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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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 Britain’s 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 it’s reason and it’s 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.

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This is a suggested plan for an essay on the following topic:

“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, it’s drawbacks shouldn’t be forgotten.

First body paragraph – 1 point against multicultural 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

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

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.

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I’ve 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 won’t necessarily have that effect, because there are arguments for and against.

First body paragraph – 3 points against women in power

Second body paragraph – 3 points in favor of women in power

Conclusion

State your personal opinion (let’s assume that you’re in favor of women in power), then summarize what was said in the second paragraph.

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