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IELTS Writing Samples

IELTS essay samples (writing task 2), report and letter samples (writing task 1) with Band Scores, marked by IELTS teachers, including comments and suggestions on how to increase your score

IELTS essay, topic: Individuals should be responsible for funding their own retirement (agree/disagree)

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 24

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

It is the responsibility of individuals to save and provide for their own retirement. Governments have no obligation to provide this benefit.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

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

The responsibility for providing funds for retirement is incredibly important and something that is often overlooked by younger people. Some believe it is the responsibility of the individual to plan for this, but others feel it is the responsibility of the state.

People who believe that the state should be responsible for funding retirees, base their argument on the fact that in most countries, people pay taxes and social charges to the government. This money, they argue, should also go towards the provision of a pension for the person paying the tax. In addition, those who have very small or no income, pay little or no tax and do not have the ability to provide for themselves. The government, therefore, in its role of caring for the population, has an obligation to pay a pension and provide other social benefits, such as medical treatment.

Many others, however, feel that it is the responsibility of individuals to fund their own retirements. As adults, they argue, people should be able to set aside and invest money throughout their lifetime, so that they can retire with few financial worries. In many countries the government has legislated a framework allowing and encouraging citizens to save up and accumulate sufficient funds for the period after their working years have ended.

I neither agree nor disagree with the statement, but rather my opinion takes in parts of both arguments. I feel that people should be responsible for saving money to fund their retirement, but I also feel that individuals who have not had the chance to do so should be supported by the government out of taxes. In my view, therefore, it is wrong to say that governments have no obligation to help people in this area. Governments are there to support the entire population of their countries, which includes the poorer elements of society.

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IELTS Report, topic: Multiple line graph describing the percentage of students learning a second language (from IELTS High Scorer’s Choice series, Academic Set 2)

This is a model response to a Writing Task 1 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.

Set 2 Academic book, Practice Test 7

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

The graph below shows the percentage of New Zealand primary school students learning a second language by language learned for the years 2006 to 2014.


Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

You should write at least 150 words.

Percentage of New Zealand Primary School Students Learning a Second Language by Language Learned; 2006 – 2014

Multiple line graph describing the percentage of students learning a second language (from IELTS High Scorer's Choice series, Academic Set 2 book)

Sample Band 9 Report

The graph shows the percentages of New Zealand primary school students who were learning a second language for the years 2006 to 2014.

It can be clearly seen that the popularity of various languages amongst school children changed over the years. Even languages that started off as equally popular in 2006 experienced a change in demand by 2014.

In 2006, the most common second language students learned in New Zealand primary schools was French (29%), with Japanese (28%) following very close behind. In 2014, the most common second language learned in primary school was still French at around the same percentage, however, the second most common had switched to Spanish (23%). Japanese dropped from its 2006 high of 28% to 17% in 2014.

The two least commonly learned second languages were German and Chinese. Chinese, which in 2006 had been the least commonly learned language at under 5%, dramatically increased and reached around 12% in 2014. German, which in 2006 had been the most common of the bottom three of the results given with 12%, steadily decreased to around 6% in 2014. “Other languages” groups various languages that are not stated. These were at 7% in 2006, but became more popular over the years, reaching around 9% in 2014 after having peaked in the previous year.

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