IELTS Essays – Band 9

This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.

Set 5 Academic book, Practice Test 23

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Many cities have areas where the only cars are taxis and buses.

Is this a positive or a negative development? What are the effects of this on individuals and society?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Band 9 Essay

Banning cars from the centre of various cities around the world has been a strategy to reduce pollution and encourage people to use public transport. It has had various positive effects for both individuals and for society as a whole.

Banning cars from the centre of cities seems to be a very positive development. Fewer cars on the road means less pollution and fewer fossil fuel resources being used up. Although the effect on resources might be relatively negligible, it can create a newer way of thinking regarding the dynamics of transport within cities and this could be the most important benefit to society. Some people working in the centre of these cities may complain about inconvenience, but many would agree that this is a small price to pay.

A reduction in the reliance of people on private vehicles is likely to encourage them to use public transport or even bicycles. Using public transport, especially the types that run on clean sources of power, will significantly raise air quality levels in cities, which will of course benefit everyone. The clean air could even further encourage the use of bicycles, which would in turn promote more healthy lifestyles and less obesity. This would contribute on an individual level to people’s well-being and a better and longer life, and on a societal level, it would lessen the strain on public health resources. Governments could encourage this by creating more bicycle lanes to make cycling easier and safer.

In conclusion, it is clear that banning cars from the centre of cities is significantly beneficial. Better health and ecology, as well as improvement in longevity and well-being can benefit individuals and the entire society.

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This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.

Set 5 General Training book, Practice Test 22

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Many schoolchildren today take part in work experience sessions for short periods of time instead of attending school. Is this a positive or a negative development?

Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your knowledge or experience.

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Band 9 Essay

It has been a popular trend for some time now to put children into what can be called ‘work experience placements’. The children are taken out of school and take part in various types of work, usually for around a week. Some people criticise this trend, but I can’t see how it can be a negative experience.

One of the criticisms is that children lose a week of schoolwork. With the pressure to do well at school increasing, children need every bit of help to maximise their potential. Taking them out of the school, it is therefore argued, stops them from getting access to needed education for a whole week. As the students won’t really be of much help to a workplace for just one week, it would therefore be better for them to remain at school.

While this is a valid point, taking a child’s entire experience of school into account, a single week away does not make a significant difference. Indeed, if the timing of the week’s work placements is done correctly, the week can also serve as a kind of ‘holiday’ away from school, something that is regularly needed in order to allow students to remain fresh and enthusiastic. In many work placements, children also get to see some of things they learn at school put into a realistic context, allowing them to understand the relevance of what they learn and thereby creating a way to reinforce the learning.

In addition to this, schoolchildren can be quite nervous about the world of work that they will have to join at some point in their lives. By getting this short taste of what it is like, they can see that it is nothing to be scared about. As well as this, children will often have some ideas of what they want to do for a living, but are not sure. By allowing them to see a type of work they are considering, they are better able to decide whether that career could be suitable for them.

I feel, therefore, that work placements can be seen as a positive development. Missing a short amount of school is not serious and the benefits that can be gained from the placements are significant.

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