handwriting related ielts essay

IELTS Essay: Writing by Hand

by Dave | Real Past Tests |

This is my IELTS writing task 2 sample answer essay on the topic of writing by hand from the real exam.

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Fewer and fewer people today write by hand using a pen or pencil.

What are the reasons for this?

Is this a positive or a negative development?

Today, the act of writing by hand using a pen or pencil has become increasingly uncommon. This essay will delve into the reasons behind this trend and evaluate whether it is a positive or negative development for individuals and society as a whole.

One primary reason for the dwindling use of handwriting is the pervasive presence of technology. In an age dominated by computers, smartphones, and tablets, individuals find it more convenient to type their thoughts and ideas rather than engaging in the laborious process of writing by hand. The speed and efficiency offered by digital devices have made it easier to edit, store, and share written content, rendering handwriting seemingly obsolete. To illustrate this, consider the rapid rise of communication platforms such as email, instant messaging apps, and social media. These platforms provide users with the ability to effortlessly send and receive messages, eliminating the need for handwritten letters or notes. This convenience extends to practical considerations for professionals in various fields, such as journalists, researchers, and writers, who often rely on digital platforms and word processors for their work. The ease of editing, revising, and sharing digital content outweighs the traditional pen-and-paper approach.

While the decline of handwriting may offer certain advantages, it also brings forth potential negative consequences. Handwriting is an essential skill that fosters cognitive development, improves memory retention, and allows for creative expression. The act of physically forming letters and words engages different areas of the brain, promoting better comprehension and critical thinking skills. Losing this skill may hinder individuals’ ability to think and express themselves effectively. Most importantly, the personal touch and emotional connection associated with handwritten letters or cards cannot be replicated by digital alternatives. Handwritten messages convey sincerity, thoughtfulness, and a sense of intimacy. Losing the art of handwriting may irrevocably erode these meaningful human connections.

In conclusion, the decline of handwriting can be attributed to the prevalence of technology and practical considerations. While there are advantages to digital communication and typing, the negative implications for cognitive development and personal connections are more significant and must be mitigated by the relevant authorities.

1. Today, the act of writing by hand using a pen or pencil has become increasingly uncommon. 2. This essay will delve into the reasons behind this trend and evaluate whether it is a positive or negative development for individuals and society as a whole.

• Paraphrase the overall essay topic.
• Write a clear opinion. Read more about introductions here .

1. One primary reason for the dwindling use of handwriting is the pervasive presence of technology. 2. In an age dominated by computers, smartphones, and tablets, individuals find it more convenient to type their thoughts and ideas rather than engaging in the laborious process of writing by hand. 3. The speed and efficiency offered by digital devices have made it easier to edit, store, and share written content, rendering handwriting seemingly obsolete. 4. To illustrate this, consider the rapid rise of communication platforms such as email, instant messaging apps, and social media. 5. These platforms provide users with the ability to effortlessly send and receive messages, eliminating the need for handwritten letters or notes. 6. This convenience extends to practical considerations for professionals in various fields, such as journalists, researchers, and writers, who often rely on digital platforms and word processors for their work. 7. The ease of editing, revising, and sharing digital content outweighs the traditional pen-and-paper approach.

• Write a topic sentence with a clear main idea at the end.
• Explain your main idea.
• Develop it with specific or hypothetical examples.
• Keep developing it fully.
• Better to have more detail.
• Close with as many specifics as possible.
• 5 sentences is enough for a paragraph usually.

1. While the decline of handwriting may offer certain advantages, it also brings forth potential negative consequences. 2. Handwriting is an essential skill that fosters cognitive development, improves memory retention, and allows for creative expression. 3. The act of physically forming letters and words engages different areas of the brain, promoting better comprehension and critical thinking skills. 4. Losing this skill may hinder individuals’ ability to think and express themselves effectively. 5. Most importantly, the personal touch and emotional connection associated with handwritten letters or cards cannot be replicated by digital alternatives. 6. Handwritten messages convey sincerity, thoughtfulness, and a sense of intimacy. Losing the art of handwriting may irrevocably erode these meaningful human connections.

• Write a new topic sentence with a new main idea at the end.
• Explain your new main idea.
• Include specific details and examples.
• Add as much information as you can and make sure it links logically.
• This essay is a bit long – aim for about 275 words.
• Finish the paragraph strong.

1. In conclusion, the decline of handwriting can be attributed to the prevalence of technology and practical considerations. 2. While there are advantages to digital communication and typing, the negative implications for cognitive development and personal connections are more significant and must be mitigated by the relevant authorities.

• Summarise your main ideas.
• Include a final thought. Read more about conclusions here .

What do the words in bold below mean? Make some notes on paper to aid memory and then check below.

Today, the act of writing by hand using a pen or pencil has become increasingly uncommon . This essay will delve into the reasons behind this trend and evaluate whether it is a positive or negative development for individuals and society as a whole .

One primary reason for the dwindling use of handwriting is the pervasive presence of technology. In an age dominated by computers, smartphones, and tablets, individuals find it more convenient to type their thoughts and ideas rather than engaging in the laborious process of writing by hand . The speed and efficiency offered by digital devices have made it easier to edit , store , and share written content , rendering handwriting seemingly obsolete . To illustrate this, consider the rapid rise of communication platforms such as email, instant messaging apps, and social media. These platforms provide users with the ability to effortlessly send and receive messages , eliminating the need for handwritten letters or notes. This convenience extends to practical considerations for professionals in various fields , such as journalists, researchers, and writers, who often rely on digital platforms and word processors for their work. The ease of editing, revising , and sharing digital content outweighs the traditional pen-and-paper approach.

While the decline of handwriting may offer certain advantages, it also brings forth potential negative consequences . Handwriting is an essential skill that fosters cognitive development , improves memory retention , and allows for creative expression . The act of physically forming letters and words engages different areas of the brain , promoting better comprehension and critical thinking skills . Losing this skill may hinder individuals’ ability to think and express themselves effectively. Most importantly , the personal touch and emotional connection associated with handwritten letters or cards cannot be replicated by digital alternatives . Handwritten messages convey sincerity, thoughtfulness , and a sense of intimacy . Losing the art of handwriting may irrevocably erode these meaningful human connections.

In conclusion, the decline of handwriting can be attributed to the prevalence of technology and practical considerations . While there are advantages to digital communication and typing, the negative implications for cognitive development and personal connections are more significant and must be mitigated by the relevant authorities.

For extra practice, write an antonym (opposite word) on a piece of paper to help you remember the new vocabulary:

the act of writing by hand: penning

increasingly uncommon: rarefied

delve into the reasons behind this trend: explore

evaluate: assess

society as a whole: the collective

dwindling use of: diminishing utilization of

pervasive presence of: ubiquitous prevalence of

In an age dominated by: in a era ruled by

convenient: handy

type: input

engaging in the laborious process of writing by hand: embarking on the laborious task of manual writing

efficiency offered by digital devices: productivity provided by electronic gadgets

edit: modify

store: archive

share written content: disseminate textual material

rendering handwriting seemingly obsolete: making handwriting appear seemingly outdated

consider: contemplate

rapid rise of: swift upsurge of

platforms: online platforms

provide users with the ability to effortlessly send and receive messages: empower users to effortlessly exchange messages

eliminating the need for: obviating the necessity of

extends to practical considerations: encompasses practical factors as well

professionals in various fields: experts in diverse domains

rely on: depend upon

word processors: text editors

ease: convenience

revising: revisiting

outweighs: surpasses

brings forth potential negative consequences: gives rise to potential adverse outcomes

fosters cognitive development: nurtures cognitive maturation

improves memory retention: enhances memory preservation

creative expression: artistic manifestation

forming letters: shaping characters

engages different areas of the brain: activates distinct brain regions

promoting: fostering

critical thinking skills: analytical reasoning abilities

hinder: impede

Most importantly: Above all

personal touch: individualized approach

emotional connection associated with: sentimental bond linked to

replicated by digital alternatives: replicated by digital substitutes

convey sincerity: express genuineness

thoughtfulness: considerateness

intimacy: closeness

irrevocably erode: irreversibly diminish

decline: decrease

can be attributed to: can be ascribed to

prevalence of technology and practical considerations: dominance of technology and pragmatic factors

digital communication: electronic correspondence

negative implications for cognitive development: adverse effects on cognitive growth

personal connections: interpersonal relationships

more significant: more substantial

mitigated by the relevant authorities: alleviated by the pertinent authorities

Pronunciation

Practice saying the vocabulary below and use this tip about Google voice search :

ði ækt ɒv ˈraɪtɪŋ baɪ hænd   ɪnˈkriːsɪŋli ʌnˈkɒmən dɛlv ˈɪntuː ðə ˈriːzᵊnz bɪˈhaɪnd ðɪs trɛnd   ɪˈvæljueɪt   səˈsaɪəti æz ə həʊl . ˈdwɪndᵊlɪŋ juːz ɒv   pɜːˈveɪsɪv ˈprɛzᵊns ɒv   ɪn ən eɪʤ ˈdɒmɪneɪtɪd baɪ   kənˈviːniənt   taɪp   ɪnˈɡeɪʤɪŋ ɪn ðə ləˈbɔːriəs ˈprəʊsɛs ɒv ˈraɪtɪŋ baɪ hænd ɪˈfɪʃᵊnsi ˈɒfəd baɪ ˈdɪʤɪtᵊl dɪˈvaɪsɪz   ˈɛdɪt stɔː ʃeə ˈrɪtᵊn ˈkɒntɛnt ˈrɛndərɪŋ ˈhændˌraɪtɪŋ ˈsiːmɪŋli ˈɒbsəliːt kənˈsɪdə   ˈræpɪd raɪz ɒv   ˈplætfɔːmz prəˈvaɪd ˈjuːzəz wɪð ði əˈbɪləti tuː ˈɛfətləsli sɛnd ænd rɪˈsiːv ˈmɛsɪʤɪz ɪˈlɪmɪneɪtɪŋ ðə niːd fɔː   ɪkˈstɛndz tuː ˈpræktɪkᵊl kənˌsɪdəˈreɪʃᵊnz   prəˈfɛʃᵊnᵊlz ɪn ˈveəriəs fiːldz rɪˈlaɪ ɒn   wɜːd ˈprəʊsɛsəz   iːz   rɪˈvaɪzɪŋ aʊtˈweɪz   brɪŋz fɔːθ pəˈtɛnʃᵊl ˈnɛɡətɪv ˈkɒnsɪkwənsɪz ˈfɒstəz ˈkɒɡnɪtɪv dɪˈvɛləpmənt ɪmˈpruːvz ˈmɛmᵊri rɪˈtɛnʃᵊn kriˈeɪtɪv ɪkˈsprɛʃᵊn ˈfɔːmɪŋ ˈlɛtəz   ɪnˈɡeɪʤɪz ˈdɪfᵊrᵊnt ˈeəriəz ɒv ðə breɪn prəˈməʊtɪŋ   ˈkrɪtɪkᵊl ˈθɪŋkɪŋ skɪlz ˈhɪndə   məʊst ɪmˈpɔːtᵊntli ˈpɜːsᵊnᵊl tʌʧ   ɪˈməʊʃᵊnᵊl kəˈnɛkʃᵊn əˈsəʊsieɪtɪd wɪð   ˈrɛplɪkeɪtɪd baɪ ˈdɪʤɪtᵊl ɒlˈtɜːnətɪvz kənˈveɪ sɪnˈsɛrəti ˈθɔːtfᵊlnəs ˈɪntɪməsi ɪˈrɛvəkəbᵊli ɪˈrəʊd   dɪˈklaɪn   kæn biː əˈtrɪbjuːtɪd tuː   ˈprɛvᵊləns ɒv tɛkˈnɒləʤi ænd ˈpræktɪkᵊl kənˌsɪdəˈreɪʃᵊnz ˈdɪʤɪtᵊl kəˌmjuːnɪˈkeɪʃᵊn   ˈnɛɡətɪv ˌɪmplɪˈkeɪʃᵊnz fɔː ˈkɒɡnɪtɪv dɪˈvɛləpmənt   ˈpɜːsᵊnᵊl kəˈnɛkʃᵊnz   mɔː sɪɡˈnɪfɪkᵊnt   ˈmɪtɪɡeɪtɪd baɪ ðə ˈrɛləvᵊnt ɔːˈθɒrətiz

Vocabulary Practice

I recommend getting a pencil and piece of paper because that aids memory. Then write down the missing vocabulary from my sample answer in your notebook:

Today, t__________________________d using a pen or pencil has become i______________________n . This essay will d _________________________________ d and e__________e whether it is a positive or negative development for individuals and s _______________ e .

One primary reason for the d ___________________ f handwriting is the p ___________________________y. I________________y computers, smartphones, and tablets, individuals find it more c________t to t_____e their thoughts and ideas rather than e _______________________________________________ d . The speed and e_____________________________s have made it easier to edit , store , and s_______________________t , r_____________________________________e . To illustrate this, c_______r the r___________f communication p __________ s such as email, instant messaging apps, and social media. These platforms p _________________________________________________________________________ s , e_____________________r handwritten letters or notes. This convenience e __________________________ s for p_________________________s , such as journalists, researchers, and writers, who often r__________n digital platforms and w_____________s for their work. The e_____e of editing, r_________g , and sharing digital content o ____________ s the traditional pen-and-paper approach.

While the decline of handwriting may offer certain advantages, it also b___________________________________________________s . Handwriting is an essential skill that f _________________________________ t , i_______________________n , and allows for c _____________________ n . The act of physically f______________s and words e __________________________________ n , p_________g better comprehension and c______________________s . Losing this skill may h______r individuals’ ability to think and express themselves effectively. M____________________y , the p________________h and e______________________________________h handwritten letters or cards cannot be r __________________________________ s . Handwritten messages c_____________y, t______________s , and a sense of i_________y . Losing the art of handwriting may i__________________________e these meaningful human connections.

In conclusion, the d_________e of handwriting c________________o the p __________________________ s . While there are advantages to d____________________n and typing, the n ___________________________________ t and p__________________________s are m_______________t and must be m______________________________________s.

Listening Practice

Learn more about this topic by watching from YouTube below and practice with these activities :

Reading Practice

Read more about this topic and use these ideas to practice :

https://epica.com/blogs/articles-by-epica/benefits-handwriting-10-amazing-truths

Speaking Practice

Practice with the following speaking questions from the real IELTS speaking exam :

• How are educational systems in your country changing at the moment?
• Should teachers use more technology in the classroom?
• Will it be possible in the future for classes to be taught by robots?
• What are the drawbacks on learning online?
• Are teachers well respected in your country?

Writing Practice

Practice with the related IELTS essay topic :

Advanced technology has brought many beneficial changes to the world. However, some old people today struggle with the use of technologies such as mobile phones and the Internet.

How can the elderly benefit from using advanced technologies?

How can the elderly be encouraged to use consumer electronics more often?

IELTS Essay: Advanced Technology

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How to Write an IELTS Essay

In this introductory lesson you will find some guidance on how you should write an  IELTS essay .

There are then more lessons on the following pages for different types of essay and different questions, with lots of tips and strategies for achieving a high score. 

You can also watch a video of this lesson:

Essay Types

It is important to learn about IELTS essays because there are different essay types, and these will require different ways to answer them.

However, as you will see from the guidance on this page, they can all follow the same basic structure.

These are some of the types of IELTS essays you can get in the test: 

• Agree / disagree
• Discuss two opinions
• Advantages & disadvantages
• Causes (reasons) & solutions
• Causes (reasons) & effects
• Problems & solutions

Not every essay will fit one of these patterns, but many do.

You may get some of these tasks mixed up. For example, you could be asked to give your opinion on an issue, and then discuss the advantages or disadvantages of it.

The golden rule is to  ALWAYS read the question very carefully  to see exactly what you are being asked to do.

The second lesson explains more about analysing essay questions. 

How do I Write an IELTS Essay?

In order to answer this, lets first look at a sample question:

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

In the last 20 years there have been significant developments in the field of information technology (IT), for example the World Wide Web and communication by email. However, these developments in IT are likely to have more negative effects than positive in the future.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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

Write at least 250 words.

An IELTS essay is structured like any other essay; you just need to make it shorter. There are three key elements:

• Introduction
• Body Paragraphs

We will look at each of these in turn, using the essay question above as an example.

1) Introduction

You should keep your introduction for the IELTS essay short. Remember you only have 40 minutes to write the essay, and some of this time needs to be spent planning. Therefore, you need to be able to write your introduction fairly quickly so you can start writing your body paragraphs.

You should do just two things:

• State the topic of the essay, using some basic facts (that you may be able to take from the question)
• Say what you are going to write about

Here is an example introduction for the above essay question about IT:

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT, with many advances in this field. However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world, I strongly believe that these developments in IT will result in more negative impacts than positive.

As you can see, the first sentence makes sure it refers to the topic (IT) and uses facts about IT taken from the question. Note that these are paraphrased - you must not copy from the rubric!

The second part then clearly sets out the what the essay will be about and confirms the writers opinion (some questions may not ask for your opinion, but this one does). The writer clearly agrees as he/she thinks there will be more negative impacts.

View this lesson for more advice on writing IELTS essay introductions.

2) Body Paragraphs

For an IELTS essay, you should have 2 or 3 body paragraphs - no more, and no less.

For your body paragraph, each paragraph should contain one controlling idea, and have sentences to support this.

Lets look at the first paragraph for the essay about IT. The essay is about the benefits and drawbacks of IT, so these will need to be discussed in separate paragraphs.

Here is the first body paragraph:

On the positive side, email has made communication, especially abroad, much simpler and faster. This has resulted in numerous benefits for commerce and business as there is no need to wait weeks for letters or take time sending faxes, which was the case in the past. Furthermore, the World Wide Web means that information on every conceivable subject is now available to us. For example, people can access news, medical advice, online education courses and much more via the internet.  These developments have made life far easier and more convenient for many.

The controlling idea in this first paragraph is the 'benefits of IT', and there are two supporting ideas, which are underlined. No drawbacks are discussed as the paragraph would then lose coherence.

Most of the essay will focus on the negative aspects of IT, as the writer says there are more negative effects in the introduction. So the next two paragraphs are about these.

The topic sentence in the next paragraph therefore tells us we are changing the focus to the negative points:

Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation. This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-to-day basis.

The final body paragraph gives the last negative effect:

In addition, the large size of the Web has meant that it is nearly impossible to regulate and control. This has led to many concerns regarding children accessing unsuitable websites and the spread of computer viruses. Unfortunately, this kind of problem might even get worse in the future at least until more regulated systems are set up.

3) Conclusion

The conclusion only needs to be one or two sentences, and you can do the following:

• Re-state what the essay is about (re-write the last sentence of your introduction in different words)
• Give some thoughts about the future

Here is an example:

In conclusion, developments in IT have brought many benefits, yet I believe that these are outweighed by the drawbacks. In the future these will need to be addressed if we are to avoid damaging impacts on individuals and society.

The Full IELTS Essay

The last two decades have seen enormous changes in the way people's lives are affected by IT, with many advances in this field. However, while these technological advances have brought many benefits to the world, I strongly believe that these developments in IT will result in more negative impacts than positive.

Nevertheless, the effects of this new technology have not all been beneficial. For example, many people feel that the widespread use of email is destroying traditional forms of communication such as letter writing, telephone and face-to-face conversation. This could result in a decline in people's basic ability to socialize and interact with each other on a day-to-day basis.

(290 Words)

The IELTS essay introduction talks in general about the increasing use of IT, thus introducing the topic well. The thesis then clearly sets out the writers opinion.

The following paragraph mentions the present benefits of these developments, but the opening sentence in the third paragraph is a qualifying statement (Nevertheless, not all the effects... ), so the writer can now focus on the negative elements.

The fourth paragraph provides two other negative examples (lack of regulation, viruses). Both paragraphs suggest that these problems will continue in the future.

The essay concludes with a clear opinion that agrees with the statement.

Overall, it is a well-balanced text that mentions the present situation ( ...this has made life.. .) but importantly, also refers to the future of IT (. ..likely to increase..., might get worse. ..).

Now you know the basics of writing an IELTS Essay, you can go on and look at further sample essays or if you prefer, check out the next lessons for Writing Task 2.

More Task 2 IELTS Lessons:

Writing an IELTS Essay Conclusion

The IELTS essay conclusion is the final part of your IELTS essay. This lesson guides you on how to write a conclusion quickly but effectively.

How to use brainstorming and planning to generate essay ideas.

Brainstorming and planning is a key step in developing your IELTS essay. This lesson has tips on how to coming up with ideas and organising them.

How to Identify the Task in an IELTS Essay

Learn how to identify the task in an IELTS task 2 essay question. This is one of the most important steps in responding to an essay question.

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2

Generating ideas for IELTS essays for writing task 2 can be difficult but complex ideas are not expected.

The 3 Types of IELTS Opinion Essays in IELTS

IELTS opinion essays in IELTS can be placed into three types. This lesson explains the different types and how to analyse these essay questions.

IELTS Problem Solution Essay Strategies and Tips

In IELTS problem solution essays you have to discuss a particular issue and present ideas to solve that problem.

Thesis Statement Tips for IELTS Essays

Your thesis statement in an IELTS essay should be written quickly and concisely. Use these tips to do that.

Can you use Personal Pronouns in Essays for IELTS?

Learn how to use personal pronouns in essays for IELTS correctly. Can you use "I", "we" and "you"?

Tips on How to Score IELTS Band 8 in Writing and Speaking

To score IELTS Band 8 you need to understand exactly what is in the IELTS Band Descriptors for an 8 for writing and speaking first.

Writing an IELTS Essay Introduction

Tips on how to write an introduction for an IELTS essay introduction in a quick and easy way.

Requirements for IELTS Band 7 in Writing

Getting to an IELTS Band 7 is a struggle for many candidates. This lesson explains exactly what you have to do to reach this band score.

Using Substitution in IELTS to Improve Writing Coherency

You can use substitution in your IELTS essays in order to improve coherency and coherence.

Transitional Phrases for Essays

Learn transitional phrases for essays to get a band 7 or higher in your IELTS writing for coherence and cohesion.

How to Identify the Topic of an IELTS Essay Question

In IELTS you must identify the topic of your essay as this is a key to making sure your essay is on topic.

IELTS Task Response - 25% of your essay grade

The IELTS Task Response criteria in the scoring makes up 25% of your band score for your essay.

Using Pronouns to Improve IELTS Essay Coherency

Find out how to use pronouns to improve your coherency for IELTS task 2 essays.

Paragraph Writing for IELTS: Building strong arguments

This paragraph writing lesson provides tips on constructing the best paragraphs for your IELTS essay.

Improving Writing Coherence for IELTS essays

25% of the writing grade is on how you organise your essay so this lesson shows you how to improve your writing coherence.

IELTS Music Essay: Understanding a Complex Question

An IELTS essay about music is used to show you how to answer a more complex IELTS essay question that does not have a clear 'task' given to you.

IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Essay Tips and Strategies

An advantage disadvantage essay is one type of essay that you may get in the test. This lesson shows how to write a pros cons essay.

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IELTS Writing Task 1 & 2 Guide: Lessons with Band 9 IELTS Writing Samples for Both the Academic & General Writing Test

In this guide you'll learn how to write high scoring essays for IELTS writing task 1 and IELTS writing task 2 . No matter which test you're taking, either academic or general training, we have you covered; This guide includes IELTS writing samples, topics, and detailed lessons for general writing task 1 & 2 and academic writing task 1 & 2.

Get free IELTS writing sample answers after completing an IELTS writing practice test.

Below is our full list of IELTS writing questions with sample essays. Note: The red links are our most popular and recommended writing questions rated by our students and you can practice them free anytime you like.

The table shows existing and projected changes in the proportion of people over 65 in the populations of three countries from 2015 to 2030.

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

Write at least 150 words.

Projected Changes in the Population over-65 in three countries to 2030

The table shows the proportion of people in England who agreed with same-sex marriage from 1989 to 2013.

Percentage of people agreeing with same-sex marriage by religious denomination (%)

The table demonstrates the change in six types of transportation used by commuters in three cities between 2000 and 2010.

Changes in Market Share for six different types of transportation between 2000 and 2010

The table illustrates the relative risk demonstrated by four different transport types in the United Kingdom in two years.

Relative risk of different forms of transport in the UK from 2014 to 2016

The table below gives the average time spent and distance traveled by UK commuters in one year.  Time and distance are given in minutes and miles accordingly.

Commuting Habits of different regions of the UK in a year

The diagram shows the process by which milk and related products are produced.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features.

The diagram shows the process by which sheep embryos are cloned.

The diagram shows the  the life cycle of flowering plants

The diagram shows the process by which plastic is recycled.

The diagram shows the process of the water treatment.

The diagram shows the process by which electricity is generated in two types of hydroelectric power station.

The diagram shows the the life cycle of a frog.

The diagrams show the life cycle of the silkworm and the stages in the production of silk cloth.

The diagram below shows the water cycle, which is the continuous movement of water on, above and below the surface of the Earth.

The pie chart below shows the native languages spoken by students at Bakersfield Senior College in two separate years.

The pie chart below illustrates the different types of smartphones used by attorneys in the U.S. in one year.

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

The pie charts below show the proportion of freshwater withdrawals made by various economy sectors in three countries in a given year.

The pie charts below show the results of a customer satisfaction survey comparing the performance of York Telecom and a competitor in April.

The pie graph depicts the main reasons for the productivity loss of agricultural land worldwide.  The table shows how these causes influenced three world regions during the 2000s.

The charts below show the percentage of Irish students at one university who spoke an additional language to English from 2000 to 2010.

The graphs below show the unemployment rate of citizens in the US with a further classification displaying average salary per week in 2005.

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

The line charts show the amount of beer sold to pubs and supermarkets over six years, where a bar graph displays the amount of pubs closed over the same period.

The table shows the proportion of fifty-year-old adults who were never married over five decades in Japan.  The chart represents the Japanese marriage and divorce rate from 1970 to 2016.

Number of 50-year-old adults who never been married (%)

The table shows the number of people (millions) that remain undernourished around the world from 2000 to 2009.  The chart displays the global price of two food grains over the same period.

Number of Undernourished People Worldwide

The table shows total revenue created by complementary medicine over three years.  The two charts illustrate the number of hospitals offering complementary medicine over twenty five years with a further classification showing which kinds of medicine proved the most popular in 2012.

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

Revenue from Complementary Medicine in the U.S. (in billion US dollars)

The bar chart below shows the preference for different types of Complementary or Alternative Medicine (CAM) therapies among US adults in 2007.  The table lists which therapies where the most popular over two years.

Therapies Showing Significant Gains between 2002 and 2007 (%)

The graphs below give information concerning smartphone ownership as a percentage of population in a country from 2000 to 2010, and by level of education for the years 2000 and 2010.

The bar charts show education data related to young adults aged 15 years in 10 different countries in 2015.  The first chart shows in which countries adolescents do the most homework in terms of hours per week. The second chart shows the nations that scored the best on an international science test.

The pie chart below represents the main reasons why agricultural land becomes less productive.  The bar chart shows how these causes affected three regions of the world in the 1990s.

The pie chart below shows the frequency of U.S. Adults’ online purchasing habits in 2015, while the bar chart shows a further classification denoting online purchasing preferences.

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

The diagrams below show the coastal village of Seaville in 1980 and 2010. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant. 

The maps below show the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now, and plans for its development. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. 

The charts below give information on the ages of the populations of Yemen and Italy in 2000 and projections for 2050. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. 

The pie charts below show units of electricity production by fuel source in Australia and France in 1980 and 2000. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. 

The charts below show the percentage of water used for different purposes in six areas of the world. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. 

Table Of Contents

Ielts writing test information, ielts academic writing task 1, ielts general writing task 1, ielts writing task 2.

The writing test consists of 2 writing tasks and you'll have a total of 60 minutes to complete both. You can complete the tasks in any order, just make sure you manage your time well and spend around 20 minutes on IELTS writing task 1 and 40 minutes on IELTS writing task 2.

IELTS Academic Writing Task VS IELTS General Writing Task

The IELTS offers two test versions. The Academic version is for people looking for higher education, while the general Training version is for those looking to simply migrate or perhaps a lower education. There are more criteria for both versions, so please contact IELTS customer service to learn which test is right for you.

So which test harder? The academic test, as you may have guessed, is more difficult than the general training test. The difference between the two is IELTS writing task 1's difficulty. Luckily, only Writing Task 1 is different. IELTS writing task 2 is the same for both test versions. The table below summarizes the two types of IELTS writing tests.

IELTS Academic Writing Task Overview Video

Ielts general writing task overview video.

Coming soon!

How IELTS Writing Test is Scored

In the IELTS writing test, your writing score will be scored based on four categories. These are known as Task Achievement/Task Response, Coherence and Cohesion, Lexical Resource, and Grammatical Range and Accuracy. Refer to the following band descriptors which IELTS examiners use to score the writing section of the test: - IELTS Writing Task 1 Band Descriptors - IELTS Writing Task 2 Band Descriptors

Note that the scoring criteria for both tasks include:

• Task Achievement/Task Response  - Did you fully answer the question and present a fully developed answer?
• Coherence and Cohesion  - Does your argument or analysis make sense? Is it well thought-out and presented in a complete way?
• Lexical Resource – Did you use a wide range of vocabulary in a natural, formal tone?
• Grammatical Range and Accuracy – Is your essay virtually error-free? Did you manage to use a wide range of grammatical structures?

Are IELTS Writing Task 1 & IELTS Writing Task 2 Worth the Same Amount of Points? Well Just like how you will spend double the time writing IELTS writing task 2, it's also worth around double the points. Now it's not exactly double. Another way to look at it is to add the score for writing task 2 score twice. So take the band scores 7 for task one and 4 for task two and you get the following formula on how to calculate your IELTS writing score: (7 + (4 x 2))/3 = 5. Therefore, the total IELTS writing band score is around 4.5 - 6. You see we can't give an exact number because IELTS has not made their scoring formula public, but the formula presented here is fairly accurate up to a difference of about 0.5 points.

In IELTS academic writing task 1, you are presented with a graph, table, chart or diagram and asked to describe, summarise or explain the information in your own words. You may be asked to describe and explain data, describe the stages of a process, how something works or describe an object or event.

Regardless of which visual information is presented to you, your job is to write a summary of the visual information. and describe the main trends, overall differences, main changes, or the main components of a system, or the main phrases of a process. You must write 150 words or more, and you should spend around 20 minutes on this part of the test. The writing structure can be as follows:

• Introduction: Paraphrase the question
• Overview: Describe the overall trend or write a general overview of the main groupings
• Body paragraph 1: Write in detail about the first grouping in a logical way
• Body paragraph 2: Write in detail about the second grouping in a logical way

So the steps to write the report for this task is very simple:

• Analyse the chart(s) and plan how to group the information
• Write an essay using the recommended essay structure
• Proofread essay

Let's look at each different possible type of visual graphs, tables, charts, and diagrams you could encounter in your IELTS writing test:

• Line graphs
• Mixed (including two or more of 1-6 above)

Line Graphs

In this type of task, you will be given one or more line graphs. Each line graph will have 1-8 lines showing how values change over time. The time period could be the past, the present or the future, or a combination of all three. Your task is to write a summary, covering the most important points and supporting your description by including data.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task - Line Graphs

In a line graph, there are usually multiple lines that show changes over time. In your writing, you need to group information based on lines having similar trends or values, so your essay structure will be as follows:

• Body paragraph 1: Describe the first grouping of lines having similar trends or values.
• Body paragraph 2: Describe the second grouping of lines having similar trends or values.

Let’s write an essay for the aboved sample question.

Step 1: Analyse the graph and plan how to group the information

It is evident that hamburgers consumption and fried chicken consumption show an upward trend, whereas the pizza consumption shows a downward trend. Therefore, the best way to group the data would be as follows:

Step 2: Write an essay using the recommended essay structure

Now that you’ve analyzed the task and figured out how to group the information, let’s write the essay.

Model Essay

The chart illustrates the consumption of three kinds of fast food by teenagers in Mauritius from 1985 to 2015. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.  Write at least 150 words.

Introduction

The line graph depicts the consumption of three types of fast food, (hamburgers, pizza, and fried chicken) over a 30 year period by Mauritian teenagers.  Units are given as the number of times each kind was eaten per year.

Overall , hamburgers and fried chicken had become the most popular foods by 2015 with the biggest increase in numbers eaten, while pizza that was the most widely-eaten at the start, declined precipitously in popularity.

Body paragraph 1

With regards to hamburgers, consumption showed a steady upward trajectory from 10 times eaten per year to over 70 times.   Likewise , teenagers in Mauritius ate fried chicken only 5 times per year in 1985 before rising dramatically to a plateau in 2005, then increased slightly at the end of the period to finish as the second most popular food.

Body paragraph 2

On the contrary , although pizza was the most popular food with Mauritian adolescents in 1985, its consumption fell continuously from 60 times a year to just 10 pizzas by the last year.

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the entire IELTS Academic Writing Task - Line Graphs lesson.

In this type of task, you will be given one or more bar charts. The bar charts may show how values change over time (dynamic data), the differences between values at one point in time (static data), or the results of a survey or questionnaire. The information could be about the situation in the past, the present, or the future, or a combination of all three. Your task is to write a summary, covering the most important points and supporting your description by including data.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Bar Charts

Bar charts are pretty common in IELTS writing task 1 academic. There are three different scenarios you will encounter in a bar chart task:

• A bar chart with categories on the x axis
• A bar chart with dates or years on the axis (functions as a line graph)
• Two bar charts presented

Each scenario requires you to write the report differently. Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the following bar charts lessons: - IELTS Academic Writing Task - Bar Charts Part 1 lesson. - IELTS Academic Writing Task - Bar Charts Part 2 lesson. - IELTS Academic Writing Task - Bar Charts Part 3 lesson.

In this type of task, you will be given one, two. or three pie charts. The pie charts may show percentages of a total figure. If you have one pie chart, it will represent one point in time (static data) . If you have two or more pie charts, they may represent how the percentages change over time or compare different countries or groups. Your task is to write a summary, covering the most important points and supporting your description by including data.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Pie Charts

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the IELTS Academic Writing Task - Pie Charts lesson.

In this type of task, you are given a table containing data. can show dynamic figures which change over time or static data for one point in time. Often there is too much information, so you won't be able to include every detail. Your task is to write a summary, covering the most important points and supporting your description by including data.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Tables

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the following tables lessons: - IELTS Academic Writing Task - Tables Part 1 lesson. - IELTS Academic Writing Task - Tables Part 2 lesson.

Process Diagrams

For this type of question, you will be given a diagram which shows how something works. The diagram may show a machine, a system, or a natural phenomenon. Often there is no data or little data included. Your task is to summarize the information shown in the diagram.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Process Diagrams

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the IELTS Academic Writing Task - Process Diagrams lesson.

For this type of question, you will be given one, two or three maps. The maps may show a town, city, island, or other geographical area. Maps usually show the changes which occurred in the area during a period of time. The changes could be related to construction (e.g. developing an area for tourism) or destruction (e.g. how an area was affected by a natural disaster such as an earthquake) Your task is to write a summary of the changes which took place and cover the most important points.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Maps

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the IELTS Academic Writing Task - Maps lesson.

In this type of task, you will be given two sets of data. The data will be different types. For example, one set might be change over time while the second set is static. Alternatively, one set of data could show percentage whereas the second set shows numbers. You may also be given an illustration (e.g. a diagram or map) and a set of data (e.g. a bar chart, line graph, pie chart, or table) Your task is to summarise both sets of data.

How to tackle IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Mixed Data

Sign up for a 7 day free trial to access the IELTS Academic Writing Task - Mixed Data lesson.

Vocabulary for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

To score high on this task, you need to learn how to use appropriate words and phrases to present the data given in a pie/bar/line/mixed graph. We suggest you sign up for a 7 day free trial and complete the following lessons:

• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Lesson - How to write about numbers
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Lesson - How to write about percentages
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Lesson - How to write about changes in data

IELTS Writing Task 1 Samples

This section presents a list of IELTS writing samples for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1.

• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Line Chart Questions
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Bar Chart Questions
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Pie Chart Questions
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Map Questions
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Process Diagram Questions
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Mixed Data Questions

In IELTS general training writing task 1, you will be presented with a situation and will need to write a personal response in the form of an informal, semi-formal or formal letter of at least 150 words. The situations you are asked to write about are common, everyday ones such as:

• writing to a college accommodation officer about problems with accommodation,
• writing to a new employer about time management problems they are having,
• writing to a local newspaper about a plan to develop a local airport,
• writing to a renting agency to sort out problems with the heating system in their house.

In regards to the situation, you will be given information in the form of three bullet points that you must include in your response. You may be required to request or give information and/or explain a situation. To do this, you may need to do some of the following:

• ask for and/or provide general factual information,
• express needs, wants, likes or dislikes,
• express opinions or complaints,
• make requests or make suggestions/recommendations.

IELTS General Writing Style

The writing style you'll use depends who you're asked to write to (i.e. the audience) and how well you're supposed to know them. You need to write in a style that is appropriate for your audience and that will help you to achieve your purpose for writing, e.g. writing to a friend (informal) or writing to a manager (semi-formal or formal). You do not need to include any addresses at the head of your letters.

How to Avoid Losing Points in IELTS General Writing Task 1

As mentioned, don't spend any more than 20 minutes on this task and make sure you write at least 150 words or you will be penalised. While you will not be penalised for writing more than 150 words, you should remember that a longer task 1 answer may mean that you have less time to spend on task 2, which contributes twice as much to the Writing band score.

You should also remember that you'll be penalised for irrelevance, if the response is off-topic or is not written as full, connected text (e.g. using bullet points in any part of the response, or note form, etc.). You will be severely penalised for plagiarism (i.e. copying from another source).

Causes and effects

Discuss both views and give your own opinion, advantages and disadvantages, problems and solutions, two-part question.

Now, let's look at sample questions and model essays for each essay type.

• Advantages & Disadvantages
• Problems and Solutions
• Two-part Question

In this type of question, you will be given a problem or situation. Your task is to describe the causes of the situation and some of the effects of the situation.

Obesity among children has risen sharply over the last decade in western countries.   Such a trend is largely the result of a tendency towards convenience in society, yet its effects may be detrimental to children’s long-term mental and physical health.

The prime causes of obesity are unhealthy eating habits and an inactive lifestyle.   In recent years , there has been a surge in the consumption of convenience foods among modern families.   Busy parents with no time to cook rely on prepared meals to feed their families.  Such foods have little to no nutritional value which contributes to obesity .   In addition , children these days spend inordinate amounts of time playing video games than playing outside with friends resulting in insufficient physical activity each day.   For example , studies show that children in France exercise on average around 20 minutes per day as compared to 75 minutes 30 years ago.  

The possible effects of obesity are a range of health issues.   Regarding physical health, diseases, such as type 2 diabetes and high blood pressure, are known to be higher in overweight children than their peers.  These put a child’s life in danger, and may further affect mental health growing up.  When children are obese , they are more likely to be bullied and ostracized by classmates because they look or behave differently.   This has been known to cause low self-esteem and depression in many, and thus shun friends in favor of time alone.

In conclusion , through poor diet choice and inactivity , obesity is a growing problem that can cause lasting damage to a child’s mental and physical development.    However , by addressing this problem while young, much can be done to aid a child in becoming a healthy functioning adult.

In this type of question, you will be given two opposing views related to an issue. Usually, the two views will be in separate sentences connected by a transition word such as "however" to indicate that the two views contrast. Your task is to write a discursive essay, contrasting both sides of the issue and presenting your own view.

According to some, good health goes hand in hand with regular exercise, yet others feel that it is more important to maintain a balanced diet .   In my opinion, I believe that exercise is more essential for the majority of people.

There are several benefits to a balanced diet for good mental and physical health .  For one thing , eating well lifts moods.  Simple foods that are varied in color and type can lift mood and lower the risk of depression.  Eating more fruits, colorful vegetables, proteins, and whole grains helps the body run efficiently.  This makes dieters feel good , and as a result more willing to be active which thus makes them healthier.   For another thing , eating well makes people less prone to getting sick by building a body less susceptible to disease . Vitamins and minerals in diet boost immunity , which protects the body against certain diseases like obesity, diabetes and high blood pressure .

On the other hand , I believe that exercise is more effective at improving health since it encourages long-term health habits from the beginning.  Exercising not only burns calories , but makes people feel good.   While starting a diet is never a pleasant experience, cardiovascular exercises like cycling, walking or swimming trigger endorphins in the brain that immediately decrease stress levels, and enhance our sense of well-bein g.   Once people start feeling good from exercise, they are more likely to continue.   Moreover , exercise doesn’t have to be for long periods to achieve instant benefits.  Doctors usually advise exercising for 20 minutes three times per week, a sufficiently short enough time to make a habit of , and fit into busy schedules.

In conclusion , while good diet is necessary, exercise offers greater convenience, flexibility, and by making people feel good, encourages good health habits in the long run.  

In this type of question, you will be asked to discuss the positive and negative aspects of a situation, solution or trend. You may also be asked to give your opinion about which side you think is more important.

More and more students are taking a year away from their studies between graduating from school and beginning university.  Students can save for and think about their future during this period, though there are several drawbacks to consider.

To begin with , by taking a year after high school, students can avoid costly mistakes of starting a degree that they are not interested in.  A year is a good time to consider options and decide what subject is best to study.   Secondly , a gap year is excellent for character development.   When graduating high school at 18, most people still don’t know what life direction they wish to take.  Studies show that students who take a gap year doing something constructive like travelling do better in at university later on than those who do not.   Finally , a year away from studies provides the chance to save money .   That way, at university, students may focus more on classes , and less on debt.

However , spending such a long time away from studying may cause some students to lose good study habits, and gain bad habits instead.  After 12 years of continuous schooling , many teenagers may be distracted by the prospect of earning money, and lose the motivation to continue their studies.   Furthermore , individuals without a constructive plan for their education-free year may be tempted to procrastinate and waste time.   Lastly , travelling overseas can be expensive, and there is a real possibility that students may end up in more debt by the start of the university year.

To sum up , although students who take a year out can save money and achieve greater life-direction, this time may also be wasted, lead to greater debt, or cause unintended life decisions that may later be regretted.  

In this type of question, you will be given a problem or situation. Your task is to describe the causes of the situation and some solutions to the problem. The question may ask for general solutions (e.g. How could this problem be solved) or ask how specific groups can solve the problem (e.g. What steps can governments and individuals take to address the problem?). You do not need to mention the effects in detail, just briefly.

Before as now, emigration from the countryside to the city continues apace worldwide as people seek a better standard of living .   However , life in the big city is often hard on new immigrants.  There are several reasons for this as well as solutions for governments to handle them.

Most difficulties emerge since rural folk are unaccustomed to city life on moving there.   For a start , the cost of living is much greater than in a town or village.  City residents must pay more for utilities, housing, transportation and food, which causes many immigrants to share overcrowded housing in a bid to save money.   Secondly, unemployment in the city is a major challenge for new arrivals.  Many immigrants are unprepared for the fierce job competition when arriving in a city.  This inevitably drives unemployment up, which may quickly lead to poverty .   Finally , healthcare costs are often high in the city, and if made sick, many immigrants often lose meagre savings to pay for their medical care .

To solve these challenges, and improve life for all inhabitants , city governments have several options available to them.   Firstly , ensure an adequate housing supply to prevent overcrowding .  Developing low-end, cost effective housing for migrants would reduce living expenses and provide a base for first-time inhabitants starting a new life .   Secondly , establish job schemes and professional training programs for new city residents.  This would help them to find reliable work and figure out their next step.   Finally , make affordable healthcare available to all.  Guaranteeing access to affordable healthcare provides a social safety net for new city citizens as they adjust to city life.

In conclusion , given the diverse challenges faced by city immigrants, ensuring decent accommodation and healthcare, as well as creating job programs, can help many hit the ground running and begin contributing to city life.

In this type of question, you will be given two questions and you will need to answer both questions. The two questions will be different. For example, you might need to assess the importance of an idea or action (e.g. How import is it?) and say whether you agree or disagree (e.g. Do you agree or disagree?).

Some people regard the arts as fundamental pillars of society, and even in today’s technology-dominated world, art and music are still important.  More than ever before, I believe it is necessary to teach children such subjects in school for the many benefits they bring society.

Art and music are central to life in developed civilisations . For a start, they help society to reflect on what it has become.  As society advances, artists help to interpret the changes and problems created by progress in unique ways.  Artists use their creativity to draw attention to key issues such as the increasing mountains of trash produced or the rich-poor divide . Secondly , artists make people more humble by helping them remember their humanity and their connections to the world around them.  Pictures of nature, society, tribal scenes, past and present make people think about their roots and consider where they’re heading.   Finally , music gives joy and inspiration to many people.  It helps to express emotion and lift mood when feeling down .  

While in school , there are key advantages to learning art and music.   For one , both give children the creativity to express themselves.  Children live in a world of adults; however , art and music classes allow all to be themselves which is good for their mental development .   For example , while older children are less inclined , younger children often find singing, dancing and painting to be among their favorite classes.   In turn, studying music has proven beneficial in helping children connect more with their emotions.  This produces more rounded adults able to connect with their knowledge through science and their emotions through art and music.

In conclusion, for adults and children, the arts bring not only joy, but inspiration, and helps both to remember who they are really are in a world dominated by science .

In this type of question, you will be given a question which contains an opinion. Your task is to write an essay in response to the opinion. This type of question often asks if you agree or disagree with an opinion.

It is said by many that social networking websites like Facebook are negatively influencing society.   Although I believe this the effect of social media on society is somewhat negative, there are also clear benefits to individuals from using it.

Regarding society , social networks are causing a decline in meaningful relationships.   Firstly , people spend less time having good conversation with each other face-to-face.    Most people spend more time having short conversations with dozens of people online, and less time having longer, meaningful conversations with friends face-to-face . This erodes close relationships over time and may be creating a more socially disconnected society as a result. Additionally , there is some evidence that social media sites like Facebook have created a more socially awkward and antisocial society .  The average European spends four hours per day chatting online, yet this familiarity with the screen is causing many to become more anxious talking with others in person as a result .

However , there are distinct advantages to the individual from using social media.   For one, it is very easy to find work when online.  Through group functionality on sites like Facebook, job seekers can easily find a job they desire in the right field, thus increasing job satisfaction when at work.   Finally , social networks bring like-minded people together in an unprecedented way . Whether it is friends looking to organize an event, or people looking to meet others with similar interests it is extremely easy to find people online. For example , just take the explosion in minor hobbies like board games clubs that have become popular due to the interconnected nature of social media.

In conclusion, in my opinion, although there is some evidence to show social networking may affect society badly in the long run, in the short term, its effects on individuals seem more positive.

IELTS Writing Samples and Strategies for IELTS Writing Task 2

In general, there are 4 steps to approaching the IELTS Writing Task 2:

1. Read and Understand - Although this step may seem self-explanatory, many test takers let their nerves get the best of them and do not fully understand the question at hand. This is why the first thing you will need to during Writing Task 2 is to fully understand the question and underline key words . Additionally, think of these two things:

• What type of essay will I need to write? (For example, it can be Problem and Solution ).
• How familiar am I with this topic? (This question is important, because it may affect the outline you choose to use.

2. Plan your Outline - Now that you’ve understood what the question is asking as well as which type of essay you will have to write, you are ready to map out your outline. Do not skip this step. This should take only 2 or 3 minutes and will act as a reference for you going forward. Also, depending on how the question asks you, the outline will be different. To learn how to analyze question and plan the outline for each essay type, check out our IELTS writing task 2 lessons

The following blog posts teach you how to tackle each question type and contain over 100 IELTS writing task 2 questions and samle essays. Feel free to use them for your IELTS preparation.

• How to Answer Opinion Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2
• How to Answer Discussion Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2
• How to Answer Advantage & Disadvantage Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2
• How to Answer Problem and Solution Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2
• How to Answer Answer Cause and Effect Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2
• How to Answer Two-part Question Types in IELTS Writing Task 2

IELTS Practice Tests

• IELTS Listening Test
• IELTS Reading Test
• IELTS Writing Task 1 & 2
• IELTS Speaking Test

All information on this page was referenced from the official IELTS website: www.ielts.org

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IELTS Writing Task 2: 8 steps towards a band 8

In IELTS Writing Task 2, you will need to write an essay. Let our IELTS Experts walk you through 8 steps that can help you get a band 8. Take a closer look at the assessment criteria, how to structure your essay and common mistakes to avoid.

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To achieve a band 8 in IELTS  Writing Task 2 , you will need to produce an essay that contains all the positive features contained in the band 8 writing assessment criteria. Let's take a look at these in the table below.  

Using the band descriptors as a guide we are going to go through the 8 steps to get you on your way to a band 8 in Writing Task 2.  

We will start with the task response before moving through all the criteria to show you what an examiner will be looking for in your response.

Step 1: Answer is relevant to the question

Answer what you have been asked in the question. Don’t produce an essay that is close to a topic you have previously prepared. Make sure your examples and ideas are relevant. If you generalise too much and are not specific enough this will affect how your ideas are presented to the examiner.  

Make sure your ideas are directly related to the question  

Use ideas and examples that you are familiar with, and that relate directly to the topic 

Extend your answer to include a number of ideas that will support the question.  

Don't: 

Include irrelevant information  

Over-generalise  

Produce a memorised essay  

Present ‘recent’ research or statistics related to the topic “At least 41% of all men…”

Step 2: Answer all parts of the question

You must read the question carefully and decide how many parts are in it. You must answer all parts of the question to reach a band 6 or higher.  

Let’s look at some example IELTS question prompts and see how many parts are in each, if you need to present your opinion. Remember, it is very important to present a clear position when answering the statement to show that you understand the question being asked and to keep that position clear throughout the essay.

Read the question carefully and decide how many parts are in it 

Present your opinion and support it throughout the whole essay 

If asked to present both views, make sure each view is presented equally (similar paragraph length) 

Watch for plurals. If you are asked to give ‘advantages’, you must present a minimum of 2  

Watch for ‘and’. You may need to comment on more than one element  

Write more than 250 words.  

Don’t: 

Ignore parts of the question  

Assume that your opinion is clear, use the first person to ensure the examiner knows it’s your opinion ‘I think’  

Tell the examiner what you are going to say and what you have said  

Produce a short essay. 

Step 3: Organise your essay logically, with clear progression using linking phrases

Ideas must be expressed and ordered clearly - starting with an introduction and moving through to a conclusion. 

If you are asked to present both views and your opinion, state your opinion at the beginning of the essay and then move on to present both views. You can then come back to your own opinion and then conclude the essay. This is a logical way to present these ideas.  

Use a range of linking words and phrases, but don’t overuse them 

Use adverbial phrases, rather than single basic linkers 

Use referencing and substitution to avoid repetition (this/them/the issue/the problem)  

Use punctuation to make your writing coherent  

Make sure your ideas are sequenced correctly  

Make sure your ideas are logical and easy to follow  

Use a separate paragraph for the introduction and the conclusion   

Use one paragraph for each idea or topic area. 

Overuse basic linking words like firstly (instead, try using ‘The first reason for/ The primary reason for this’)  

Start every sentence with a linker (Try to put it in the middle of a sentence. E.g. “Some people believe, however, that individuals must also take responsibility for the environment” or “I believe, on the other hand, that individuals do have a responsibility to…”)  

Use numbers, symbols or abbreviations (1, 2, etc, &, +)  

Use headings or subheadings  

Underline words or phrases 

Use one-sentence paragraphs  

Start every sentence with a linking device. 

Step 4: Organise your essays into paragraphs

Use paragraphs to organise your essay into clear parts. Make sure each paragraph contains a clear and developed topic with a minimum of two sentences.  

You can use the acronym “PEEL” when writing your essay:  

Point – introduce your topic or topic sentence 

Example – an example that supports your point 

Explain – why this evidence supports your point 

Link – transition to the next topic or paragraph 

You must use enough paragraphs to clearly show a structured response. This will show that you can organise and present your thoughts and ideas logically.  

Here are some ideas on how many paragraphs you could include in an essay: 

Use paragraphs 

Use linkers between and within your paragraphs 

Leave a space between each paragraph (a line)  

Use a paragraph for each topic  

Use an introduction and a conclusion. 

Don't 

Use single-sentence paragraphs 

Use very long paragraphs that cover a whole page (IELTS on paper)

Step 5: Use less common vocabulary and spell it correctly

You will see in the band descriptors that a band 8 writer skillfully uses uncommon lexical items. When we learn a language, we use common and uncommon terms.  Common terms  are words and phrases we use every day to refer to personal experience and daily habits.  Uncommon terms  are used when we discuss specific topics or when we use idiomatic language (phrasal verbs).  

Words that are old-fashioned and not used in everyday speech should not be used. If you choose a synonym, the meaning must be the same and must not alter the idea being presented. For example, adolescent/teenager have close meaning and can be used interchangeably, however, toddler/baby have quite different meanings. 

Collocation is also mentioned in band 8, and it is assumed that you know which words go together, and which words are suitable to use for different topics.  

If you are discussing child crime, you could use the term ‘minor’ as this is a legal term used to describe children under the age of 18.  

If you use phrasal verbs, make sure that you are using the correct preposition as it can change the meaning:  

throw  out/away = discard  

throw up  = vomit/get sick  

Idioms (cultural language) should only be used if you understand them completely and if they fit the topic you are discussing.  

Use precise word choices  

Use language that we use in everyday speech  

Use words that you understand  

Use words and phrases that are related to the topic  

Use collocation and phrasal verbs (words that go together naturally – environmental pollution | major issue | promising future) 

Make spelling mistakes  

Make typos  

Mix up American and British spelling (You should use one or the other)  

Use a word if you don’t understand it or cannot spell it.  

Use imprecise words like ‘stuff/thing’  

Use slang like ‘gonna’  

Use old-fashioned language [the masses| denizens | myopic view | Hitherto]  

Overuse synonyms, one is enough 

Use idioms/clichés  

Use contractions (can’t, doesn’t)

Step 6: Don’t use memorised language, phrases or examples

Don’t use any memorised language, phrases or examples throughout your essay. They are easy for examiners to spot and don’t demonstrate your ability to write fluently.  

Overused phrases, idioms, proverbs and clichés should also be avoided, again, they are often used when speaking. These include phrases like:  

The grass is always greener on the other side  

Love is blind  

Off the top of my head  

Old is gold  

A friend in need is a friend indeed  

Additionally, the following terms should not be used when writing as they are vague and do not address a task appropriately. You should always be using clear language and make appropriate word choices that will express your ideas clearly. 

Step 7: Use a variety of complex sentence structures

At band 8 it is expected that you can use a wide range of structures accurately to present your ideas and opinion. Show the examiner that you can use a wide range of structures and make sure your sentences are error-free. 

It is important to use a mix of complex and simple sentences. But remember, your complex sentences should not be long and complicated.  

Your punctuation needs to be accurate, using capitalisation, commas and full stops correctly.  

The most common errors made can be found below:

Step 8: Checklist

Use the following checklist to make sure that your writing contains all the positive features at a band 8

If you follow these 8 steps, you will be well on your way to a band 8 in Writing Task 2. 

Is IELTS writing hard?

IELTS writing is not so hard if you have a thorough understanding of the test format and are able to organise your thoughts into grammatically-correct, well-structured sentences. Obviously it requires a fair amount of practice. To make it easy, IDP has launched IELTS Prepare where you can access a range of preparation materials: from practice tests, sample answers, videos and articles, all the way to expert assessments, online courses, webinars and more.

IELTS writing for beginners

Join our free IDP IELTS webinars that are designed to give you a sense of what to expect during the IELTS Writing test and guide you towards reaching a high band score:

Improve your understanding of the writing test format and questions

Identify key points

Make your answers relevant

Organize your answers in a more coherent manner

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10 steps to writing high-scoring IELTS essays

Date Published

01 February 2023

• This article was first published on IELTS.IDP.com

Whether you take the General Training or Academic IELTS test, the second writing task is writing an essay in response to a problem or argument. Here are 10 easy steps, with lots of tips, to guide you on how to write high-scoring essays.

How is the IELTS essay component marked?

Fairness and accuracy are critically important when marking IELTS writing tasks . Your essay will be marked by at least two experienced IELTS examiners on the following criteria:

• Task response - Whether you answered the question fully and supported your answer well.
• Coherence and cohesion - How well you linked your ideas together.
• Lexical resource - Whether you used a wide range of vocabulary correctly and appropriately.
• Grammatical range and accuracy - How many grammatical structures you used accurately and appropriately.

Each of these criteria is worth 25 percent of your total score for the essay writing task. Both of your writing tasks are used to calculate your overall writing band score.

How to write high-scoring essays in 10 easy steps

Step one: plan your time.

The Writing test (consisting of Writing tasks 1 and 2) takes approximately 60 minutes. Plan to spend around 20 minutes on your first task, and 40 minutes on your essay task. A sample plan for your time might be:

• 5 to 10 minutes reading the essay question and planning your answer
• 15 to 20 minutes writing your first draft
• 10 minutes proofreading and editing your essay

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Step two: Read the question

While you may be anxious to jump straight into writing, make sure you take the time to carefully read the essay question. If you misunderstand the question, you risk writing an essay that does not address the issues properly which will lower your score.

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Step three: Highlight the issues to address

There will be multiple issues that you will need to address in your essay. Addressing each issue individually is key to achieving a high essay score. Highlight each individual issue that you will need to address.

The A to Z of IELTS: E is for Essays

Step four: Outline your response

Create an outline of how you will respond to the issues in your essay. This will serve as your ‘blueprint’ when you write your first draft. As a general rule your essay should have:

• An introduction stating what you will talk about
• Two or three body paragraphs , each addressing one issue or idea
• A conclusion summing up what was discussed in the essay

Make sure you note which idea or issue you will address in each paragraph. Check that the issues you highlighted are all accounted for in your outline.

Step five: Expand on your ideas

Write some notes about any key points or ideas you’d like to include in each paragraph. When you’re writing your first draft, these notes will help to make sure you don’t forget any ideas you want to include.

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Step six: Plan how you will connect your ideas

Connecting your ideas clearly and correctly is critical to achieving a high essay score. Try to use a range of linking words to make your essay easy to read. You can use connecting devices and phrases to:

List connected ideas

• ‘Firstly, secondly, thirdly’
• ‘Furthermore’

Provide more information

Compare ideas.

• ‘On the other hand’
• ‘Alternatively’

Don’t fall into the trap of trying to put a linking word in every sentence. Essays will score higher when the writer uses linking words only where necessary and appropriate.

Step seven: Write your first draft

Now that you’ve planned your essay, it’s time to write your first draft. Follow the outline you’ve created and expand on the notes and ideas you included there.

• Avoid informal language unless it is appropriate.
• Avoid spelling and grammatical errors where possible.
• Use a mix of sentence structures such as simple sentences, complex sentences and compound sentences.

How to boost your IELTS Writing score

Step eight: Proofread your essay

When you have completed the first draft of your essay, it’s important to proofread it. Read your essay from start to finish.

You can read it silently, but it may help to read it out loud if you can do so without disturbing others. Make a mental note or mark your paper anywhere that you may need to fix an issue.

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Step nine: Edit your essay

Carefully go through the issues you noted while proofreading. Edit or rewrite these until they look and sound correct. Examples of issues and how to edit them may include:

• The sentence is too long. A sentence is probably too long if you need to take a breath in the middle of reading it. Try splitting this up into smaller sentences.
• A sentence sounds strange when you read it out loud. Try using different words or punctuation until it sounds right. It may need to be connected to another sentence.
• The same word appears many times. Think about any other words you could use instead.

There is more than one main idea in each paragraph. Move any unrelated sentences to the correct paragraph. Each paragraph should address one issue only.

IELTS Writing: How to organise your responses

Step 10: Proofread your essay again

After your edits and before submitting your essay , give it one final proofread. Make sure you have:

• Included all the points you highlighted in step three
• Followed your outline from step four
• Used good connecting words from step six
• Fixed any errors or issues in step nine

IELTS Writing: 8 steps towards a band 8

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Also, the IELTS Familiarisation test is designed to give test takers an idea of what to expect on the actual IELTS test. It includes sample questions from different part of the test, such as Listening, Reading, and Writing. Set yourself up for success and explore our extensive library of preparation materials today.

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Writing High-Scoring IELTS Essays: A Step-by-Step Guide

Writing great IELTS essays is essential for success. This guide will give you the tools to craft high-scoring essays. It’ll focus on structuring thoughts, using appropriate vocabulary and grammar, and expressing ideas with clarity . We’ll also look at essay types and strategies for managing time during the writing exam .

Practice is key . Spend time each day doing mock tests or getting feedback from experienced teachers or professionals. With practice and dedication , you’ll improve your language proficiency and increase your chances of getting a good score. Good luck!

Understanding the IELTS Essay Task

To excel in the IELTS essay task, equip yourself with a solid understanding of its requirements. Dive into the sub-sections that uncover what is expected in this task and the various question types you may encounter. Mastering these topics will pave the way for success in crafting compelling and high-scoring IELTS essays.

What is expected in the IELTS essay task

The IELTS essay task requires applicants to demonstrate their writing abilities in a certain timeframe . It evaluates their capacity to create a coherent and structured piece of composition .

A clear thesis is a must. It should be succinct, conveying the primary thought of the essay . Also, there should be a logical structure including an introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion. The content should be relevant, utilizing suitable examples, evidence, and arguments to back the main idea. Arguments must be coherent, with smooth transitions between paragraphs . Plus, formal language, correct grammar, and accurate syntax must be used.

Moreover, applicants must demonstrate critical thinking by analyzing the topic and giving a balanced argument . Furthermore, they must effectively manage their time to generate a thorough answer within the word limit.

To illustrate the significance of these requirements in real-life situations, let me tell you about Jennifer . She was an aspiring nurse from Brazil taking the IELTS test . At first, she found it hard to handle the essay task. She asked for help from expert tutors who highlighted the relevance of her thesis statement and the logic in organizing her ideas. With effort and dedication, Jennifer got the hang of these skills and eventually achieved her target band score .

The types of questions asked in the IELTS essay task

The IELTS essay task covers multiple types of questions. To comprehend the variety of these questions, let’s look at some examples.

To do well, you need to prepare and practice for each type. Develop strong analytical skills to effectively answer the prompts during the exam.

Pro Tip: Get used to various question types by writing essays on different topics. This will help you adjust and boost your performance.

Descriptive questions

It’s essential to comprehend the IELTS Essay Task. This section focuses on descriptive questions . To illustrate this info effectively, use a table with suitable columns. Unique details enhance our understanding. To sharpen essay writing abilities, certain tips are useful. For instance, practice time management and create a clear structure . These hints are helpful in keeping the writing coherent and providing a logical flow .

Also Read: 10 Must-Follow IELTS Reading Tips and Tricks to Boost Your Band Score

Argumentative questions

Queries that need a thorough analysis and a display of multiple perspectives on a given topic are called argumentative questions .

They come in different types, such as:

• Cause and Effect (e.g. What are the consequences of using social media?)
• Pros and Cons (e.g. Should zoos be forbidden?)
• Agree or Disagree (e.g. Is homework essential for students?).

These questions push candidates to think logically, consider evidence, and construct a convincing argument using the correct order and reasoning methods.

As per the British Council, the IELTS essay task assesses the capability of the applicant to articulate an argument in a clear, understandable, and structured manner.

Advantages and disadvantages questions

Advantages and disadvantages questions require a balanced overview of both the positive and negative perspectives. Here is a summary of these questions:

It is important to note that advantages and disadvantages questions offer the opportunity to show understanding by talking about diverse points of view. Nevertheless, you should be careful when replying to these questions, as they can lead to prejudice if not tackled objectively.

Pro Tip: When responding to an advantages and disadvantages question, try to remain balanced by considering both sides of the problem. This will help you create an in-depth reply.

Problem and solution questions

Problem and solution questions demand the test-taker to figure out a problem and suggest successful solutions. Here are 6 tips to help you excel in this IELTS essay type:

• Name the problem precisely: Start by accurately stating the dilemma you will discuss in your essay.
• Examine the causes: Examine the underlying causes of the problem and consider various points of view.
• Propose multiple solutions: Offer multiple possible solutions, taking into account their practicality and efficiency.
• Evaluate each solution: Analyze the pros and cons of each proposed solution.
• Offer supporting evidence: Back your ideas with real-life cases, data, or professional opinions.
• Recommend the best solution: Based on your assessment, pick one solution as the most appropriate and explain why it is superior.

Also, remember to follow these hints when responding to problem and solution questions:

• Think about short-term and long-term effects of applying each solution.
• Prioritize realistic and feasible solutions over idealistic ones.
• Anticipate potential challenges or disagreements to your suggested solutions and provide counterarguments.

By following these steps, you can successfully respond to problem and solution questions in an IELTS essay.

Analyzing the Essay Question

To analyze the essay question effectively in “Writing High-Scoring IELTS Essays: A Step-by-Step Guide,” focus on breaking it down, identifying key terms and instructions, and formulating a thesis statement. These sub-sections will provide the solution you need to approach the essay question strategically and produce a well-structured and coherent response.

Breaking down the essay question

Let’s break down an essay question with a table. The table has elements, description, topic, scope, task, and subtasks .

We can use this table to plan and structure our response. It helps us address all aspects of the question while staying clear and coherent.

Here are some tips for breaking down an essay question:

• Read and understand it. Look for keywords that give clues.
• Identify the main topic.
• Find out the scope.
• Analyze the task.
• Break down subtasks.

By following these steps, you can break down the essay question and write your response with clarity. Understanding the elements helps you structure your argument and provide a full analysis.

Identifying key terms and instructions

When analyzing an essay, it’s key to recognize key terms and instructions. This allows us to know what is being asked and how to approach the topic. We can do this by:

• Reading the question thoroughly.
• Looking for important words.
• Finding out the meanings of any unfamiliar terms.
• Understanding the instructions.
• Noting limitations or qualifiers.
• Setting boundaries for what should be included or excluded.

Recognizing these terms and instructions is essential for creating a solid basis for the essay. Also, taking into account language nuances like tone, style, and phrasing can raise the quality of the response.

I recall a time when I missed a keyword while answering a prompt in my high school English class. Despite spending hours on my response, I didn’t explicitly address one aspect mentioned in the instruction. That experience taught me the value of closely examining and understanding each part of an essay question before writing it.

Formulating a thesis statement

Creating a thesis statement requires careful thinking and consideration. The purpose of your essay – whether it is to persuade, inform, or analyze – will determine the type of statement you make. For example, if you aim to persuade, your thesis should plainly state your opinion and provide evidence to back it up.

To create an effective thesis statement, it is important to be specific and precise. Avoid making foggy or wide statements that are unclear. Instead, focus on making an exact statement or argument. This will help guide your essay and give it a clear purpose.

When forming your thesis statement, consider counterarguments. Addressing possible objections strengthens your argument and displays critical thinking abilities. By recognizing differing viewpoints and offering replies, you demonstrate that you have studied and viewed all sides of the situation.

In addition, a great thesis statement should be debatable. It should start a conversation and attract the reader. Avoid mentioning facts that everyone agrees with or making general assertions. Instead, take a stance on an issue that may be questionable or open to interpretation.

In conclusion, creating a firm thesis statement requires careful consideration. Take the time to brainstorm, study different angles, and refine your argument. By doing this, you will create an essay that interests readers and accurately expresses your message.

Planning and Organizing the Essay

To plan and organize your IELTS essay effectively, turn to ‘Planning and Organizing the Essay.’ Create an outline, brain dump ideas, and arrange them logically. These steps will provide a clear structure and help you express your thoughts with coherence and coherence, ensuring high scores on your IELTS essays.

Creating an outline

Thesis Statement: Outlining is a valuable writing technique that has been used since ancient times. It provides a roadmap for essays, helps maintain focus, and allows for coherent and persuasive arguments.

Paragraph 1:

• Introduction to outlining as a writing technique
• Definition of outlining and its purpose
• Explanation of how outlining structures thoughts in an organized way
• Importance of outlining in communicating arguments coherently and persuasively

Paragraph 2:

• Historical perspective on the use of outlining
• Mention of Aristotle and his belief in the effectiveness of outlining
• Reference to Leonardo da Vinci’s use of outlines when writing
• Reinforcement of the timeless importance of outlining

Paragraph 3:

• Consideration of the audience when creating an outline
• Importance of tailoring the structure to the audience’s knowledge level
• Inclusion of explanations or background information as necessary
• Discussion of addressing counterarguments or opposing views in the outline

Conclusion:

• Summary of the benefits and significance of outlining
• Reiteration of its role in structuring thoughts, maintaining focus, and presenting persuasive arguments
• Encouragement for writers to utilize outlining as a valuable tool in their writing process

brain dumping ideas

Brain dumping ideas is jotting down all thoughts about a topic or subject quickly. This way you can express without worrying about structure or organization. To make the most of this technique, consider these four points:

• Dedicate time and space to brainstorming. Find a quiet environment with no distractions.
• Grab pen and paper or open a blank document. Write any ideas that come to mind, even small ones.
• Review what you have written. Look for patterns and connections.
• Organize your thoughts into categories or themes.

Remember, brain dumping is not a final product. It’s a tool for creativity. Allow yourself to explore ideas and uncover details that improve the essay. Here are more suggestions:

• Go beyond the obvious ideas. Think outside the box.
• Use mind mapping and visual aids to represent thoughts.
• Discuss ideas with peers or mentors.
• Take breaks if you feel overwhelmed.

Arranging ideas logically

For illustrating the importance of arranging thoughts logically, let’s use a table. It demonstrates multiple organizational patterns:

Now let’s discuss extra details. A good way to enhance logical organization is using clear topic sentences for each paragraph. These sentences act as signposts. They guide readers through the essay’s main idea without giving away too much info upfront.

In addition, supporting evidence in each paragraph strengthens logical progression. This evidence can be examples, statistics, or quotations from reliable sources. These substantiate your statements.

Lastly, transitioning between paragraphs smoothly creates a coherent flow of thoughts. Using transitional words like “however”, “in contrast”, or “similarly” helps establish connections between ideas. This avoids abrupt changes of topics.

Writing the Introduction

To write a high-scoring IELTS essay, start your introduction with a strong hook that grabs the reader’s attention. This section will guide you on the importance of a strong introduction and share techniques on how to engage the reader from the first sentence. Additionally, you’ll learn how to structure the introduction paragraph effectively.

The importance of a strong introduction

Writing a strong introduction is essential. It sets the tone for an article and draws readers in. It acts like a doorway – grabbing the attention of readers and inviting them to explore the content further.

A strong introduction allows readers to quickly grasp the main ideas of an article. It gives an overview of what will be discussed, forming a basis for the article. Without a good introduction, readers may lose interest or have difficulty understanding the purpose of the article.

Furthermore, a well-composed introduction establishes authority and trustworthiness. By showcasing research-backed facts or intriguing insights, an author can show they are knowledgeable on the subject.

In addition, a strong intro evokes emotion in readers by appealing to their curiosity or feelings. It may pose a problem or highlight a fascinating aspect that piques their interest. By making an emotional connection with readers from the start, writers guarantee audience engagement through their piece.

Now let’s look at some unique details about introductions. One effective technique is to grab attention with a shocking fact or stat related to the topic. This not only attracts reader interest but also proves the writer’s knowledge of the subject.

Another technique is to use storytelling elements in introductions. Introducing a relatable anecdote or personal experience that connects with readers’ lives can make the topic more understandable. By adding these personal narratives, writers create empathy and relate to their audience.

Now let’s look at a real example of a powerful introduction – The opening line of Charles Dickens’ novel “A Tale of Two Cities.” His famous line “It was the best of times; it was the worst of times” immediately encapsulates both optimism and despair, captivating readers right away. This shows how a strong introduction can set the stage for an unforgettable journey.

Remember, a powerful introduction can make or break an article. By grabbing attention, providing a clear overview, establishing credibility, and making an emotional connection with readers, writers can make sure their work is both interesting and informative. So, take time to perfect your introductions – they are the key to engaging your audience and leaving a lasting impression.

How to grab the reader’s attention

• Start with an intriguing fact or a thought-provoking question. This will get the reader’s attention.
• Introduce the topic and show why it’s important. Keep it concise and focused.
• State your main point or argument. Give the reader a roadmap.

To make your introduction even better, add a story or an emotional connection. This will create an instant bond and keep them hooked.

Remember: Grab their attention from the start, but don’t give away too much info.

Pro Tip: Get feedback on your intro before finalizing it. Revise it as needed.

Structuring the introduction paragraph

Engage your reader with an interesting story or statistic. Then, outline your main points concisely and without jargon. Use transition phrases such as “building upon this idea” to move smoothly from hook to background. Finish off with a clear thesis statement. This will give readers a good understanding of what to expect in the article.

Developing Body Paragraphs

To develop strong body paragraphs in your IELTS essays, focus on crafting clear topic sentences and providing supporting details. Additionally, learn how to effectively present arguments and examples to strengthen your arguments. Finally, understand how to utilize cohesive devices to seamlessly connect ideas and enhance the overall coherence of your writing.

Topic sentences and supporting details

Topic Sentences and Supporting Details

Topic sentences provide the main idea of a paragraph. To explain them, it’s important to include relevant details.

To illustrate this concept, let’s look at a table. It shows how topic sentences and supporting details work together.

This shows that each topic sentence is followed by supporting details which strengthen the message.

Now let’s delve into the details about topic sentences and supporting details. They should be presented in a logical order. The details should also be relevant and specific to the main idea. By following these principles, writers can effectively convey their points while maintaining coherence.

To improve writing further, consider transitional phrases between supporting details. Also, acknowledge counterarguments within the paragraphs. This helps make it more persuasive without compromising its informative nature.

Providing arguments and examples

Let’s explore how to give strong arguments and examples. Imagine a neat table with data that supports our view. There should be columns of factual numbers to back up the argument. This visual aid is a great way to convince readers.

We also need to include details that haven’t been discussed before. These details add more to our writing, so it looks professional. By looking into lesser-known aspects, we can make our arguments better.

So why wait? Using evidence in your writing will make readers emotional. It will also make them feel like they have to join your perspective. Don’t be scared to use persuasive body paragraphs. Use evidence to make your writing stand out – make it specific to your audience’s needs and interests.

Using cohesive devices to link ideas

Cohesive devices like transitional phrases and linking words can make ideas seamlessly flow. This gives the reader a better understanding of the writer’s thoughts.

A unique way of using them is to introduce examples and supporting evidence in a paragraph. This helps arguments by giving more information that reinforces the main point. “For example” or “specifically” are great phrases for linking ideas and bringing clarity.

Pro Tip: Pick the right word or phrase for the intended meaning. Think about the context of the sentence and choose a cohesive device to accurately express your message.

Crafting the Conclusion

To craft a compelling conclusion in your IELTS essays, summarize the main points, restate the thesis statement, and leave a lasting impression. Summarizing the main points helps reinforce your arguments, restating the thesis statement recaps your stance, and leaving a lasting impression ensures your essay lingers in the reader’s mind.

Summarizing the main points

Crafting a powerful conclusion is essential to leave an impression on readers. Here’s how:

• Highlight each point’s importance & impact.
• Show their connection to form a cohesive narrative.
• Explain how they contribute to the overall message.
• End with a call to action or thought-provoking final remark.

When summarizing main points in an article’s conclusion, aim for clarity and brevity while making sure your words stay with the reader even after they finish reading. Remember that readers’ perception of the article is heavily influenced by the conclusion.

Restating the thesis statement

Have you ever wanted to live a crazier life ? Let’s give it a try! Dance ’till you drop, sing at the top of your lungs, and laugh like there’s no tomorrow . Let loose and have some fun! It’ll be an adventure you won’t soon forget.

Have you ever dreamed of living a wilder life ? Let’s do it! Dance ’til you can’t move, belt out your favorite songs, and laugh with joy . Go for it and have a blast! This will be an adventure you won’t forget anytime soon.

Leaving a lasting impression

It is key to craft a lasting impression. Get to the point, use strong words and visuals. End with a call-to-action.

Customize your message to cater to the needs of your audience. Speak with the right tone and style for engagement.

Winston Churchill is a prime example of leaving a lasting impression. His speeches during World War II inspired nations. Even after his death, his words still have an impact.

To leave a lasting impression, be concise. Employ impactful words. Use visual aids. And make a call-to-action. Understand your audience. Draw inspiration from those who have come before. You can make your mark in communication.

Proofreading and Editing

To ensure high-scoring IELTS essays in the section on proofreading and editing, focus on checking for grammar and spelling errors, improving sentence structure and clarity, and ensuring coherence and cohesion. This process will help refine your writing and make it more polished and effective.

Checking for grammar and spelling errors

Proofreading and editing are essential. Checking for grammar and spelling errors boosts professionalism and increases reader comprehension.

Pay attention to sentence structure, subject-verb agreement, punctuation, and verb tenses to identify potential grammar mistakes. Check for run-on sentences and fragments.

For spelling errors, read the document through and use spell-check tools. But, they may not detect homophones or typos.

A great technique is to read the text aloud. It can help spot awkward phrasing and spelling mistakes. It’s a good idea to get another set of eyes to review the work too.

By following these tips, and being careful, writers can deliver accurate and high-quality work. Proofreading ensures clear communication and boosts professional credibility.

Improving sentence structure and clarity

To better your sentence structure & clarity, follow these 6 steps!

• Start with a topic sentence – clearly state the main idea.
• Use active voice instead of passive for concise writing.
• Keep sentences short & simple.
• Use transitions to connect ideas.
• Cut out wordiness.
• Revise & proofread.

Plus, vary sentence length, check subject-verb agreement, adjust tone according to context, & read aloud . Practicing these tips will help you improve your sentences.

In 1928, Virginia Woolf wrote “Orlando,” a modernist masterpiece. She disregarded traditional sentence structures & embraced a fluid style. Her success proved breaking free from conventional sentences could lead to creative & captivating writing.

Ensuring coherence and cohesion

Key aspects for ensuring coherence and cohesion:

• Transition words – help make a smooth transition between ideas and paragraphs.
• Pronouns – like ‘it’, ‘he’, ‘she’ refer back to nouns, creating continuity.
• Repetition – of words or phrases reinforces main ideas.
• Synonyms – introduce different words to avoid repetition and stay clear.
• Logical order – so readers can follow thoughts easily.

To further improve your writing:

• Read out loud – awkward sentences and gaps in flow become clear.
• Use sentence variety – simple, compound and complex sentences.
• Take breaks – get fresh perspectives on improvement areas.
• Get feedback – let peers or professionals help with coherence and cohesion.

These suggestions help readers follow ideas without confusion. They create clear connections and a seamless experience.

Practice and Tips for Success

To improve your performance in IELTS essays, utilize the ‘Practice and Tips for Success’ section. Discover effective strategies to ace the exam by engaging in exercises such as practicing with sample essay questions, managing time effectively, and seeking feedback for continuous improvement.

Practicing with sample essay questions

Analyze the prompt. Read it carefully and identify the key words or phrases that define the topic. Grasping the prompt helps form a focused thesis statement.

Research and gather info. Do thorough research to gather pertinent facts from reliable sources. Make notes and organize them based on arguments or counterarguments.

Plan your essay. Put together an outline or structure before you start writing. This ensures coherence and logical progression of ideas.

Write a draft. Use the notes and outline as a guide and begin writing your essay. Focus on presenting arguments, proving them, and demonstrating analytical skills.

Review and revise. After completing your draft, review it for clarity, coherence, grammar, and punctuation errors. Make the needed changes to strengthen your essay’s content and flow.

Time management is essential when attempting practice essays to prepare for real exams. Practice with sample essay questions to sharpen your writing, build confidence, and improve future performance.

Notable figures like authors, scholars, and professionals have honed their writing skills by regularly engaging in practice with sample essay questions. This has not only boosted their ability to effectively express thoughts, but also has helped them comprehend different perspectives on multiple topics.

Managing time effectively

Don’t let missed opportunities haunt you! Take control of your time and reap the rewards. To maximize your potential for success, start implementing these techniques now:

• Prioritize tasks. Identify most important ones first . This ensures time is spent on activities that have the greatest impact.
• Set goals. Establish clear goals for each day or week . This provides you with a sense of direction and purpose.
• Create a schedule. Develop a daily or weekly outline that blocks off time for different activities. This helps you allocate time efficiently and prevents procrastination.
• Avoid multitasking. Studies show this decreases productivity. Focus on one task at a time to ensure quality work.

Productivity tools such as task management apps or timers can help. Also, practice self-discipline, and eliminate distractions such as notifications or find a quiet workspace. This enhances focus and concentration. Commit to these strategies consistently and experience benefits like more tasks accomplished within deadlines, and reduced stress levels.

Seeking feedback and improvement

Actively search for feedback from mentors, colleagues, and supervisors . Accept criticism as a chance for progress, not personally. Ask for feedback on a project or performance, to get helpful feedback. Take the time to think about feedback and pick out what you can do to improve. Even with positive feedback, keep searching for ways to develop.

Remember, requesting feedback needs openness and humility . Showing you want to learn is a sign of growth.

Pro Tip: Listen closely to feedback, rather than defending yourself. This will help you understand the point of view and make improvements.

We have reached the end of our step-by-step guide for writing high-scoring IELTS essays . Reflecting on the key points covered, we explored strategies and techniques to improve your essay writing. Understanding the marking criteria, managing time, building strong arguments, structuring essays – these are all necessary tools for success. To craft a strong essay, use relevant examples from academic journals, news outlets, and official reports. Demonstrate critical thinking by analyzing perspectives on a topic. Also, ensure that your ideas flow logically, using transition words and phrases. Diverse vocabulary and sentence structures will show off your language proficiency and engage the reader.

It is important to note that practice is key to success in the IELTS exam . Practice planning, drafting, and editing essays within timed conditions to improve your writing. Dedication, practice, and understanding of the strategies discussed in this article will help you to achieve higher scores . According to The British Council (2020) , candidates who implement these techniques are more likely to succeed.

Frequently Asked Questions

FAQ 1: What is the key to writing high-scoring IELTS essays? The key to writing high-scoring IELTS essays is to clearly understand the essay question, plan your response, and structure your essay effectively. Additionally, make sure to use a wide range of vocabulary, demonstrate strong grammar skills, and provide evidence and examples to support your ideas.

FAQ 2: How can I improve my vocabulary for IELTS essays? You can improve your vocabulary for IELTS essays by reading extensively, especially from reputable sources such as newspapers, books, and academic articles. Make a note of unfamiliar words and their meanings, and try to use them in your own writing. Additionally, using vocabulary learning resources such as flashcards or vocabulary apps can be helpful.

FAQ 3: Are there any specific essay structures I should follow? Yes, there are several essay structures you can follow, depending on the type of essay question. The most common structures include the Introduction-Body-Conclusion structure and the Pros and Cons structure. It is important to choose a structure that suits the essay question and helps you present your ideas logically.

FAQ 4: How can I improve my grammar skills for IELTS essays? To improve your grammar skills for IELTS essays, practice writing regularly and seek feedback from native English speakers or qualified English language teachers. You can also use grammar reference books or online resources to learn about specific grammar rules and common errors. Take note of your frequent errors and work on them systematically.

FAQ 5: How long should an IELTS essay be? An IELTS essay should be between 250 and 300 words long. Writing within this word limit ensures that you have enough time to develop your ideas and demonstrate your English language proficiency. It is important to manage your time effectively during the exam to allocate enough time for planning, writing, and reviewing your essay.

FAQ 6: How can I practice for writing high-scoring IELTS essays? You can practice for writing high-scoring IELTS essays by practicing timed writing tasks using past IELTS essay questions. Familiarize yourself with the assessment criteria, and self-evaluate your essays. Additionally, seek feedback from experienced IELTS instructors or professional essay evaluators to identify areas for improvement and learn effective strategies.

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• Academic practice
• General practice
• Task 1 Academic
• Task 1 General
• Task 2 (essay)

Essay samples with tips and answers

Sample 1 ("Violence in media") Presenting opinion

Sample 2 ("Working students") Suggesting a solution

Sample 3 ("Death penalty") Pros & cons

Sample 4 ("Loss of bio-diversity") Cause/solution

Sample 5 ("Obesity") Causes and effects

Sample 6 ("Salary vs. job satisfaction") Agree/disagree

Sample 7 ("Sedentary lifestyle") Problem/solution

More IELTS Writing task 2 questions >

IELTS Writing task 2 - Essay

Here you can find all the essential information about IELTS Writing essay .

IELTS Writing task 2 (or IELTS essay ) is the same task for Academic and General IELTS . You will be presented with a specific topic and asked to write an 250-word essay about it. You should normally spend 40 minutes on IELTS Writing task 2.

On this page you will see :

IELTS Writing task 2 question sample

• Types of IELTS essay questions
• How to answer these questions
• More IELTS Writing task 2 questions and answers

You can get a lot of different topics for your IELTS Writing task 2. You can be asked to give your opinion, to state solutions to some problem, to describe advantages and disadvantages of something and so on.

Here's an example of how your IELTS Writing task 2 may look like :

Immigration has a major impact on the society.

What are the main reasons of immigration? To what consequences can it lead?

Write at least 250 words.

You can find the band-9 answer here >

More IELTS Writing task 2 questions & topics >

How to write IELTS Essay?

1) Determine your opinion on the topic

• Giving your opinion
• Agree/disagree
• Suggesting a solution
• Pros and cons

Depending on the topic, decide what is your opinion on it and why. Have a clear position, don't hesitate between two opinions! Then find examples you will use for this task. You should spend a few minutes on planning.

2) Write an answer using the following structure:

Note that this description is very general. To learn more specific answering strategies, look at the different question types .

3) Style your essay

Use various words and structures , linking devices and avoid repetition.

Use some words from academic word list .

Do not use informal style and avoid irrelevant information, you will receive less points for your work.

Also, don't forget to write at least 250 words, writing less will affect your mark negatively. You should aim at 260-280 words. You won’t get more points for a longer essay.

Other things that might affect your mark:

• Fluency : if your handwriting is not illegible for the examiner and he/she can’t read it properly, you are likely to lose points.
• Unoriginal answer : if you learnt a topic by heart and wrote it, you might get a low score for your essay. IELTS examiner assesses only your own thoughts and opinions.
• Limited answer : if you only answer half of the question and don’t expand your opinion, you will not get more than a band score 5 for the task.
• Information about IELTS Writing test
• Top 10 IELTS Writing tips
• Writing vocabulary

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IELTS Writing Samples: 100 Practice Questions

Below you’ll find more than 100 IELTS Writing sample questions updated for 2019. Each of these essay questions has been taken from a real IELTS past paper and will give you an idea of what to expect on your exam day.

These sample questions can be separated into five main Task 2 question types:

• Opinion 
• Advantages and Disadvantages
• Problem/Cause and Solution
• Two-part questions

They are also divided amongst 13 of the most common IELTS essay topics that have appeared regularly over the last few years. IELTS is always changing, but these common topics can help you prepare more effectively if you improve your ability to use the vocabulary related to them.

These sample IELTS questions are all for Writing Task 2. For Task 1 questions, follow this link.

Feel free to print out these IELTS Writing samples and use them when you prepare for IELTS at home!

Or better yet, why not answer one of them in the comments below and gain feedback from your peers?

If you need feedback on your essays from an IELTS teacher, you can read about my essay correction service here .

Criminal Justice

Some people believe that there should be fixed punishments for each type of crime. Others, however, argue that the circumstances of an individual crime, and the motivation for committing it, should always be taken into account when deciding on the punishment.

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Some people believe that capital punishment should never be used. Others, however, argue that it should be allowed for the most serious crimes.

Some people believe the purpose of prison is to punish, while others would argue that rehabilitation is its primary role.

Some people feel unsafe when they are in public and at home.

What are the possible causes of this and what are some possible solutions?

Some people say that excessive noise should be a criminal offence, while others say they should be free to make noise without limitation.

Some people say that the best way to improve public health is by increasing the number of sports facilities. Others, however, say that this would have little effect on public health and that other measures are required.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

In some countries levels of health and fitness are decreasing and average weights are increasing.

What do you think are the causes of these problems and what are some possible solutions?

Research indicates that the characteristics we are born with have much more influence on our personality and development than any other experiences we may have in our life.

Which do you consider to be the major influence?

Schools should do more to teach students about their health and wellbeing.

Do you agree or disagree?

More and more schools allow fast-food restaurants to sell their products to their students.

Is it a positive or negative development?

University students must pay all tuition fees, because it benefits mostly them individually, rather than the society as a whole.

Do you agree or disagree?

Some say that music, art and drama are as important as other school subjects, especially at the primary level.

Some people believe that studying history is very important and we must study the past to understand the present. Others say that it is useless and should not be studied at all.

Some teachers tend to reward students who achieve high academic results. Others, however, support and reward students that show the most improvement.

Giving lectures in halls to large numbers of people is an outdated method of teaching. With the technology available today, there is no justification for it and everything should be done online.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In most universities students focus on specialised subjects, however, some people believe that universities should encourage students to study a wider variety of subjects.

It is generally believed that some people are born with certain talents, for instance for sport or music, and others are not. However, it is sometimes claimed that any child can be taught to become a good sports person or musician.

Some people think that universities should provide graduates with the knowledge and skills needed in the workplace. Others think that the true function of a university should be to give access to knowledge for its own sake, regardless of whether the course is useful to an employer.

What, in your opinion, should be the main function of a university?

Some parents think that childcare centres provide the best services for children of pre-school age. Other working parents think that family members such as grandparents will be better carers for their kids.

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Governments should spend more money on education than on recreation and sports.

Some people believe that unpaid community service should be a compulsory part of high school programmes (for example working for a charity, improving the neighbourhood or teaching sports to younger children).

Some people think that it is better to educate girls and boys in separate schools. Others, however, believe that boys and girls benefit more from attending mixed schools.

Some people think that parents should teach children how to be good members of society. Others, however, believe that school is the place to learn this.

Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject.

In some countries young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

Some people think that a sense of competition in children should be encouraged. Others believe that children who are taught to co-operate rather than compete become more useful adults.

Some people believe that children are given too much free time. They feel that this time should be used to do more academic work.

How do you think children should spend their free time?

In many countries schools have severe problems with student behaviour.

What do you think are the causes of this?

What solutions can you suggest?

University students should pay in full for their own education instead of the society funding their studies. The reason is that individuals tend to benefit after graduation more than society.

To what extent do you agree or disagree? Give your own opinion.

Some people believe that students should be allowed to evaluate and criticise their teachers to improve the quality of education. Others think this is disrespectful to teachers.

Discuss both views, give your opinion and include relevant examples.

Youth Crime

Nowadays many young people deliberately damage public places.

What are the causes and solutions?

Some people believe that a person’s criminal record should be removed when they reach the age of 18.

More and more young people are using drugs and alcohol and as a result, breaking the law.

What are the causes of this problem?

What are some possible solutions?

Children should never be put in prison with adults no matter how serious their crime.

Being a celebrity – such as a movie star or professional athlete – brings problems as well as benefits.

Do you think that being a celebrity has more benefits or drawbacks?

Some people feel that entertainers (e.g. film stars, pop musicians or sports stars) are paid too much money.

Which other types of job should be highly paid?

Successful sports professionals can earn much more money than people in other important jobs. Some people think this is fully justified while others think it is unfair.

Environment

There is a growing demand for fresh water nowadays and this is becoming a global problem.

Many people think that too much attention and resources are given to the protection of wild animals and birds.

Increasing the price of petrol is the best way to solve growing traffic and pollution problems.

What other measures do you think might be effective?

Nowadays we are producing more and more waste.

What are the causes of this?

What can be done to help reduce the amount of waste we produce?

Many people believe that companies and individuals should pay to clean up the environment in proportion to the amount of pollution they have produced.

Global warming is the biggest threat we face today.

Children today are too dependent on computers and electronic entertainment. It would be better to encourage them to spend more time outside playing sports and games.

Some people say that public libraries are an important public resource and should be free. Others say that they are just a waste of public money.

Some people think that excessive use of smartphones badly affects teenagers’ literacy skills.

The internet contains a lot of information that can help people, however, sometimes the information is inaccurate or wrong.

Nowadays the way many people interact with each other has changed because of technology.

In what ways has technology affected the types of relationships people make?

Has this become a positive or negative development?

Computers have made the world a better place to live in.

Some people believe that the use of mobile phones in public is as annoying as smoking and should be banned.

Most high-level positions in companies are filled by men even though the workforce in many developed countries is more than 50 percent female. Companies should be required to allocate a certain percentage of these positions to women.

Nowadays more and more people have to compete with young people for the same jobs.

What problems does this cause?

Women and men are commonly seen as having different strengths and weaknesses.

Is it right to exclude males or females from certain professions because of their gender?

As most people spend a major part of their adult life at work, job satisfaction is an important element of individual wellbeing.

What factors contribute to job satisfaction?

How realistic is the expectation of job satisfaction for all workers?

Some people think that people in senior positions alone should make decisions in a business, while others think that employees should be involved in the decision-making process too.

Nowadays many people work part- or full-time from home. Some people say that working from home has many benefits while others disagree.

For some people a high salary is the most important criterion when choosing a new job while others are satisfied if the job contributes to society.

Globalisation

In many places, traditional food has been replaced by international fast food. This has adverse effects on individuals and society.

More and more people are visiting historic sites and sometimes tourists damage these ancient sites. The number of people visiting these places should be strictly limited.

Shopping has developed from a necessary activity to a kind of entertainment.

Many small businesses are being forced to close because they are unable to compete with multinational corporations.

What problems does this cause and how can those problems be solved?

Multinational companies are becoming increasingly common in developing countries.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

Government Spending

People prefer to watch foreign films rather than locally produced ones.

Why do you think this happens? Should the government support local filmmakers financially?

Some people think that governments should invest more in public services instead of wasting money on arts such as music and paintings.

Some people believe that the government should pay for and offer to house people who lost their homes or cannot afford them.

Some people think that the government should fund music, dance and art lessons for children. Others think that they should be funded by private businesses or by children’s families.

Many people think that the government should spend money to explore outer space, while others think that it’s a waste of public money.

Some people think that mothers should spend most of their time raising their family, and therefore the government should support them financially.

Development

In some countries, the numbers of children aged 15 and younger are increasing dramatically.

What are the current and future effects of an ever-increasing population?

A recent study showed that people in developed countries are not as happy as they were before development.

What are the causes of this and what are some possible solutions?

Sometimes celebrities get invited to international aid events.

Do you think that such events deviate from their main purpose by inviting famous people?

Some people believe that richer countries should give poorer countries more financial assistance.

Some people believe that no aid should be given to developing countries that have poor human rights records.

Public Transport

Some people think that a car is the best way to travel in cities while others believe a bicycle is a better way to commute.

Many cities have serious problems with traffic congestion.

What are the causes of these problems and what are some possible solutions?

Growing numbers of cities are making their centres pedestrian-only zones.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Some people believe that the best way to reduce traffic congestion is to increase the price of petrol.

Every year several languages die out. Some people think that it is not important because life will be easier if there are fewer languages in the world.

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

It is becoming increasingly popular for people to travel to tourist destinations during public holidays.

What solutions are there to these problems?

Today, the high sales of popular consumer goods reflect the power of advertising and not the real needs of the society in which they are sold.

Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others disagree and think that the host country should welcome cultural differences.

At present, the media affects people’s lives significantly.

What impact does this have on society? Is it a negative or positive development?

Young people say that travelling to different countries benefits them and society.

Do you agree or disagree? Give your opinion.

These days, more fathers stay at home and take care of their children while mothers go out to work.

What are the main reasons for this? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

IELTS Writing Sample Essays

Now that you know what kind of essay questions to expect, feel free to browse my collection of IELTS Writing Sample Essays here: Band 7+ IELTS Writing Sample Essays

However, it’s important that you use them wisely. Simply reading through them won’t improve your skills or your score. When using IELTS Writing sample essays, I always recommend following my ___ step strategy:

• Start off by reading the question – NOT the answer.
• Attempt to answer the question under exam conditions.
• Compare your letter with the sample answer.
• Improve your original answer by using some of the elements you noticed in the sample letter. Eg. how did the writer use structure, vocabulary and grammar?

If you do try this strategy, make sure to leave a comment letting me know what you thought of it. Or better yet, leave your response in the comments below!

What I Learned Correcting 10,000 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essays

Over the years, I have corrected more than 10,000 IELTS Task 2 essays.

To help you learn from the mistakes of my students, I made a video which revealed the 5 key things you must to do to score a Band 7+ in IELTS Writing:

For detailed help with improving your essay-writing skills, you should sign up to our IELTS Fundamentals Course. It’s completely free of charge and will give you exclusive access to:

• Never-seen-before IELTS videos;
• Practice questions for each section of the test;
• Answer sheets to help you identify your mistakes.

Learn more about it and sign up here: IELTS Fundamentals.

As always, please reach out in the comments below or via email if you need anything: [email protected]

About Christopher Pell

My name is Christopher Pell and I'm the Managing Director of IELTS Advantage.

I started IELTS Advantage as a simple blog to help 16 students in my class. Several years later, I am very humbled that my VIP Course has been able to help thousands of people around the world to score a Band 7+ in their IELTS tests.

If you need my help with your IELTS preparation, you can send me an email using the contact us page.

Does Handwriting Matter in IELTS? Understanding Its Impact on Your Score

• by Nick Charge
• September 21, 2024

Handwriting plays a crucial role in your IELTS exam performance, especially in the writing and listening sections. Bad handwriting can cost you valuable points if the examiner cannot read your answers clearly. With IELTS focusing on assessing your writing skills, it is essential to improve your handwriting to express your thoughts effectively.

Understanding the importance of legible writing can help you enhance your overall test experience. By practicing and refining your handwriting skills, you can avoid unnecessary penalties and ensure your hard work shines through in your exam scores. This article will dive deeper into how handwriting impacts your IELTS results and offer practical tips for improvement.

Key Takeaways

• Handwriting clarity directly affects your IELTS score.
• Practicing writing can enhance your exam performance.
• Improving your handwriting is key to clearer communication.

Relevance of Handwriting in IELTS

Handwriting plays a significant role in your IELTS journey, especially in the Writing section. Your penmanship directly affects your scores and can influence the examiner’s perception of your work. Understanding the link between handwriting and assessment can help you prepare effectively.

Impact of Legibility on Scores

Legibility is crucial when you take the IELTS Writing test. If examiners struggle to read your answers, it may lower your band score. Clear handwriting makes it easier for them to understand your ideas and content.

To ensure legibility, consider the following tips:

• Write slowly to keep your letters clear.
• Use consistent letter sizes.
• Avoid overcrowding words or lines.

Exam boards emphasize that well-presented writing can improve your overall band score. Therefore, focusing on legible handwriting can positively impact your results.

Penmanship and IELTS Exam Success

Good penmanship can enhance your performance in the IELTS exams. Your handwriting style matters, as neat writing often reflects careful thought and organization.

Here are some features of effective penmanship for your IELTS test:

• Use simple, legible fonts.
• Maintain even spacing between words and lines.
• Keep your writing tidy without excessive slant or embellishment.

Bad handwriting may lead to misunderstandings and misinterpretations by the examiner. This could ultimately hurt your band score in the writing section. Prioritizing neatness and clarity in your handwriting can help you achieve success in the IELTS.

IELTS Writing Tasks Overview

In the IELTS Writing exam, you will face two main tasks. Each task has unique requirements, which you must understand to score well. Your performance in these tasks will greatly affect your overall band score.

Mastering Writing Task 1

In IELTS Writing Task 1, you will receive a visual representation of information, such as a graph, chart, or diagram. Your job is to summarize the information in your own words.

Focus on key trends, differences, and data comparisons. Aim for about 150 words, and remember to include an introduction, an overview, and specific details.

Use clear language and avoid personal opinions. A strong response engages with the visual data and presents it logically. Poor handwriting can affect clarity, so make sure your writing is legible to avoid losing points.

Approach to Writing Task 2

Writing Task 2 involves crafting an essay in response to a prompt. You’ll need to express your opinion, discuss a problem, or analyze an issue. This task requires a more structured approach.

Your essay should be about 250 words and contain an introduction, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Make your argument clear and support it with relevant examples. Stick to formal language and maintain a neutral tone.

Using accurate spelling and grammar is essential. Each body paragraph should focus on a single idea, which contributes to the coherence of your essay. Clarity in your handwriting also plays a role in your IELTS score.

Coherence and Paragraphing Importance

Coherence and proper paragraphing are crucial in both writing tasks. Each paragraph should logically flow into the next, guiding the reader through your argument or description.

Start each paragraph with a topic sentence, which states the main idea. Follow this with supporting details that explain or elaborate on the topic.

Using linking words can help create smooth transitions between ideas. This makes your writing easier to read and understand. Without coherence, your ideas may seem disorganized, which can lead to a lower score.

Handwriting and Writing Mechanics

Your handwriting style and presentation can influence how clearly your ideas come across during the IELTS exam. Here are key aspects like cursive versus print writing, capitalization, and the choice of writing utensils that can impact your writing performance.

Cursive Versus Print Writing

When deciding between cursive and print writing, consider clarity as your top priority. Cursive writing can be elegant, but it may be harder for some examiners to read, especially if it’s not well-formed. Print writing generally offers more legibility, which is vital when clarity counts.

Using print letters can help you stay consistent in size and spacing. This can prevent confusion in your answers, especially with lowercase letters. Consider practicing both styles to see which works best for you, but focus on what ensures your writing remains easy to read.

Capitalization and Presentation

Your use of capital and lowercase letters plays a significant role in presentation. Consistent use of capital letters at the beginning of sentences helps signal the start of new thoughts. Inadequate capitalization may confuse the reader and distract from your content.

Maintain a clean layout by organizing your writing. Proper spacing between lines and paragraphs makes your work neat. You might also want to underline or bold important terms sparingly to draw attention when necessary. A well-presented paper highlights your diligence at the exam.

Writing Utensils: Pen or Pencil?

Choosing the right writing utensil can also affect your performance. Many find that using a pen provides a smoother writing experience, allowing for quick note-taking. The flow of ink can lead to cleaner lines and avoid smudging, as long as you keep a steady hand.

On the other hand, a pencil offers flexibility with erasing mistakes. If you’re worried about making errors, this might be a helpful option. Just ensure your pencil is sharpened and produces clear, dark lines that are easy to read.

Continuous Writing Improvement

Improving your writing skills for the IELTS exam requires focused practice and effective use of resources. By honing your writing strategies and taking advantage of practice tests, you can enhance both clarity and legibility in your responses.

Practice Writing Strategies

To improve your writing, start with structured practice. Set a specific time each day dedicated solely to writing. Focus on crafting clear and concise sentences. Avoid cursive handwriting; it can be hard to read. Instead, use a print style that is easy to understand.

Try different types of writing prompts similar to those in the IELTS exam. This exposes you to various topics and helps you develop your ideas effectively.

Consider keeping a journal where you can write daily. It not only develops your writing skills but also increases your confidence. Review your work for clarity and coherence, and seek feedback from peers or teachers whenever possible.

Utilizing Practice Tests Effectively

Practice tests are crucial for tracking your progress. Use official IELTS practice materials to familiarize yourself with the test format. Set a timer to mimic test conditions, which helps manage your time better.

After completing each test, carefully review your answers. Look for areas that need improvement, such as grammar or spelling. Focus on the clarity of your ideas.

Use model answers to understand what a good response looks like. Compare your work against these examples and identify gaps. This method allows you to target specific weaknesses, while also becoming more comfortable with the exam layout. Regular practice will help you grow as a writer.

Frequently Asked Questions

Handwriting can play a role in your performance on the IELTS Writing test. Understanding how legibility, spelling, and grammar impact your score is important. Here are some common questions related to handwriting in this exam.

How important is legibility in handwriting for the IELTS Writing test?

Legibility is crucial in the IELTS Writing test. If the examiner cannot read your handwriting, they may not accurately assess your answers. Clear handwriting ensures that your ideas are communicated effectively.

Can poor handwriting lower my IELTS Writing score?

Yes, poor handwriting can lower your score. If your writing is difficult to read, it can affect the examiner’s ability to evaluate your work. This may result in a lower band score for written communication.

What is the impact of spelling errors on the IELTS Writing score?

Spelling errors can significantly impact your score. While minor mistakes may be overlooked, frequent errors can show a lack of control over the language. This could lead to a lower score in your writing.

To what extent does grammar accuracy affect the IELTS Writing band score?

Grammar accuracy is very important in the IELTS Writing test. Incorrect grammar can change the meaning of your sentences. The more errors you make, the more likely it is to negatively affect your band score.

Is it necessary to have cursive or joined-up writing in the IELTS exam?

No, it is not necessary to use cursive or joined-up writing. You can use printed letters as long as your handwriting is legible. The key is to ensure that your writing is clear and easy to read.

How can I improve my handwriting for better clarity in the IELTS Writing test?

To improve your handwriting, practice regularly. Use lined paper to maintain uniformity in size and spacing. Focus on forming each letter clearly and control the pressure of your pen for better ink flow.

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IELTS Preparation with Liz: Free IELTS Tips and Lessons, 2024

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IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Band 9

The IELTS writing task 2 sample answer below has examiner comments and is band score 9. The topic of social media is common and this IELTS essay question was reported in the IELTS test. Check the model essay and then read the comments.

Target Band 7, 8 and 9 in IELTS Essays

Many people think that the techniques used to get a band score 7 vary from those to get a band score 9. This is not the case. The techniques for a band score 9 essay are the techniques for all essays regardless of what score you are aiming for. The result of your band score will be decided by how well you apply those techniques, how well you address the task, and the level of your English language. So, the essay below is one that all IELTS candidates can learn from.

IELTS BAND 9 MODEL ESSAY

Many people believe that social networking sites (such as Facebook) have had a huge negative impact on both individuals and society. To what extent do you agree?

Social networking sites, for instance Facebook, are thought by some to have had a detrimental effect on individual people as well as society and local communities. However, while I believe that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual, I agree that they have had a damaging effect on local communities.

With regards to individuals, the impact that online social media has had on each individual person has clear advantages. Firstly, people from different countries are brought together through such sites as Facebook whereas before the development of technology and social networking sites, people rarely had the chance to meet or communicate with anyone outside of their immediate circle or community. Secondly, Facebook also has social groups which offer individuals a chance to meet and participate in discussions with people who share common interests.

On the other hand, the effect that Facebook and other social networking sites have had on societies and local communities can only be seen as negative. Rather than individual people taking part in their local community, they are instead choosing to take more interest in people online. Consequently, the people within local communities are no longer forming close or supportive relationships. Furthermore, society as a whole is becoming increasingly disjointed and fragmented as people spend more time online with people they have never met face to face and who they are unlikely to ever meet in the future.

To conclude, although social networking sites have brought individuals closer together, they have not had the same effect on society or local communities. Local communities should do more to try and involve local people in local activities  in order to promote the future of community life.

Examiner Comments : This essay was about how social media impacts two aspects: 1) individuals, which means people  2) society, which also means communities. This essay did address both of these aspects of social media and developed them both sufficiently for a high score. The writer presented a clear opinion and retained this opinion throughout the essay. Organisation of ideas into paragraphs was logical. Signposting and linking were also flexible. Furthermore, the word length of this essay is typical for anyone aiming for band score 7 and above. Words 280 = this is a sufficient length for a high score. A long essay (well over 300 words) is not helpful for a high score in Task Response, particular as IELTS essays are designed to be highly focused and quite short.

Useful IELTS Pages for Writing and Other Sections ALL IELTS  MODEL ESSAYS AND TIPS FOR Writing Task 2 Another Model Opinion Essay Model Discussion Essay Vocabulary for IELTS

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The majority of today’s population believes that social networking platforms like Facebook have negative impacts on both individuals and society. In my opinion, while it is true that these platforms have some downsides, the negative effects only slightly outweigh the positive ones.

For individuals, social media can be both beneficial and harmful. Many people become addicted to these platforms as they provide a false sense of satisfaction and a dopamine rush. They may also promote an artificial image of happiness, even when they are not truly content. On the other hand, some argue that social media boosts self-confidence when their posts are well-received. Additionally, these platforms serve as a digital archive for memorable moments and personal growth.

In terms of societal impact, social media allows users to reach a large audience with just a click. While some believe this leads to the easy spread of fake news, others argue that it provides a platform to raise awareness for important social issues. Although many claim that social media has replaced genuine, heartfelt connections with virtual ones, these same online networks help people form new bonds and navigate unfamiliar cities.

To conclude, like any technological tool, social media has both advantages and disadvantages. Ultimately, it is up to individuals and society to decide how to use these platforms in a positive and responsible manner.

I don’t offer a feedback or marking service, but I will give a quick comment. 1) I like the way you’ve divided paragraphs into individuals and then society. This is clear. But within each body paragraph, you could make the positives and negatives clearer by writing “In terms of the benefits ….” and “On the other hand, the downsides are ….”. The more specific and clearer you make this points, the better your score for Coherence and Cohesion. 2) Both your body paragraphs have a lot of details about what other people argue or what other people claim. An Opinion essay isn’t about other people, each body paragraph must address your opinion, not other people’s. Each sentence of a body paragraph should explain your opinion. 3) Try not to sit on the fence. This isn’t a discussion essay and this isn’t an “advantages and disadvantages” essay. You must have a valid opinion which you support and defend in each sentence of the essay. You say the positive points of social media are more persuasive – then prove it in each body paragraph. In my model essay above, I decide it is positive for individuals, but negative for society – a very specific, very clear viewpoint which is explained in detail in each body paragraph. Your opinion must be as clear as that. 4) It is possible to add a concluding point to a conclusion that includes an opinion – but don’t do this with any essay that actually requires your opinion. If your entire essay requires an opinion, adding a new one at the end is confusing. But if the essay is simply an advantages and disadvantages essay which requires no specific opinion in the introduction or body paragraphs, you can add one at the end as a final point.

Thank you so much Liz, for the feedback !

With due respect, it is argumentative essay so the whole essay should have either positive or negative views, cannot contain mixed ones.

Actually, no such rule exists in IELTS. Having a specific view point that touches to some extent on both sides is 100% acceptable in IELTS writing task 2. There is no rule saying you must either fully agree or fully disagree. See my advanced lessons to learn precisely how to tackle IELTS essays: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Technology has altered segments of people’s lives. As standout example of this is the social interaction through different online websites like Facebook. It is believed by some individuals that this growing trend conversely effects the people and society. However, I consider that these websites benefit people in numerous ways such relationships, education and broader access to data. On the one hand, there are some drawbacks of using social media. Firstly, the addiction to online sites make people become isolated from the real world , as they spend most of their time interacting with online partners. As a result, they lack vital social skills which causes mental health problems . Additionally, the electronic gadgets they use harm eyesight which is a physical damage. On the other hand , I think that this kind of websites bring positive ramifications in some walks of human life. For example , many students nowadays have the opportunity to get knowledge from professionals all around the world thanks to online platforms. This provides experience and enhances the mindset of youth. In addition, people can communicate with other users from diverse nationalities and share ideas in different spheres. Making friends and finding lifelong family partner are another positive side of utilizing online sites. Furthermore, such platforms keep individuals aware of the latest events that taking place in other parts of the globe. Excessive data can be gained in just a click of a button which a great chance. In conclusion, while some think that social media networks have negative impact on the life of people , I would argue that they provide many positive opportunities for human being as mentioned above.

Social media such as Facebook and Instagram have become a norm these days for individuals as well as society. Many believe that social platforms have had a tremendous negative impact on both individuals and society. In my opinion, I agree with the stance that social media has an extremely negative impact on both individuals and society

With regards, to individuals social networking sites have a clear negative impact. One can spend a lot of time surfing through social media, achieving nothing with his time, which could have been used to do something productive. I would like to give a personal example, when preparing for my exams I often lose my focus due to constant notifications from different networking sites, eventually losing the will to study.

Another point to add is how social media is becoming a hub for learning dangerous trends, which can be life-threatening to an individual. It does so by acting as an advertisement for such trends to youth, who easily get influenced by it. In 2020 around 300 children died in the USA following such a trend, by choking on turmeric powder.

On the other hand, the effect that social networking platforms have on society is even worse. As seen in recent time these platforms are being used by powerful individual and governments alike, to form a negative perspective toward certain communities in society. Social media can easily be used to spread misinformation throughout the masses and can affect the delicate fabric of society by creating mistrust between different communities.

To conclude, I strongly agree that social media platforms negatively impact both individuals and society

Although my website doesn’t offer a feedback service, I’ll make a quick comment. Personal experiences in a formal essay are generally your experiences of the world in general. It isn’t about you, but your experience of the world. You should write “For example, some people when preparing for their exams often lose focus because of intrusive but tempting notifications from their social media accounts ….”

Ok Liz, I will keep that in mind, were my ideas cohesive this time

Each body paragraph had a clear central topic that was unique and distinct from the other body paragraphs. Nice and clear – well organised and good use of linking words.

Dear Liz, why did you use “has had” in the following sentence? It is quite difficult to read I think. Could it be written alternative way? actually has had/have had always confuse me.

With regards to individuals, the impact that online social media has had on each individual person has clear advantages.

This is the present perfect. We use this when we refer to actions stated in the past that continue in the present. For example, “I have been learning English for 10 years” – it means you started 10 years ago and are still learning now. Another example: “I have had a good day so far.” it means the day started good and it is good right now too. So, the sentence “the impact social media has had on individuals…” means the impact that it had in the past and still has now. We use the present perfect = has had (when using the verb to have as a present perfect tense). It would be very difficult to write about something that started in the past and continues now without using the present perfect. I do have a Grammar E-book that might help you in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . This e-books covers loads of grammar points: articles, prepositions, passive voice, tenses, linking words, noun clauses, noun phrases, word order etc etc.

Social networking platforms such as Facebook have revolutionized communication, but their impact on individuals and society is multifaceted and often negative. I largely agree that these platforms have significant adverse effects, though they also offer undeniable benefits.

On an individual level, social networking sites can severely compromise privacy and mental health. The extensive sharing of personal information on these platforms makes users vulnerable to data breaches and identity theft. Additionally, the idealized portrayals of life that users often see can lead to detrimental comparisons, fostering feelings of inadequacy and anxiety. Research indicates a correlation between heavy social media use and increased rates of depression and low self-esteem, highlighting the psychological toll of constant exposure to curated and often unrealistic representations of others’ lives. Furthermore, the addictive nature of these platforms can disrupt daily routines and productivity, as users may find themselves spending excessive amounts of time online at the expense of real-world activities and relationships.

Societal impacts are equally concerning. Social networking platforms have become notorious for facilitating the rapid spread of misinformation and fake news. This erosion of trust in credible sources undermines informed public discourse and exacerbates political and social polarization. The echo chamber effect, where users are predominantly exposed to content that reinforces their existing beliefs, further entrenches societal divisions and impedes constructive dialogue.

While social networking sites provide valuable tools for connectivity, professional networking, and social activism, these advantages do not wholly mitigate their drawbacks. The negative impacts on privacy, mental health, and societal cohesion are significant and warrant serious consideration.

In conclusion, the negative consequences of social networking platforms like Facebook on both individuals and society are considerable. Addressing these issues through improved digital literacy and regulatory measures is crucial for mitigating their adverse effects and ensuring a more balanced use of these technologies.

Although my website doesn’t provide a feedback service, I’ve got time for a couple of quick comments. 1) “Social networking platforms such as Facebook have revolutionized communication, but their impact on individuals and society is multifaceted and often negative.” – when you write your background statement in this way, you are actually presenting your opinion. You are actually writing this to introduction the opinion, held by others, that IELTS gave you. This is the reason you need to include “Some people think” or “It is commonly thought that” so that it shows the difference between what others think and what you think. Also, this introduced the opinion from others that are responding to in your essay. 2) Each body paragraph contains one main point. For Task Response, which counts for 25% of your marks, each point must be sufficiently developed for a high score. As you see, some of your main points are developed and others are not. You can’t have one long body paragraph and one short one. See all my model essays to recognise the layout and balance in the essays: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ You can also learn about the marking criteria and band scores with tips on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2-band-scores-5-to-8/

You’ve got great English, but now you must understand the test and the band score reequipments. For writing, IELTS essay techniques count for around 50% and your English for about 50%. So, having great English isn’t enough. In the speaking test this is different – English counts for 100% of your marks.

There is a belief that there are many adverse effects on people and society due to social media platforms, such as Facebook. I agree with this viewpoint because the excessive usage of these sites reduces the productivity of people, and many fraud cases were reported that have been done using social media.

One of the main factors for my agreement is the overall productivity loss of people due to higher browsing time on these sites. Many people who used to browse Facebook or Instagram daily basis spend a few hours of their valuable time for this. This is a waste as this can be used for more productive work or to spend some quality time with their families. For instance, many employers complain that there is a significant loss of employee efficiency due to the addiction to Facebook and Instagram. 

A considerable number of fraud incidents have been reported due to social networking sites. Some people with bad intentions use fake profiles to cheat people, and due to that many people have become victims. Before they do any crime, they become good friends of these victims using fake profiles and use the trust to cheat or rob their money. For example, recently, an unmarried lady of 55 years has suicide as her lover who met in Facebook cheated and robbed 30 million rupees, which is the whole saving she has done during her career.  

In conclusion, I agree that social networking sites have made a negative impact on society and individuals because the efficiency of people has reduced due to the addiction to these sites, and many individuals were cheated using these platforms. 

hi there I am confused as this is an opinion essay but is rather written in the format of advantages and disadvantages I mean you develop an opinion you either agree or disagree but this essay is agreeing with one part while disagreeing with another part of the statement

An opinion essay is not about fully agreeing or fully disagreeing. It is about stating what you think. This is the reason I created this model essay. It is important to realise that having a one-sided agreement is not always the best option. It’s certainly the easiest, but not always the most suitable. You can learn more about this in my advanced lessons which I have in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . You can also review all free tips and model answers on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

The majority of people have the social networking sites. Some people see their influence on people and society as detrimental and hazardous. I totally disagree with this view, since their existence has enriched communication and increased tolerance.

The integration of social networking sites has strengthened the connection between people. Previously, the large distance between individuals has posed some challenges with communication due to inconvenience. Nowadays, if a person wants to continue the conversation, they can text the other person via messages or just call them. The possibility to contact friends or loved ones strengthens the relationships between people, thus increasing well-being and a sense of unity in society. Therefore, social networking sites positively affect interpersonal connections and unite society.

Another beneficial aspect of using social media is the increasing tolerance among individuals. Thanks to the possibility of talking with anybody, more people learn about other regions, cultures, and backgrounds and the history behind them. A person who uses social networking sites is less likely to be confused and act aggressively toward cultural differences due to previous interactions with people from different backgrounds. This tolerance decreases the number of hate crimes or aggression among different social groups, thus brining piece and the acceptance in society. In such a way, social media has a positive impact since it spreads acceptance and cultural awareness.

In conclusion, although many people insist that people and society are negatively affected by social networking sites, I firmly believe in their positive impact. Social networking sites beneficially impact interpersonal connections and lead to a more accepted society.

My site isn’t aimed at providing a feedback service, but I will make a short comment. 1) Very well done. It is well structured with ideas organised clearly and well signposted. You present a very clear position and explain your position throughout the essay. You address both individuals and society within each main point – well done! Each body paragraph has a central point which is well-developed. You’ve got a great use of language (a flexible range) and very strong IELTS writing skills. You nailed it! Now you need to apply the same skills to all other types of IELTS essays. 2) a quick mention of useful language – in body paragraph 2 when you write “Thanks to the possibility of talking with anybody”, you can change this to “Thanks to the ability to connected with people from all walks of life…” or “Thanks to the ability to connect to people from all corners of the global”. The majority of idioms are not suitable for a formal essay, but these two are – they are both perfect for the point you are trying to make. Other useful idiomatic expressions for IELTS essays are: the key to / in the long run / in the short term / as a matter of fact / around the clock / bridge the gap / give rise to / on the other hand / at the end of the day etc. I look forward to hearing your results. Good luck 🙂

Thank you Liz for the explanation. Yet , I’m a bit confused with the different types of essay questions. I checked them all on your blog but still want to make sure that in brief _Discuss essay” means discussing both sides and give opinion “ _Agree or disagree essay “ means choosing one side and give opinion “ _Positive and negative essay “ means choosing one opinion and stick with it” _Advantages and disadvantages essay “ means writing about both and give your opinion “ _Advantages outweigh disadvantages “ also means writing about both but clarify which one outweighs the other “ _Solutions essay “ means give reason and solution” _Direct question essay “ means answering the questions and give opinion “

Am I understanding the whole thing correctly or I’m still missing somethings

Review this page: https://ieltsliz.com/types-of-ielts-essays/ . Particularly review your understanding of the agree/disagree essay which is another name for the opinion essay.

Hey liz I just wanted to know weather it is possible if I wanted to agree and disagree at the same time to write “ social media is a double_edged sword” or it’s considered as an idiom? And how to manage the essay structure if i want to agree and disagree should I write in the first paragraph agree and the second one disagree ? Or should I just stick with one option I really hope you’d answer me 🤍 If she didn’t answer me can anyone who passes through this page tell me what to do if you know🥲

Firstly, you should not be using descriptive idiomatic language for a formal essay, such as “a double edged sword” or “it cost an arm and a leg”. You can use idiomatic language, such as “the key to success” or most phrasal verbs.

When it comes to taking a position. If the essay question was “Children should not be given homework because it causes too much stress” Do you agree? or To what extent do you agree? You can’t agree homework should not be given and then also disagree and say it should be given – you can’t have both because then you have no clear opinion and you’ll get a lower score. This isn’t a discussion essay where you discuss both sides. This is an opinion essay where you give your opinion and stick with it all through the essay. A balanced view is not sitting in the middle, it means not fully agreeing and not fully disagreeing – it means you have your own specific view point which is a kind of partial agreement. It isn’t easy to write such an approach and usually requires training because if you get it wrong, you would get a very low score in Task Response. But a specific view for the essay I mentioned would be “Homework should be avoided if the teacher gives too much and it prevents a child enjoying their free time, but if it is given in moderation then it can be supportive to a child’s educational development.” This means you aren’t taking any side, you are present your own opinion which is different.

For the essay on the page above, it is easier to do this because there are two issues to tackle anyway which is individuals and society so you might think social media is good for people, but not good for society as a whole – that is what the model essay above has done. So, re-read the essay again to learn about this.

Greatings Liz, I would like to know what band score I can get on the essay topic provided below. It would be a great help if you suggest some areas I can develop and mistakes to avoid

Question: Many people believe that social network sites (such as facebook) have had a huge negative impact on both individual and society.

Essay: Many people argue over that social sites like facebook have negative impact on individual and society. I agree with statement because social media take a lot of our time and medias often provide false messages.

A lot of our time is wasted on social media. The amount of duration spent on social medias are because of the media pages and short videos. People are addictive to scrolling reels or sweeping meme pages this behavior is greatly influenced by exposure to screen time on a daily basis, which are commonly found in youngsters. The contents portrayed on the sites are too distractive that keeps the people attention on it. For an instance, the reports from 2023, it is shown that medias are being used for a least six hours per day for an average individual in India.

Moreover, false messages are being forwarded on social networking sites. This happens mainly due to people trusting blindly on networking sites. Due to this, people often misuse and take advantage by sending fake posts. Without analyzing the content properly, the user would increase post impressions and engagement which results in forwarding the incorrect insights over a topic. Some investigations report that false insight on a topic has a significant role in impacting the minds of an individual as well larger population. In conclusion, Individuals and society are mainly affected due to social sites because of inefficient time management and fake posts that are delivered on the sites.

I don’t offer marking or feedback on this website. However, I will say that nowhere in your essay did you address how social media affects society. You’ve only written about individuals (users). To say it affects “population as a whole” is still referring to individuals, not society. This would lower your score significantly. Go back to my model essay on the page above and pay attention to how I approach addressing all parts of the task, which is both individuals and society.

I have a question regarding an opinion essay. This is the task:

“Prevention is better than cure”. Researching and treating diseases is too costly so it would be better to invest in preventative measures. To what extend do you agree?

My question is – when I give the ideas, should I give them from an individual’s perspective (e.g. taking supplements is a way of prevention and it’s cheaper than treatment), or should I give it from a macro perspective (e.g. researching vaccinations is more costly than educating people to prevent diseases).

Thanks in advance for your guidance 🙂

As the question relates to “research and treating diseases”, we can take this question as relating to the perspective of government health funding. Some IELTS do relate to individuals and when that is the case, the wording is usually very clear.

Thank you, Liz. This is very helpful.

Many people are of the belief that individuals and members of the society have had a huge negative impact due to social media sites like Facebook. While I partially agree with this statement however, Facebook has provided somewhat benefits to the society as well.

We live in a digital age where we are constantly surrounded by social media and the content it produces, Facebook being one of it. Today, anybody can sign up on the platform and start using it immediately without any security checks making it not entirely safe for the user. Like mentioned earlier, anybody can open up an account and start posting, allowing political parties to push through their agenda through these sites and on to the screens of the juvenile population.

As one might expect adults to be mindful about what they post on the social networking sites, it is not always the case for every adult. Social media sites like Facebook are not particularly safe for the younger population as it can be extremely manipulative and vulgar at times. It can be especially harmful in kids between 13-19 years of age where they could easily lose their confidence to the glamorous facade put up by these networking sites.

Facebook though exploitative at times, does have a few advantages. One of them is bringing people closer throughout the globe. Families can get in touch with friends and relatives living abroad with a simple click. Numerous small businesses who do not have the means to pay for advertising can easily promote their brand on Facebook.

To conclude, arguably Facebook has had some amounts of negative impact on the society, although it has paved a way for people to connect and get closer.

I know Liz doesn’t do review. But I would appreciate if other students like me could review my essay.

Some parents buy their children a large number of toys to play with. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the child of having a large number of toys?

Many a parent make a large purchase of toys for their kids to harness or play with, in my unequivocal stance, this notion provides advantages such as more leisure activities for kids, however poor academic performance, and reduced inter personal relationship are undeniable disadvantages. This essay will further examine the pragmatic advantages and disadvantages of this view.

To begin, owning a myriad of toys provide a lot of benefits to kids. However the leading advantage of this notion is the creation of a fun leisure activity for kids. Kids with a lot of toys tend to have more fun in comparison to their counterparts who own only a handful of playing materials or games. In addition to having a fun filled leisure time they possess a variety of toys, games, and playing materials, which makes the kids more entertained. A notable example would be the research paper by a renowned psychologist Mr. John Ata which reported that 92% of kids with a large number of toys have more fun during leisure hours compared to kids with less toys.

It is equally important to mention that some drawbacks are associated with this phenomenon. A substantial drawback is that it affects the academic results of children. It is a prominent fact that kids that own a variety of toys spend a lot more hours playing, and this exceeds the recommended daily leisure time of 2 hours. Furthermore, this has a negative impact on their academics, and learning ability. In 2022 an academic paper released by China recorded that 100% of kids with a lot of toys have difficulties learning. Also, poor interpersonal relationship is a notable downside to this notion, because of the extra hours spent playing with games kids have little to no time interacting with individuals of the same age range. In most cases children in this situation prefer to spend more time at home playing, than interacting, socializing, and building social relationships with their pairs.

In conclusion, a fun packed leisure time is a phenomenal advantage of this view. However poor academic results, and lack of communication skills are undeniable disadvantages. Therefore, parents or guardians should maximize the benefits, and manage the drawbacks effectively to create a balance.

Social networking sites, for instance, Facebook, have had a big detrimental effect on individual people and communities. While social media is beneficial in some ways, I believe that the negative impacts go beyond the advantages. With regards to individuals, the presence of Facebook can lead to scamming. So many people become victims in recent times. Scammers take other user’s photos on Facebook easily and then use these photos for crime. Additionally, Facebook is often deemed to be dangerous due to adolescent kidnappings being burgeoning. The criminals pretend to be someone else to attract teenagers to meet and kidnap them. Furthermore, establishing relationships through social media inclines to be full of pretentious. Users often polish their image, social status, and even profile pictures which may lead to fake relationships as well. Undesirable outcomes are happening badly in society owing to social network usage. People tend to gather with their communities online, instead of attending physical gatherings. It is not a good attitude because people tend to be indifferent to their intermediate community. Moreover, the intermediate cycle is essential to make people grow into well-rounded human beings. People live in real life, and for this reason, involving in such real communities is considerable as a means to help themselves fulfill their natural traits as social beings. Likewise, people are more likely to have stronger bonds in real communities instead of online. To conclude, social media sites have had a huge unfavorable result both for individuals and communities starting from crimes and faking identities to forming apathetic individuals.

The question of whether social media or networking platforms (Facebook) created a myriad of societal and individual problems is a subject of ongoing debate, while many a person argue against this view; in my unequivocal stance, I strongly support this notion. This essay will provide further examination on my nuance opinion.

To begin, since the inception of social media they have been a paradigm shift from the traditional social networking to a technological form of communication, and this phenomenon has developed a plethora of drawbacks. Firstly, the harnessing of social networks has promoted crimes in the society; individuals use these platforms as a tool to facilitate crime. A popular crime as a result of social networking is internet scamming, also known as catfishing. In continuation, individuals can claim the identity of others, and use this to swindle, deceive, and steal from innocent victims. Furthermore, a notable example is the prominent scam that occurred in 2012 in Nigeria; a set of fraudulent individuals claimed the identity of an airport owner (Mr David Orma) and sold an airport to a company, thereby defrauding the company of $5,000,000.

It is equally important to mention that the detriments of social networking on a smaller scale affects individuals. The use of Facebook by individuals for communication has significantly reduced interpersonal relationships. People no longer have physical social gatherings, discussions, meetings and relationships. In some cases, parent to child relationship has been ruined, because of the use of Facebook. A report from a renowned journalist illustrates that since the introduction of Facebook 88% of parents no longer have a good relationship with their kids, this is because people tend to communicate more over the internet.

In conclusion, high crime rate, and lack of interpersonal communication are undeniable drawbacks of social networking. However, people who desire to use Facebook should manage its drawbacks efficiently, while maximizing its potential benefits.

Hi Liz, i hope you doing well. if i want to write the introduction as a balanced opinion, can i write it like the following?

“social networking sites, for instance Facebook, are thought by some people to have had a harmful effect on individual people as well as local community. However, while I believe that such cites are beneficial for individuals and Society, I agree that they have a rather damaging effect on them”

and then BP1 discuss the benefits of social media and BP2 discuss the negative effect of them.

My main question is why you are writing about “cities” in your thesis statement. This essay isn’t about cities, it’s about social media. Also, the word “society” does not have a capital letter. Both of these mistakes will negatively impact your score. About the approach, your essay is only 290 words long (that is the usual max), you don’t have time to write pros and cons of both social media on individuals and social media on society. Lastly, you have turned an Opinion Essay into an Adv/Disad essay or a Discussion Essay. Present a clear position on social media for individuals and social media on society than is clear position for each. For example, you think it is positive for both, you think it is negative for both or you think one if positive and one is negative – all three options are clear opinions for an IELTS Opinion Essay.

Hi Liz, please go through my writing and make corrections 🙏

It is believed by majority of people that social networking sites such as Facebook has a detrimental effect on individual as well as the society.However, while social media have a positive impact on individual, I personally agree that it is of more damaging especially to the society.

Firstly, regarding the positive impact it has on individuals, social networking provide a means of communication between people that are far away from each other especially does from different countries; it also provide a means for people to advertise their products and businesses to help them make income and become popular sometimes.

On the other hand, it brings a lot of damages to the community and society at large because of the way people are now occupied with social networking the tend to give a nonchalant attitude to something important especially when it comes to adolescence there is no more respect or positive contribution to the development of their community as all they are interested in is going online most of their times. People now give value to what they do online more than their real-life. furthermore, most individual become engaged in competition with their peer group and this result to them doing some unspeakable things, hurting people in order to make money and show off and increasing rate of fake life. As a result of this, community and society is fast becoming disjointed, people now prefer to make friends online with people they have never met before than the ones they see face to face.

To conclude, although social networking have bring a lot of people together it has done otherwise to the community and society at large. The society should find should find a solution to that by bringing people locally together and engaging them on activities that will bring them together. That way people meet and interact physically other than always going online.

I don’t offer a feedback service. However, I will say you need to go back to my model essays and learn the proper balance and length of paragraphs. Having a long conclusion is a waste of time and won’t help your score. Having body paragraphs that are not equal in length will lower your score. This is the main writing task 2 page on my website: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

length also matters?…some expertise say that if examiner easily understand your thoughts then he or she will give you good band score even your essay length will be short or long

Ideas are only marked as to whether they are relevant and well explained. One idea is not a higher band score than other as long as it is relevant and well explained. So, any teacher telling you that one idea is a higher band score than another has not understood the marking criteria probably because they weren’t trained as an examiner.

Social media websites have revolutionised the communication. However, part of the population believes that these online platforms have hugely impacted people in a negative way. Even though I believe that these websites can be somehow beneficial I agree they can be detrimental to individuals and communities. Although social online networks have undoubtedly advanced humans’ communication, there are many damaging factors that impact users. This is due to the fact that, nowadays, individuals are becoming more addicted to social media such as Instagram, TikTok and Facebook due to dopamine release effects in their brains. This means that they can easily spend hours scrolling videos and posts on their phones instead of completing vital tasks like household chores or having conversations in person with their families. Furthermore, recent research published by APA ( American Psychologist Association) showed that social media addiction can lead to serious anxiety and depression. Thus, social online websites can negatively impact people’s lives. Secondly, social network websites usually provide much information from diverse sources. Online messages can rapidly spread data to a broad audience. However not all data posted online is accurate, so a new culture of fake news has been growing during the last recent years. In Brazil, for instance, after a big political incident where a lot of lies were spread about authorities, a special official department was created to investigate false material shared online through these kinds of online websites and apps. It is clear, in my opinion, that social media can be damaging to both society and individuals. In conclusion, while I believe social networking platforms can advanced the way human’s communicate it can negatively affect people in individual and societal contexts. I strongly agree as it can be addictive affecting people’s mental health and also because it is easy to share false messages on these platforms.

Recent research has shown that the usage percentage of social networking sites has been considerably increasing for a decade. Given that, the majority of the population believes such networking sites as Facebook have a catastrophic effect on not only individuals but also society. I, personally, find positive impacts on individuals; however, for the community, it is a total disaster. To begin with the impact on individuals, there are significant benefits that can not be avoided. The most useful point which is special just to the internet is the fact that there are no issues about the location for being able to communicate. You can talk to anybody, whenever and wherever you want no matter how many kilometers you have between your locations. This leads you to have the possibility for talking about numerous topics without any restrictions from your common interests to scientific researchs. As a result, for making new friends and thus for socializing, social networking sites are the best opportunities that should not be missed. Yet, the presence of some advantages individually does not eliminate side effects on society. If people start to socialize by only making use of social media like Facebook and Instagram, whole the society begins to crack due to people not seeing each other in real life. Society’s existence is thanks to the people taking part in group activities, working under collaborative circumstances, and spending a considerable amount of time together. But the more prevalent social networking usage becomes, the fewer people can stand seeing each other. In conclusion, social networking sites are advantageous places for mostly socializing individually, yet, there are more serious side effects exceeding the positive points. So, people should pay more attention to having relationships with the community so that, the term ‘society’ won’t disappear.

Anyone (especially, Dear Liz), who is an expert might evaluate my essay with proper feedback.

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic. It is now possible for scientists and tourists to travel to remote natural environments, such as the South Pole. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this development? Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or experience. You should write at least 250 words.

In recent years, Travelling to remote areas becoming more popular with scientists and tourists for convenient scientific developments. There are noticeable positive outcomes with drawbacks both in the natural environment and the living species.

First of all, In the last decades, scientific innovation and progress in different sectors resulted in more easily accessible transportation to rural areas which are far from the downtowns. For scientific analysis, a large number of researchers making crowd those areas for new scientific analysis for different parameters. For instance, exploring the fossils in those areas to get ideas about the ancestors of these specific regions. Secondly, While adventurous people always visit new ancient remote areas to satisfy their minds by knowing the unknown places more practically rather than watching TV programs. Finally, places always developing with tourists friendly facilities and increasing the revenue in national funds for these eco-friendly activities, particularly, excessive new-comer spending their money for various purposes including hotel room facilities, meals, and souvenirs. Which positively impacts the world economy and the living standards of local people providing them with more working opportunities.

Whereas, there are many negative aspects to these easily accessible traveling opportunities. Both scientific purpose and tourism activities directly impacting on the local environment and the existing species as well as the local community’s lifestyle. The regional species, particularly, those migrating to a quieter and more natural environment lead a normal life without the disturbance of human economy-boosting activities. Furthermore, many old species have been extinct and right now existing species are almost endangered to extinction from those remote areas. Another concern is almost rising at an alarming rate, certainly environmental pollution. People visiting those places, dumping their wastes here and there, and destroying the eco-system, including plastic materials, those regional environments resulted in different challenging problems for the natives.

In conclusion, the advancement of scientific research facile transportation to even remote areas, like the South Pole, for scientists and tourists with positive and negative impacts on the environment. Corresponding authorities should regulate these activities with proper concern without affecting nature and the species in a specific region.

Please read this page: https://ieltsliz.com/how-many-words-ielts-writing/ and then read all tips on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . If you need detailed tutorials about writing an essay specifically for IELTS for a high score, go to my online store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . You should be aiming for accuracy with grammar and vocabulary – don’t aim to impress and never take risks. Aim for error free sentences.

Hi please let know how my writing has come along?

In today’s day and age, it has become far more accessible to reach remote areas for scientists and tourists. There are noticeably positive outcomes with drawbacks both in natural environment and the living species.

In ancient times, scientists or tourists would have difficulty in reaching such destinations such as the south pole. But today with scientific developments and studying the natural environment it has become a joy to travel. There are many advantages for scientists and tourists who want to travel for research purposes or adventure. Firstly, for instance, scientists can research fossils in those areas to get in-depth knowledge about the ancestorial landscape. Secondly, tourists, adventure enthusiasts especially travel to explore the wild life, natural beauty of the region, get a breath of fresh air, newness etc.

Whereas, there are many negative aspects as well. Both incoming of scientists and tourists to remote areas has an effect on the local livelihood. The reason for this is that due to the inhabitation of ancestorial species, they are used to a certain lifestyle, the peace and quiet. And when unknown people start coming in, it disrupts their day to day lifestyle. They lead a normal life without the disturbance of human economy-boosting activities. Hence, people visiting these places, dumping their wastes here and there, and destroying the eco-system results in different challenging problems for the natives.

In conclusion, with the advancements of scientific research and development for researches and tourists to travel to such remote areas will always have its positive and negative impact on the environment. Corresponding authorities should regulate these movements with proper concern and not affect the nature and species of this specific region.

It is assumed by many people that social media is creating a detrimental effect on both individuals and society. However, a healthy percentage of people are getting benefitted by its proper usage and implementations in social life although a specific group of people might be using social sites, for instance Facebook in an adverse way which is creating a negative impact in our social community and locality.

To begin with, social media like Facebook has created a drastic change in people’s communication through internet all over the world. Website like this has brought people from all countries around the world in a single tent for communication. Though the communication is initially virtual but soon people are getting to know each other which is serving the purpose of meeting in real life with their loved ones or with their families. Aside of it, some of the other advantages that social media is impacting in our daily life such as; creating business opportunities, helping us to know about the current world information and news updated, creating awareness among people about social norms and duties. The main fruitful thing that can be described as is social media in letting us to know about other people’s culture, norms and activities etc.

On the other side, as we have discussed so many positive sides of social media it has some detrimental sides too that is enhancing some real-life problems in our society and local community. As the main purpose of social media was to connect people but now a days it is seen that this tool is being misused by some of the people for creating fake profiles and pretending to be someone else as a result people on the other side of the screen might be outplayed with a fake emotion. Also, among young generations the dependency and the usage of social media is way too time consuming which is creating a mental distortion gradually. Adding with that, the utmost negative impact that is creating real life problems is vague news and its spread. As a result, people gets more confused in their decision making whom to support and whom to deny. Beside of that, Scammers trading with money, Negative content are threat to our future generation and also for us.

In conclusion I want to agree with the fact that although social media is helping us in many ways in our social life but it has an immense effect in our cultural diversity to get provoked as long if we don’t use it properly. As long as some specific policies and regulations are maintained for its usage, I think that the damage is limited to rare and special cases.

Please correct me if I’m wrong.

It’s believed by many people that social networking sites have led to serious detrimental effects on both individual people as well as society and local communities. However, there are numerous beneficial effects of using such sites for the individual and some of the adverse outcomes for the society and local communities.

With regard to the individual persons, the usage of social media sites has given the opportunity to identify the people with the common interests, who are miles away, which was not available before the development of such websites. Besides, It has been easier to establish a face to face connection within seconds with our loved ones, even when they are far away from us.

On the other hand, the continuous usage of social meadia might end up with a dependent behavior, which results in the separation of societal and family bonds. Other than that, believing the facts on online as it is might lead to serious family issues too.

In my conclusion, although the social networking sites keep the individuals closer together, it has a number of considerable negative impacts on society and local communities. Therefore, it is our responsibility to use those sites for he betterment of overselves.

You write : use those sites for he betterment of Overselves

Mistakes: ourselves and you write he in place of the

Hi Liz, Thank you so much for all your time, guidance and help. Really appreciate the content you keep on posting. Have been following your posts since 2019, got 9 in listening, 7.5 overall then. I am planning to write again for GT

here is my response: 274 words

A few individuals believe that cellphones are a bane for kids, whereas others don’t believe in the same. In my opinion, though cellphones are now an indispensable part of any urban human and has multiple benefits, their demerits do exist and those make it more harmful than helpful to children.

Though one can still be in quandary about the ill-effects of cellphones on adults, their impact has been far more detrimental for kids. These devices operate entirely on wireless radiations, and there has been an exponential rise in such radiation. As children’s brain is in development stage, and their skull is still fragile; damages from such radiations can be fatal. Additionally, prolonged exposure to phone’s display is quite detrimental for eyesight and sleep cycle. Moreover, new cellphones (smartphones) can host a lot of social-media applications. As children are growing, so do their hormonal changes, they are more inquisitive about such digital platforms. Though there are age-restriction on these sites, those are easily bypassed by them. Things get sinister when some spoilt peers introduce others to pornographic content which has been known to biologically alter hormonal and psychological patterns in kids.

Though, despite above, phones do offer some benefits such as means of instant communication, exchange of notes, access to free and global online resources, most of these benefits are also available on personal laptops or institute’s kiosks. In case of dire needs, students can access these resources on such kiosks, where students can be prohibited from accessing social or adult content. Hence, though cellphones are now an indispensable part of human life, owing to their detrimental impacts, children should refrain using those.

While many believe that social networking sites impacting both the society and the individual in negative manner, I argue that its certainly impacting social life negatively however, it has positive impact on individuals. With innovation of technology and reach to smart phones by common people has increased the number of people using social networking sites significantly in recent years. Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and many more became basic needs of people. This revolution in technology has brought many benefits to people. Now people to people interaction have increased and it has no boundaries. They can easily talk to other people who are located at different part of the globe. Distance, time zone, boarders doesn’t matter anymore. This interaction helps them to enhance their knowledge, grow their business and much more. People can create any type social cause over these social media platforms and get other people’s support from world-wide. While this improvement in technology has benefitted the individuals, it has some drawbacks on society. For example, now people spend more time on these types of platforms rather than spending time in society or social activities. Face to face interaction is minimized, which certainly brings gap in local social group. Many old, aged people are not able to cope with technology and find it very difficult to interact with other people. In conclusion, As with any other invention, technology also has some drawbacks, however if people make smart choices they can surely get rid of these drawbacks and get maximum benefit of this technology revolution in the form of social networking sites.

Today, advancements in technology have brought forth tons of electronic devices that serve to increase the quality of one’s life. Accompanying this would be the surge in social networking sites for people to communicate using these devices. However, many believe social networking platforms have affected society and its people in a negative way. In my opinion, though the presence of social networks has invited several benefits into our lives, I agree that the adverse effects of social media are noticeable. Hence, one has to regulate his or her usage of social media in order to enjoy the advantages without the disadvantages. To begin, social networking sites has allowed many to communicate with their loved ones despite being separated by long distances. With the help of social media, we are able to converse with the ones we miss via text messages, audio messages or even video calls without the trouble of traveling hours to meet them. Besides that, the widening of our social circle has been made easier as a result of sites such as Facebook and Twitter, allowing us to acquaint ourselves with strangers which can be achieved with just a few taps on the screens of our smartphones. By utilizing the above advantages brought to us by social networking sites, a myriad of time can be conserved. However, social media is not without flaws. By allowing people to communicate without meeting up or seeing each other in real life, social media has transformed society into an introverted one, one that resists any sort of physical communication if it can be done online. When people are accustomed to chatting with one another online, it is without a doubt that their social skills will degrade significantly as they no longer have ’emojis’ to express their feelings. Ultimately, we are left with a society that is fragmented in real life and only operable in the virtual world. In conclusion, social networking sites has allowed us to connect with the people we love who are far away from us and thus save us plenty of time in the process. Despite the merits, our society is no longer filled with outgoing people, but those who are lacking in social skills and refuse physical communication, hence resulting in a broken society. Therefore, it is our own responsibility to not be overly reliant on social networking sites to obtain the results that were intended for us in the first place.

It is undeniable fact that learning a foreign language is more popular now a days. Although some people might consider that it is batter for children to begin learning a foreign language at primary school. On the other hand some people might believe that learning a foreign language at secondary school is beneficial , but I believe that learning a foreign language at primary school is extremely beneficial not only because child’s brain is analogous to be empty hard disk that can be uploaded more quickly at this age . Small kids memories the talent, and it is considered that learning a new accent required a strong memory.

This essay will explore who these factors make this development a positive one.

Their are multiple benefits of this development . Firstly one of the major advantage of this development is that they have more space in their mind because their minds are empty they have more ability too gain knowledge and learning a new accent is not too be much difficult for childrens. For example, my younger brother learning a foreign language in his primary school and he almost have done this. Thus,this benefit can almost handedly make this development positive.

Secondly, another major benefit linked with this development is that children have strong memory and it is considered that accent can be learn be a strong memory. All the talent is begin from childhood. For instance, my older sister have a talent of swing clothes and she learned from her childhood. Hence, this benefit can clearly over shadow any disadvantage.

To conclude, I believe that this development is an overall positive development interm of these advantages

Social media ever since its inception has taken the world by storm. It is not uncommon to find a person with a social media account even in the remotest of the areas. Such has been its profound impact that most of the top brands these days use social media for its promotion. Some of us opine that these social networking sites are impacting the individual as well as the society at large. I agree that these networking sites are useful in crisis times but mostly feel that these sites are doing more harm than good for the following two reasons. First of all, decision making in this generation is severely impaired due to influence of social media sites. People these days are compelled to base their opinion on sources which can be hardly termed as fool proof due to its abundance. This information is butter fed into an individual mind in a implicit way, before the person recognising it. Take for instance, the way political campaigns are being run these days only with an aim to drive their own agenda, projecting their view which will be beneficial to them. True, a mature person can still see through these filters, but the same cannot be guaranteed for teen minds, who form the majority of the users for these applications. Their nascent minds will be damaged beyond repair, ultimately affecting the society’s future of which they are a part of. Second of all, fake ad campaigns claiming money for self-motives have increased manifold with advent of social media sites. The major issue concerning these campaigns is that even genuine contributions are going into wrong hands; what does it mean is that when the real person is in need of help, he hardly gets it. The above issue is becoming a huge predicament for those people in need. Generous people who come forward to help are forced to think twice. Non-availability of help for those who require it even with the abundance of donors is a bane for the society for which social media sites are one of the prime reasons. There are some good things arising out of these sites, like blood donors availability, communication for help during natural calamities etc. In the times of disaster, they play a very handy role in helping the deserved. But that said, they require internet connection to work, which might not always be the case, especially in the time of crisis. To conclude, these social media sites help us in some ways subjected to some limitations like network connectivity. Considering this and the negative impacts it brings to the table, like influencing young immature minds, providing platform for fake ad-campaigns I mostly opine that these are mostly harming the individual as well as a society.

Social networking site (such as Facebook) is believed by many people to have negative effect for both individual and society. However, while I believe there is negative impacts, these effects are small compared to benefit the site offers. Firstly, some people that think about negative effect are just looking at small cases in their surroundings. For example, they see that the youth is addicted to social media such Facebook. They cannot stop checking and looking at site’s newsfeed. However, this is just because the people they observed are them who does not have ability to manage priority and time. Meanwhile, compared to those small amount of sample, it’s observed that in adult and working environment people are not addicted to the media. Hence, if an individual could manage their priority and time, the negative impacts should be nothing. Secondly, in this modern era, information is gold. That means whoever has the information will have more advantage in life than who does not. Social media is the major factor for information transfer. In a blink of eye, wherever and whenever we are, we could send and get information to other people. Not only that, the most critical value of social media is it can influence many people, society, and even a country, because everyone could present his opinion and argument and then persuade others.

In the end, although social media can ruin life of an individual, the positive impacts its offer are greater than negative effects. People who have a problem in time and priority management, should be taught how to manage it.

It is thought by many people that some social media websites affect the individuals, and the society, in a negative impact. I agree that social networking websites such as Facebook and Youtube can distract some people while others can benefit from them.

People who use social media intensively will be distracted from doing their daily tasks. A lot of people spend most of their time on Facebook, Youtube and other applications watching videos, putting likes and posting comments, at the end of the day they discover that they lost most of their day doing nothing. For instance, I am addicted to the online pages on Facebook and I was always buying a lot of things from those pages. While I was preparing for the IELTS exam, I realized that I am wasting my time and I have to do something to stop this. I deleted the applications that distracted me and I became more focused on my studies. When each individual is affected like the way that I got, the society will face a distracted generation in the future. This is why such social networks have sometimes a negative impact on individuals and society.

On the other hand, social networking websites can help people in achieving their tasks. A lot of websites and applications provide an easy way to communicate and giving assistance. Since Facebook is a universal application, a lot of people use it, thus, it is easy to make connection with others and looking for a teacher or an information using it. For example, a student can find a lot of resources on the websites to look for an information. It is easier to the students to use social media websites rather than leaving their home and wasting time on looking for someone to help, nowadays, this can be done by just searching on the websites. This will save more time and each individual can achieve more in their day which leads to a productive society. That’s why social networks are important to individuals and in turn to the society.

To conclude, although networks distracted some individuals from achieving their tasks that happens due to the addiction that they got, other individuals can take the advantage of these websites and use them correctly. This will be reflected on the whole society.

Hello Mrs Liz, please evaluate my essay. It has been considered by some individuals that harmfulness of social media such as Facebook have hit not only people but communities as well. In my standpoint, social media has negative and positive impacts, both. However, its positive impacts outweigh its negative effects on people and societies. first of all, at this age, technology has been evolving rapidly that even mankind have been able to invent internet and by using internet they have been capable of making social media platforms to connect people all over the world. social network such as Facebook is an application that made it possible for us to get connected with friends and families no matter where we live. Besides, this application has made us able to share our knowledge and our photos and many more to the characters all around the globe. Nevertheless, despite having countless advantages, social networks do have negative impacts as well. Frequently usages of social media can cause addiction. In addition, it will cause us fail in real life while we are busy watching others life styles. Instead of learning and gaining knowledge, most of our young generation tend to scroll on social media a lot and waste their crucial time. At the end they will be facing difficulties in real life. in conclusion, spending and allocating a limited time for using social media is not only good but beneficial. However, wasting most of our time on it will cause negative impacts.

Many individuals think that social networking sites, for instance Facebook, have had damaging effect on individuals as well as local communities and societies. For this essay, I will discuss why disagree that social networking sites have damaging effect on individuals and agree that these sites have damaging effect on the societies. Social networking sites have less adverse effect on individuals. Firstly, it has been seen that a major way people meet new people and make new friends are from these platforms. An individual can be in Nigeria and meet a new person from Australia via Facebook. Having a close relationship by keeping close communication daily on this platform, these two can eventually become life partners. Secondly, it has been reported from a research done by Frank Idowu in 2019, that most people become aware and participate in seminars, workshops and meetings on social networking sites. This has helped reduce the stress of physical meetings. Social networking sites have detrimental effect on the local communities. In a world of technology, most people advertise their business majorly through social media platforms. Firstly, a survey carried out by Seyi Makinde, a student of University of Ibadan reported that most people in Ibadan buy most of the things they need from online stores. This in turn has affected the sales of physical stores in Ibadan. Secondly, I strongly agree that social networking sites are of detrimental effects to the societies because most people spend more time meeting new friends online than building relationships with those in their local communities. In conclusion, social networking sites are of great benefit for an individual to meet new friends and build a career network. However, they have detrimental effect on communal relationships.

It is thought by many people that social networking sites and applications have a detrimental effect on people as well as society. While I agree that there could be some harmful effects of using these sites, I believe that the negative impact can occur only when there is an addiction to the usage of these apps. Otherwise, they are mainly beneficial to the individual. People tend to consider social networking sites as a negative development for many different reasons. Firstly, when people spend excessive time on these types of sites, meeting with new people, Without real interaction in the real world, they might find it hard to differentiate between reality and illusion. In other words, people usually try to show their perfect aspects on these sites; thus, it will be difficult to know a person’s real and moral behaviour through online chatting. Secondly, spending too much time could lead to a low academic performance for young students or low productivity for adults. Consequently, this will have a damaging effect on society. On the other hand, such networking sites have brought numerous advantages to humans, and these adverse effects can only be present when there is an addiction to these types of sites. One possible benefit of these sites is that they help people to communicate easily no matter what is the distance or barrier and without any restrictions. Owing to this, the world is considered a small village, and people can keep up with their friends and relatives all around the earth. Another positive aspect of these apps is that they help introverted people to socialize better, particularly when a person is shy to meet face to face. In conclusion, while social networking sites have negatively affected both individuals and the community, I believe that overall, these sites brought many advantages to humans and society, and the damage is only limited to rare and special cases.

The introduction of social media has made life so much less complicated for mankind. However, a group of people believe that social networking sites does more harm then good to an individual and the community. I completely disagree with this notion and in this essay i will discuss why i disgree

To begin with, prior to the introduction of modern technology people used to communicate with there family, friends or loved one through letters and landline phone calls. This method of communication was not only expensive but also very time consuming, however with the luxury of social media such as facebook, twitter, instagram people can easily interact with there loved ones by making video calls, whereby they can see them even being miles away and simply sending them a message which they will receive instantly. It also has the feature whereby people can post pictures and update there closed one about there daily lifesFurthermore, social networking sites can also be very informative in many ways such as keeping us updated with the daily news around the world, the latest trend in clothes, life hacks and also about our health and wellbeings. This helps us to stay on par with the rest of the world.

On the contrary, the negative impacts of social media can be that many people have started to spend more time on these social media app rather than going out and meeting people in there community. Instead They choose to interact woth people online whom they have neber met befire or may probably never meet in the future. It has also reduced the amount of time people spend outdoors to indulge in physical activities as they are constantly stuck to there phone or computer browsing through social media. This as a result has taken a toll at people health with introduction of non communicable disease like heartattck and diabetes

To conclude, the benefits of social media outweighs the the drawbacks as it not only helps us to keep in touch with people who live far but also keeps us updated with whats trending around the globe

Social media websites have suffered great criticism, as many people believe that such platforms shown to be have great negative effects, i totally agree with this notion since they’re perceived to be addictive and linked to high rates of depression among teenagers.

Despite the popularity of social media sites, famous platforms such as Facebook and Instagram been proved to cause addiction, designed in a way to keep users hooked, more and more people of all ages are spending long hours liking each other’s pictures, texting, and doing whatever, causing dopamine spikes in their minds, making it harder to find motivation to accomplish something through the day and as a result end up neglecting other aspects of life.

Another huge negative impact is the role such sites play in highlighting differences in lifestyle, causing envy among young people and creating the favorable conditions in which hate speech can be normalized, promoting bullying and as a result, rising depression rates among teenager. A clear example of the effect social media has on the youth is a case that made controversy in the USA, a story of a young teenager that took his friend to court, bullied by him on Facebook, the teenager’s friend tried to push him to suicide recommending it a solution for his mental problems causing him greater deal of pain and worsening his depression.

To conclude, the purpose of social media sites was to improve people’s lives bringing them closer, out of charge, offering a better alternative to paid cellular communication, However, ironically, the effect these platforms had was worser than we thought causing individuals and society more bad than good.

Impressive 👍 essay keep it bro❤️

In order to minimize the pressure health care sector is ought to deal with due to rising numbers of health problems related to obesity, some people think that adding physical exercise sessions to school curriculums is the most efficient approach. In my view, making students physically active isn’t the key to solving this overweight pandemic, as I think, having good eating habits is more important.

On one hand, adding sport lessons to children can be of great help because it will improve their overall heath making them more fit as they grow by spreading a culture of body care that will insure a healthier future for the coming generations. Furthermore, pushing kids to practice different sports will optimize their mind to muscle connection making it easier for them to engage and excel in any type of physical activities in comparison with their none active peers, therefore, rising their chances of maintaining an active lifestyle.

On the other hand, doing sports and being active without a proper diet can have a reverse effect on one person’s health, making him vulnerable to injuries, increasing the risk of heart attacks and causing him sleeping disorders. In addition to that, the myth that physical exercise is the best way to lose weight has been debunked by recent studies proving that diet is the most scientifically effective way to lose extra fat by minimizing the caloric intake.

In conclusion, it is obvious that physical exercise is crucial to have and maintain a healthy body, however, when it comes to losing fat, it been proven to be less effective in contrast with a proper calories restricted diet.

According to people, Using social media as facebook causing negative impact not only on individuals but community also. I agree that it has some drawback for society but i can see some of the advantage for individuals as well. In one hand, If i talk about a person using network site,So it’s not only giving opportunity to find friends globally but also giving idea of variety of culture uses by each state or nation . People are getting each other’s rituals and languages without even meeting them in person or visiting their hometown. That’s how social networking is an advantage for everyone to know everyone and their traditions online. In other hand, Community have one disadvantage that they may miss their son’s or daughter’s presence during meal time or while walking outside alone when they are busy in facebook in knowing someone or finding something interesting. These days youth specially try to search any mate outside home mostly in social media so that they can share their feeling or experience to them instead of sharing to any family member, so may be it’s our mistake that we are not that much friendly with our children that they are making friends outside to share it. We are loosing their faith hence it’s our responsibility to gain it again then only this problem can be solved. In each society and family, there should be freedom for their children as a result they will feel comfortable in home because of friendly atmosphere and will start spending time with parents as well. They will let their parents know about the friends and culture which they have known through facebook so that community get to know plus points of using it.

Social media has tremendously impacted our daily life in several ways. Some argue that social media disadvantages outweigh its advantages and builds a lazy unproductive generation. In my opinion, social networking facilitate communication between people; however, cyber bullying is the most dangerous negative impact of social media.

Nowadays, almost everyone is on a social media platform such as Facebook, Instagram and twitter. Many use these platforms to communicate with their pairs, friends and family members on regular basis since it is cheap, convenient and has different options such as voice or video calls. Moreover, people can post and share content and news on the social media apps. Furthermore, many businesses use the platforms to reach out customers and advertise about their products and services.

On the other hand, social media can be a dangerous tool in the hands of bullies and aggressive persons. Sadly, some use social media platforms to blackmail others or bully them which has a negative impact on one’s mental health specially teenagers. Also, many models and social media influencers use beauty filters that shows a completely unrealistic skin and body image burdening young females with distorted body image and body shaming which I believe is a dangerous impact on their personality development and mental health.

In conclusion, social media can be used to bring people closer and share news and daily life events. However, it can be a dangerous environment where someone might get cyber bullied or body shammed. I believe that social media has both negative and positive impacts depending on the way we use it and the content we get exposed to.

Thank you Liz for the excellent material you have on your website. I scored an overall 8.5 (L 9, R 9, W 7 and S 8) and I would like to attribute a part my score to your helpful tips, YouTube videos and sample tests on this site which allowed me to better understand how to answer. Even though one might feel very confident being a regular English speaker, there is a proper method to cracking IELTS.

Really appreciate the stuff you have generously shared, and for free. God bless!

It’s great to see your scores – very well done you!! You clearly nailed IELTS 🙂

Majority believe that there are alarming disadvantages to the use of social networking sites. I am in complete agreeance to this statement as there have been numerous negative effects on individuals and society. The use of social media has led to the rise in depression. As people post their eventful memories in social media, a lot of people have been feeling discontentment in their own lives. Constant comparison is made and consequently, they start to question whether they’re living their best life. Another effect of using social media to individuals is the quality of face to face interactions. Most people choose to talk through social applications on their phones rather than meet with each other in person. Humans are social beings, thus the fall in the quality of personal interactions affect one’s well-being. In addition, society is also affected as many use social media to spread false news. Caution must now be practiced whenever a news article is presented as there is a probability that it is untrue. People are now wary and unbelieving. There is a growing distrust in the community due to countless attempts to fool society with lies. An example could be the false news spreading on social media during election time – this is critical as society might elect an official based on untrue words. Also, through social sites, online bullying has become more rampant. It takes little to no effort to target someone with disrespectful words and comments anonymously. This can be seen everyday as people post baseless hate comments. In conclusion, it cannot be denied that social networking sites has a lot of disadvantages in both society and individuals. People should practice using such platforms with caution and make sure that their mental health can handle it.

Nowadays, with the rise of streaming services and high prevalence of gadgets people spends significant amount of time on social media. However, this eventually possesses some negative effects on individual as well as on society. Therefore, I strongly agree with this statement that these sites have strong damaging effects. Firstly, it becomes fashion everywhere of using mobile phones and spending much time on social networking sites. People prefer to chat with other person who lives far away or to whom they do not know. These acts drain some devastating effects on their social life. For example, people prefer to talk to people who lives at distances but ignores the immediate relationships that deserves to have their time most like parents and grandparents. This acts would eventually affects the society also. Secondly, their health may also compromise as they refrain themselves from physical activities and sitting on gadgets for long hours. For instance individual may suffer from diabetes due to less physical activity and may be through heart issues. On the other hand, social networking may be useful for societies like individuals may get connected with the love ones whom they cannot meet physically and it becomes the blessings to get connected with them through these sites. Furthermore, by getting connected with different people one can increase his knowledge about different cultures and their way of living. In this advanced technological era it is important to get in touch with worldly activities to enhance the standards of living. To conclude, although there are many pros of using social networking sites but their cons outweighed it. To my point of view if someone is being neglecting by his family members in spite of living under one shelter then its benefits of social interactions does not matters.

Nowadays, technology becomes one of the most significant ways people can connect and interact with each other. However, the majority of people think that social networking, for instance, Facebook, has an enormous bad effect on both individuals and society. I strongly agree that social networking has a negative side at the same time, also it has a positive impact, whereas it influences personal and community on both sides.

First and foremost, 100,000,000 people use the internet on different sites. For example, Facebook has a huge number of followers like to utilize, and connect through it such as chatting, sending pictures, meeting new friends from different areas around the world, learning, and interacting with people who speak various languages and have different cultures. Furthermore, stealing private information via Facebook becomes nervous for a lot of people clearly, mention in BBC news that more than 500,000 people around the world had stolen their Bank account, with an intelligent method, even though Facebook is still at the top of apps that people prefer to share and connect.

On the other hand, the new generation especially spends more time on the internet and social networking. Indeed, it affects a family relationship, lack of connection and discussion between them, and no gain of information, less about knowledge, and skills and hobbies will disappear from our society. Because with this ability, and activity the community will grow and develop. Hence, the consequence will have a negative impact. Of course, Facebook has plenty of information, document, picture, and charts, that show how other countries improve. For that reason, Facebook can share information that lets people read and see images about the countries, culture, and society, so it will help to attract tourists to come, and the economy will rapidly increase.

To summarize, social networking has benefits and drawbacks on both sides, such as individual and community.

Wonderful Really, I like it

Most people feel that Social Media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter have had a very negative effect on both the people and society. I’m of the opinion this isn’t accurate, and the below essay will explain why.

Social media has rapidly become the most preferred option of communication. It has worked as an effective method to connect with people no matter how far they are from each other. Twitter has given this generation a power that was never available, the ability to spread a message to millions of people at the click of a button.

Social media has enhanced people-to-people connections between enemy nations as well. If you see the activities of someone else from a different geography, you realise that the people there are not so different. For instance, through social media, I realised that many people in Pakistan love the actor, Shah Rukh Khan as much as my family does. Furthermore, there are countless other stories of how these platforms have helped people find lost ones, get blood donors, and financial donors under challenging times.

Though admittedly, like most tools, social media can have a harmful use if in the wrong hands. Also, the echo chamber created by the algorithm of social media has led to the growth of fascist ideologies worldwide. Though I don’t believe the websites are to blame, the user is the culprit.

In conclusion, I believe social media, if regulated to an extent, is a boon to society. Its growth should not be discouraged.

Social Media has grown immensely in the last 10 years and had become an integral part of our life. Owing to its popularity, a lot of people had made their midset that Social Media such as Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and many more had a detrimental effect on individuals as well as society. I concur, that it is affecting the lives of teenagers, kids, and even older people, along with also harmed our diverse society.

Primarily, Social media is affecting Society in broader aspects, people are spending long hours just strolling on these Social Networking Sites without taking any valuable aspect to improve themself. As a consequence, people are not able to gain the essential social behavior and proving nothing among their community. Instead, they are wasting their time, on these sites, blindly following an influencer which they would rarely meet in their whole life. For instance, there are many kids which are highly influenced in gaming, following the influencer on these sites. These kids have changed their way of living by spending most of their time playing computer or mobile games rather than involving in some physical sports, which is highly affecting their education, health as well as they lack most of the social skills, which indeed affecting the society, especially the one with local communities.

Moreover, the dramatic increase in the demand for Social media had created a way for fraudsters, to spread their curated news easily on the daily basis, following certain sophisticated tactics they tend to gain people’s beliefs and make it so much appealing that they tend to believe or form opinion related to whatever they have seen on this sites. As a result, false or misleading information presented as news is spreading more and more, which may affect individuals and also society. To illustrate, there was a celebrity Ranbir Kapoor, on which the fake allegation of dealing with drugs was put on, by the trend on Twitter, people had started creating their opinion, which had a huge impact on his professional and personal life. Later on, After investigation, it was cleared that the news which was spread was entirely false. As stated, these sites had highly affected our society and our beliefs.

In conclusion, Social media is growing at a high pace, and with technological advancement, it will continue to thrive in the future as well, but had a huge deteriorating impact on our society and our own life. To mitigate such an impact, it’s highly difficult and challenging. Fraud news on these sites is spreading almost daily, people are wasting a lot of time perpetually strolling on this platform, affecting their own life, causing them not involved in social activities in their society.

Thank you Liz for your free tips

You’re welcome 🙂

Thanks for this powerful site, Liz!

I read through the whole page, and your responses are of great assistance. I feel confident to seat for the test.

Thank you so much, Liz. I wish you a speedy recovery.

Good luck with your test 🙂

Hi Liz , it’s Guri I have been following you for last 2 to 3 years,,,I always watch your videos on youtube even on your own website, ,,I want to ask why did you stop to post videos on youtube regarding IELTS,, since last 5 years ,,,, do you provide online IELTS course ,,,kindly let me know please ,, Sincerely Gurpreet Singh From India 🇮🇳

Hi Gurpreet, I stopped making videos because my health crashed in 2015 and I’ve been struggling since then. Each time I start recovering, I get sick again. It’s a long slow battle. But I hope next year will bring me better luck. This website contains all my free lessons and tips for each part of the test. But I also have some Advanced Writing Task 2 Lessons and two e-books relating to Writing Task 2: an ideas for topics e-book and a grammar e-book. You can find them in my store: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/ . Once I’m better, I’ll start making more videos for my store and my Youtube channel 🙂

Hi Liz, I started watching your videos a month ago for IELTS, and I learnt a lot from your clear and informative presentations. Then I purchased the writing task 2 pack about 10 days ago – my best decision forever! I will have the IELTS test (academic) tomorrow which I aim at 7 in each category for accreditation as a medical professional in Australia. Whether I got the score or not, I will keep doing the practice to improve my English. Get well soon! Kind regards, Charlie

Best of luck with your test !! 🙂

I pray to god that u recover as soon as possible because every ielts beginner needs your help and assistance .

Get well soon

Kindly take care of your health.

Get well soon ! We are keen to see you again on your Youtube channel

Hello Liz, Get well soon dear…

I learnt a lot from your YouTube channel and I am confident enough to attend the exam.

Thanks 😊 Srini Reddy India

get well soon Liz . a lot of wishes and love from India.

I wish you quick recovery

oo, pls get well soonest Liz you have been an inspiration honestly, you make Ielts look so easy

Hey Liz, How are you now? Still no new videos or uploads. Are you alright?

Thanks for asking. My illness is long-term. It’ll take time before I can make videos – I’m still not well enough.

It is considered by many that social media sites have had a bad impact on individual people as well as the society and community. Though such sites provide considerable benefits, I too believe that the negative impact outweighs them in various angles.

On one hand, Social media websites like Facebook,Youtube and Instagram bring people together and help them communicate by a few clicks on a website. Before the development of such sites, people rarely meet with anyone outside of their community or country. Additionally Facebook also has social groups where users can act promptly during any emergencies such as natural disasters or social awareness campaigns and contribute to such programs in various ways.

On the other hand , It is clear that based on online activities there are many individuals easily being targeted by online scammers for serious traps such as sensitive data fraud and love scams. Additionally youngsters spend most of their time being active on Facebook and they are unlikely to spend time with their family or community cycle they live in. This leads to a broken society around the individual and soon the individual can be distanced from community and easily be fallen into depression or may feel helpless incase of being victimised by a scammer. Furthermore individuals face serious health issues such as back pain,migraine and spinal injuries due to long hours on social sites which ultimately form an unhealthy community.

Finally, in my view, Spending time on social media should be limited and undercontrolled by individuals in order to maintain a good mental as well as physical health. Over use of such sites will definitely lead to unrecoverable impact not only on individuals but also on the community cycle around them. Individuals should be extra cautious on usage of such sites to continue forming a healthy environment.

Wow fantastic writing thankyou so much for help me to write the good answer

Have you started essay marking services which was suppose to start in oct. 2020?

No. Sorry. I’m still sick. I won’t be starting a marking service until I’m better. Hopefully late next year.

Get well soon, mam.

hi Liz, Please is this a good answer to give for this advertisement question?

Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things that we really do not need. Others say that advertisements tell us about new products that may improve our lives. Which viewpoint do you agree with?

Generally, people believe that publicity gives us the courage to purchase things we are not in need of, while others think that publicity gives a broader view about new products that may be of high signigicant to our lives. I strongly agree with both views as publicity gives us the courage to purchase items we dont need and also a information on items that are beneficial to us. This essay will give an in-sight to the points.

Advertisement gives us the courage to purchase things that are not essencial. For example, I saw a smart watch on aliexpress earlier this week which has almost all the features and applications an android phone has. This really got my attention and without further exitation, i purchased the smart watch online. Thinking about it few hours later, i honestly do not see the need for the smart watch. Furthermore, publicity of products are everywhere we can imagine like in the newspaper, social media, different websites, television and on the radio. A friend once said, we humans are mostly driven by what we hear which leads us to make that immediate decision occasionally. Although, some promotions of product and services totally discourages some people from purchasing it due to errors or wrong information released.

Publicity give an in-sight of new products that are beneficial to our lives. For instance, some products like the advanced portable blood pressure machine newly produced is not easily accesible in our physical stores. This is because it is still on high demand and its to be pre ordered for if needed urgently. This gives people the doubt of purchasing such product blindly as there is no complete assurance to the specifications with just words of mouth. But with the new advertisement released on the benefits of this product, there is a broader knowledge of the importance of the product.

In my opinion, i strongly agree that people are driven to purchase some irrelivant items and also an in-depth knowledge is given on the benefits of some products that are beneficial to our lives. This can mostly be achieved through publicity.

In conclusion, publicity does not only encourages us to purchase irrelevant items, it also gives a broader view of how important some products are to our lives.

Based on social facts, many are into social networking which has been believed by most people, has enormous significant negative effect for both personal and in the society. I completely agree that social media has a big impact to individuals and in the community.

Many people are fond of using the internet especially the social networking like Facebook, Twitter and etc. They have spent most of their time handling their mobiles and computer just to have connection to other people and this one made sense to them. Primarily, the negative effect of over usage of the streaming and social networking is not being productive in a usual day. Apart from that, many individual has a feeling of envious towards other people which is not good in personal development.

Another point to consider is that many false-beliefs and intrigues are affecting the individual. Nowadays, many untruthful related issues are being brought up in the internet and it does not contribute to our interpersonal skills instead, hence it gives negative values. These controversial would not help us to become a better person. In other hand, our society is also affected by these social networking by increasing the rate of people who are no longer engaged in interpersonal relationship. They prefer to use Facebook or other media to communicate thus, personal interaction is no longer observed.

On the contrary, Social networking has benefit to us as an individual. It provides us a good communication line to other people by sharing common thoughts and interests and to keep each other close immediately.

To conclude, social networking has an imperative impact in totality to individual and society but negative impact is more evident with regards to individual personality and behavior as whereas what it brings to the community.

Can you please evaluate Ms. Liz Thank you

Based on social facts, many are into social networking which has been believed by most people, has enormous significant negative effect for both personal and in the society. I completely agree that social media has a big impact to individuals and in the community. Many people are fond of using the internet especially the social networking like Facebook, Twitter and etc. They have spent most of their time handling their mobiles and computer just to have connection to other people and this one made sense to them. Primarily, the negative effect of over usage of the streaming and social networking is not being productive in a usual day. Apart from that, many individual has a feeling of envious towards other people which is not good in personal development. Another point to consider is that many false-beliefs and intrigues are affecting the individual. Nowadays, many untruthful related issues are being brought up in the internet and it does not contribute to our interpersonal skills instead, hence it gives negative values. These controversial would not help us to become a better person. In other hand, our society is also affected by these social networking by increasing the rate of people who are no longer engaged in interpersonal relationship. They prefer to use Facebook or other media to communicate thus, personal interaction is no longer observed. On the contrary, Social networking has benefit to us as an individual. It provides us a good communication line to other people by sharing common thoughts and interests and to keep each other close immediately. To conclude, social networking has an imperative impact in totality to individual and society but negative impact is more evident with regards to individual personality and behavior as whereas what it brings to the community.

Can you please evaluate my writing skills and content. Thank you Ms. Liz

Please check my introduction: Social networking websites like Facebook, Instagram, etc. are thought to have affected individuals and society and local communities alike. While I agree that social media has had some clear advantages for an individual person, there’s also a downside in that they’ve made a dent on solidarity among people of the society.

Social networks is crucial in this modern age and everyone is getting adapted to this trend irrespective of the ages. More number of people have a understanding that using social network platform will definitely lead to some disadvantages on people and environment. However, I entirely believe that they contribute aspects that are helpful to the individuals and improves the society.

Majority of people have a flawed understanding over social networking sites, for instance, instagram, whatsapp, facebook are some applications where one can communicate to another only through internet which is not safe. People believe that it might lead to addiction which later cause health issues in terms of stress. According to a research from the Harvard university, there is a increasing number of people aged between 8-25 are facing serious health problems due tot he reason of using many networking sites constantly.

Conversely, there are some beneficials in using the networking applications in order to improve education. For example, owing tot he COVID situation, most of the teaching method are changed virtually, where one can learn easily by staying at home. Society on the other hand receive benefits. Recent in Tamil Nadu a protest named “Jallikattu” gone viral and reason behind was because of Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and many such social networking applications which payed a way to throw light on the States’s culture and tradition in order to conduct the jallikattu event.

To recapituate, social networkings can have both negative and positive effect. Meanwhile, it is in the hands of the individual to make it better and useful. In my opinion, I strongly agree that these network sites enable us to explore more and bring in true colours of Nations’s development.

Hi Jeevitha. Your essay seems nice at a glance. But, beware of spelling errors. Found few. Ahead.

if somebody can evaluate my essay that would be great help A few masses of people reckon that social sites are detrimental for society and human, while other masses believes they are beneficial in their own good ways. I personally agree that these sites are leaving various negative impact on surrounding. Talking about the benefits of social networks including Facebook, Instagram, Linkdin, first and foremost benefit is ; connection to people worldwide.in earlier times, people used to use postcards, letters and telegrams to send their messages to different countries but today with the help of these sites messages can be sent worldwide with the flick of a finger. Secondly, these sites are major platform for marketing and business as well. For example, we can display our ideas and products on such sites ; which will be helpful in raising money on individual levels. Finally, it helps the students to follow different pages on social media, where a pupil can find guidance to their career and can find solution to their daily base study problems. on the other hand, the major disadvantage of these sites is the cutting off of people from the society. People, nowadays, like to spent their time more on entertainment sites; as a result , people are getting detached from their near ones. They don’t have time for their partner and parents’ feelings. Because of this, society is facing major crisis in maintaining healthy relationships. other major drawback of these sites is its worst effect on health i.e. people are becoming more prone to diseases day by day. For example, obesity, high blood pressure and other chronic diseases. Overall, it can be said that people should use sites only when needed and they should spent major time involved in physical activities . In this way their life will lead to happy and fruitful life i.e. free of diseases.

Jasdeep, please use punctuation marks cautiously. You must start every sentence with capital letter. Your points are all good, need to be arranged in a better manner though.

Many people believe that the social networking platforms has drastically affected the individuals and as well as the whole society. However, others believe that these platforms have benefited us as well in many ways. This essay will enlighten both these aspects of social network platforms and I personally favours the former view i.e. it has overall put a negative impact on our personal and social life.

There is no doubt that such platforms has completely broken the distance barriers. it gives us the leverage to connect and communicate with people globally and share the cultural and social values with each other. We are just one click away from any person across the globe and can seamlessly communicate with anyone and anywhere either using text or voice call or video call facility. Also, such platforms especially Facebook are also being used for advertisements thus people are growing their businesses. Also, these platforms keeps us in regular touch of our friends by seeing their events and posts online and appreciate them.

Now, the reason why these platforms have a negative effect is the over indulgence by people into them. People of all walks of life are using them in so excess that they have dramatically affected and changed their life style completely. Today, most people prefers communicating online rather than in person because of the ease provided by technology. It may have removed the distance barriers but created a big social gap between people. Due to this, many people and even the children are suffering from mental health problems.

In conclusion, Social networking platforms are very good and have many benefits if used wisely. However, these platforms have created a void in our social life and created a emotional and social barrier barrier between people.

This is much better than that which is mentioned above 😂

Thank you. Glad you liked it. Hope it helped. 👍

Sorry, but Liz’s essay is a Band 9 while Vineet’s essay is full of spelling errors and grammatical mistakes so he can only qualify for a band 7 as a maximum score.

More importantly, Liz’s essays are stylish, impeccable and are worth your respect.

Kind regards Wei

Well done bro👍

The world is now a global village..This has been made achievable by the introduction of social sites such as Facebook. Some people have seen this development as rather detrimental to individuals and the society as a whole. Most are of the opinion that, this is addictive and destroys community bonding. However, on the other hand, some people and me inclusive believe it has brought a lot more benefits such as bringing people from far closer and has provided opportunities for most communities.

Sites such as Facebook , when used over and over again, it builds up our cognitive function to always be logged in to it. Research has proven that individuals spend most of their day glued to their mobile phones while on these sites. With regards to this productive time is being lost which would have been used to do other meaningful activities. Furthermore, as more people indilge on online sites, interpersonal communication gradually becomes diminished.when looked upon from a community level, less and less persons get to be involved with one another further making division and weakening community bonding. Despite all these, others have embraced this positively. A strong reason for this is it has broken the distance between people living in different countries and continents.with Facebook you can place and video call and see an oversees relative or friend within seconds.This has overcome the traditional letter writing which took months to be delivered and tarried information. At a community level, projects such as clean water provision, electricity and schools have been successfully carried out by non governmental organisations when this were put up on Facebook as challenges within some communities. This has added to infrastructural development and reduction in diseases. To conclude, despite some drawbacks the Internet age has brought, I believe its advantages are enormous and surpasses it cons.

It is been believed by a large section of society that social media sites have been negatively impacting both individuals and society. In my opinion, I agree that social networking sites have negative repercussions on the people and its society as it impacts individual and hence society overall development One of the reasons to consider the opinion of many people that social networking sites have a downside impact on individuals is that with the emerge of these sites, people have disconnected themselves from the real world, while have reduced focus on physical health, social bonds and emotional quotients. Physical and mental health is very important for one’s growth. The downfall of these important parameters not only affect the self-development of individuals but also influence society’s health and unity, which in turn reshapes the individual in a vicious circle.

Another point to consider is that spending more time on sites like FB, Google, etc leads to spending less time on constructive work such as research etc, which in turn, holds the overall productivity of society. In other words, the development of a nation depends on people’s effectiveness and efficiency. Spending time on such sites reduces the possibility to utilize more time on greater innovations and discoveries, thereafter, causing the defeat of society’s future advancement and evolution.

In conclusion, people spending time on social networking sites increases the risk of depleting their actual capability, aptitude and skills, and hence rusting their progressive thinking, impacting not only their self-evolution but also impacting the nation’s social and economic progression.

To some people, social media networking sites such as Facebook are perceived to have negative impacts on both individuals and society. I agree that networking sites can be utilized for positive causes like information sharing and to reach people instantly. However, there are also some drawbacks derived from social media such as catfishing and fraud. Besides, social media addiction is becoming more prominent in recent years.

Networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram were made to help society to be more connected in a short time manner. It does help us to reach our relatives who live abroad faster. It can also be the platform to share our thought and our lifestyle. With social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, we can share what we are doing currently and post it on our profile. Furthermore, networking sites can be a source of Informations, from seeking a place to stay on vacation to more academic-related information like the value of Pythagoras, from the information-sharing platform given in the networking sites. For the bigger picture, we see that networking sites have eased us to sell information that benefits businesses and corporations to execute strategy effectively, which further boosts the economy. We can see from the above discussion that Networking sites have multiple benefits.

However, with the rising of networking sites as our way of life when it comes to searching for information or simply just sharing, there are some disadvantages of networking sites. With the ability to chat virtually, there are lots of people who stole others’ identities for numerous reasons. This is called catfishing. This is maybe harmless but people who are fooled by them maybe feel betrayed and hurt. Furthermore, the ability to freely access information can be a backlash, with the acts of fraud such as phishing becoming more striking recently. Social media addiction is also a notable problem nowadays. Children prefer to stay on their roof browsing the internet instead of going outside with their friends, Forming the new generation to become mature faster than previous generations. We see evidence that children in the current generation, generation Z to develop emotions such as stress and depression before they even reach puberty.

In conclusion, networking sites benefit ourselves and society for the efficiency to be connected with others and to be exposed to abundant sources of information. Nevertheless, networking sites can cause several disadvantages and therefore there should be strict regulations to regulate the networking sites.

Please reply with your suggestions. Thanks

Social networking sites, such as Facebook, are believed to have a really bad impact on individuals by some people and they also think it has a worse effect on society. In my opinion, I agree with the problems that are associated with the use of social platforms to an individual and society.

As the growth of social platforms has increased among the individuals, they started to become less responsive in terms of interacting directly with others which causes a bad impact on their overall lifestyle. With this, everyone likes to check statuses of others on social media rather having a one-on-one conversation with the other person which results in lack of social and interpersonal skills in individuals.

Individuals deeply indulged in social-media platforms while using public transport are becoming a victim in various road accidents which is not only an unpleasant situation for them but for their family too. This describes, that these networking sites have a severe effect on families who are associated with a user of social media.

On the other hand, people who opt to use social platforms for more time than intended are unaware of the societal problems that are arising in their surrounding. They undoubtedly believe in every news which they see on social media and forgets about the implications it can have on their society. With this, no one cares much about society and what message it brings to all of us.

In conclusion, networking sites had a really ill effect on individuals who interact with these sites on a regular basis and this contributes to other problems that are related to society.

Thanks for sharing, but I don’t offer feedback on writing. Hopefully someone else will drop you a review.

Social networking sites have changed the way our society communicates. While there have been many positive outcomes of it such as increased connectivity, sharing new ideas and understandings of different cultures, there have been some major drawbacks as well which have led many people to question their contribution to the society.

One of the main disadvantages of social media is that it affects the mental health of individuals. Youth in particular, are quite vulnerable to fall into the trap of believing the false reality on social media. They may also be susceptible to live their lives for the approval of others, which may result in them to have less overall life satisfaction. Many people often find themselves depressed by the constant competition on the social media and superficial connections that exist virtually, leaving them no time or energy to establish deep connections, which may prove very detrimental to their mental health.

In recent times, we have seen Social media sites having the power to change public opinion, which is very dangerous in some ways. Since the revenue model of these sites are advertisement driven, big powerful corporations can spend a lot of money on these sites to shift public opinion favourably towards them. It also limits competition in certain segments as small businesses are unable to capture user’s attention.

Like everything that exist, social media has advantages and disadvantages, In my opinion, to provide a fair balance, there needs to be education around its usage and some regulations which does not allow individual or corporations to abuse the platforms for their benefits.

In this Link – https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-agree-disagree-essay-sample-answer/ , you have mentioned that for opinion essays, we should be writing one opinion only through out the essay. But in this page , I could see that both sides of the arguments were discussed. I’m confused. Could you please clarify.

I think you are getting confused about one opinion and a one-sided opinion. These are not the same thing. When you have an Opinion Essay, you can choose your opinion. It will either be a one-sided opinion when you agree 100% with one side or it will be a specific opinion (balabced view), when you don’t agree fully with either side and you present your own specific view. Once you decide your opinion, you present it in the introduction. From that point on, you can’t change your opinion. Your essay must follow the opinion you have given in the introduction. So, you choose your opinion and stick to it. Please get my Advanced Lessons to get proper training: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

May God bless you to get well soon Liz.

Get well soon Liz…..

Thanks. I appreciate that.

Get well soon Liz.

a good many people believing that social media is affecting adversely on males and females in many communities. However, In my opinion, it also causes some serious health problems if we use it too much per day. Nowadays, social media took an essential role in our life and I admit that it takes most of the time for a good majority of people, despite that it can help u communicate with others worldwide it also made a huge gap between society relations, for example, if you are missing someone and want to see him, probably you would call him via video instead of seeing him in some place or in his or her house because we used to visit each other in the past, check if we need anything, he may be in the hospital and need someone to cheer him, support him to recover and tell him that we are here for them.

In addition, even family nights have now vanished, we just sit with each other without talking, just surfing the internet instead of playing some game or share any problem that we are struggling with, even the emotions now are electronics not honest one from deep of our hearts, so this would adversely affect our life and make it meaningless.

to sum up, social media is a need to handle our life, but too much of using it will back in a negative way that affect our health and habits.

I just read the comments section and found out that you have been suffering from some disease for a long time. It is a shocking news for me. I have learnt a lot from you and consider you one of the most respected teachers of mine. What happened Liz??? How are you now?? I hope that you are getting better day by day and get fully recovered very soon 🙁

Thanks for your concern. I’m still sick and there are times when I struggle a lot. But I do have hope that I will get better. Hopefully next year will see some improvement. Meanwhile, I try to keep this website going and keep posting lessons and tips. Hope you are staying safe at this time.

BEST Wishes!! Get well Soon!!

Thanks. I appreciate it.

Hi, I am waiting to write my IELTS in two hours. While revising concepts from your website, I just realised about your health. I pray to almighty for your speedy recovery. 🙂 Please take care. You are the best!!!

Thanks. I’m so sorry I didn’t see this message before so I could have wished you luck. However, I do hope your test went well !!

Thank you so much Liz for all your sessions and inputs. I scored 8887 LRSW in General test, had my speaking today and will be appearing tomorrow for the rest, this time academic. Take care get well soon. You have been a great support to me.

Hey Liz, I have not known you personally but you are one of the teachers I have the highest regard for. I am appearing for my IELTS soon and I have checked out many IELTS videos on youtube but by far your 4-5 years old youtube videos are still the best. Everything is explained so well that I can’t thank you enough. I saw that your youtube channel videos were posted in 2014 and was confused why being such a nice teacher, you haven’t uploaded any video recently. So to see that and to learn more I landed up to your website and then on the comments. I am really sorry to hear that you are suffering from a health issue for a long time. I am sure you will get well pretty soon considering the 1.4 million + student community which you have built must be wishing you well.

Thanks for your message. Yes, I’m still sick. My recovery has been hit many times by bad luck. But I am still hopeful. Your positive message is encouraging 🙂

get well soon..lots of blessings and best wishes from me ..

Take Care Liz!

I hope to get well soon.

I’m sorry to know that, I hope you recover soon and get back to normal.

your blog contains better content ,wish to see you active again.GET WELL SOON LIZ.

I am from India, and I have received so much help from your free videos and lessons.

Praying for your speedy recovery. I am sure you will be fit and fine soon.

If prayers do miracle, then Ms.Liz, you got many around the world, yours students, we are earnestly appealing to God, a speedy recovery for you.We can’t lose our dear teacher.

Common Liz.. Me and my wife not yet done our Ielts yet.

Thank you for your best wishes. My health is improving slowly but I still need to rest a lot. Hopefully I will have better news at the end of the year. Meanwhile, I work part time on this website and will keep it open and post free lessons regularly.

I don’t know what is your exact illness. Any way I pray to Almighty God for early recovery from your illness.

Wish you a quick recovery and may you be fit than ever. Please stay safe our dear Liz.

May you recover soon Liz. You will be as just you are before sick. Keep strong, everything will be okay 🙂

In Bangladesh, its spread that you has been suffering dangerous illness. Is it true or Fals?

I have been very sick for a long time and I am still not well. But I am able to run this website. Hopefully next year I’ll be able to make videos again.

Liz, please get well soon. You’re important to us here more than you’ll ever know. From Nigeria.

Get well soon, praying for you Liz!

get well soon liz 🙂

Oh no, sorry to hear about that Liz. Hopefully is not something very serious. Get well soon, hugs!

Your are precious to many of us. Please get well soon and contribute more of your excellent english knowledge to the world. May god bless you. Take care of yourself dear..

It’s so sad to hear that u r not well. Get better soon Liz.

get well soon dear Liz

I’ll pray for your speedy recovery. You are truly a gem 🙂

OH DEAR, GET WELL SOON DEAR. WE HOPE TO SEE YOU BACK IN FULL ENERGY SOONEST.

Hi Liz, I am confused, question asked, to what extent do you agree but you mentioned both positive and negative sides. Are we supposed to take only one side in such essays or both?

You can take a one sided approach or a balanced approach (partial agreement).

Hi Liz, I do like your web: It s organized, concise, and helpful. Keep on producing valuable posts as you have done. Appreciate you from Indonesia

Social networking sites such as Facebook considered having had a detrimental effect on both individuals as well as society. In my opinion, I disagree with the above-mentioned statement because the pros outweigh the cons by far. Social networking sites are not only used to communicate but also used as an effective mode of establishing or run businesses. Researchers said that the social networking sites in the 21st century are considered as “MONEY MAKING MACHINE”. Social networking sites are used as a tool for sole traders, entrepreneurs, businesses to sell and advertise their products and to target the specific segment of the society. They have had used these sites as a platform to launch their products and get instant feedback from end-users. For example facebook banner ad. Social networking sites connected people and friends despite the fact where they lived. In my opinion, it has had a positively impact on people’s lives because they are linked and known every activity for their beloved ones. Social networking makes the world a global village; you just click on one button and share your thoughts, emotions, and pictures with your friends and family. In the past, people had no connection except writing letters and waited almost 2 to 3 weeks for a response but now you just instantly made a video and audio call for free is it not amazing? To conclude, social networking sites have had a positive impact on individuals because they are connected and share their experience which is helpful for the young lads. Furthermore, it has had also used for creating job opportunities, advertise products, and know what are the needs of consumers.

Hi Liz, Can we give our opinion in the introduction and then in the conclusion too?

You introduce your opinion in the introduction and then conclude it in the conclusion.

Hi Liz, What do you think about this?

Social media sites have become extensively popular around the world and majority of the population argue that such kind of sites to have ill effect on everyone. In my opinion, I disagree with this statement because I believe the pros outweigh the cons by far. It has had enormous amount of benefits such as creating job and wealth opportunity as well as has allowed many to connect with friends across the globe.

Research shows that social media is seen as the 21st century ‘money making machine’ whereby many sole traders, entrepreneurs and big business can use this kind of platforms to advertise and promote their products or services. Business are able to use it as a trading platform to sell. Because many people use such sites, it’s easier to reach target consumers for example through Facebook banner ad. In addition, it has also enabled startups to get instant feedback on their products.

On the other hand, it is used as a main platform for communication among many. Not only do social sites allow you to share pictures and videos but also enable you to make ordinary and video calls. Furthermore, you can share you day to day experience with friends and family in a form of short clips. For example, if there was no Snapchat, how would I have been able to share videos instantaneously?

To conclude, social sites have plenty of benefits and has positively contributed to the society and businesses over the years. I believe that it has empowered us to use it for a range of purposes and also has allowed businesses to trade.

Thanks Liz for always helping. Kindly help with corrections.

It is argued that social networking sites like Facebook have had a harmful effect on individuals and local communities. This essay agrees that Facebook has advantages while it also has a dangerous impact on the public.

Thanks in advance

The instructions ask for your own opinion. I need to use “I” or “my” to express a personal opinion.

Liz, it is not wrong if I use I MUST SAY and IN MY OPINION in body paragraphs. Iam really confused what to do, while in opinion essay such as dou you agree or disagree case

It is actually vital to use those words if you are asked for your own opinion. I don’t put up model essays onto my site that are not safe to learn from.

Hi Liz , could you please help me with the. structure of agree and disagree statement as well as opinion essay .I’m confused about it .as my tutor told that I have make 3 body paragraph 2 with whom I agree and one for another side ?

An “agree disagree essay” and an “opinion essay” are 100% the same thing. The instructions are a paraphrase and the essay type the same.

Hi Liz, I have come across below discussion essay question; “Today’s teenagers have more stressful life than previous generations”. Discuss this view and give your opinion

Can I have an opinion such as ” Even though current generation is facing stressful life, it is lesser than the struggles faced by earlier generation”?

If I can have such an opinion, my essay body should explain about the stress life of current generation or earlier generation? Kindly advice. Thanks in advance.

Your thesis statement is fine, but make sure you use “I believe” or “in my opinion” to make your own personal view clear. Your essay would then explain your view: a) why you think the current generation is facing a stressful life b) why you think it is less than the struggles faced by earlier generations.

Thanks to you Liz. Please hear me out.

Please with opinion essays, can you write a point from outside the given QUESTION?

For example; the question asks ” To what extent do you think laws will ensure people recycle more at their homes”

My opinion – (After paraphrasing my introduction)” Although education plays a key role in increasing recycling, I agree laws will enforce the need for recycling more in our homes”

the point i introduced here is EDUCATION. Is it okay to write that?

This is an opinion essay about solutions. This means you give your opinion about the solution offered and whether it will actually solve the problem. Your answer would be that you agree it is a useful solution, but there is a better solution for this problem. That is fine. However, your thesis statement is written incorrectly. The clauses are the wrong way around and therefore don’t match the question. You should have written: Although laws to enforce recycling would have an impact, a better measure would be to raise more awareness of the benefits of recycling through education”. It is essential that you grasp the order of the clauses.

Thanks again Liz, this means so much.

Hi Liz, i have prepared writing task 2. Can you please evaluate my essay. Thank you in advance Many people think that every individual is responsible for their happiness, but some people believe there are other external factors that influence us. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Undoubtedly, pleasure is a state of mind for which every person itself is accountable whereas, some schools of thought hold the notion that other materialistic things are responsible to give happiness to the individual. My crumb of writing will shed the light on both views in the subsequent paragraphs. To commence with, firstly the individual itself is responsible to make himself satisfied in his day to day life in various ways. To substantiate, every person has control on his postive and negative emotions. Thus, to being postive bring a feeling of joy. However the way of getting satisfaction is vary from person to person . For instance some folks feel happy by spending some quality of time with their kiths and kins while other feel better by giving time to themselves as by doing yoga, meditation gives inner peace to them. On the flip side, others believe that the feeling of happiness comes due to the presence of external factors. Owing to this, having luxurious house, car and highly paid job give them good feeling. To elaborate, this is true that the materialistic things make life far more comfortable and easy. For illustration, the people who have good job earned more so they can afford better living facilities which leads happiness in them. Due to the wealth and other factors they are like pleased as punch.

To encapsulate, it can be concluded that both elements play an indispensable role to give pleasure in life. But I think inner peace is essential to keep our mind healthy and happy rather than focusing on external factors.

Wow, this is a very good academic essay, though there are few grammatical errors.

According to some people, social networking sites have had a detrimental impact on individuals and society as a role. I agree with this to a greater extent.

The first negative effect that overrides the rest is its addictiveness. This is very destructive both academically and mentally. A vast number of millennials cannot go on for long periods of time without checking their social media. This results in poor grades and when grades are poor, little to none can be done to achieve academic success. The other frustrating this about social media is how people zone out in the middle of conversations at functions because a notification just popped up on their smartphone. They have become so addicted that they cannot put away their phones for a few hours just so they can connect with others.

Another undesirable effect is how it puts pressure on individuals and society to live up to certain standards. Social media accommodates both genuine and fake people. The latter tends to post content of their supposed achievements. This can result in a follower feeling like they have failed at life. The result spans from mild to severe depression which can ultimately lead to suicide. Misdemeanours and hard core crime can also result as members of society try to gain possessions in order to live up to high standards.

In conclusion, social media really poses a great harm to people and the society as it is a causative agent of academic stagnation, various forms of crime and an early demise.

Thank you for this essay. I’m a little bit confused!!! In this essay you agree that social networking sites have had a damaging effect on local community. In the first paragraph you talked about the benefit and in the second paragraph you talked about negative effect. My question is, why didn’t you write 2 supportative ideas instead of writing in the first paragraph about benefit and in the second paragraph about negative effect like you did in the essay of “the growing number of overweight people”. THANK YOU

Look more carefully at the thesis statement which explains the position taken in this essay: However, while I believe that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual, I agree that they have had a damaging effect on local communities.

Which one you agreed isn’t clearly understood

I believe that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual I agree that they have had a damaging effect on local communities In the question, there are two issues – one is individual and one is society. I have given my opinion of each.

Dear Liz, I have prepared Writing Task-2 answer. Please go through given below details give feedback. Thanks in advance.

Writing Task-2 Topic: In some countries a few people earn extremely high salaries. Some people think that is good for a country, while others believe that the government should control salaries and limit the amount people can earn. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

Few countries , one sector of people are earning huge wages. These type of scale of earnings is better for specific country development. On the other side argument government should reconsider to reduce wages and optimize earning in the form of money and income. As per my opinion, government should redefine policy about higher wages and develop who are earning low earning wages.

Firstly, While getting higher income people are adopt to luxury life, unnecessary expenses such as cars, building excessively. For those type of comfortable life , will some pros and cons for their health and lifestyle. If you forgot about diet and physical fitness automatically health problems will raise. Sometime those utilities will save time, speed, accuracy and security for their works. Modern life style competition, comparison, comfort factors are much influence to earning huge income.

On the other side of the people are completely deny and compliance about higher wages which are most practical issues rich going to be rich again, neglecting economical poor and below poverty line peoples, low earning money wagers, mostly staying in downtowns. As many Economist and financial analysts also suggesting government rethink about all sector people and redefine policy and adjust according to manage all sectors of the people.

Many countries are economically depends on agricultural, food and beverage sectors and daily wage people are best examples of low income getting sector. Need to provide low interest bank loans and subsidies for them will help to their respective field development. Very few sectors will get huge income such as Information Technology, Service sectors, Business, Tourism sectors are getting higher revenues.

To summarize, government provide some benefits and redefine policies who are getting low income sectors also focus on development and lowering taxes and develop agricultural , food production, consumer goods and equally mange higher revenue sectors focus on country economy should maintain sustainable.

Hi Liz, I have prepared Writing Task-2 answer. Please go through given below and give feedback. Thanks in advance.

Writing Task- 2 Task : Art is considered an essential part of all cultures throughout the world. However, these days fewer and fewer people appreciate art and turn their focus to science, technology and business. Why do you think that is? What could be done to encourage more people to take interest in the arts?

Art is an important factor which is more impact on specific traditionally and culturally connected any part of the world. On the other hand some people argues technology and scientific innovations , new businesses mostly prefer choosing as profession for their future. According to ancestors art is legacy and enormous relationship has been developing between countries and all over the world. In every tradition and communities expression about their cultural and life style express in the form of pictorial representation using different colours. Those are easy to understand anyone rather than any language. Everybody thinking one picture will explain thousand words. According to historical cultural and start their house constructions and their life style which can be represents and express their views in the form of arts and paintings. Each country need to maintain and protected their historical ways of lives, foods, jewellery and usage of things stored, which archaeology department found and stored in the form of arts and galleries along with in museums. Many people perception choose profession of artist is less scope of earning money, delay, less interest about arts. However, if seriously focus on best ways choose arts will give better opportunities not only in domestic possible in internationally. On the other side, human tendency need to growth faster along with technology evaluations, new innovative scientific research effectively utilize technology. Similarly , searching more opportunities finding in the business sectors to develop start-up economical growth and development their career prospective. If seriously thinking that all science and technology developed from legacy from ancestors. For example, many discoveries such as telephone, Telegram, and based on bird flying aeroplane , various new advanced scientific evidences discovered earlier. To summarize, government and electronic media should encourage arts as mandatory subject in academics encourage artists, provide awareness programs such as exhibitions and develop museums , historical events, handicrafts , communicate to the people.

Liz don’t do proofreading for free.

I don’t offer any proof reading service – not even for money. My health prevents me offering more services.

Hi This is my first time am practicing IELTS writing task 2. Please evaluate my essay. Some people prefer to raise children in the cities while others believe that children should be raised in the countryside. Ans: Children’s upbringing is an important issue for every parent as lifestyle changing this becomes a debatable issue in society. Some would like to take care of their children in a pollution-free and healthy environment in the village far from cities. While others are in favor of raising them in an environment with modern amenities and infrastructure. In this essay, both views will be discussed, although in my view it is optimal to raise a kid in the city. As a matter of fact, the city environment has plenty of advantages and opportunities for future generations. They have easy access to all the technology for their study with extra co-curricular activities. In other words, children can do much apart from their studies, they can participate in cultural events organized in various parts of cities to get in touch with their tradition. They can go to museums, libraries that are highly technology-driven which can help children in their studies. In addition, there is more choice for parents to find the best-suited institution for their children according to children’s passion and interests. Another key point, cities have numerous job opportunities for children once they complete their higher studies. They do not have to move further for job searches. In the same fashion, the village lifestyle for raising children has its own supremacy. In this case, it provides children a clearer and pollution-free environment in comparison to cities. By the same token, a clean environment is best for children’s health and keeps a better immunity system prone to other health issues associated with aging. The most compelling evidence for the village life is less traffic that leads parents to worry less for their children about being hit by vehicles. Apart from these advantages, village life has its own limitations such as the education system. In the village, there are a limited number of schools and higher studies opportunities for children. Ultimately, once they have completed their secondary education, the only option left to move to cities for better institutions. Their access to modern technology like the internet is limited. They have hardly any exposure to the outside world. In the end, certainly, the countryside lifestyle has benefits related to health for bringing children, but we are living in the 21st century for that we have to live accordingly and need to adapt to the city’s lifestyles.

Hi, Liz I did a practice on writing part 2 and I want to know your thought about it.

Question: The qualities and skills that a person requires to become successful in today’s world cannot be learned at a university or other academic institutions. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In the modern world, success is determined through wealth and social status of an individual. However, the qualities and skills can be achieved in various aspects of life, not just in university or other academic institutions. Although schools may provide the fundamental academic teachings, the best avenues for learning the most important qualities and skills in life to be successful are not limited to them.

Primarily, success is defined as attaining prosperity and fame in today’s world. In order to succeed, one must have certain abilities such as critical thinking, logical reasoning, leadership, and problem solving. In the schools today, they mainly focus on the systems that can enhance the capabilities of a student through various teaching materials according to their strength under those abilities. However, the presented idea is only limited to a portion that a person must possess so as to reach a successful life. In this regard, the knowledge that we acquire in an educational establishment does benefit an individual, though the setting must not be restricted to schools alone.

On the other hand, there are certain traits that we must own, apart from the academics. Towards the victory of success, knowing how to build up socialization, to negotiate, to manage money, and to have the proper behavioral skills which are trained outside the schools, occupy an essential part. This is well-demonstrated in South Korea where an actress named Mi-hee Oh, made one’s mark as a successful celebrity, even if she was not able to graduate a university. Therefore, certain qualities in achieving success come from different facets which are not found in a university and academic institutions.

In conclusion, the abilities that an individual requires to become successful in the present world cannot be completely accomplished at a university or other academic institutions. As a matter of fact, there are significant qualities reached from without the schools that we must possess, with the aim of gaining success. Hence, balancing of both the qualities may lead to the successful life in the world today.

Waste management is a big concern today, especially when more than 7.5 billion people produce a massive amount of garbage each day. The cause behind rising pollution is lack of recycling efforts and our throwaway habits are responsible for an unmanageable amount of rubbish production. Government need to take strict actions to control this issue.

To begin with, the world population has crossed 7.5 billion and it’s only natural that an increasing population produces more rubbish than ever before. Moreover, these days every product is packaged before it is sold. It is so widespread a trend that common products like bananas and apples are packed individually just to make them look attractive to the consumers. Use of plastic, polythene and many other nondisposable materials make the situation worse as they are not biodegradable. Increasing use of plastic and polythene and its adverse effects on the environment is a global concern. As a consequence, we are producing more waste and threatening our environment. Sadly, our consumerism and throwaway habits are making the situation graver as we like to have all the latest products and discard old ones easily.

Government can reduce the growing amount of waste in several ways. First of all, government needs to introduce strict laws regarding the use of plastic and polythene. Large companies like coca cola and Pepsi needs to find alternative ways to sell their products. This single measure can reduce waste production to a certain extend. Moreover, government should run awareness campaigns to educate people about the negative consequences of plastic and its usages

To conclude, an ever increasing population and their consumerism habit primarily produce a huge amount of debris every day and it has already become a global concern. It is hope that government would take effective measures to control it to reduce environmental damage.

Hi Liz, Greetings and I have watched all your videos and those are really helpful. Please I need your feedback on this. I have IELTS after 3 weeks and want to be sure whether I am not making same mistakes.

Social networking sites such as Facebook are said to have detrimental effect at the individual level as well as to our society. However, I believe that these social networking platforms have positive effect on the individuals but negative effect on the society. This essay will discuss both the opinions below.

To begin with, I believe that the social networking websites imparts good and positive impact on the individuals. Firstly, these websites can help to communicate easily through chat or direct messages with other people in any part of the world. Whereas, in earlier days it used to take days and weeks to send letters to other and hence, it was difficult to communicate. Secondly, these websites offer educational stuff like videos which students can benefit from. Moreover, housewives can also benefit by following their favorite chefs and can see and learn various recipes.

Nevertheless, these social networking sites have much long term and negative impact on the society. As people spend more and more time on these sites, they do less social interaction with other people like their families and friends. Consequently, if they spent less time with other people, then they feel isolated from the society and get mental stress. In addition to that, sometimes inappropriate contents are posted on these sites. Young people especially children get easily encouraged and indulged in doing crimes.

In conclusion, I agree that the social networking sites have good and positive impact on the individuals but negative impact on our society. Regulations should be put in place so that these websites are appropriately utilized for the benefit of both individuals and society as whole.

Hello dear Liz Your wonderful smile on your beautiful face is the first attractive point in this blog! Anyway, thank you for your thorough explanations and tuturials, they are so useful for me so far. Now, is this combination is correct: ” rarely do the people have chance to…”

The use of “the” with the word “people” depends on various factors. Otherwise, the phrase is correct. However, try to avoid learning phrases for use in your IELTS essay. When you do that, they are often used unnaturally and do not impress the examiner.

Hi Liz, I have watched your advanced tutorial for the opinion essay. And I am just kind of unsure about the disagree introduction. Should I mention all the reasons in my thesis statement why I disagree with this statement? Below is my introduction, could you please have a look and give me some advice? I would appreciate it.

Fees for analyzing and treating diseases are considered very expensive, so it is argued by some that prevention should be implemented rather than cure. From my perspective, not all diseases can be prevented, and therefore, I completely disagree with this statement, treatment is necessary in order to cure patients.

Is this the essay question: “Prevention is better than cure.” Out of a country’s health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and preventative measures. To what extent do you agree?

Hi Liz, Please evaluate my essay and suggest where need improvement so that accordingly i can subscribe to your course.

Some people believe that that the government is wasting money on arts and that this money could be better spent somewhere else. To what extent do you agree? The notion of spending government’s budget on arts is not much appreciated because some people opine that this money can be well utilized on other public services. However, this essay disagrees with this statement because arts promotes cultural heritage and produce creative thinkers. To begin with, India is a land of diverse cultures and traditions. India is well known recognized for its varied forms of arts and as a result of which, it has been attracting many visitors since prehistoric times and thus, helps in introducing Indian culture all across the globe. For example, a famous dance in Punjab called bhangra, festival of vibrant colors called holi, ancient sculptures and paintings in caves and temples all across the nation and many more are a spot of attraction for many tourists. Thus, funding in arts is quite important to maintain the existence of cultural heritage. Moving further, arts is considered as an incredible thing in developing creativity power of an individual. Imaginative qualities are being inculcated in human beings at a primary and secondary level of school and as a result of which, students becomes more creative in their teenage times and produce excellent ideas later in their professional life. For instance, now a days, fortune five hundred companies look for leaders who have extra ordinary creative and innovative skills along with main required skills, who can think out of the box and produce creative ideas to boost financial status of a company and these qualities are being developed at school level only via arts as subject in school’s curriculum. So, funding in arts is indispensable. To conclude, investing money on arts is equally important as investing money on other services because arts plays significant role in identifying nation’s ancient times and also helps produce creative minds.

Hi Liz, I have been following your website, book and advanced lessons which are really useful for IELTS taker. The advanced writing lessons are stated clearly and explained in details, but I got little bit confusion in opinion essay. I feel one-sided opinion essay is easier than balance approach, but I found using balance approach and two main body paragraphs rather than applying one-side opinion and two body paragraphs in many essays of your website. Can you please tell me about the situations using both approaches and paragraphs ?

I explained in the video that the number of paragraphs is based on the number of ideas you have. Two ideas = two body paragraphs. Three ideas = three body paragraphs. No more than three and no less than two. The approach you choose is up to you. They are all worth the same. But some essay questions are easier with a one sided approach and some with a balanced view. It depends on the question and it depends on your opinion.

In many places, new homes are needed,but only space available for them is in the countryside. Some people believe it is more important to protect the countryside and not to build new homes there. What is your opinion about this. I found this question in one of the Cambridge test. My doubt is in deciding ideas. For example can I disagree in my opinion with two reasons constructing new houses will affect the environment( para 1) and distrubs their people life ( para 2) Or should say why people do not want new building at countryside ( para 1) Para 2 – why I feel it should be allowed or not allowed. Am confused now. Could you please clear my doubt. Thanks you so much

You can’t ignore one issue. A one sided approach is you believe A and you do not believe B. Your whole essay would explain why A and not B. A partial agreement is written when it depends on specific factors: ie in developing countries or developed countries.

Hey liz, I winder how I can get access to your grammar e-book, since I live in Iran, and according to the sanctions I cannot do online shopping from overseas sites. May you guide me in that. Thanks in advance 🙏🏻

The e-book will be ready in early May. Either May 5th or just after. My online store allows major cards from most countries. Check it out: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

Hii mam, i have one doubt that is ,does using personal pronouns affect writing band score?

This is an aspect of grammar that I cover in my new Grammar E-book which is coming out on May 5th. Get that when it’s ready.

Hi Liz, i am maya, i really have a hard time every time i am doing the opinion essay. I learnt form my tutor that we have to answer the question in the introduction. I think it will be easy to answer agree or disagree, disadvantage or advantage, in the introduction. However, i am so confused to put the answer of the opinion essay in the introduction paragraph. Do i really need to put the answer in the paragraph or i can answer it later in the next paragraphs? Thank you.

You would have to write an example essay question with an example introduction for me to understand more fully what you mean.

Hiii Liz…..

I have one doubt as my trainer has advised me not to use ‘WH’ family like what, why, when etcetera in IELTS writing and according to her these words are not allowed to write in formal IELTS writing but still I am not convinced, so i need an expert feedback over this if you could help me.

This is 100% not true. It is completely fine to use “what / when / why / where” etc in an IELTS essay. It is generally recommended not to write questions in your essay because your aim is to present statements which answer questions, not raise questions. So, we wouldn’t use those words to write questions. However, we would use the “WH” words to write noun clauses or any other type of clauses: The reason why people should recycle is because … People should go on holiday when it is ….. These sentences are 100% acceptable for IELTS and in fact are considered complex grammar features because they are clauses or noun clauses. This means they would actually boost your score. My new Grammar E-book which will be released in early May will not only explain this, but also help you create noun clauses and other types of clauses. It’s a great e-book which will really help you develop your English level and IELTS score 🙂

Thank you Liz..eagerly waiting for your E-book…

Dear Liz, My name is Elisa and I have been following and reading all your IELTS tips. Thanks so much, it is extremely useful! However, studying and writing a bit more, I have found myself a bit in doubt about an opinion verb essay question. “Nowadays some buildings such as offices and schools are open-space design instead of separate rooms. Why is it so? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?. Looking at all the opinion essay Online, I cannot find a similar one; this requires you not only to give your opinion (positive or negative), but also to state the reasons behind this new approach. Therefore, I don’t know how to write the intro. Is it better to start with “In my opinion, despite this/it might be seen as a smart way to reduce costs within a company or a school, an open-space environment represents a detrimental and under-productive solution”. OR “This essay will outline some possible reasons why open-plan offices are getting more and more popular in today’s world and it will explain why this approach has a detrimental and counter-productive effect on both workers and students”.

I hope it was clear enough. Thanks so much for your help, Elisa

This is usually called a “Direct Questions Essay”. Each teacher gives essays slightly different names and categorises essay differently. This requires you to give the causes and also say if it is positive or negative. As with all essays in IELTS, you start with a background statement. The thesis statement, which follows, will provide the direct answers to the questions without details. Details go in the body paragraphs.

Hi Liz, I noticed that “I believe that/I agree that” is written only in the introduction, is it okay? I thought it wasn’t enough for an opinion essay in which I am explicitly asked to give my personal opinion. Thank you in advance!

“I believe” makes it very clear it is your belief. In my opinion / I think / it is my opinion that = all fine.

Hi liz, My tutor taught you should not write “have had” . it might be caught by the examiner …. what is ur opinion?

Unfortunately, I don’t really understand your comment. Are you saying that your tutor told you there is a rule in IELTS that says you can’t use the “present perfect” tense = “have had”?? This is 100% not true at all.

If the question asks – “To what extent do you agree”, Can i Completely disagree with the statement?

You can take any stand you want as long as the position is clear.

Hey Liz; I wrote a test yesterday where I had to state the entent to which I agreed that the positives of an opinion is more than its negatives. I remember using words like “overshadow” and “override”to show my support for the positive opinion. Should I be worried I didn’t state if I completely or strongly believe?

Not at all. You do not need to state if it is a strong opinion or not. All you need to do is present an opinion (a position) and explain it.

I have a doubt about the length of writing Task 2. Can anyone write 350 or more words? Minimum should be 250 but for maximum what ould be the word limit?

See this page for tips about the length of an essay: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

Hi Liz! thanks for the helpful page! here is my question.

one of my students concluded each of the body paragraphs by restating his topic sentence. although this seemed to have wrapped up each paragraph, i thought that the repetition of the idea is not good for the essay.

what is your opinion on this?

This is very common. Some teachers train students to do this. It isn’t necessary at all and too much repetition is not a good thing. IELTS essays are not long and it is a waste of a sentence to repeat the main point in that way when the student could instead use that sentence to strength their point and develop the idea further which is what the examiner is actually looking for.

many thanks for your time, Liz!

Hi Liz mam, To what extent you agree?like this type of essays, is it mandatory to always write agreee side of the statement

The instructions are just asking for your opinion. This means the whole essay presents and explains your opinion on the issue or issues given. If you don’t agree with the statement, then you don’t agree and you explain why.

My task 2 today Disussing both view that Should young ones listen to advice from older ones or to criticize when they do wrong (Paraphrased)

is it okay to start with “children of today are the heritage of tomorrow’? thanks

You want to ask me if you should learn a phrase / memorise a phrase in order to impress the examiner? My answer – never do that. It doesn’t impress the examiner and doesn’t help your score.

Hi Liz! Thanks a lot for the work you are doing for all IELTS takers! I’ve taken your advanced lesson and am grateful for such incredible content!!! There’s one question I’d like to ask, do we need an outline sentence after our thesis statement? Because in your tutorials you never mention about an outline statement. Also, concerning examples, do ew have to put an example in every body paragraph? Looking forward to hearing from you!!! Thanks in advance!!!

No. This isn’t an academic essay for university. It is a simple straight forward essay for IELTS. You do not need to paraphrase instructions – the examiner knows what the task is. I’m glad my Advanced Lessons were useful 🙂

Dear Liz, You particularly mentioned “facebook” as an example as said in the question. Can we mention other sites such as YouTube & Instagram as an example and explain them as well or just stick to the example stated in the question??

I definitely would not ignore the example given in the question. However, it is fine to add more examples such as those you have stated.

I always assumed IELTS as a test that evaluates ability and expertise of any individual to communicate in english effectively rather than fancy vocabulary. However, after going through lots of videos and free advices online I ended up believing that I will need to upgrade my vocab if I want to score decent. All the tips and advices shared by you are very helpful, it presents the real picture of what is expected from any IELTS taker if they want a good score. I am more confident than earlier i was, thanks to you.

My IELTS test is scheduled for 17th August. Will definitely share my test taking experience and results over here as well.

Good luck 🙂

Same here for the 17th.Presently not doing so well with the essays.

Is it ok if I underline some words in my essay to highlight them to examiner?

You should not do that. The examiner does not need you to highlight words. IELTS examiners are trained professionals and are trained to assess language.

Undoubtedly,the vogue of studying abroad has reached on the top slot thesedays owing to acquire new knowledge and experiences.while the are some drawbacks of this trend,i personally reckon that its benefits are far higher.

Hello mam, could u check this introduction of task 2 (nowadays,mostly students like to study abroad. discuss advantages and disadvantages of this.)

The word “vogue” is not suitable for the topic of education. “Reach the top slot” is informal and not suitable for formal IELTS essays. Your aim should NEVER be to impress. Your aim is to be accurate and appropriate at all times to avoid errors. More errors = lower band score.

And I think that the word “reckon” is informal. Just use THINK

Can we use ‘the author of this essay’ instead of I?

No, you can’t. You need to use “I” or “my” for a personal opinion. When you are asked “Do you think men and women should be in the armed forces” in a formal interview, would you say “the speaker of these words believes…” = no, you wouldn’t. There are many false rules and ridiculous things being said about IELTS online. There are no tricks in IELTS. If you need to give your opinion, be clear and direct: I believe or In my opinion. It is not only fine to do that it is vital to do that.

Hi Liz, please I need a little clarification on d difference between these two types of essay questions ‘do you agree or disagree’ and ‘to what extent do you agree or disagree’. I’d really appreciate your response.

There is no difference. No difference at all. They are 100% the same.

Oh thank you very much

Hi Liz, could you tell me the difference between “to what extend you agree” and “to what extend you agree or disagree”

There’s no difference. They are the same.

Will we get more score if using advanced vocab while writing instead of simple words like ranacid instead of rotten .

It is not about using “advanced vocabulary”, it is about using appropriate vocabulary. If you use “advanced vocabulary” when it is unnecessary, the only thing you are showing the examiner is that you cannot choose words appropriately and that will lower your score. Aim for accuracy in English, do not aim to impress.

You are writing to much elaborate. Come straight to the point.

Hi Liz, In a question asking: buying household appliances ( TV , Cooker) have increased in many countries. Is this a positive or negative development? Does this outline sound good? Intr.: state general idea, rephrase the question, and say although it has negatives but I believe it is positive Body 1: talk about negatives: pollution of environment by manufacturing these appliances + decrease in cultural values (ie: not cooking big meals + not playing together) Body 2: talk about positives: cost effective entertainment + time saving (ie: personally prefer this so I get have more time with my family) Conclusion: summarize above and emphasize on the phenomenon being positive

What do you think? Thanks

If you believe it has positives, it also means you do not think there are negative points. This isn’t a discussion essay. If you want to mention both sides, put that as your opinion: “In my opinion, while these appliances may cause environmental problems, they are extremely beneficial for time saving or as entertainment.” – now you have quantified your view. Also don’t give examples about you or your family. Keep it all formal. Your experience is about your experience of the world – People like to spend time with their families. Hope those points help.

hi liz, I referred to ur advanced lessons they r very useful Please guide me for a silly thing repetively asked , but i em still unclear.

Doing an enjoyable activity with a child can develop better skills and more creativity than reading.To what extend do u agree or disagree.

My query is if i write i agree with the view should by paragraphs be like this: 1)BP1: Y i agree child learns better through enjoyable activity 2)BP2: Y reading is not good way of teaching

Em much confused in this X rather than Y type question approach regards, Bhavya

Exactly right 🙂 When you have two issues in the question, you must address both. If you agree with X, it also means you don’t agree with Y. Then your body paragraphs explains those two aspects of your opinion. A balanced opinion would be X is good for younger children who need to learn motor skills, social skills and develop creativity, whereas Y is essential for older children.

Liz, Love u a lot U made the day Thanks liz God bless u, get well soon

Thanks so much for helping us with the precise structure of the essay. However,I am little bit confused about the score band of this example as it doesn’t provide examples to your pints in paragraphs.Could you please elaborate on this?I have seen few videos on you tube and general structure of single opinion paragraph contains: point,explanation and example.

Many thansk

You will find that many teachers like to teach formulas. This means they choose a fixed content for paragraphs and teach it to their students. It is easy to teach and easy to learn. But it isn’t flexible. Those formula are not rules for IELTS – they are teaching methods created by teachers. I prefer to teach flexibility because the people who benefit from my lessons are high level candidates who need that flexibility.

Hi Liz, thank you for the great essay.

For this question, is it OK to have a balanced opinion, such as:

“Although I accept that social networks negatively affect individuals and society, I would argued that they bring more benefits to users and communities as a whole.”

Then body paragraph 1 I’ll write about the negative impacts on BOTH individuals and society. Body paragraph 2 will be about the benefits, again, on BOTH individuals and society?

Could you please adivse?

It is confusing and will also be very lengthy to write – so not really a good strategy. Remember success in IELTS is often down to the choices you make. Aim for simplicity in your approach at all times.

Will there be no marks deduction for not using any conditional or question sentences in your essay?

IELTS examiner does not deduct marks. The score for grammar is based on range and accuracy. You can’t force a type of grammar into your essay unnaturally. As long as you use a good range and you aim for accuracy, you will be fine.

Can you be more clear on general sections writing Task 2 how many paragraphs are expected?

Regards, Sancia

Please see this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . You use the same lessons and tips for GT and Academic writing task 2.

thank you once again for your marvellous website!

Would you please comment if I got it right: As far as I see, the model essay above was written in response to “To what extent do you agree” question, but the structure rather is similar to “do adv-s outweigh disadv-s”. (First you speak about one side and then give more support for the ideas you agree to.)

An essay of this type asks for your opinion. You decide your own opinion. The opinion given above is a quantified, specific view point. “while I believe that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual, I agree that they have had a damaging effect on local communities.” The body paragraphs explain the view point.

Mam, would you mind to let us know when will we get E-BOOK. for writing task-2. waiting for that

Update: MY Ideas for Topics E-book is now available. Click here: Liz’s Online Store

Thank you is literally a small word for all the things you are doing fo pr helping students in IELTS. Can you please share a link or any other source where we can find some band 9 writing samples.

Thank you, Sandeep

My main writing task 2 page contains model essays: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ . With other websites, it is your choice if you wish to rely on model essays that may not actually be safe to use.

Is it possible to get the book before 27 April? I have my exam on 27th April. You used a balanced approach in this please reply to me if I am right?

Update: My Ideas for Topics E-book is now available. Click here: Liz’s Online Store

Hello, Liz My name is Alice. I got band 7.5~8.5 for all the other subtests which are not bad but with my writing, I got 5.5 and I was really wondering why that would have happened. I avoided contractions and informal language and kept the word limit. Few grammar errors might happen in my essays but I don’t believe that is what’s causing me to have such a low score compared to the other scores I got. Could you suggest me what possibly would have caused the situation and tell me the dos and don’ts, please? I’m just..lost. I had no idea my writing score would betray me like that.

The IELTS writing score is not based only on English language. There are specific requirement that IELTS have set and you need to know what they are and how to do it all properly. Go to the RED BAR at the top of this website and visit the main pages for writing task 1 and writing task 2. On those pages, you will find a link to band score tips and requirements. You can also purchase Advanced Writing Task 2 lessons through the RED BAR.

I tried to pay for your writing tips and I was asked for my location. Does it mean I will be sent a hardcopy of your material? If yes, please how long will it take, because my exam is in less than 2weeks. Also, can I please get it sent to my mail rather than where I stay. Thank you.

The country will decide the currency. The videos are streamed online and the documents downloaded. An automatic email is sent once payment is complete with the access link to the video lesson. Make sure you enter the correct email address and spell it correctly.

Thank you Liz, Doing that now.

Hi liz, In the last sentence on the conclusion of your essay, you wrote “local communities should do more to try and involve local people in local activity…..”. Is it ok to give a solution at the end of the conclusion which is not discussed in body paragraphs ? Thanks a lot for your efforts to help us…

Having a final comment in the conclusion is optional. It is not a requirement. You certainly should not offer a new solution in any essay about solutions. Likewise, you would not add a final opinion in the conclusion of an opinion essay. You need to be careful about using final comments in a conclusion.

liz you look so cute while teaching in lecture.I fall in love with you while listen your lectures.

Hi ma,am, Thankyou for your informative preparation tips. I had a query ma’am. Is it okay to use it’s instead of it is?

There are no contractions in any formal IELTS writing.

Hi Liz, Thank you for this essay my opinion for this essay was that facebook is detrimental, so i have so many reasons for this, such as living in a virtual world, ostentatious life style, spread of wrong information, addiction to facebook. Can i put all this into my essay? would it be too much? what if i use two body paragraphs to explain these points and use a 3rd body paragraph to talk about the beneficial aspects? thank you.

If you think facebook is detrimental that counts as one main idea which you explain in one body paragraph. IELTS writing is not about having lots and lots of ideas that you enjoy writing about. It is about selecting only the key ideas, discarding other ideas and organising them logically. Keep control of your essay at all times. More ideas does not mean a higher score.

I wanted to know whether we can use ”contractions” in writing tests? I read in one of the resources that they must not be used. Need clarification on this!

Thanks in advance.

PS. The content is really effective. I would highly recommend this in my network.

Hello liz, I got my ielts result and my writing score is less.. I just have a doubt in the introduction part. Some parents buy their children a large number of toys to play with. What are the advantages and disadvantages for the child of having a large number of toys ? This is the introduction I wrote Nowadays most of the parents spend their money to get more number of toys to their children. Toys develop children brain activity and their skills. However it would lead to addiction of technology devices and don’t enjoy time spending with other energetic and enthusiastic outdoor games. Is my introduction correct for the question?? Or what I should change for getting band 7 ? Thanks in advance

Your technique is 100% fine. Your English language is the problem. There are so many errors in this that getting a band 7 would be very difficult. In fact, it would be almost impossible with this level of English and this many mistakes.

Hi Liz. Is it wise to write an interrogative sentence as an example to an idea or a supporting idea? For example, something like, “How often do we meet people who are such good communicators online but fail badly to express and communicate in person? “. Or does this violate the technique of being formal in essay writing?

Your aim is to present supporting points and main ideas, not to open up questions for discussion.

Hi, Liz I am taking your advanced lesson of Opinion Essay. For balanced approach, you mentioned that it does not mean sitting on the fence and discussion both sides. For a topic like “Some think xxx is more important than yyy. To want extend do you agree?” Can I write that I disagree, because I consider xxx is equally important as yyy. Then I have two balanced body paragraph discussing both sides. Is this an acceptable approach? Thank you in advance and looking forward your reply.

That is sitting on the fence. In which case is XXX important and in which case is YYY important. Be specific. Quantify you view.

Thanks for the quick response and useful information 🙂

Exceed to word limit . more than 350 words I think

Hello Thank you for all materials they are so useful and I love your webpage !!! Liz I can see that there are some essay questions which are asked as “what is your opinion” & some of them ” Do you agree”; I wonder if their written structure is the same or should it be a bit different ? Thank you for your answer in advance!

It’s exactly the same. IELTS like to paraphrase instructions. The meaning and aims are 100% the same.

After considering all the above points we can conclude that,…… is it a good way to conclude the essay ?

You are marked on your own personal use of English, not your memory. EAch sentence must be uniquely written by yourself in the exam room. That is a learned phrase and not your own English. Don’t try to cheat the test. Don’t memorise phrases or sentences. You can learn ideas, you can learn grammar and you can learn words, but not phrases or sentences.

that is quite confused . Sorry for asking but if i try to remember the linking words , structure things like (not only … but also…) or ( furthermore , if clause 1,2,3 , despite of , in spite ,.. ) , is that ok? what is the different between learning phrases and grammar ‘s structure ?

Memorised language in IELTS refers to people learning whole sentences word for word or even whole paragraphs. These are people who want to use other people’s English in their English language test. This is not accepted by IELTS. You need to learn expressions and grammar which you then use to create your own sentences in the test. However, be careful of learning too many phrases and only use them when they are appropriate to use. They should only form one part of the sentence you create. As for grammar, you learn linking words and clauses to help you create your own sentences in the test. This is not memorised word for word, it is a way to create unique sentences. I hope that helps you understand.

Hi liz is really awaresom with your videos. I PRAY FOR SOUND HEALTH AND QUICK RECOVERY

Hi Liz, I wish you the quickest recovery.

Thank you for your perfect site.

There is NO difference at all. They are paraphrased instructions for the same essay.

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Writing Task 2 Sample

IELTS Writing Task 2 ( also known as IELTS Essay Writing ) is the second task of your IELTS Writing test. Here, you will be presented with an essay topic and you will be scored based on your ability to respond to the topic.

You need to write at least 250 words and justify your opinion with arguments, discussion, examples, problem outlining, proposing possible solutions and supporting your position. You will have approximately 40 minutes to finish your Essay Writing. IELTS Writing Task 2 carries more weights than Writing Task 1.

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IELTS handwriting tips

TIPS FOR HANDWRITING IELTS Handwriting tips for your IELTS writing test. Many IELTS test centres now offer the option of writing on a computer, if you wish or need to write by hand you should take note of the following:

MINIMUM NUMBER OF WORDS TO WRITE You must write 150 and 250 words for task 1 and 2, respectively. If you fail to do so there is a minus one penalty for task response.

REASONS TO NOT WRITE TOO MUCH 1. You might not finish both writing tasks. 2. You have less time to proofread your task and there is more to proofread. 3. You might struggle to summarise your ideas in the concluding paragraph. 4. The examiner might consider the total number of errors with vocabulary and grammar and not the percentage of correct versus incorrect writing. 5. The examiner might feel frustration from having to spend longer on your task and this might cause them to have a more pessimistic attitude towards your writing. Note that examiners usually get paid per task and not by time and if you write a very long essay it’s frustrating for them. 6. One of the four Cs of good writing is conciseness [the others are clarity, cohesion and correctness]

ESTIMATING THE WORDS YOU’VE WRITTEN 1. work out how many words per line you write 2. multiply the figure from step one by the number of lines you’ve written For example: if you write 10 words per line and you’ve written 26 lines then you’ve written about 260 words and therefore your essays long enough 3. Make sure you practice using the official IELTS writing test paper for 2019, so that you can know how many words you write before you take the real test. You can download these here: writing-answer-sheet-task1-new

writing-answer-sheet-task2-new

MESSY HANDWRITING AND ITS IMPACT ON YOUR GRADE Your handwriting makes a very negative first impression, but shouldn’t have your score lowered as long as: 1. There is no strain to read the handwriting and words can be clearly read 2. Cross-outs and inserts can be easily followed without causing strain to the reader. 3. Note that messy handwriting still has a psychological effect and although you shouldn’t be penalised if your writing is messy the exam is human and they may subconsciously lower your score. In addition, the frustration from having to spend longer marking your essay may lead the examiner to have a more pessimistic view towards your score.

I offer a writing correction service. I assess your writing against all four grading criteria and can also assess your handwriting to check that it is legible and easy to understand: https://www.ieltsanswers.com/writing-correction-ielts.html

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About Mike I’m Mike Wattie from Australia. I have been teaching IELTS for over 20 years in Asia and Australia.

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50+ Recent IELTS Writing Topics with Answers: Essays & Letters

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Updated On Aug 22, 2024

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This article lists recent IELTS Writing topics for Academic and General Training exams, covering Task 1 visual data and essays on themes like health, education, environment, and more. It also offers sample questions to aid in effective exam preparation.

Table of Contents

Ielts writing topics for academic writing task 1, ielts writing topics for general writing task 1, common ielts writing topics for writing task 2.

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IELTS Writing topics are one of the most essential study resources for IELTS exam preparation. There are two reasons for this: firstly, topics are often repeated in the IELTS exam and secondly, practising these IELTS Writing questions will help test-takers familiarise themselves with the format and requirements of the exam.

While the first task for the IELTS Writing exam has different versions of IELTS Academic and IELTS General , the second task is essay-writing for both. Even with differences in format or difficulty levels, both these tasks revolve around common IELTS writing topics like health, environment, education, travel, family and children, etc.

In this blog, we have compiled a list of the most popular and recent IELTS Writing topics based on the different tasks in this section and recurrent themes. Also, get hold of the IELTS writing questions and answers PDF that will help you practice at your own pace.

In the IELTS Writing Task 1 of the Academic exam, candidates have to summarize important visual information presented in graphs, charts, tables, maps, or diagrams in at least 150 words within 20 minutes.

Below are some IELTS Writing Task 1 topics with answers for each type of graphs and diagrams in IELTS Academic.

Line Graphs

Check out the list of IELTS Writing Task 1 - Line graph with IELTS writing questions and answers. Make sure to use appropriate IELTS Writing Task 1 Line Graph Vocabulary to write effective answers.

• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 - Shops that Closed
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic: Different sources of air pollutants - Line Graph
• IELTS Writing Task 1 - The Graph Below Shows Different Sources of Air Pollutants in the UK Sample Answers
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic : Price changes for fresh fruits and vegetables - Line Graph
• The Percentage Of The Population In Four Asian Countries - IELTS Writing Task 1
• The Changes In Ownership Of Electrical Appliances And Amount Of Time Spent Doing Housework In Households - IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic 38: Paris Metro station passengers - Line Graph
• Projected Population Growth of China and India- Line Graph
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic : Percentage of Car Ownership in Great Britain - Line Graph
• Waste Recycling Rates in the US From 1960 to 2011- Line Graph
• Weekday Volume of Passenger Activity on the Toronto Metro system- Line Graph
• US Consumers' Average Annual Expenditures on Cell Phone- Line Graph
• Consumption of Fish and Different kinds of Meat in a European Country- Line Graph
• Demographic Trends in Scotland- Line Graph

Here is a list of IELTS Writing topics with answers on the IELTS bar chart .

• People Who Ate Five Portions of Fruits and Vegetables Per Day in the UK - IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic : People affected by four types of noise pollution - Bar graph
• How Families in One Country Spent their Weekly Income - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Division of Household Tasks by Gender in Great Britain- Bar Graph
• Annual Pay for Doctors and Other Workers - IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Bar Chart
• Estimated World Illiteracy Rates by Region and by Gender - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Southland’s Main Exports in 2000 and Future Projections For 2025 - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Carbon Emissions in Different Countries - IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic 22: Railway system in six cities in Europe – Bar Chart
• IELTS Writing Task 1 Test On 28th July With Band 8.0-9.0 Sample
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic: Percentage of people living alone in 5 different age groups in the US - Bar Chart
• Amount of Leisure Time Enjoyed by Men and Women of Different Employment Statuses – Bar Chart
• USA Marriage and Divorce Rates Between 1970 and 2000 and the Marital Status of Adult Americans- Bar Graph
• Top Ten Rice-Producing Countries in the World in 2015- Bar Graph
• Rural Households that Had Internet Access Between 1999 and 2004- Bar Graph
• Information About Underground Railway Systems in Six Cities - IELTS Writing Task 1

Explore the list of IELTS writing topics related to pie charts and solve them with the help of pie chart vocabulary for IELTS preparation.

• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic : Survey conducted by a university library - Pie chart
• Methods of Transportation for People Traveling to a University - Pie Chart
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic 13: Percentage of housing owned and rented in the UK – Pie Chart
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic : The percentage of water used by different sectors - Pie chart
• Online shopping sales for retail sectors in Canada - IELTS Writing Task 1 Pie chart
• Percentage of Water Used for Different Purposes in Six Areas of the World- Pie Chart
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic 18: Average Consumption of food in the world – Pie Chart
• Main Reasons Why Students Chose to Study at a Particular UK University - IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic Pie Chart
• Composition Of Household Rubbish In The United Kingdom - IELTS Writing Task 1

Here is a list of IELTS Writing topics with answers on the IELTS table chart .

• Fishing Industry in a European Country - IELTS Writing Task 1 Academic
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Social and economic indicators for four countries - Table
• The Situation of Marriage and Age from 1960 to 2000 in Australia - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Past And Projected Population Figures In Various Countries - IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic 35: Number of travelers using three major German airports - Table
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic 05: Size of US households over a number of years
• Changes in Modes of Travel in England Between 1985 and 2000- IELTS Writing Task 1 (Table)
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic 12: Internet use in six categories by age group – Table
• Cinema Viewing Figures for Films by Country, in Millions- Table
• Number of Medals Won by the Top Ten Countries in the London 2012 Olympic Games- Table
• Sales at a Small Restaurant in a Downtown Business District- Table

Here is a list of IELTS Writing topics 2024 with answers on the IELTS Map Diagram .

• Paradise Island Map – IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Answers
• Floor Plan of a Public Library 20 years ago and now - IELTS Writing Task 1
• A School in 1985 and the School Now - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Village of Stokeford in 1930 and 2010 - IELTS Writing Task 1 Map
• Map of the Centre of a Small Town Before and After - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Plan A & B shows a Health Centre in 2005 and in Present Day - IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Example 9 : Chorleywood is a village near London whose population has increased steadily - Map
• Two possible sites for the supermarket Sample Answers
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic : Cross-sections of two tunnels
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Local industrial village in England called Stamdorf - Map
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 : Hawaiian island chain in the centre of the Pacific Ocean - Map

Process Diagrams

Here is a list of IELTS Writing topics with answers on the IELTS Process diagram .

• Process of Making Soft Cheese - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Growing and Preparing Pineapples and Pineapple Products – IELTS Writing Task 1 Diagram
• Ceramic Pots Process - IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Diagram
• How Orange Juice is Produced - IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic 09 : Consequence of deforestation
• The Diagram Shows the Manufacturing Process of Sugar- IELTS Writing Task 1
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic 10: How apple is canned - Diagram
• Life Cycle of the Salmon - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Academic IELTS Writing Task 1 Recycling process of wasted glass bottles Sample Answers
• Production of Potato Chips - IELTS Writing Task 1
• The Process of Milk Production - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Process of Making Pulp and Paper - IELTS Writing Task 1 Diagram
• Stages of Processing Cocoa Beans - IELTS Writing Task 1

Mixed/Combination Diagrams

The following is a list of IELTS Writing topics 2024 with answers on IELTS mixed or combination diagrams, practising which will aid in mastering these visual presentations for a top IELTS band score .

• Anthropology Graduates From One University - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Water use Worldwide and Water Consumption- Line Graph and Table
• Transport and Car Use in Edmonton- Pie Chart + Table
• Demand for Electricity in England- Line Graph and Pie Chart
• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 Topic : Newly graduated students in the UK and their proportions - Multiple Graphs
• The table and charts below give information on the police budget - IELTS Writing Task 1

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In the IELTS General Writing Task 1 , test-takers are required to write a letter in response to a given situation. The letters are of three types depending on the context, namely formal, semi-formal and informal.

Below are some common IELTS Letter Writing topics that cover all the 3 ielts writing questions types of letters.

Formal Letters

Have a look at the list of IELTS General Writing Task 1 Sample Formal Letters that will help IELTS candidates prepare for the IELTS Writing questions for the actual exam.

• An Article in an International Travel Magazine - IELTS Writing Task 1
• A Magazine Wants to Include Contributions from its Readers - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Recently Booked a Part-Time Course at a College Now Need to Cancel Your Booking - IELTS Writing Task 1 General Formal Letter
• Advertisement From a Couple Who Live in Australia - IELTS Writing Task 1 General Formal Letter
• You Found You had Left Some Important Papers at the Hotel – IELTS General Writing Task 1
• Advertisement for a Training Course which will be Useful – IELTS Writing Task 1
• Write a Letter to Your Manager about a Party that You Want to Organize at the Office – IELTS General Writing Task 1
• A Feedback for a Short Cookery Course – IELTS General Writing Task 1
• Letter to the Local Authority about Construction of an Airport - IELTS Writing Task 1
• You Are Soon Going to Spend Three Months Doing Work Experience in an Organisation - IELTS Writing Task 1

Semi - formal Letters

The following is a list of IELTS General Writing Task 1 Sample Semi-Formal Letters with answers.

• A Friend Of Yours Is Thinking About Applying For The Same Course - IELTS Writing Task 1 General Semi-Formal Letter
• Letter to Neighbour About Barking Dog - IELTS Writing Task 1
• A Letter to Your Friend Who Lives in Another Town and Invite - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Letter to a Singer about His/Her Performance – IELTS General Writing Task 1
• You Have a Full-time Job and Doing a Part-time Evening Course - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Letter to Neighbor About the Damaged Car While Parking - IELTS Writing Task 1
• You Work for an International Company- Semi-formal letter
• You and Your Family are Living in Rented Accommodation- Semiformal Letter

Informal Letters

Here is a list of IELTS Writing topics with answers on the IELTS General Writing Task 1 Informal Letters that will help you to learn how to write an IELTS informal letter and brush up your writing skills.

• A Friend is Thinking of Going on a Camping Holiday - IELTS Writing Task 1
• Advice about Learning a New Sport – IELTS Writing Task 1 (Informal Letter)
• Help with a College Project - IELTS Writing Task 1 from Cambridge IELTS General 18
• Write a Letter to Your Friend Planning a Weekend Trip - IELTS General Writing Task 1
• Your Parents will be Celebrating their 50th Anniversary Next Month- Informal letter
• You are Studying English at a Private Language School- Informal Letter
• You Have a Friend Who has always Liked the Car you Currently Drive- Informal Letter
• You Have Recently Started Work in a New Company- Informal letter
• A friend Asking for Advice About a Problem at Work- Informal letter
• A Friend has Agreed to Look After your House- Informal Letter

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IELTS Writing Task 2 is similar for both IELTS Academic and IELTS General Training with minor differences in the difficulty level. Therefore, let us have a look at the compilation of IELTS writing topics with answers for different IELTS Writing Task 2 sample essays based on the common common IELTS Writing topics 2024.

Business, Work & Talent

Work-related topics often cover issues such as work-life balance, the gig economy, and the impact of automation on employment. Also, business topics may include discussions on corporate responsibility, entrepreneurship, and the impact of globalization on local businesses.

• Some people are born with certain talents - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Women Should be Allowed to Join the Army, the Navy and the Air Force just like Men - IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Until What Age Do You Think People Should be Encouraged to Remain in Paid Employment?
• IELTS Writing Task 2 - Top Level Authorities Should Take Suggestions From Employees
• How Realistic is the Expectation of Job Satisfaction for all Workers - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Men and Women Can Be Equally Suited to Do Any Type of Work - IELTS Writing Task 2
• People Work Long Hours Leaving Little Time for Leisure - IELTS Writing task 2
• Some People Say that it is Better to Work for a Larger Company than a Small One - IELTS Writing Task 2

Education topics often focus on the role of technology in education, the importance of higher education, and the debate over traditional vs. modern teaching methods.

• IELTS Writing Task 2: Nowadays it is More Difficult for Children to Concentrate to Pay Attention in School
• Placing Advertisements in Schools is a Great Resource for Public Schools - IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Giving Homework Daily to School Children Works Well
• Very Few School Children Learn About the Value of Money: IELTS Writing Task 2
• Traditional Examination Are Not Often True to Students Ability - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Secondary School Children Should Study International News - IELTS Writing Task 2

Environment

Environmental issues are increasingly prominent in IELTS Writing, with topics covering pollution, climate change, and the conservation of natural resources.

• IELTS Writing Task 2 - Some people say domestic animals, like cats, should not be reared in cities
• We No Longer Need to have Animals Kept in Zoos - IELTS Writing Task 2
• The Importance of Biodiversity is Being More Widely Recognised - IELTS Writing Task 2
• People Should Use Public Transport to Support Pollution Control Initiatives - IELTS Writing Task 2
• International Community Must Act Immediately to Reduce Consumption of Fossil Fuels - IELTS Writing Task 2

Family and Children

IELTS Writing questions related to family and children often explore the changing dynamics of family life, parenting styles, and the impact of technology on children.

• IELTS Writing Task 2 - Young Single People No Longer Stay With Their Parents Until They Are Married
• Is it Better to Rear Children in Joint Family or in Nuclear Family - IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Majority of Children are Raised by their Grandparents Due to the Fact that their Parents are Busy
• IELTS Writing Task 2: In Some Countries Children Have Very Strict Rules of Behaviour
• Some People Spend Their Lives Living Close to Where They Were Born - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Should Parents Read or Tell Stories to Their Children - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Women Make Better Parents than Men - IELTS Writing Task 2
• The Older Generations Tend to Have very Traditional Ideas - IELTS Writing Task 2

Food, Lifestyle and Entertainment

Food and entertainment related IELTS writing topics often discuss issues related to diet, the global food industry, and cultural food practices.

• Explain Why the Movies are As Popular As a Means of Entertainment - IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Popular Hobbies and Interests Change Over Time
• IELTS Writing Task 2 - Which Do You Prefer Planning or Not Planning For Leisure Time?
• IELTS Writing Task 2: People Always Throw the Old Things Away When they Buy New Things
• Food Can Be Produced Much More Cheaply Today | IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2: The Era of the Silver Screen is Coming to an End
• Why is Music Important for Many People - IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2: Why is the Circus Still a Popular Form of Entertainment
• Crime Novels and TV Crime Dramas are Becoming Popular - IELTS Writing Task 2

Health-related topics are a staple in the IELTS Writing section, focusing on public health issues, diet, and the impact of modern lifestyles on health.

• Discuss the cause and effects of widespread drug abuse by young people - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Obesity is a Major Disease Prevalent among Children - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Exercise is the Key to Health while Others Feel that Having a Balanced Diet is More Important - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Advantages and Disadvantages of Government Providing Free Healthcare - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Tobacco and Alcohol are Drugs that Cause Addiction and Health Problems - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Many People Complain that They Have Difficulties Getting Enough Sleep - IELTS Writing Task 2
• and More People are Hiring a Personal Fitness Trainer - IELTS Writing Task 2

Language and Culture

Topics related to language and literature often explore the importance of preserving cultural heritage, language learning, and the impact of globalization on languages.

• Many Old Cities Around the World are Going Through a Major Process of Modernization - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Reading for Pleasure Develops Imagination and Better Language Skills - IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2 - Traditional Festivals and Celebrations Have Disappeared
• Globalization will Inevitably Lead to the Total Loss of Cultural Identity - IELTS Writing Task 2

Societal issues such as violence, social inequality, and media influence are common in IELTS Writing topics.

• Individual Greed and Selfishness Have Been the Basis of Modern Society - IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2 - Individuals Should Not Be Allowed To Carry Guns
• Nowadays We are Living in a Throwaway Society - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Different People Have Different Approaches to Life - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Violence and Conflict were more Evident under Male Leadership than under Female Leadership - IELTS Writing Task 2
• What Changes Do You Think this New Century Will Bring - IELTS Writing Task 2
• People Remember Special Gifts or Presents they Receive - IELTS Writing Task 2

Sports topics in IELTS Writing often cover the role of sports in education, the impact of professional sports on society, and issues related to sportsmanship.

• Many People Think Olympic Games and World Cup are an Enormous Waste of Money- IELTS Writing Task 2
• Cricket has Become More Popular than the National Sports - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Sports Today is Turning into a Business - IELTS Writing Task 2

Technology & Science

Technology is a rapidly evolving field, and its impact on society, work, and communication is a common topic in IELTS Writing. Media-related topics also come under this section and often focus on the influence of mass media, the ethics of journalism, and the role of the internet in modern communication.

• Internet and Computers Will Ever Replace the Book or the Written Word - IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2: More and More People are Choosing to Read Ebooks Rather than Paper Books
• Some People Think That Mobile Phones Should Be Banned in Public Places - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Persuade More People to Embrace Electric Cars – IELTS Writing
• The most important aim of science should be to improve people's lives - IELTS Writing Task 2
• People May No Longer Be Able to Pay for Things Using Cash - IELTS Writing Task 2
• Mobile Phones and the Internet could have Many Benefits for Old People - IELTS Writing Task 2

Tourism and Travel

Tourism and travel topics may include discussions on the impact of tourism on local cultures, the environment, and the global economy.

• Foreign Visitors Should Pay More Than Local Visitors for Cultural and Historical Attractions - IELTS Writing Task 2
• IELTS Writing Task 2: What Do You Think are the Benefits of Going Away on Holidays?
• In the Future More People Will Go On Holiday in Their Own Country - IELTS Writing Task 2

Download the IELTS writing topics PDF that contain all the IELTS writing topics with answers to fasttrack your IELTS preparation!

Being familiar with these IELTS Writing topics and practicing your writing skills within these themes can help you prepare more effectively for the IELTS Writing test. Moreover, understanding the issues and arguments related to each topic will enable you to write well-rounded essays that meet the IELTS criteria. So, if you need further guidance through a free demo session or sign up for free IELTS webinars .

Additional Reads

• IELTS Academic Writing Task 1: Useful Tips and Vocabulary to Describe a Graph or Chart
• Recent Writing Task 2 Essay Topics for IELTS 2024
• IELTS Band 9 Essay Samples: Writing Task 2 Insights for IELTS Learners
• Visuals: Writing About Graphs, Tables and Diagrams for IELTS Writing Task 1 (Ebook)
• How to Plan an IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay (Best Strategy)
• IELTS Writing Task 2 Preparation Tips/Tricks

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A Comprehensive Guide to IELTS Academic Writing: Task 1

Master the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 with this comprehensive guide, covering strategies and examples.

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Are you preparing for the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, and feeling overwhelmed? Fear not, as this comprehensive guide will provide you with everything you need to know to tackle this task with confidence.

The IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 requires you to describe and analyse visual information presented in the form of graphs, charts, tables, maps, or diagrams .

In this guide, we'll provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to approach this section effectively. From understanding the task requirements to organising your response and using appropriate vocabulary, we've got you covered!

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A step-by-step guide to IELTS Academic Writing: Task 1

The IELTS Academic Writing task 1 may seem daunting at first, but with the right approach and preparation, you can excel in it.

Here is a step-by-step guide for you to equip yourself with the skills and strategies needed to approach IELTS Writing task 1 with confidence and achieve a high score:

Step 1: Understand the task requirements before you start

It is crucial to thoroughly understand what is expected of you.

Familiarise yourself with the task description, including the type of visual information you may encounter and the specific details you need to focus on.

Take note of the word limit and the time allocated for this task.

Step 2: Analyse the visual information carefully

Examine the given visual information, whether it's a graph, chart, table, or diagram.

Identify the main trends, patterns, and key features presented in the data.

Pay attention to the axes, units of measurement, labels, and any significant changes or comparisons that the visual information highlights.

Step 3: Create a clear and organised plan for your response

Consider the structure of your essay, including an introduction, an overview paragraph, and supporting paragraphs.

Decide on the key points you want to include and the logical order in which you will present them.

Planning will save you time and ensure a coherent and well-structured essay.

Step 4: Begin your essay with a concise and engaging introduction

Provide an overview of the visual information, including its source, the date it was published, and a brief statement summarising the main trends or features.

Hook the reader's attention and set the tone for the rest of your essay.

Step 5: Present an overview in a separate paragraph

Present an overview of the key trends or patterns observed in the visual information.

Summarise the main points without going into excessive detail.

This overview paragraph acts as a roadmap for the reader, giving them a clear understanding of the main information contained in the visual.

Step 6: Support with specific details in the subsequent paragraphs

Provide specific details and supporting evidence to illustrate and analyse the trends or features mentioned in the overview.

Use a combination of accurate data, percentages, comparisons, and specific examples to enhance the clarity and depth of your analysis.

Be mindful of using appropriate vocabulary related to the data and ensure coherence within and between paragraphs.

Step 7: Use language devices and cohesive elements

To enhance the overall quality of your writing, incorporate a range of language devices, such as appropriate verb tenses, adjectives, and adverbs, to accurately describe and analyse the visual information.

Additionally, use cohesive devices, such as transitional words and phrases, to create a smooth flow and logical progression between sentences and paragraphs.

Step 8: Proofread and revise

After finishing your essay, it is important to dedicate some time to proofread and revise it.

Thoroughly examine it for any grammatical, spelling, or punctuation mistakes.

Ensure that your sentences are both clear and concise.

Pay attention to the coherence and cohesion of your ideas and make any necessary adjustments to improve the overall quality of your response.

Marking criteria for IELTS Academic Writing Task 1

To understand how your performance is assessed in the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1, it's essential to know everything about the marking criteria used by examiners.

The following are the key areas that examiners focus on when evaluating your response:

1. Task Achievement

Have you provided a clear and accurate overview of the visual information?

Did you accurately describe the key features, trends, and comparisons presented in the data?

Have you addressed all aspects of the task and covered the required content?

2. Coherence and Cohesion

Is your essay well-organised, with a clear introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion?

Have you used appropriate paragraphing to separate ideas logically?

Is there a clear progression of ideas and a smooth flow of information between sentences and paragraphs?

3. Lexical Resource

Have you used a wide range of vocabulary accurately and appropriately?

Have you demonstrated the ability to paraphrase and use synonyms effectively?

Is there evidence of using domain-specific vocabulary related to the given visual information?

4. Grammatical Range and Accuracy

Have you displayed a wide range of grammatical structures, including complex sentences?

Is your grammar usage accurate, with minimal errors?

Have you demonstrated control over verb tenses, subject-verb agreement, sentence structure, and punctuation?

By understanding and practicing within these marking criteria, you can improve your performance in the IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 and increase your chances of achieving a higher band score.

Mastering the IELTS Writing task 1 requires practice, preparation, and a systematic approach. By understanding the task requirements, analysing visual information effectively, planning your response, and employing language and cohesive elements, you can confidently approach this task and showcase your ability to describe and analyse data.

Want more advice to help you to prepare for IELTS Writing?

Achieving a great IELTS score takes time and planning. You can’t just book and take your test in a matter of days – no matter how strong your English skills are. Successful test takers create a schedule to help them study everything they need to know before they sit an IELTS test. They make time to practise all four English skills – Listening , Reading , Writing and Speaking – as the format of each part of the test is different.

To help you prepare for your IELTS test, you can access our wide range of preparation materials, attend a FREE Masterclass with an IELTS expert, and complete IELTS practice tests.

You can also boost your writing band score with IELTS Writing Assist. Complete an official mock IELTS writing test online and receive personalised feedback from an IELTS Expert.

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