning and to get knowledge through online schools. These changes in the learning process have brought a special concern regarding the possible decrease of importance of teachers in the classroom. Some people believe the role of teachers started to fade because computers have been helping some students to progress in their studies quicker compared to studies in an original classroom. For example, in the same classroom, students have different intellectual capacities, thus some would be tied to a slow advance in their studies because of others incapability of understanding. In this way, pupils could progress in their acquisition of knowledge at their own pace using computers instead of learning from teachers. However, the presence of a teacher is essential for students because the human contact influences them in positive ways. Firstly, students realize that they are not dealing with a machine but with a human being who deserves attention and respect. They also learn the importance of studying in a group and respect for other students, which helps them improve their social skills. Moreover, teachers are required in the learning process because they acknowledge some students deficiencies and help them to solve their problems by repeating the same explanation, giving extra exercises or even suggesting a private tutor. Hence, students can have a better chance of avoiding a failure in a subject. In conclusion, the role for teachers in the learning process is still very important and it will continue to be such in the future because no machine can replace the human interaction and its consequences. This is a great essay. Seems worthy of Band 8. No improvements are necessary, keep up the good work! Improvements in health, education and trade are essential for the development of poorer nations. However, the governments of richer nations should take more responsibility for helping the poorer nations in such areas. Todays world has been divided into developing and industrialised countries which the main difference between them is the amount of money that governments apply in important sectors such as education, health and commerce. Most of the poorer nations are buried in debts as a result of their unbalanced finances which are reflect in a failed health care, an unstructured education system and a weak international trade. This vicious cycle will continue indefinitely unless wealthier nations show interest in minimizing the worldwide economic differences, as well as taking more responsibility for assisting less fortunate countries. Most of the African countries live in sub-human conditions because of the extreme poverty, upheaval, hunger, disease, unemployment, lack of education and both inexperienced and corrupt administrations. The devastating consequences of the AIDS epidemic in those countries could improve if the infected population were to receive free drugs to control the disease, have access to health professionals and get information on how to prevent its spread. But this can only be achieved through international help programs in which leaders of the worlds richest countries donate medicine and also send doctors and nurses to treat and educate those in need. Moreover, most of the poor countries rely on selling agricultural products and raw materials to rich nations and buying industrialized products from them resulting in a huge financial deficit. Consequently, they borrow a significant amount of money from the World Bank to try to improve their broken economies, but sometimes the money disappears with no significant changes and they cannot even pay the interest to the bank. Regarding this issue, last year the G8, which is comprised of leaders of the eight richest nations, decided to forgive billions of dollars worth of debt owed by the

worlds poorest nations. In addition, they developed adequate loan programs to financially assist those countries. In conclusion, leaders of the industrialised countries play an indispensable role in assisting developing nations in dealing with essential areas such as health, education and trade. Also, their aid is the key to breaking the vicious cycle, which results in poverty and death. This is a great essay, seems to be on a Band 8 level, theres nothing to improve here. Popular events like the Football World Cup and other international sporting occasions are essential in easing international tension and releasing patriotic emotions in a safe way. Every four years, the whole world stops to watch international sporting events such as the Olympics and the Football World Cup in which athletes show their best performance to make their country proud. These sporting occasions have proved to be helpful in easing international tension in difficult times when powerful leaders were trying to control the worlds economy and other governments were fighting over the land. The Olympic Games are one of the best examples which prove how sporting events can bring nations together, at least temporarily. From the ancient History, when Greeks and Romans would interrupt battles to participate in the games, to the more recent international disputes, when athletes from Palestine and Israel would forget their differences, compete peacefully and even embrace each other after an event. Moreover, these popular events have called the worlds attention to the terrible consequences of wars; thus some leaders have tried to reach agreements to end their disputes and live peacefully. Similarly, international sporting events show benefits in some developing countries which live in a daily internal civil war. For example, Brazil has a high rate of unemployment, lack of education, hunger, crime, poverty and corruption which leads to an immense embarrassment of being Brazilian and a low self-esteem. However, when the Football World Cup starts, the Brazilian squad, which is considered the best team in the world, provokes an amazing feeling of pride in their country. Most people seem to forget all their problems and even the criminal activity decreases. They paint roads with the national colors, wear the Brazilian team shirts and buy national flags. Moreover, the competition brings families and neighbors together and even rival gangs watch the games and celebrate peacefully. In conclusion, popular sporting events play an important role in decreasing international tensions and liberating patriotic feelings as history has shown. This is a great essay, the ideas, language, structure of paragraphs and sentences, and your grammar show a good command of the English language. In my opinion it is Band 8. Keep up the good work. As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom. There is no doubt that education and the learning process has changed since the introduction of computers: The search for information has become easier and amusing, and connectivity has expedited the data availability. Though experts systems have made computers more intelligent, they have not yet become a substitute of the human interaction in the learning process. In my opinion what can be expected is a change of the teachers role, but not their disappearance from the classroom. Nobody can argue that the acquisition of knowledge is more fun and easier with computers. The mere activity of touching and exploring this device constitutes an enjoyable task for a child. This,

accompanied by the relaxing attitude and software interactivity, usually contributes to a better grasping of new knowledge. At a higher educational level the availability of digital books, simulators and other academic materials provide the student with an ever accessible source of information, that otherwise would not be at hand But, besides the increasing complexity and behavior of intelligent software, which is usually embedded in the academic digital material, the need for human interaction in the learning process will always be present, at least in the foreseeable future. There is the necessity for a human being to be able to determine what the specifics needs of each individual are. The expertise of a teacher in how to explain and adapt complex concepts to different individuals can hardly be mimicked by a computer, no matter how sophisticated its software is. As computers are becoming a common tool for teaching, teachers should be more aware of their role as guides in the acquisition of knowledge rather than transmitters of facts. They have to be open minded to the changes that are taking places, keep updated and serve as problem solvers in the learning process, thus allowing students to discover the fact for themselves. To summarize, in my personal view, teachers play and will continue to play an important role in the classroom, especially at the primary level. No matter how complex computers become, there will be no replacement for the human interaction, but in the way haw this interaction takes place. This is an excellent essay! Are you a native English speaker? Well done. The only problem is that this essay is too long, 365 words instead of 250-265 maximum. 7 band Some people think that students who dont take a break in studies between the high school and the university are at disadvantage compared to students who travel and work after high school before further continuing their education. Do you agree or disagree? Nowadays, in our competitive world, to succeed, knowledge from school and university is not enough. Therefore, students who study from the school to university get fewer benefits and contribute less too, compared to those student who travel or work and get experience and skills before going high. There are two following reasons to support for my opinion. I refer to the group of people who study from school to university as group A and the other group as group B Firstly, at school and university, what group A gains is almost entirely theory, theory and theory. Of course, theory is very neccessary, however, you cant do everything with just theory. You must have praticeable experience. This is what group A lack very much. Although in the third of forth year at university, group A can be apprentices in some companies, to help them approach their future jobs, they arent trained well because of the short time spent working. And the real job is still very strange to them. After graduating, without experience, group A students cant accomplish their work perfectly. On the other hand, it takes them time and money to keep up with other experienced students and they may be scorned. Therefore, group A students can contribute less than group B who have the two most important things: skills and experience. Secondly, as group A students are contributing less, they surely get less benefit. Moreover, many companies which employ people in group A have to train them from ground-up. These companies take this cost from group As salary to reduce the risk of their employees leaving to other companies after being trained. So, less benefits are unavoidable and certain, Whereas group B members are more loyal and effective workers. They also have useful experience and skills. Besides, their education is the same as or even higher than that of group A. As the result, group B gets more benefits absolutely.

In conclusion, I think a student should travel or work before going to the university. That way, not only will they have basic knowledge but also skills and experience which are useful for them to get a good job and have a brilliant future. This essay is too long (350 words instead of 250). To fight this problem, try to write in a more general form and provide fewer details. The use of language and ideas are good and so is the essay structure. Seems worthy of Band 7. We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in business, crime detection and even to fly planes. What things will they be used for in future? Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more suspicious of their benefits? Today computers are used almost everywhere, it is impossible to imagine our life without PCs, Internet, mobile phones and other computer devices. It is reasonable to think that people look forward to the future of computers. In what field will be computers used for and what role will human has in this world in future? Besides, computers make our life easier, we can easily get information about any product we plan to buy or place we plan to visit in a second using a personal computer and Internet. Scientists predict that in the nearest future it will be possible to smell a new perfume using the Internet and watch 3D scenes at home like we do in the movie theater. According to forecasts of HR agencies machines will replace jobs of cashiers, and civil and military pilots. Some corporations in Japan are already selling housewife-robots, which help old people to keep their homes clean. Despite the fact that computers help us, they make us dependent. Apparently, people spend more time behind monitors than ever before. And some of them feel a need for more time to be spent with people in live contact. In addition, a breakdown of one of the important modules of a specific computer can entail serious consequences. Suffice to mention the computer problem that occurred in the end of 1990s, a problem related to the coming year 2000 (Y2K) and catastrophes that were predicted. Fortunately imminent disasters did not happen. However, it is difficult to imagine what could be if all the predictions came true. We live in a technological era, computers penetrated everywhere with all benefits they provide and all dangers they hide. However we are satisfied with them and sometimes we even thank them because they help us in communicating, studying, doing business, entertaining and saving lives in critical situations. Great essay, all the task points are covered, good language and structure. It would probably receive a Band 7. In many countries children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it a valuable work experience, which is important for learning and taking responsibility. What is your opinion? Nowadays, many children involved in different types of jobs to have some kind of financial assurance for themselves. However, whether this is good for their development and personality is a controversial issue. I personally believe that paid works is harmful for children for several reasons. It is said that children gain valuable experience in the work place. This may be true. However, I would argue that children are mainly employed in jobs that require manual work and are poorly paid. The recent statistics reveal the common tasks that children are assigned to are washing dishes, mopping floors or serving food in restaurants. Meanwhile, this kind of jobs actually do not provide children with necessary and useful skills to apply in their future carrer.

This brings me to the second point. Defenders of child labour argues that it is an effective method of learning. The point is children should be able to apply knowledge taught to them in a real life working environment. Although this is undoubtedly true, it also means that children may neglect the classroom study and even fail the class. The worst thing is yet to come. They may become so preoccupied with the benefits ahead of them such as small salary that they may leave school. Finally, supporters say that it helps them to build responsibility in the family. They will understand how it is difficult to earn money and therefore have compassion for their parents. This is true to a certain extent, but may have a totally adverse effect on children. As children can make money at an early age, they would feel that it is appropriate to spend it on luxury things. In conclusion, I think that parents should take measures to restrict their child from work, otherwise it would have negative consequences to their future. This is a great essay, a Band 7+ candidate. My only suggestion is to divide your arguments so that you would have 2 paragraphs covering arguments against and one covering arguments for or vise versa. Dont mix arguments for and against in one paragraph Some say that the Internet is making the world smaller by bringing people together. To what extent do to you agree that the Internet is making it easier for people to communicate with one another? A global village, that is certainly what the world feels like nowadays. With the help of the world wide web, you can reach out and get to know people you might never have met in person. Articles can be co-authored, business deals can be finalized, degrees can be earned and at times even medical advice can be given- and all of this is just a click away. Electronic mail, instant messages, web cameras and microphones; all these gadgets and programs make the presence of the other person more real. Who knows; with the help of visual reality you might even get a 3-D image of the speaker! I believe that the Internet is one the best inventions of the last century, you can hardly get to miss anyone and nobody is really out of reach. You can keep in touch with your friends, and be able to do your work from your bedroom in your pajamas! However, the internet can also be a major source of harassment. Spammers and hackers can invade your privacy and get personal/confidential information, which otherwise they will never get access to. You are never out of anybodys reach, unless you make a conscious decision of not checking your email, there can be always more work waiting for you in your inbox and you might never have a moment to yourself. Worse yet, if you were a workaholic, you might never experience that stress-free vacation ever again in your life simply, because you have your mobile workplace with you at all times. As a romantic, I will always look forward to getting an occasional letter in the snail mail. A personal letter, where I can sense the mood of the writer by the slants in his/her handwriting and get to know him/her better. But as a type A personality person, the internet gives me all what I dream of in terms of communication the speed, reliability, and convenience of time and place. I can certainly tolerate its shortcomings any day, as long as it keeps me close to my loved ones. This is a great essay, which seems worthy of Band 7 or perhaps even 8. It is longer than required (340 words instead of 250) which means that it took you more time to write and less time to check your work.

News editors decide what to broadcast on television and what to print in a newspaper. What factors do you think influence their decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good news was reported? News editors decide what to broadcast on television and what to print in a newspaper. There are two factors that influence their decisions. The first is the kind of customers they aim at. Because each kind of readers and watchers has its own features. For example, if your customers are almost entirely teenagers, you have to concentrate on something attracting them such as stories, photographs of singer stars, film stars, funny tales, and fashion. It will be very silly if you try to provide teenagers with economic or politic news. On the contrary, besiness men and politicians may never read news about James Blunt or Keira Knightley. Therefore, what influences news editors decisions the most is the taste of their customers. The second factor is the hot, the attraction of the news. Who will reads or watch your news if it happened a year or a month ago or even last week? The answer is nobody absolutely. In the energetic and competitive world nowadays, people always ask for a really new news. So that to satisfy customers, there is a pressure on all editors to find continually what has already happened not only yesterday but even an hour ago. Or else, they may lose their customers. None of editors wants that bad future. On television or in newspaper, we seem to become used to bad news. It is a little of difficult for us to come across a piece of good news. We cant deny that bad things occur on Earth day by day. However, news editors try to gain more and more customer, which means more and more money, using bad news as a magnet. Because bad news makes us curious. We want to know why it is bad, what it is about, whether it influences us or not. As a result, we will buy newspapers or watch television to find out. And the happiest people are, of course, news editors. I think it would be better if more good news were reported. Bad news makes us worry and sad. Whereas good news makes us happy. There should an equal amount of good and bad news. In that way we can give something bad a lot of thought while still being happy about the good news. Any inequalities between good news and bad news should be avoided. That is the best solution. Now, we cant live without news. Thereby, the role of news editors is very important. We should support them. And what they have to do is try their best to provide us with useful news, both good and bad. Some of your sentences are too short they would look better if joined together. Overall, this is a good essay, which seems to be worthy of Band 7. Nowadays environmental problems are too big to be managed by individual persons or individual countries. In other words, it is an international problem. To what extent do you agree or disagree? An essential problem of the 21st century is world pollution. Currently the environment is so contaminated that urgent measures should be taken. A single individual cannot be blamed for the world pollution, however every person should take care of his or her habitat. In addition, it is vital that environmental issues are treated internationally Lately, many presentations, conferences and international summits are held to deal with waste treatment, recycling, and soil and water contamination. For sure joint efforts and consolidation can only help in the mutual war towards the ongoing environmental disaster. For instance, governments should offer support to companies and organizations, involved in manufacturing, industry or

agriculture in order to find environment-friendly approaches. These could be special law regulations, recycling programs, helping courses in order to implement ISO certificates and many more. However, the influence of individuals over environment should not be ignored. If we do not confess that our planet is our home, we will never be able to take adequately care of it. We have to contribute every day to the preservation of nature and environment. For example, always remember to save energy by switching off lamps, computers and everything that we do not use. Our next obligation is to separate waste and throw bulk only in the designated areas. Driving vehicles can also be environment friendly. For example, we have to avoid accelerating the engines too rapidly or using the air conditioning in the country, where it would be better to save energy and simply open the windows. To sum up, environmental problems should be handled by local and international authorities as well as individuals. Every single person should take care of the environment, moreover we have to bring up our children to be conscious citizens of a clean and preserved planet. This is a very good essay, a Band 7+ candidate. The structure of this essay and sentences is correct as well as the spelling and punctuation. Good job! Without capital punishment (the death penalty) our lives are less secure and crimes of violence increase. Capital punishment is essential to control violence in society. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Capital punishment is always associated with ignorance and intolerance. In fact, we must acknowledge that some people disagree with this kind of penalty, but others vote in its favor. Portugal was the first European country to end this kind of penalty. Since the 19th century, tolerance and respect for life are important values. Moreover, we can affirm that all the Europe remains under the same codes. Maybe because of a religious view point, the respect for life is a typical value in the Old Catholic world. Those who are in favor of capital punishment mostly live in developing countries. However, this is not just an image of the Third World countries. Actually, the USA is one country where this kind of punishment has its higher rates of application. The state of Texas, in particular, is at the top, supporting this measure against crime, especially those involving serial killers and crimes against children. In a society dominated by fear and government control, it is foreseen that this penalty will continue into a future next. Maybe this is not a simple question. As we can see there are several values here and of course cultural behavior. The roots of the question are religious, cultural, ethical and even geographical. The world is divided and the law systems show this division. The solutions, however can lead us to other questions concerning revenge and justice. It will be better to kill a person because of his crimes? Can we admit that a life sentence could be a much better sentence? In fact, rehabilitation is the right way especially with an accurate psychological evaluation first. Some people are lost forever, and in my opinion some murderers and other criminals will suffer more in jail. In this sense, capital punishment is an easy way out. This is a good essay, you should do well in the Task 2 Writing Test.

Should the same laws which prohibit the sale and consumption of heroin be applied to tobacco? Discuss. Recently, a heated debate arouse when a few reputable health organizations suggested the application of a similar act of heroin selling and usage prohibition _. In this assay, I will analyze why the adoption of such a law could be a breakthrough in our youngsters safety, according to my vision. Firstly, tobacco does not differ much from heroin when it comes to the addictive effect. Nicotin , the active ingredient in tobacco, exerts its effect by acting directly on smo kers brain cells. Numerous experiments carried out by scientist on animals, specailly rats, proved that this toxic chemical does lead by time to dependency, just similarly to the effect experienced with herion. Secondly, the restriction on cigerattes selling would surely show an instant decline in tobacco smoking. Having easy access to cigarettes puts a tremendous pressure, especially on teenagers,to resist such a temptation Dr.Hisham , head of Pschycology department at Alexandria Medical college , states firmly. Giving the new generation the sense that the severity of smoking is equivilant to other lethal drugs usage woulod be a life saving step, they will thank us for as they get older. he continues. To recapitulate, applying of a futuristic law such as the suggested one will definetly have a positive impact ,not only on young peoples health but on our society as a whole. Well done! This is a good essay, however, you should take care of your spelling. Should wealthy nations be required to share their wealth with poorer nations by providing them with things such as food and education? Or is this the responsibility of the governments of poorer nations to look after their citizens? I think that wealthy nations should be required to share their wealth with poorer nations. But their helping should only stop at providing such things as food and education because of the three following reasons. Firstly, citizens of both wealthy nations and poorer nations are human beings. Therefore, we can not look at, hear of, or talk about people who lack food, education, etc without compassion and sympathy. Sharing wealth with poorer nations is not only a good deed but is also a task . Secondly, many nations in Africa and Asia are very very poor. Famine, diseases, crime and illiteracy are killing the citizens of these countries. In the contrary, many nations in Europe and America are too rich. If there are no actions taken, this inequality will increase dramatically. Poor countries will become more and more poorer while rich countries will become more and more richer. As a result, the poorest countries will become slaves of the richest countries. So, sharing wealth is an useful way to prevent people from that bad future. Thirdly, although sharing wealth with poorer nations is very necessary but this help should only stop at providing such things as food, medicine and education. Or else, poor nations may become dependent on the aid. They may lose enthusiasm to build their countries by themselves. Moreover, rich nations can take advantage of sharing wealth to interfere with the governance of poor nations. This cant be considered a humane action and should be prevented. In my opinion, sharing wealth with poorer nations has both a bad side and a good side. What we have to do is avoiding its bad side and practicing its good side. This is an excellent essay, your arguments are convincing and very well presented. There are only a few minor mistakes, please read and consider the comments. Well done!

Advertising is all around us, it is an unavoidable part of everyones life. Some people say that advertising is a positive part of our lives while others say it is a negative one. Discuss both views and include your own opinion. Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should write at least 250 words. Many people wonder about advertisement. Some people think that it has negative impact in our life. However, others said it has been playing as positive effect on this world. This is not an easy essay to be answered, but I will look at this issue Why advertisement has been playing a negative effect in our life ? Of Course for several reasons: firstly, it motivates the psychological point in everyone, especially women. They will run to buy this advertised product especially if its from cosmetic roof, just to show their beauty to men, which will lead to more offender and raped cases. Secondly, you can sit comfortably with your family and suddenly the telephone is ringing, but its nothing important, its just another company try to convince you to buy one of their products. It is a real intrusive example of advertisement. Lastly, sometimes you do not have the financial ability to buy something, but with these new methods of advertisement, you will run to buy it, which will affect your budget. On the other hand, there are some good sides to advertising. For instance, it compares the prices of many companies which benefit the consumer. Besides, it really opens our vision to see more products which we do not knowit unless the TV or Radio advertised them. In addition to, it breaks our daily routine and allows us to see new faces and learn the language better with the help of the daily updates they deliver through advertisement. In conclusion, as we can see there are many aspects to this essay. I feel that we gain no benefits at all from advertisement, it plays on minds of people buy more things that they do not need it at all. Your arguments are good and the paragraphs are set out well, however, you must be careful about making assertive statements, e.g. it motivates the psychological point in everyone. How do you know that all advertisements do motivate every single person, for instance? Overall, this is a good essay, well done. We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in business, hospitals, crime detection and even to fly planes. What things will they be used for in the future? Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more suspicious of their benefits? In the last two decades cybernetics have experienced a major breakthrough .This led to the utilization of computers in nearly all parts of our daily life, from personal computers to the ones performing complicated surgeries. Surely the uptake of this technology facilitates a lot of difficult tasks but is this excessive dependance ripping the warmth out of our lives? In this essay, I will outline how the availability of computers affects our lives. Most of the daily tasks an individual experiences are time and effort consuming. These two fundemental qualities could be tremendously saved by the use of computers. The average period required to prepare a decent meal for a middle-class family is around an hour to and hour and a half when using traditional methods. This time could be literally reduced to half if computerized decivesare used instead. Moreover, a busy businessman is enabled to easily close a profitable deal with just a touch on this highly programmed laptop while enjoying his family vacation and not having to exert an extra effort of traveling long distances in order to sign a deal. On the other hand, new generations are growing remarkably dependent on these modern utilities, which makes them handicapped when it comes to preparing a cup of tea. Inaddition, psychologists suggest that one of the main reasons for sucidal rate increase is the recent electric inventions. This is

due to the fact that humans by nature stay emotionally healthy through socializing, but due to the importance of modern technology to maintain a financially satisfying standard of life they gradually isulate themselves. As time passes by each of these individuals gets stuck in a vicious circle of loneliness that eventually leads to suicidal attempts especially among youngsters. In conclusion, similarly to every other invention computers have their benefits and drawbacks, I personally think it all depends upon how we use the given tools . Moderation is the key here to keep the balance and allow us to live in harmony. This is a good essay, nice vocabulary, a little too long (340 words instead of 250), a few grammatical mistakes. The topic is not fully covered (what about the things will th ey be used for in future part?). The Internet when used as a source of information, has more drawbacks than advantages. To what extent do you agree with this statement? Some people believe that internet access creates problems. There are several possible reasons why it can happen. Firstly, some data may be unverifiable. For example, everytime they search for a data, there would be lots of choices that would appear on the screen. They would not be sure if the information they are reading is accurate. Some sources may even have outdated informations. Secondly, some sites may be unreliable. For instance, people sign up on one site that sells goods online. The goods would be paid for by a credit card, but the purchaser would not receive anything. And finally, not everything is available through the net. When my friend had tried to research for some pictures of 18th century paintings, he did not find any results. Then he was told by his teacher that they would only be available in the library. Others believe that the Internet is very useful and these are the justifications. Firstly, it is hard to get the same data, that is available through the Internet by other means. For example, if the directory information could not give me the accurate address and contact number of a place I want to visit, I normally check that information on the Internet. In just one click, I would get all the details of that certain company. Secondly, research becomes more comprehensive. For instance, I do not have to buy lots of reading materials to complete my research. Most of the needed information can be found if I have Internet access. And finally, data is easily compared and contrasted. I remember, my cousin researched a study about overweight children a decade ago and at present. He was able to finish his research in just one day, as compared to a week if he would not use the Internet. In conclusion, let me reiterate that the Internet plays a big role in our life, because it makes data retrieval and comparison easier. This is a good essay, the arguments are clear, the language and the grammar are also fine. The structure needs to be improved a little bit make paragraphs smaller, re-structure them to create 5 paragraphs from 4. In case of an argument essay give your opinion in the conclusion only. In case of an opinion essay give your opinion in the introduction Some businesses prohibit smoking in any of their offices. Some governments have banned smoking in all public places. Do you agree or disagree that this is the right course of action? Give reasons for your opinion. Most of the firms, organization and companies as well as governments impose restrictions to smoke in work places and public amenities. It has become fashionable in the world today to blame smoking. However, although I feel that smoking can be harmful, but I dont think it should be forbidden completely. I would also argue that people should have the right whether or not they should smoke.

Allow me to present the three positive sides of smoking. Firstly, smoking certainly helps many people to relax. For some, it even improves concentration. If someone is upset owing to debt or they have exam, like to smoke to reduce the pressure or tension. Most of the people like to smoke when they are relaxing with friends. Secondly, governments throughout the world make huge profits from taxes on cigarettes. The income obtained through taxes provides funds which are used for building school, hospital and public places such as parks, gardens, sports ground and foot paths. Thirdly, tobacco industry also employs tens of thousands of people all over the world, particularly in poorer countries such as Zimbabwe or India. Without cigarettes, these people would have no jobs. Despite these positive effects there are lots of negative effects to smoking too. Initially, smoking has been proven to be very dangerous for health. As one cigarette contains more than 4000 chemical substances, therefore, it causes for many dangerous diseases such as heart attacks, asthma, bronchitis or lung cancer. According to a recent report in Britain close to 3,500 people are killed each year in road accidents and 120,000 are killed by smoking. Furthermore, smoking costs governments millions of dollars because of the large number of people who need treatment in hospitals for smoking-related problems. Moreover, passive smoking is also a major concern today. Recent research shows that nonsmokers can suffer from health problems if they spend long periods of time among people who do smoke. In the UK children whose parents are smoke are three times as likely to start smoking themselves _. In short, I think the world would be a better place without cigarettes. However, the decision of whether _ smoke or not to smoke should be for each individual to make. I suggest that people should not smoke in a room or a place where there are non smokers, however they should be free to smoke elsewhere. This is a very good essay, you have made your arguments well and set out the paragraphs as required. However, pay attention to your use of assertive statements e.g. Without cigarettes, these people would have no jobs. Perhaps they would gain employment in another industry we cannot be sure. Over all, well done!

In some countries children have very strict rules of behavior, in other countries they are allowed to do almost anything they like. To what extent should children have to follow rules? Freedom plays a pivotal role in everybodys life. We can see in todays modernized era that nobody likes to be restricted, whether it is a child or an adult. Some people think that there should have some strict rules of behavior for children, but I disagree with this statement. Wherever it is a reality that sometimes more restrictions can cause more frustration in children, which leads to many other mental problems as well. Morever they can be, behave like a stubborn. Sometimes they feel themselves under pressure, which can be the main reason for their poor performance in their field. In some cases children may insist on doing these things from where we?ll try to keep them away. In other words _ we have to look for other aspects as well, like if we usually ignore our childrens bad habits, then they cant be good human beings in their future life. Moreover_ if we never draw attention upon the childrens main activities then they might end up in a bad company. They can know regarding the value of respect for their elders. They can know the importance of relationships. They can know regarding their cultural values as well.

In a nutshell, I would like to say that children should be teach the value of their customs, rituals and respect towards their elders for their future life, but most of the additional restriction should be being avoided. It would be better to make them good human beings in their future. This is a good, well-written essay. Some sentences are too short and could be combined together to create a more complex structure. There is also some repetition of words, which should be avoided. Overall, nicely done. With all the problems in the world today, spending money on space exploration is a complete waste. The money could be better spent on other causes. Nations after nations, every day, every year, celebrates its achievements in space exploration. However, it is now the time to question how meaningful these blasts are. This essay aims to explain why it is questionable. First, until all urgent and important matters of the globe have been solved, money bumped on space exploration is meaningless. It is not a common sense at all to invest millions of dollars researching and producing foods for astronauts (for space exploration purpose), while every day thousands of people are starving. Furthermore, the discovery of outer space only serves a minor group of people if the majority are even not well-educated. Those in rural areas or third-world nations do no even know how to prevent common threatening diseases such as AIDS and lung cancer. Then, some may argue that the purpose of space exploration are to discover new lands, new energy resources or to deter potential threat to globe. Nevertheless, is it effective to do so while other alternatives are available? Lands on earth are no yet effectively used. New energy resources (e.g. solar and nuclear energy) have not yet been widely-used. Threats of plagues have not yet been deterred. All of these tasks that havent been tackled yet require money. That is why costly space discovery programs are a waste of resources. In a nutshell, people should only invest in space exploration provided that urgent and important matters mentioned earlier in this essay have been solved. Also, purposes of space exploration campaigns should be studied carefully and other alternatives should be considered before the money is wasted. Popular events like the football world cup and other international sporting occasions are essential in easing international tensions and releasing patriotic emotions in a safe way. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? The World Cup football match and the Olympics are held worldwide with great national support and expectations. As a fan of those competitions, I agree with the idea that sporting events can be necessary for international relations and national unity. In this essay, I will think about the effects of these popular sporting events. First of all, the World Cup, Olympics and other international games work for easing tensions among different nations. For example, South and North Korea have football games regularly which give two nations a chance to understand each other deeply. In the mid 1990s, a hundreds of North Korean supporters came to South Korea with the footballers and they were very excited during the sporting events. Even if it sounds ridiculous, many South Koreans were quite surprised at that moment when North Koreans shouted and cried during the match. We all realized that they were very normal sports fans even though they were occasionally very secretive. Through the sports, two divided nations could reduce their political and ideological tensions and could feel the patriotic unity. On the other hand, some sports matches can make international relations worse. For instance, football or baseball games between Korea and Japan are always big matches in two countries where full of

tensions overflow. Sometimes, after the matches, the two rivals blame each other and their patriotic emotions explode in an aggressive way. Even much worse scenario is that the troubles caused by losing games affect the players directly. As far as I know, a couple of Korean players in Japan are suffered from invisible discrimination after the match between two countries. In conclusion, I think that international sporting occasions can be one of the good ways to ease tensions or to release patriotism safely. However, I believe that games can not be the fundamental ways for the sound patriotism or peaceful international relations. This is an excellent essay! Very well done! 6 Band Students from rural areas often find it difficult to access university education. Some people think that it should become easier for them to study at universities. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Nowadays, it is acknowledged that students from suburban areas find it tough to receive higher education. Whether it should be made easier for them to access university education becomes an ongoing concern, which incurs a highly-charged debate. Obviously, higher education opportunities bring about benefits to students in multiple ways. For example, to receive higher education becomes increasingly important to senior high school graduates, partly becasue it determines if they have the competitive edge in the job market, and partly because it is seen as a guarantee of a certain level of the mental ability, from the computer literacy that is required by the most employers to the capacities of acquiring new knowledge the soonest possible which is valued by the most workplaces. With a university degree, students from rural areas will obtain a job easily, thereby bettering their living conditions and their family as well. Higher education also, however, tend to impose a heavy burden on their families since the relenting rise in the tuition fees which are - increasingly beyond those families ability to afford. In addition, with the mounting evidence, a university degree is not always a guarantee of seizing a decent job; therefore, their living conditions are likely to worse off by not able to earn back their tuition fee after graduation. In this way, some people argue, students from rural areas are not well-advised to pursue a university degree. But I perceive their desire to further their education should not be disrespected and the government should subsidise them to receive higher education. In conclusion, university education should be made fair to everyone, predicated only on their academic performance and mental abilities, rather than their financial capacities and the government should subsidise those students in need. Teachers comment: Not all the parts of the task were covered. The writers position is relevant to task prompt, the main ideas are also relevant but not all of them are developed well enough. The information is presented coherently, it is evident that the writer progresses from one idea to another. The linking words and phrases are used in a correct way. The range of vocabulary is sufficient here. There are some attempts to use more sophisticated words but many of them are inaccurate. Even though there are some errors in grammar and punctuation, they dont make the meaning much harder to understand. Overall, this essay seems worthy of IELTS Band 6. Click here to see more IELTS essays of Band 6

Full time university students spend most of the time studying. They should be doing other activities too. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Full time study in university is a great experience in life but in parallel to that students become inactive in other activities such as working for their pocket money, sports, participating in debates and socialization. People differ in their opinion if students must engaged in other things or stay concentrated on their studies only. The discussion will be presented below, followed by my opinion. Some people say that mere studying does not product an overall youth for a country. This way, students only earn theoretical knowledge not practical. For instance, students can be intelligent during their studies but at the same time when they come in the market to work n, they fail and cannot develop their confidence and work as brilliantly as they were in university. Hence, the best approach for them need to be engaged here and there for practical experience. On the other hand, others believe that building a better career is the foremost thing in todays world. So, they are targeted to their studies and gain as much knowledge as they can. Furthermore, if they are diverted from their studies, they will not be able to make their target. In my point of view, there must be blending of full time education and extra activities. It refreshes students minds and provides more energy to concentrate on it. Moreover, by this way, they will learn how to be mingled with other people in the society. To summarize, it can be said that it is important to concentrate on study but on the other hand there must be something to keep them active and relaxed being involved in games, music, work and other extra activities. The writers position is relevant to task prompt, although the conclusions are somewhat repetitive. The main ideas are relevant but not all of them are developed well enough. The linking words and phrases are used, however at times they are either repetitive or seem forced (not natural). It is not always clear what the writer refers to in the essay. There are some attempts to use more sophisticated words but they are mostly inaccurate. The writers occasional word-formation and grammar errors detract from the good impression, but overall the response is still easy enough to understand. Overall seems to be worthy of Band 6. Click here to see more IELTS essays of Band 6 Some people prefer to spend their lives doing the same things and avoiding changes. Others, however think that change is always a good thing. Discuss both sides and give your own opinion. Nowadays, people are arguing whether an ideal lifestyle should be a stable one or should it include a wide ranges of changes. In my opinion, whether changes are needed should be determined the stages of lives you are at. Apparently, alternations in life are favorable to the development of young people, in regards to their careers. Primarily, an abundant experience in varieties of jobs enables the young to master a broad range of techniques and skills, leading to significant edge over the counterparts in the competition for employment. Meanwhile, trying various roles in life and work provides wide selections of lifestyles for the young in the future. Only after this comparison can they realize what the real goals of their lives should be striven for. However, other than frequent changes, the elderly who have undergone all these challenges may pursue a steady lifestyle. For the elders, concentration on their favorite activities would give rise to a sense of enjoyment and security, which is helpful to physical and psychological health. Due to a

stable life, the elderly are less exposed to stress, leading to a decrease in adrenal hormones and resulting in their well-beings. Furthermore, degeneration of mental and physical function would make the elderly unlikely to adapt to external changes, causing frustrations and depressions, which are not contributing to their health. Above all, it is unlikely to describe the changes in life with a positive or negative term. Accommodation for personal needs and goals is more important than the changes themselves. All the parts of the task were covered, although some were covered better than others. The main ideas are relevant but not all of them are developed well enough. The information is presented coherently, it is evident that the writer progresses from one idea to another. The linking words and phrases are used, however at times they are incorrect, repetitive or seem forced (not natural). Paragraphing needs to be done more logically. The writers occasional word-formation errors detract from the good impression, but overall the response is still easy enough to understand. Even though there are some errors in grammar and punctuation, they dont make the meaning much harder to understand. Overall, this essay seems to be worthy of Band 6 6.5. Click here to see more IELTS essays of Band 6 Every year an increasing number of students choose to go to another country for their higher education. Do you think the benefits of this development outweigh the problems associated with it? The past twenty years have seen a dramatic change of the number of students who go abroad to begin college in China. In this essay, I will explore the advantages and disadvantages of this trend. On the one hand, both students and their country can benefit from this trend. First, students can choose more suitable education methods for themselves because there are more options. The course and teaching methods are quite different from China. According to foreign experts, the higher education in China is really not good as that of those developing countries, especially in contrast with Europian or US. Secondly, people can improve their foreign language, but, they can contact with others when they are in a foreign country, and they will quickly master the foreign language. Thirdly, it helps to promote the mutual understanding between their mother land and their destination countries. These students exchange information with the locals. Students can get better understanding of the destination countries. People in their home country will get more vivid information about other countries through these messages. Similarly, the locals also can get more clear recognition about other countries. On the other hand, there are disadvantages too. Firstly, it costs people a lot of money to begin college in foreign countries. Many families have to take out all their savings to support their children to go abroad. Secondly, some students cannot stand the big difference of the new environment, they maybe quit their study and come back home. To conclude, given the undisputable fact that to begin college in foreign countries helps students with their studies and promotes the mutual understanding between countries, even if there are some drawbacks, I think the benefits outweigh the problems. All the parts of the task were covered, although some were covered better than others. The writers position is relevant to task prompt, although the conclusions are somewhat repetitive.The information is presented coherently, it is evident that the writer progresses from one idea to another. The linking words and phrases are used, however at times they seem repetitive or forced (not natural). There are some attempts to use more sophisticated words, not all are accurate. Even

though there are some errors in grammar and punctuation, they dont make the meaning much harder to understand. Overall, this essay seems worthy of Band 6. The best way to reduce the number of traffic accidents is to raise age limit for the younger drivers and to lower age limit for the aged ones. Do you agree? With the rapid increase in the number of vehicles on the road together with hush and rush lifestyles of drivers today, traffic accidents seem to be escalating in our society. Age of drivers contribute partly to number of traffic accidents but surely not as the main factor. Those who agree with the statement would view young drivers assuming under 18 years old and older drivers to be reckless and therefore would be more prone to traffic accidents on the road. Lack of experience, forgetfulness, carelessness and poor fitness condition may be reasons for limiting age of drivers. On the other hand, I would think that age is only a small determinant and we need to look at more effective measure such as reducing number of vehicles on the road through car pool, implementing more stringent regulations on alcohol drink driving and possibly to revise on the standard of driving test for young and old drivers on the road. Many drivers who are stuck in traffic jams also have busy lifestyles and therefore tend to become very stressed or distracted on the road. Thus I would think the government may have to look ways to improve road infrastructure and traffic jams to deter or reduce accidents on the road. To sum up, age is only one of the many contributors for accidents but I do not agree that by lowering age for the elderly and raising age limit for the younger drivers is the best method. As mentioned in my third paragraph, we need to look at other more effective measures which deal with the underlying problems in the society which lead to traffic accidents. This essay needs some work. You should present two sides of the argument, for example those in favor of X, say those against Y point out that and leave your own opinion for the conclusion paragraph. Stating your opinion all over the essay is harming its structure. See comments (underlined in blue) for more suggestions for improvement. Overall, looks like a Band 6.5 essay. Dieting can change a persons life for the better or ruins ones health completely. Whats your opinion? Dieting seems to be part of our life in this modern society, especially for those who are health conscious. Different people choose different type of dieting methods, trying to achieve what they believe to be good for either their health or physical appearance. In general, most of the people who diet are focusing on controlling their weight. In our urban society, most of the working class person does not have the opportunity to consume a healthy meal. Their daily meals consist of fast food which contains large amounts of fat and salt. The most significant prove of this unhealthy lifestyle is the weight gain especially among those middle age working professionals Therefore, most of these young and energetic people have to control their diet in order to stay in shape either for their appearance or health. The most common and proper method of maintaining ones weight is eating less oily food, preferably more green vegetables, fruits and avoid alcohol. However, some have resorted to losing weight by taking their diet to the extreme, not eating at all for days. Others will make themselves vomit after each meal. Many others will go for dieting medication

and beverages that help them to lose their appetite. These unhealthy dieting will cause internal damage in the long run. In my opinion, dieting for better health is more important than solely for looking attractive. Individuals who wish to control their weight should seek professional advise if they are unable to reduce their weight after switching over to a healthy diet for a period of time. Losing weight and losing your health at the same time does not benefit any individual. This essay needs some work. The first body paragraph explains the reason people have for dieting, whereas it should explain what are the advantages or the dangers of it. The second body paragraph explains how to diet, whereas it should present arguments for or against dieting. Therefore, the task is only partially covered here. On the bright side, the sentences are well-structured and the vocabulary is sufficient, the usage of linking words is fluent and the spelling and grammar are mostly fine (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, this looks like a Band 6 essay. Even though globalization affects the worlds economy in a very positive way, its negative side should not be forgotten. Discuss. Everything has two sides and the globalization is not the exception. Our first thoughts about this topic include the process of global McDonaldisation and, generally speaking, spreading the one, American, lifestyle across the whole Globe. Firstly, I would try to concentrate on the positive aspects of globalisation. As far as economy is concerned, institiutions like the Global Bank or IMF are always focused on deve loping the Third World and helping poor people to combat their life obstacles (through loans and donations). Moreover, the world becomes an area of sharing thoughts (e.g. philosophical or economical doctrines), which become popular due to lack of barriers However, disadvantages of globalization are also widely known. Some people insist that because of this process, the spirit of countries and nations rapidly disappears. The integrity, established houndreds years ago is on the verge of collapsing. Furthermore, theres a strong lobby of communists who reckon, that the globalization indicates an uncontrolled reign of capitalists and slave work of lower labour-class. We should never forget about the detrimental impact of global investments on the environment the green house effect or soar rains are triggered by globalization. To sum up, globalization has both positive and negative influence on our everyday life. I cant agree with the popular statement that we should try to avoid being affected by it. However, we must not forget about our surroundings and local communities. They have a great value which should last forever. This essay is too short (233 words instead of mandatory 250), which may get it penalized. On the bright side, it covers the task and has a sound structure on the essay level. The paragraphs are coherent and are logically connected by linking words; the sentences are well-structured and the vocabulary is adequate. There were some inaccuracies, see comments underlined in blue. Overall, this looks like a band 6 essay. In many countries children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it to be a valuable work experience, which is important for learning and taking responsibility. What is your opinion on this? In the Third World, children are usually sent to factories for laborious work. Many people believe that it is merely exploitation, while others think it is a good opportunity for them to have life experience.

In any case, children have their right to live and study in peaceful conditions. Therefore, using them as workforce is considered an unacceptable action. First of all, children are not workers. They have just learned about the vast world and do not have any experience or concept of working. Since these innocent children are naive and lack of life experiences, they can be easily cheated and exploited. There are many examples of this in poor nations. Because using children is cheap and easily to control, many enterprises hire them and dont pay them much. Although the government in these countries has tried its best, this kind of taking advantage of children cannot be eliminated. Moreover, children do not need such thing as valuable work experience that is supposedly important for learning and taking responsibility. The brief responsibility of children is learning. They are not old enough to understand what working experiences are. Nevertheless, they can help parents do chores or housework. This will be a much better way for them to become more responsible for family. In addition, childhood is one of the most remarkable memories and must not be taken away by forcing them to work. In conclusion, since all children are the great concern of parent and society, they should be allowed to enjoy life and educated rather than encouraging them to work. Hence, one must ponder what view is actually appropriate for the sake of the children. This is a good essay. It covers the task, the paragraphs are coherent, the sentences are wellstructured and the vocabulary is adequate. However a little structural change in the paragraphs is required you should first make the point (such as Some say that children should learn about earning money and then oppose to it However, children can not be compared to adult workers). Also, there were some more inaccuracies (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, this looks like a Band 6.5 essay. You can get up-to-date news from the radio, TV and the Internet. Which kind of media do you think is the best to get the news? Nowadays, there are several channels to get news, such as the radio, TV, newspapers and the Internet. I think the Internet is the best among these. In my essay, I am going to explain why. Since its invention, the Internet has been booming as a prospective industry. Not only because it is a combination of text, audio and video, but also due to its convinience. It has threatened the domination of spreading news of the traditional media, and, I would say, is about to take control. We can find everything we want on the Internet the latest news, books, songs, movies, cartoons whatever. With the radio, we can merely hear. Compared to a newspaper, the radio and TV can provide the latest information. For instance the breaking news of the Americans attacking Iraq was immediately availalbe online, as well as that the Twin Towers of New York were destroyed on September 11, 2001. However, we just cannot carry TV 24/7. The Internet is a convinient way of getting information, as long as your mobile phone is connected or you possess a laptop. When I am on a vehicle, I usually have my cellphone connected to the Internet, then browse through whathappend in the past few hours, or log in MSN to begin a conversation with my friends. Reading a newspaper is also a good way to kill time, but for me, a youngster, it is not so modern as surfing online while commuting. The traditional media will never disappear, though the Internet has taken a big advantage in the competition. And definitely, there is still a long way for the Internet to go. Anyway, the Internet benefits me the most, and I highly appreciate it.

This essay needs some work. It covers the task and its structure is fine. However the structure of the sentences needs attention (see suggestions in comments underlined in blue). Some words such as whatever should be avoided. You use prepositions in an inaccurate way and there are grammatical and spelling errors in your essay as well. Overall, this looks like a Band 6.5 essay. Millions of people every year move to English- speaking countries such as Australia, Britain or America, in order to study at school, college or university. Why do so many people want to study in English? Why is English such an important international language? Nowadays, language becomes a major factor to become a successful person. Many people prefer to study abroad to English-speaking country because English is an international language. There is no doubt that the best way to improve the English language skill is to use the English language daily so if people study in English speaking countries, their English skill will be improved automatically and it will give them some advantages such as they can work in many countries or they will be able travelling to many different places without studying other languages. This essay will describe in detail why English is an important international language. Firstly, the English language is widely used in many countries and at present, the world traders are currently developing rapidly. In order to compete with people from different countries, it is very essential to be able to communicate with the English language. For example, China has been improving a lot in many sectors. They are able to compete with other countries because many people in China aware the important English language and they are trying hard to study English. Secondly, many companies prefer to employ people who can speak English because if the companies create new branch in different countries, the employers are able to move the new branch without employ new people and the branch company is still able to communicate with the central company. In fact, one of the largest companies in the world (Google) has created some branch in different countries and each of the Google employers is able to discuss things or otherwise communicate even though they are in different countries because they all use English to communicate. In conclusion, many people move to English speaking countries for further studies because they believe that it will improve their English skills and in order to become a successful person in the future, mastering English is very essential. This essay is too long (313 words instead of 250-265). It isnt a problem on its own, but wasting time on writing more content that you dont get extra marks for is not wise. Also, the more content you write, the more room for mistakes you create. There are a lot of poorly structured sentences and grammatical errors (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, this looks like a Band 6 6.5 essay. Dieting can change a persons life for the better or ruins ones health completely. What is your opinion? Almost 90% of the women today want a beautiful figure. That is why we are able to find a diet programme almost everywhere in the country. Most of the women have tought and gone on a diet before either to slim dowm or just for health problem. A proper diet programme will help you not only to slim down but also to have a healtier eating habits. For instance taking more vegetables and fruits that meat, avoid fried food and carbonated drinks. For a diet programme we shouldnt cut one self from food and water. There are some diet programmes from the doctors that help you to have a healty heart like the Three day diet which we can find on the Internet. This programme allows you to eat fruits and also some meat. This way of dieting will help you to avoid some of the health problems in the future like diebetes or a heart attack

However some people do not only go on a diet but they avoid eating and go hungry for the whole day. All they have is just either water or juices. Also there a people who buy special diet programmes over the counter like taking pills which are not approved by the health department and they are doing so without consulting a doctor first. They do not follow the basic rules of dieting and this will lead them to some serious health problems like disfuctional of some body parts or, even worse, death. In my opinion there is notting wrong with going on a diet as long as we follow the correct way of eating and for a good reason to diet. This essay needs some work. It covers the task and has a good structure. The paragraphs are logically connected and many of sentences are structured correctly. However, there are some sentences with poor structure and many grammatical errors (See comments underlined in blue). Overall, this looks like a band 6.5 essay. People attend college or university for many different reasons (for example, new experiences, career preparation, or to increase knowledge). Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Many people attend to university or collage after their high school years for several reason which they choose by them self. I believe that the most common reason why people attend to university or collage to have new experiences on life , to prepare for a career, and to increase their knowledge of their personality. Firstly, many people attend to university or collage to have new experience in life. Many students leave their home and move to live by them self when they go to university. This is the first time that they had to make a resolution on their own, without their parents help. Making their own decisions will increase their knowledge of themselves. Moreover, students on the university can meet different students from different nationalities and religions so students can learn about different culture around the world Secondly, many people go to university or collage to prepare for a career. Career training is becoming more important nowadays to young people compared to old people. At college, students learn many skills for their career and they intern to internship with a lot of chances. All of these things prepare them for their career. Also, students attend university or college to increase their self-knowledge of their personality on life. They attend for that to increase their knowledge in subjects which they find interesting. For example, many students study science because they are iinterest in science but they work on the business area. To sum up, I think people should not only focus on a career when they go to university or college. They have to follow to have new experience and knowledge about their personality and the great world around them which they live in. This essay needs much work. There are many grammatical errors, incorrectly used prepositions and inaccurate expressions (see comments underlined in blue). There are many repetitions of the same expressions try to avoid that as much as possible. The task is covered, the paragraphs are connected by linking words but the way you use them is rather primitive. Overall, this looks like a Band 6 essay. Some people say that the education system is the only critical factor to development of a country. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Education plays a vital role in the development of a country. Therefore, some people think that the education system is the only important factor to the development of a country and they may be right. Education is the foundation of well developed society. It is rightly said, education is a ladder for success. If all the people of any country are educated then they becomes broadminded, ci vilized and progressive. An educated society improves the standard of life as well. Besides this, education also creates a good employment opportunity and therefore country does not have to suffer from big problems like unemployment. Educated peoples are more aware of problems such as pollution and many more. A country becomes technologically advanced because of educated people. Not only this, but also by giving importance to education, the nations can get rid of problems like iliteracy, poverty, unemployment and population growth that delay the progress of a nation. The crime rate can also be kept under check. The standard of living of the people will go up. If the nations wants to be progressive it is very important that the people are more educated and progressive. Any country can become more technologically advanced and developed because of education. However, there are other factors that also play an important role in the development of a country. Such as governments have to encouraged people to do so._ In conclusion, I would like to say that a good education system will lead to a developed country. This essay needs some work. It has a good structure and the sentences show enough fluency, but the last body paragraph needs to be corrected by adding another 2-3 sentences to it. In total, the number of words here is 235 which is under the required 250, that fact may cost you some marks. Also there are some repetition of words and grammatical errors. Overall, this looks like a Band 6 essay. Learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the present. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Evaluation of the importance of timing is essential, many people they are sticking to past to show the importance of their present, while many shows that no need to even remember their past because it would not help them at all. It is a very controversial and complicated matter. Do not look to past, many people believe on this statement, for many reasons. Firstly, all of us had made many mistakes which we would not like to remember, they will affect their present because they can create some problems with our families as example. Secondly, instead of remembering those past trials, one should get the benefits of their present. Regardless of what I said previously, many people are sticking to their past to give themselves a push in their present. It can give you a way of learning from your mistakes, and a good chance to try to avoid anything that once lead to a past failure. Moreover, success will not come without failure, everybody should make an attempt, even if it fails, and it may become a big success if they try it again and again. In addition, our past is our culture and heritage which we should not forget at all, it is a matter of value to our present and future, and will remain such till the day will die. To sum up, in my opinion, we can not live without a past, it is our value of life. Beside it can help create your experiences and solve your problems better in the future. This essay is too short it should be at least 250 words, writing less words means getting penalized. The structure of sentences needs work and so does the grammar. Do not address the audience,

write in general (See the comments for the last sentence of the third paragraph). Overall, this looks like a Band 6 work. See comments underlined in blue for more details. Some people think that it is important to use leisure time for activities that develop the mind, such as reading and doing crossword puzzles. Others feel that it is important to give ones mind a rest in leisure time. Discuss. As we are human we naturally need to rest on leisure time to recover thestress of work and everyday life. In fact, every individual need to do what they want and belong to them. Personally, I prefer to be active during this time because it is feel right to me better. Moreover, people are free for what they do on their leisure time, and nobody can say what it is the best. Some people want to relax after their day of work. These people may prefer to relax by watching movies, reading or getting a massage. People who have a physically jobs such as doctors, teachers and builders may choose these types of activities. If you are a doctor, you may feel that you want to let your body rest after work and you dont want to do a five kilometer run after work, because you are already physically tired. On the other hand, some people choose to be active in their leisure time because they do very sitting jobs. For example, these people many spend all day sitting on a chair and do their work. At the end of a working day, they may be have a backache, and all of their body become tired so they need to stretch their arms and improve their health by doing some activity such as going to the gym or swimming. To sum up, the important thing is that people want to stay healthy by choosing what is best for them. In my view, the wrong way is to stay at home in your leisure time if you have a setting job. This essay needs work. It has the right structure and covers the task. However there are many poorly structured sentences, many of the sentences are too simple and dont have enough complexity, there are grammatical errors and some prepositions are use incorrectly (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, this looks like a Band 6 6.5 essay. Some people say education is the only critical factor to the development of a country. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? One the one hand good education is a highly recommended skill in the developed countries, on the other hand the highest wish of many people in regions of poverty. But what makes education to the key factor for the development of a country? We must acknowledge that education is something that we all need. The differences are just what we learn. Mostly the limited educational horizons of poor and less educated people have more to deal with their personal situation than with problems of bigger effects on a country. Attending school is sometimes too expensive and it does not feed a family. Nevertheless there must be a reason for education. For me it looks like some countries have realized that Education is the key for the globalization process. If we take India for example we can see that a change in the educational system had changed the economy of the country. The country has changed from a poor region to a high potential aria for IT knowledge. In regard to this fact it is a must that the Governments of less developed countries take the power of education seriously and offer it to a wide range of people. Spending money for education is the key tippy title=for]to[/tippy] a new future effects on the economy and social life. All in all I agree with the importance of education for the development of a country. Less knowledge leads to poverty and

not to knowledge that has wide effects. Learning and Knowledge is Power and an investment in the near future and therefore it has to be an official task. This essay covers the task. It has a good structure, however the conclusion paragraph is too big consider splitting it into 2 paragraphs, with the last one being the conclusion. As to the structure of sentences, there are several sentences that should be rephrased (see comments for suggestions). The grammar also needs some attention (see underlined in blue comments for details). Overall, this looks like a band 6.5 essay. Most high level positions in companies are filled by men, even though the workforce in many developed countries consists of 50 percent female workers. Companies should be required to allocate a certain percentage of management positions to women. Discuss, what is your opinion? The inequality between men and women has always been a significant issue in their society. Besides that, it is undeniable that most vital positions in companies are taken by males, not females. Therefore, there exist a statement that companies should allocate to women a certain number of these positions. However, I do not agree with this requirement completely. In some feudal countries, it was true to say that the society favour the males, and at that time instances of inequality occurred very frequently. Up until the present moment, it stills to happen in some developing countries; also it is greatly involved to womens right. A large number of women in these countries are not allowed to go to work or even go to public place. In this case, this is not an individual issue, but it is a social problem. The governments should have some solution to react with this tendency, and at the same time they should promulgate a new legislation to protect womens right. On the other hand, the global economy is developing rapidly nowadays. In most corporations, they do not distinguish men from women; they only focus on working efficiently. In this world, any employees who possess enough abilities and work in an effective way, that person will be promoted to high positions. Therefore, allocating the high level positions in companies to women is not necessary. Moreover, the instances of women in essential positions cannot count by fingers. Those women are very successful in their work and their lives. In conclusion, although the inequality between men and women has reduced, it still is a social issue worth to concern. Personally, in my opinion we should create as many opportunities for women to have an equal life as we can. This essay needs some work. It has a good structure, the paragraphs are coherent, you are using enough linking words and the task is covered. On the other hand, the grammar needs much attention, the structure of the sentences should be worked on and there were some unclear expressions used. See comments underlined in blue for more details. Overall, this looks like a Band 6 essay. The world is experiencing a dramatic increase in population, which is causing problems not only for poor, undeveloped countries, but also for industrialized and developed nations. Describe some of the problems that overpopulation causes, and suggest at least one possible solution. You should write at least 250 words. You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Nowadays, the population increase dramatically in most countries around the world. This is true for the developed and developing nations. Overpopulation cause a different number of problems. However, the government can solved these problems in many solution.

There are several problems that the raising number of people in undeveloped countries causes. Firstly, it is very difficult to provide enough food for all people. Secondly, the government limits the number of children per family to educate in school. In addition, in poorest countries usually have a lot of unemployment as well, and when the population increases, the number of unemployment increase. Finally, when too many people live on the land, the environment suffers. There are different problems that overpopulation causes in rich nations. Firstly, it is very difficult for governments to provide helpful public services in overcrowded cities. Moreover, there is generally a higher level of crimes being committed, such as drugs abuse, murders, thefts, and ect. Which that often cause by the high rates of unemployment. However, overpopulation problems in both nations have two main solution which they aredeal by governments. Firstly, the government must educate people about limiting the size of the family. For example, in China they have a policy called one child policy which limits the size of the family to one or two children, and this is beginning to have an effect on the worlds most crowded nation. To sum up, if the impulsive population increase continues, many more people will die of hunger in the poor countries. Also, in rich nations, the life in the cities will become more and more difficult. This essay covers the task and has a good content. However there are several areas to improve. The grammar needs more attention (see comments underlined in blue). In the first paragraph, the last sentence has instances of repetition of solve and solution, you could say instead can find many solutions to those problems. In the third paragraph, the last sentence has poor structure and looks unfinished. Overall, this looks like a Band 6 6.5 essay.

Conclusion : Test tip: Use the following ideas to formulate sentences which represent your original view on a given subject. I [tend to/personally/strongly/firmly] think/believe/feel that I am [personally/strongly/firmly/fully] convinced that I am [personally/strongly/firmly] of the opinion that I [personally/strongly/firmly] hold the opinion that To me, As far as I am concerned, From my [personal] point of view,