Writing Model Answers

The topic below was seen in the Academic IELTS exam in Singapore, June 2011.

General Training Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

In most parts of the world people are living longer. What are the possible causes of this situation? Is this a negative or positive development?

You should write at least 250 words.

Model Answer

Longevity in the world over has been increasing for a variety of reasons. Babies born today enjoy much longer life spans than those of their parents. It is argued that this increase is a positive phenomenon and that the main causes of it are both the deepening of medical understanding and the sharing of such information between people via tools like the Internet. These causes will be examined in detail to prove their value in the lengthening of worldwide life spans.

Firstly, medical advancements over the last century have allowed people to postpone death. Among the more significant discoveries that made this possible is the development of antibiotics. Antibiotics, now available to most people the world over, dramatically lower incidences of infection and have thus greatly curbed the number of people the world over who die due to diseases once thought incurable. Thus, advancements in science can be seen as one of the more major contributors to the extending of worldwide life spans.

Secondly, the Internet and the information shared across it has made the debunking of ineffective medical practices much easier. For example, medical folklore in countries like Ghana and rural China dictate new mothers avoid washing themselves for a month after giving birth. Before tools like the Internet, ridiculous and unsanitary practices such as this were widely believed to be in the best interests of the mother’s health. Today, few people in either country would argue in favour of this postnatal tradition. Thus, the Internet has allowed people to share life-promoting information the world over.

In conclusion, human life is precious and the global extending of life spans should be seen as positive. It is hoped medical discoveries continue to increase in number and that access to the Internet continues to grow, allowing longevity to be a pleasure enjoyed everywhere.

This model answer was written for IELTS-Blog.com visitors by Ryan Higgins, an online IELTS instructor, blogger and author. For more of his free IELTS resources, visit his blog.

The topic below was seen in the Academic IELTS exam in Australia, June 2011.

General Training Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Several languages die every year. Many people feel this is a positive trend and that a world with fewer languages promotes harmony and understanding between people. Analyze both sides of this argument and provide your opinion.

You should write at least 250 words.

Model Answer

Many languages around the world die every year, often replaced with more widely spoken dialects. Opinions as to whether this is a positive or negative trend are mixed. On one hand, people feel sharing a common language may help to encourage economical development in the world. However on the other hand, many feel the losing of languages is a negative trend that makes it increasingly difficult to trace humanity’s heritage. Both of these accounts will be examined before a conclusion is reached.

As many attest, the global adoption of a single language can do a lot in promoting economical development. For example, all export companies in China hire English speaking people to help them communicate with foreign buyers. The growth in trade that comes as a result of this effort to speak the world’s language does a lot to create jobs and industries around the world. Thus it can be understood why many people support this point of view.

However, other people would argue that the rapid reduction of the world’s languages is making it increasingly hard to trace where and how people evolved. For example, during colonial times many lesser spoken African languages were replaced with English, French and Dutch. This phenomenon has understandably caused major problems for modern day historians, as these old and forgotten languages render many of the recovered historical records and artifacts indecipherable.

After analyzing both sides of this argument, it is felt that more good comes from the global adoption of a single language than the preservation and practice of older languages. Thus, it is hope the world continues to move towards a single, standardized linguistic system.

This model answer was written for IELTS-Blog.com visitors by Ryan Higgins, an online IELTS instructor, blogger and author. For more of his free IELTS resources, visit his blog.