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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: Should school children be given homework (opinion)?

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 21

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Some people believe that homework should not be given to school children. Others, however, say that homework is an important requirement for children to be able to develop appropriately. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

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 benefits of giving or not giving homework to children are often debated. Some people feel that children have enough work to do during one day whilst at school, whereas others feel that the more work set, the better.

It is true that schools today place more and more demands and pressure on children. The competition to do well, to enter a good university and to get a good job is significant. This has led to the ideology that children should do as much schoolwork as possible in order to help their intellectual development. The argument, however, that more is better is not always valid. There comes a point, especially for a child, when more knowledge cannot be absorbed in a day. When a child has possibly 7 or 8 classes a day on different subjects, he or she is processing a lot of information already. To give more work to be done at home, therefore, would be pointless and even counterproductive. In addition to this, although it is important to be educated, childhood should also be a time when there is an opportunity to just play and enjoy unstructured time. Homework can significantly lessen the possibilities of doing this.

On the other hand, it can be argued that there is a place for homework. If study at school is not overdone, the opportunity to look at work again and extend ideas can be an invaluable exercise. It’s easy to forget one thing that has been taught once, but if that concept is revisited a second time, the brain has time to reprocess and likely better understand and remember.

It seems to me that there is a place for homework for today’s children. What must be remembered, though, is that homework needs to be limited to age-appropriate parameters, so that a balance can be struck between study and free time and relaxation.

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IELTS Letter, topic: Asking your friend to accompany you on a holiday

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 1 General Training book, Practice Test 5

Writing Task 1

You should spend about 20 minutes on this task.

You have decided to go on a holiday to a foreign country for 2 weeks, and you want one of your friends to go with you.

Write a letter to your friend asking him to accompany you. In your letter,

– explain where and when you want to go
– give details of the travel, dates and costs involved
– describe some of the things you want to do

You should write at least 150 words.

You do NOT need to write any addresses. Begin your letter as follows:

Dear John,

Sample Band 9 Letter

Dear John,

I have recently been given a trip to France as a reward for my hard work at my company, and I may choose someone to come with me.

As you studied French at university and are therefore not only familiar with the language, but also the culture, I’d love it if you could come with me. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the holiday, as you do not just have to translate, but you can also appreciate the beauties of France with me.

We will leave Toronto on the third of September and will fly back on the nineteenth. In France we will arrive in Paris, we will stay there for four days and then take a bus to see the Provence region for around three days. From there, we will take the train to Marseille and Cannes, as these are the most popular cities in the south. Finally, one of my colleagues will take us back to Paris by car, as he is going there on a business trip. We will only need to have spending money as flights, other travel and accommodation are all included.

There are a few things I’d like to see, for example the Louvre museum in Paris, the Chateau of Versailles and the Picasso Museum in the south of France. I hope you’ll have some ideas as well.

Please tell me if you are interested in this trip. I would really appreciate having you as company and I look forward to hearing back from you!

Best wishes,

Dave

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