Today we are sharing some ideas for writing an essay on the topic below, which was recently seen in the IELTS exam in Dubai, UAE. Below you will find a list of arguments that can be used in your own essay.

The arguments are independent, and you can use any or all of them. To get your work checked and marked by a teacher, please get instructions on this page.

Writing task 2 topic

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

This essay plan was kindly provided by Nipun Jain, IELTS-Blog Essay Evaluation Team

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Today we are sharing some ideas for writing an essay on the topic below, which was recently seen in the IELTS exam in Saudi Arabia. Below you will find a list of arguments that can be used in your own essay.

The arguments are independent, and you can use any or all of them. To get your work checked and marked by a teacher, please get instructions on this page.

Writing task 2 topic

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

This essay plan was kindly provided by Nipun Jain, IELTS-Blog Essay Evaluation Team

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Today we are sharing some ideas for writing an essay on the topic below, which was recently seen in the IELTS exam in China. Of course, this essay plan is just one of the many possible ways to write a response.

You can use these arguments to practice in writing your own essay on this topic. To get your work checked and marked by a teacher, please get instructions on this page.

Writing task 2 topic

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

It’s 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

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Here you can find IELTS Sample Letters of Band 7, written by students and graded by an IELTS teacher.

The topic of letter appears when you hold mouse over the link. Every letter is checked, marked, has comments and suggestions. Hold the mouse over underlined words in blue to see suggested corrections. Teacher’s summary is at the bottom of each letter.

IELTS writing – sample letter 1

IELTS writing – sample letter 2

IELTS writing – sample letter 3

IELTS writing – sample letter 4

IELTS writing – sample letter 5

IELTS writing – sample letter 6

IELTS writing – sample letter 7

IELTS writing – sample letter 8

IELTS writing – sample letter 9

IELTS writing – sample letter 10

IELTS writing – sample letter 11

Note: the letters are checked by an IELTS teacher, not an IELTS examiner or examiner trainer. All the bands are approximate.

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You have bought a new laptop computer and in a few days of purchase discovered a major flaw. Write a letter to the company. In your letter
- introduce yourself
- explain the situation
- say what action you would like to company to take.

Dear Sir/Madam,

I am writing you to express my dissatisfaction with a laptop computer I bought in your store four days ago.

As soon as I turned on the computer, I realized that Windows operating system was not installed in it, although the offer said it was included. In addition, I chose a gray laptop and the one I received is black. Moreover, the default language of the laptop is Japanesse and I haven´t been able to change it to my native language, which is English. To make matters worse, the memory specifications of this laptop are not the same as the ones that I read in your catalog.

I definitely need this situation to be solved as soon as possible. I made the decision to buy the laptop at your store, because of previous good recommendations some friends of mine gave me about your store. However, after this experience, I feel deceived.

I would like you can send me the laptop I first chose at your store, including all the specifications were shown in the offer. If I don’t get a quick response to my request, I hope a full refund of the payment I already made.

Thanks in advance for your response.

Yours faithfully,

R.

This is a good letter, all it need is a little more attention as there are certain language inaccuracies (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, looks like a Band 7 letter.

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Here you can find IELTS Essay samples of Band 5, written by students and graded by an IELTS teacher.

The topic of essay appears when you hold mouse over the link. Every essay is checked, marked, has comments and suggestions. Hold the mouse over underlined words in blue to see suggested corrections. Teacher’s summary is at the bottom of each essay.

IELTS writing – sample essay 1
IELTS writing – sample essay 2
IELTS writing – sample essay 3
IELTS writing – sample essay 4
IELTS writing – sample essay 5
IELTS writing – sample essay 6

Note: the essays are checked by an IELTS teacher, not an IELTS examiner or examiner trainer. All the bands are approximate.

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The boys are most influenced by their fathers and girls are most influenced by their mothers. Do you agree or disagree? Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion.

It is true that nowadays parent have a great influence over the children. Some people hold the opinion that the same sex is the major determinations of influencing parent, but others have a negative attitude. As far as I am concerned, I agree that boys are most influenced by their fathers and girls are most influenced by their mothers. My arguments for this point are listed below.

First of all, father is the person who passed that ways which are his son is passing now, in the other words, sons are stepping in a trace which fathers had driven them. So, based on experience it is easy for father to notice sons’ drawbacks and influence them.

Secondly, it is true that a boy is countedas a strong characteristics human , but a girl is subtle and fragile one. It is hard for mothers to influence their sons, because it is unbelievable that vulnerable something can affect a strong one.

In conclusion, it seems to me unfair that boys are most influenced by their mothers. Based on at least two points which are above I strongly agree that children are influenced by a parent of the same gender.

This essay is too short, 190 words instead of the minimum requirement of 250. It doesn’t say anything about girls being influenced by their mothers, which is also a part of the task – therefore the task is only partially covered. The sentences are not complex enough, there are grammatical mistakes and language inaccuracies (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, looks like a Band 5.5 essay

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Here you can find IELTS Essay samples of Band 8, written by students and graded by an IELTS teacher.

The topic of essay appears when you hold mouse over the link. Every essay is checked, marked, has comments and suggestions. Hold the mouse over underlined words in blue to see suggested corrections. Teacher’s summary is at the bottom of each essay.

IELTS writing – sample essay 1
IELTS writing – sample essay 2
IELTS writing – sample essay 3
IELTS writing – sample essay 4
IELTS writing – sample essay 5
IELTS writing – sample essay 6
IELTS writing – sample essay 7
IELTS writing – sample essay 8

Note: the essays are checked by an IELTS teacher, not an IELTS examiner or examiner trainer.All the bands are approximate.

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Even though globalization affects the world’s 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 an international group, 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, profit driven 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 looks like 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 NIKE’s 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 only were a few grammatical errors (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, looks like a band 7.5 + essay.

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In some countries children have very strict rules of behavior, in other countries they are allowed to do almost anything they want. 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, the level of morality is very high and children are to be very submissive to their parents as well as other adults around them. This, however, is not the case for 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 vices such as prostitution and drug abuse. Secondly, if children do not follow strict rules of behavior, they will get out of hand and become work- shy and indolent. This will then create a burden on society since the government has to find ways to cater for these social ills.

However, forcing children to follow strict rules of behavior doesn’t 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 they’re 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. Strict rules simply destroy the individuality of children if they’re imposed on them.

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 the grammar is fine. Overall, looks like a band 7.5 or higher essay.

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