IELTS Essays – Band 8

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Australia

These days, many young people are not spending their weekends and holidays doing outdoor activities such as hiking or mountaineering. Why is that happening? How can they be encouraged to spend more time in the natural environment?

Sample Band 8 Essay

Nowadays, the younger generation tends to avoid recreational activities such as hiking or alpinism. It seems that young people prefer to spend their weekends indoors, gaming or engaging in other online activities. If that is the case, by promoting sports more actively and organising sports competitions, the schools could counteract this trend.

Living in the era of technology, the wide availability and variety of online entertainment are compelling young people to spend a lot of their free time indoors, using their gadgets. Numerous relatively cheap forms of amusement, such as online games, videos, audiobooks and plenty of other activities, tempt teenagers to stay at home and lead more sedentary lifestyles. A recent survey revealed that the vast majority of students would prefer spending their weekends playing computer games, rather than in the nature. That is one clear reason why our modern youth is less interested in recreational sports.

To address this issue, the school management could intervene and offer a better range of outdoor sports activities and competitions, both within the school curriculum and as extra-curricular activities. For example, high schools could increase the number of weekly football, running and climbing classes, and organise competitions at the end of each term. As a result, pushed by their desire to win, students would do more walking, jogging, running and mountaineering during the school term, in preparation for the competition. This would reduce the time spent online, lessen the students’ dependence on the Internet for entertainment, and eventually boost their desire to spend more time enjoying the natural environment.

To sum up, screen addiction plays a major role in young people’s avoidance of various outdoor activities. Opening up more recreational sports and offering frequent competitions on school grounds is a great way to motivate more students to spend their leisure time in the nature.

Teacher’s comment: All parts of the task are sufficiently addressed in this response. The writer has developed and supported their ideas well. The use of substitution and referencing helps to maintain coherence throughout the essay (both within and between the paragraphs). The correct use of paragraphing helps the writer to keep their ideas and arguments organised. The range of vocabulary is wide, including uncommon lexical items that have been used appropriately. The bulk of the sentences are error-free, and the writer has used a variety of linguistic constructions. This essay is likely to get Band 8 – 8.5 in IELTS.

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This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Italy

Some people think that hosting an international sporting event is beneficial for a country, while others disagree. Do the advantages of hosting a major sporting event outweigh its disadvantages?

Sample Band 8 Essay

International sporting events are well-known for attracting a high level of attention because they give many people something to look forward to. Understandably, there are advantages and disadvantages for the host country, and careful consideration is required to determine whether a nation will benefit or lose from hosting a major sports championship.

Worryingly, the new infrastructure required for hosting a major sporting event often comes at the expense of local people. Their lives get disrupted by construction works and at times residents have even been evicted from their homes for stadiums to be built. Worse still, practice shows the expensive, gigantic buildings constructed for the sports event aren’t being used afterwards and fall into disrepair, leaving the country with high maintenance bills. The financial burden from hosting the Olympic Games, for example, is staggering and can run into tens of billions. Still, the question remains whether or not the pros outnumber the cons.

It is hard to underestimate the amount of influence on the country’s global status and prestige that comes with becoming a home to an international sporting event. New trade opportunities appear on the horizon, as it happened for many countries that hosted the Olympic Games. There is also a welcome increase in tourism, which gives the local economy a boost, injecting billions of dollars into the national budget. Construction of new stadiums, hotels and infrastructure such as new roads and rail links creates new jobs, further improving the country’s economy. Less tangible but still important is the aspect of national pride and the feel-good factor associated with hosting an international sports event.

All in all, it seems to me that an international sporting event can bring more good than harm to a country, especially if its potential dangers can be avoided or minimised. Hosting a World Championship is a one-in-a-lifetime opportunity for a country and an immense source of pride for its citizens.

Teacher’s comment: The writer provided a complete response to the task prompt and offered elaborated and convincing ideas that fully meet the task’s requirements. He/she maintained coherence throughout the essay, logically organised the ideas and arguments, and made effective use of paragraphing. The vocabulary is diverse and uncommon lexical items have been used appropriately, with almost no errors in word choice or collocation. The bulk of the sentences are error-free, and the writer has used a variety of linguistic constructions. These components work together flawlessly and make Band 8 – 8.5 very likely for this essay.

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