A good collection of IELTS Essays

IELTS Essay Collection

1. Globalization

a.Even though globalization affects the world's economies in a positive way, its negative side should not be forgotten. Discuss.

In the present age, globalization is playing increasingly important role in our lives. But in the meantime whether it is a blessing or a curse has sparked much debate. Some people argue the globalization has fundamentally beneficial influence on our lives while many others contend that it has detrimental effect as well.

Convincing argument can be made that globalization not only plays a pivotal role in the development of technology and economy, but also promotes the exchange of cultures between different countries. To start with, it is the globalization that impelled many corporations to become an international group, thereby making contribution to local technology and employment. Specifically, when a multinational group establishes a factory in a developing country, the new equipment, the new management skill and the job vacancies are all in the best interest of local society. Moreover, people worldwide can know each other better through globalization.

Admittedly, profit driven globalization severely affected the young people. Today, in the metropolises in different countries, it is very common sight that teenagers are wearing NIKE T- shirt and Adidas footwear, playing Hi-pop music with Apple I pod and having KFC. The culture that took thousand years to form is just seems similar in these cities; it is looks like you can only distinguish them by their language. Meanwhile, in some developing countries, sweat workshop is always the issue that concerned by WHOM. For instance, some report shows that some teenagers who employed by Nike's contractor always stay in the factory that is fulfilled by smell over 14 hours a day, but they only work for fifty cents per hour.

In summary, I would concede that globalization do come with some adverse effects. Despite that the benefits created by it far outweigh the disadvantages. Overall, I convinced that we should further promote globalization and meanwhile the local government should take some measures to combat culture assimilation and sweat workshop.

(This essay is extremely long (338 words instead of the advised 250-265). It has a sound structure, your position is clearly expressed, the information is well-organized, and structure- wise the sentences are fine. The vocabulary is impressive and there only were a few grammatical errors (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, looks like a band 7.5 + essay.)

b.The advantages and disadvantages of globalization

Even though globalization affects the world's economies in a very positive way, its negative side should not be forgotten. Discuss.

Globalization is such a commonly used term in the twenty first century. It simply means that the world has become integrated economically, socially, politically and culturally through the advances of technology, transportation and communication. It is undeniable to say that globalization has resulted in both positive and negative effects which must be addressed accordingly.

To begin with, globalization has contributed to the world's economies in many beneficial ways. The advances in science and technology have allowed businesses to easily cross over territorial boundary lines. Consequently, companies tend to become more productive, competitive thereby raising quality of goods, services and the world's living standard.

Secondly, several companies from the more developed countries have already ventured to establish foreign operations or branches to take advantage of the low cost of labor in the poorer countries. This kind of business activity will provide more influx of cash or investment funds into the less developed countries.

However, one cannot deny the negative effects which were derived from globalization. One crucial social aspect is the risk and danger of epidemic diseases which can easily be spread as the mode transportation is easier and faster in today's advance society. This is evidenced in the recent bird's flu disease which has infected most Asian countries over a short time frame.

As large corporations invest or take over many off shore businesses, a modern form of colonization will also evolve which may pose certain power pressure on the local governments of the less developed countries. Unemployment rates in the more developed regions like Europe may also escalate as corporations choose to outsource cheaper work force from Asian countries.

In conclusion, I would like to reiterate that globalization is inevitable and we must urge individuals, companies and governments to use a more balanced approach by taking appropriate steps to deal with matters relating to the financial or economical gains verses the social, political or ecological concerns of the world.

(This essay is too long, 318 words instead of 250-265. Otherwise (except for some minor grammatical errors) it is a very nice work. It covers the task, has the right structure, the paragraphs are coherent and logically connected by elegantly used linking words, the structure of sentences is fine and so is your vocabulary. Looks like a Band 7.5 or higher essay.)
2. Children and rules

In some countries children have very strict rules of behavior, in other countries they are allowed to do almost anything they want. To what extent should children have to follow rules?

The extent to which children have to follow rules is in itself a very complex issue, since children across the world grow up in very different cultures. In India for example, the level of morality is very high and children are to be very submissive to their parents as well as other adults around them. This, however, is not the case for the Western countries of the world where children follow the motto "Thou shalt do what thou wilt" as promoted by celebrities and rock stars. I believe that following strict rules has both advantages as well as serious drawbacks as discussed below.

Firstly, strict rules of behavior create responsible and respectful children who in turn mature into respectful adults. This forms a stable society which is virtually free from vices such as prostitution and drug abuse. Secondly, if children do not follow strict rules of behavior, they will get out of hand and become work- shy and indolent. This will then create a burden on society since the government has to find ways to cater for these social ills.

However, forcing children to follow strict rules of behavior doesn't always yield positive results as discussed above, most of the time it backfires and works against society. For example, teenagers are more likely to do the opposite of what they're told to do simply because they want to be independent. Children should also have rights to exercise their freewill and develop their own pattern of behaviors. Strict rules simply destroy the individuality of children if they're imposed on them.

At the end of the day, it is clear that children should be guided by rules, but these rules should not be imposed on them because as human beings, they need to have room to develop their own traits of character and adopt a behavioral pattern of their own.

(This essay is too long (309 words instead of advised 250-265). Otherwise this work is a very good one; it covers the task, your position is clear, the ideas are well-organized, expressed, explained and supported. The sentences show a wide range of language structures, cohesive devices and the grammar is fine. Overall, looks like a band 7.5 or higher essay.)

3.Financial education

Financial education should be mandatory component of the school program. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

It is an obvious fact that financial aspects are a major part of daily life, as an adult and even as a young individual. Each and every one of us has to make financial decisions concerning recreation, health, education and more. The question is whether to start with financial education as part of school program or postpone it for a later stage in life.

To being with, being able to understand the value of money, the way the economic system works and interpret financial news and its implications is a virtue. Without this virtue, an individual, and even a young one, might suffer, to some extent. For example, a child who doesn’t understand the concept of money might find it more difficult to accept choosing only one present out of more possible ones.

In addition, many adults are lacking financial analysis capabilities. Quite often, the reason can be a shaky basis or insecurity when it comes to financial terms and concepts. Starting from an early age, building a strong background, can very likely prevent such a situation.

However, financial education necessarily involves quantifying and setting prices and value for services and goods. It can be easily turn young people into cynical and coldhearted human beings. Furthermore, a tendency to self-concentration and egoism might rise when one starts measuring everything from a profit making perspective.

In conclusion, financial education has both pros and cons. In my opinion, the advantages are stronger than the disadvantages, making financial education an advisable component of school program. The disadvantages should be thought of as a certain price that young people have to pay due to the characteristics of the world that we live in.

(This is a wonderful essay. It covers the task, is correctly structured, the paragraphs are logically connected, the structure of sentences shows excellent command of English. The vocabulary is fine and both spelling and grammar are very good. See comments underlined in blue for some minor corrections. Overall, looks like a Band 7.5 � 8 essay.)

4. Computer and Education

As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom.

There have been immense advances in technology in most aspects of people?s lives, especially in the field of education. Nowadays, an increasing number of students rely on computers for research and to produce a perfect paper for school purposes. Others have decided to leave the original way of learning and to get knowledge through online schools. These changes in the learning process have brought a special concern regarding the possible decrease of importance of teachers in the classroom.

Some people believe the role of teachers started to fade because computers have been helping some students to progress in their studies quicker than when compared with an original classroom. For example, in the same classroom, students have different intellectual capacities, thus some would be tied to a slow advance in their studies because of others? incapacity of understanding. In this way, pupils could progress in their acquisition of knowledge at their own pace using computers instead of learning from teachers.

However, the presence of a teacher is essential for students because the human contact influences them in positive ways. Firstly, students realize that they are not dealing with a machine but with a human being who deserves attention and respect. They also learn the importance of studying in group and respect other students, which helps them to improve their social skills.

Moreover, teachers are required in the learning process because they acknowledge some student's deficiencies and help them to solve their problems by repeating the same explanation, giving extra exercises or even suggesting a private tutor. Hence, students can have a bigger chance not to fail in a subject.

In conclusion, the role for teachers in the learning process is still very important and it will continue to be in the future because no machine can replace the human interaction and its consequences.

(This is a great essay. Looks like Band 8 to me. No improvements are necessary, Keep up the good job!)

5. Rich countries should help the poor

Improvements in health, education and trade are essential for the development of poorer nations. However, the governments of richer nations should take more responsibility for helping the poorer nations in such areas.

Today’s world has been divided into developing and industrialized countries where the main difference between them is the amount of money that governments apply in important sectors such as education, health and commerce. Most of the poorer nations are buried in debts as a result of their unbalanced finances which are reflected in a poor health care, an unstructured education system and a weak international trade. This vicious cycle will continue indefinitely unless wealthier nations show interest in minimizing the worldwide economic differences, as well as taking more responsibility for assisting unfortunate countries.

Most of the African countries live in inhuman conditions because of the extreme poverty, upheaval, hunger, disease, unemployment, lack of education and both inexperienced and corrupt administrations. The devastating consequences of the AIDS epidemic in those countries could improve if the infected populations receive free drugs to control the disease, have access to health professionals and get information on how to prevent its spread. But this can only be achieved through international help programs in which leaders of the world's richest countries donate medicine and also send doctors and nurses to treat and educate those in need.

Moreover, most of the poor countries rely on selling agricultural products and raw material to rich nations and buying industrialized products from them which results in a huge financial deficit. Consequently, they borrow a significant amount of money from the World Bank to try to improve their broken economies, but sometimes the money disappears with no significant changes and they cannot even pay the interest to the bank. Regarding this issue, last year the G8, which is comprised of leaders of the eight richest nations, decided to forgive billions of dollars worth of debt owed by the world's poorest nations. In addition, they developed adequate loan programs to financially assist those countries.

In conclusion, leaders of the industrialized countries play an indispensable role in assisting developing nations deal with essential areas such as health, education and trade. Also, their aid is the key to breaking the vicious cycle, which results in poverty and death.

(This is an amazing essay, looks like Band 8 to me, nothing to improve here.)

6. Events bringing people together

Popular events like the football World Cup and other international sporting occasions are essential in easing international tensions and releasing patriotic emotions in a safe way.

Every four years, the whole world stops to watch international sporting events such as the Olympics and the Football World Cup in which athletes show their best performance to make their country proud of them. These sporting occasions have proved to be helpful in easing international tensions in difficult times when powerful leaders were trying to control the world's economy and other governments were fighting over land.

The Olympic Games are one of the best examples which prove how sporting events can bring nations together, at least temporarily. From ancient History, when Greeks and Romans would interrupt battles to participate in the games, to the more recent international disputes, when athletes from Palestine and Israel would forget their differences, compete pacifically and even embrace each other after an event. Moreover, these popular events have called the world's attention to the terrible consequences of wars; thus some leaders have tried to accept agreements to end their dispute and live peacefully.

Similarly, international sporting events show benefits in some developing countries which live in a daily internal civil war. For example, Brazil has a high rate of unemployment, lack of education, hunger, crime, poverty and corruption which leads to an immense embarrassment of being Brazilian and a low self-esteem. However, when the Football World Cup starts, the Brazilian squad, which is considered the best team in the world, provokes an amazing feeling of pride in their country. Most people seem to forget all their problems and even the criminal activity decreases. They paint roads with the national colors, use wear the Brazilian team shirt and buy national flags. Moreover, the competition brings families and neighbors together and even rival gangs watch the games and celebrate peacefully.

In conclusion, popular sporting events play an important role in decreasing international tensions and liberating patriotic feelings as History has shown.

(This is a great essay, the ideas, language, structure of paragraphs and sentences, grammar show high level of English. In my opinion it is Band 8. Keep up the good work.)

7.Computers instead of teachers

As computers are being used more and more in education, there will be soon no role for teachers in the classroom.

There is no doubt that education and the learning process has changed since the introduction of computers: The search for information has become easier and amusing, and connectivity has expedited the data availability. Though expert systems have made computers more intelligent, they have not yet become a substitute of the human interaction in the learning process. In my opinion; what can be expected, is a change of the teachers? role but not their disappearance from the classroom.

Nobody can argue that the acquisition of knowledge is more fun and easier with computers. The mere activity of touching and exploring this device constitutes an enjoyable task for a kid. This, accompanied with the relaxing attitude and software interactivity, usually conduce to a better grasping of new knowledge. At a higher educational level; the availability of digital books, simulator and other academic materials, provide the student with an ever accessible source of information, that otherwise would not be at hand.

But, besides the increasing complexity and behavior of intelligent software, which is usually embedded in the academic digital material, the need of human interaction in the learning process will always be present, at least in the foreseeable future. There is the necessity for a human being to be able to determine what the specific needs of each individual are. The expertise of a teacher in how to explain and adapt complex concepts to different individuals can hardly be mimicked by a computer, no matter how sophisticated its software is.

As computers are becoming a common tool for teaching, teachers should be more aware of their role as guides in the acquisition of knowledge rather than transmitters of facts. They have to be open minded to the changes that are taking place, keep updated and serve as a problem solvers in the learning process, thus allowing students to discover the facts for themselves.

To summarize, in my personal view, teachers play and will play an important role in the classroom, especially at the primary level. No matter how complex computers become, there will be no replacement for the human interaction, but in the way this interaction takes place.

(Excellent essay! Are you a native English speaker? Well done. The only problem: too long, 365 words instead of 250-265 maximum.)
8. Children and work

In many countries, children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it as valuable work experience, important for learning and taking responsibility. What is your opinion on this?

In the Third World, children are usually sent to factories for labor work. Many people believe that is merely exploitation, while others think it is good opportunities for them to have life experience. In any case, children have their right to live and study in peaceful conditions. Therefore, using them as labor force is considered an unacceptable action.

First of all, children are not workers. They have just known about the vast world and do not have any experiences as well as conceptions about working. Since these innocent children are naive and lack of life experiences, they are easily cheated and exploited. There are a lot of examples about this in poor nations. Because using children is cheap and easily to control, many enterprises hire them with a little money paid. Although the government in these countries has tried their best, this kind of taking advantage of children cannot be eliminated.
Moreover, children do not need such things called �valuable work experience� or �important for learning and taking responsibility�. The brief responsibility of children is learning. They are not old enough to understand what working experiences are. Nevertheless, they can help parents do chores or housework. This will be much better way for them to become more responsible for family. In addition, childhood is one of the most remarkable memories and must not be taken by forcing them to work.

In conclusion, since all children are the great concern of parent and society, they should be allowed to enjoy life and educated rather than encouraging them to work. Hence, one must ponder what view is actually appropriate for the sake of children.

(This is a good essay. It covers the task, the paragraphs are coherent, the sentences are well-structured and the vocabulary is adequate. However a little structural change in the paragraphs is required � first make the point (such as “Some say that children should learn about earning money” and then oppose to it “However, children can not be compared to adult workers”). Also, there were some inaccuracies (see comments underlined in blue). Overall, looks like a Band 6.5 essay.)

9. Men and Women

Males and females are different in many ways. Some jobs can be done by men, but other jobs are just suitable for women.

Do          you        agree    or            disagree?

Overall, I disagree with the opinion expressed. Males and females do have many different characteristics in various aspects and behave differently in daily lives, but it doesn't mean that they have nothing in common in working environment.

Normally, both men and women can acquire the same abilities required in any jobs if they are trained in the appropriate ways. That's why most of the people usually have one or more colleagues of opposite sex. Certainly, I won't deny that some jobs are likely more suitable for females such as nurse or kindergarten teacher, due to women are more patient and careful than men. But we have to admit that many men are working as same as women in these areas since they may have the same ability or contribute in other aspects, like to carry patients on the back in emergency, or bring more    active                atmosphere       to            children.

Furthermore, with the rapid development of science and technology, the heavy physical jobs can be increasingly operated directly by modern machine, also majority of complicated logical calculation works can be handled by smart computing systems. While human are likely to pay more attention on monitoring and management in working environment in the future. So the physical and mental difference between males and females will affect much less on the assignment of jobs.

In conclusion, many jobs can be done by both men and women, although some jobs are covered mostly by women, but doesn't mean men can not be involved, and vice versa.

b. 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.

The inequality between men and women is always a significant issue in their society. Besides that, it is undeniable that most vital positions in companies are taken by male not female. Therefore, there exist a statement that companies should allocate to women a certain number of these positions. However, I do not totally agree with this requirement.

In some feudal countries, it was true to say that the society favour the male, and at that time the inequality occurred extremely. Up to the present moment, it stills to happen in some developing countries; also it is greatly involved to women’s right. A huge number of women in these countries are not allowed to go to work or even go to public place. In this case, this is not an individual issue, but it is a social problem. The governments should have some solution to react with this tendency, and at the same time they should promulgate a new legislation to      protect women’s          right.

On the other hand, the global economy is developed rapidly nowadays. In most corporations, they do not distinguish men or women; they only focus on working efficient. In this world, any employees who own enough abilities and work in an effective way, that person will be promoted to a high position. Therefore, allocating for women the high level positions in companies is not necessary. Moreover, the evidence of women takes place in an essential position cannot count by fingers. Those women are very successful in their work and their lives.

In conclusion, although the inequality between men and women is improved, it still is a social issue worth to concern. Personally, in my opinion we should create many opportunities for women to have an equal life as we can.

This essay needs some work. It has a good structure, the paragraphs are coherent, the usage of linking words is sufficient and the task is covered. On the other hand, the grammar needs much attention, the structure of the sentences should be worked on and there were some unclear expressions used. See comments underlined in blue for more details. Overall, looks like a Band 6 essay.

10.Should education be free?

All education, primary, secondary and further education, should be free to all people and paid for by     the             government.
Do you agree or         disagree           with     this      statement?

The opinion that every citizen should have the right to study at school or university for free is very controversial one. Those, who disagree, refer to enormous expenditures of government in case of establishing such laws. Although, I hold the viewpoint that not charging people for education could become very beneficial for country and its economy.

First, young people from poor families could be very smart. Looking back to history and biographies of distinguished people, raised in poverty can illustrate this best. Making schooling available only for fortunate is not fair. Moreover, the state well-being could also be affected, because there would be a lack of talented specialists, whose skills was not discovered         and      developed       by        proper training.

Another advantage of making education free of charge is happiness of the nation. Inability of individual to collect amount of money needed to pay school or university fees cause stress and anxiety of the middle-class society, which can even keep them from having children. Nowadays we can see that the lowest birthrate is in countries where prices of enrollment to highest education institutions are very high. This clearly indicates the fact that citizens of rich countries do not feel able to provide their future offspring proper education.

Finally, nothing seems to be more beneficial to economy than intelligent nation. Free courses and study programs can prepare excellent specialists, who would work to bring profit themselves and hence their country. That would surely compensate most expenses of state budget caused    by        education        of         no        charge.

To sum up, even though making all schools free can be very expensive for state economy, advantages are invaluable. After several years such improvements would bring fruits of happy, intelligent nation confident about its future.

11. Education and teacher

Some people think that they can learn better by themselves than with a teacher. Others think that it is always better to have a teacher. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons to develop your essay.

It is certainly said that learning is an ongoing process .Every person learn something new according to their age, experience knowledge and education. According to my point of view it is always better to have _teacher or guide for study.

One teacher has adequate knowledge to teach their student. He knows all the possible ways to make subject easier for the students, even he teaches them in effective manner. For example, some students are weak in some subjects but a teacher always guides them according to their mental capacity. He teaches them as fun. Some people can learn better in group by discuss the topics with others. In class people can know the other?s views, even they know how we can learn effectively. Where the teacher always give easy direction to learn.

In the today?s competitive world, everbody is busy, some people think that rather to waste their time to go for classes they can learn better regarding their subject _. They can attend online classes by using internet at home. They can get relevant information from internet regarding their topic. There is not specific time, age limit to learn something new. Some thing new which we always learn only with the experience such as atequates, knowledge, new habits and so on.

In sum up, I would like to say that it is always better for the people to have teacher because one teacher has good knowledge, experience and education to teach others. They can take learn easy from him rather by themselves.

12. Financial education

Financial education should be mandatory component of the school program. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

It is an obvious fact that financial aspects are a major part of daily life, as an adult and even as a young individual. Each and every one of us has to make financial decisions concerning recreation, health, education and more. The question is whether to start with financial education as part of school program or postpone it for a later stage in life.

To being with, being able to understand the value of money, the way the economic system works and interpret financial news and its implications is a virtue. Without this virtue, an individual, and even a young one, might suffer, to some extent. For an example, a child who doesn’t understand the concept of money might find it more difficult to except choosing only one present out of more possible ones.

In addition, many adults are lacking financial analysis capabilities. Quite often, the reason can be a shaky basis or insecurity when it comes to financial terms and concepts. Starting from an early age, building a strong background, can very likely prevent such a situation.

However, financial education necessarily involves quantifying and setting prices and value for services and goods. It can be easily turn young people into cynical and cold-hearted human beings. Furthermore, a tendency to self-concentration and egoism might rise when one start measuring everything from a profit making perspective.

In conclusion, financial education has both pros and cons. In my opinion, the advantages are stronger than the disadvantages, making financial education an advisable component of school program. The disadvantages should be thought of as a certain price that young people have to pay due to the characteristics of the world that we live in.

13.IELTS essay: University or working?

Some people think high school graduates should travel or work for a period of
time instead of going directly to study at university.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both approaches.
Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own knowledge or      experience. You should write     at        least     250      words.

There is a considerable controversy about what young people should do after receiving graduation certificate of high school. The majority holds the viewpoint that obtaining an university degree immediately after school is the only option to become successful and established person. Others, however, tend to disagree; in their opinion after finishing school individual should receive an opportunity to see the world or try his skills on job.
On the one hand, basic knowledge, came into posession of a pupil at school should be preserved and receive futher development at university. Human brain forgets facts rapidly, espessially those, which are not in use. In the case of making a long pause between graduation from school and enrolling to an university, person may become unable to pass admission            exams.
On the other hand, on job training may provide an opportunity of receiving experience and choosing career before deciding the sphere, in which student wants to obtain higher education. For instance, young person can try his skills of management, working as an assistant manager in a small shop. In addition, that could also help him to understand if this work is really what he desires and prevent from making an expensive mistake of choosing wrong major.
Another option of understanding someone’s needs is travelling. This is a perfect way to see the world and different professions in use. Person, who have never been in rural areas could be charmed, for example, by romantism of cheesemaking and come to decision to make genuine            milk products  all his life.
To sum up, there are some ways different from the standart scheme of going to university right after school and they should not be overlooked. Personally I think that whichever option person chooses, time before university should not be wasted on entertainment or parties. It is essential to use it wisely, thinking about the future.

14. Environment

Nowadays environmental problems are too big to be managed by individual persons or individual countries. In other words, it is an international problem. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

An essential problem of the 21st century is world pollution. Currently the environment is so much contaminated that urgent measures should be taken. The single individual cannot be blamed for the world pollution, however every person should take care of his or her habitat. In addition, it is vital that environmental issues should be treated internationally.

Lately, many presentations, conferences and international summits are held regarding waste treatment, recycling, soil and water contamination. For sure joint efforts and consolidation can only help in the mutual war towards the environmental disaster, which is going on. For instance, governments should offer support to companies and organizations, involved in manufacturing, industry or agriculture in order to find environment friendly approaches. These could be special law regulations, recycling programs, helping courses in order to implement ISO certificates and many more.

However, the influence of individuals over environment should not be ignored. If we do not confess that our planet is our home, we will never be able to take adequately care of it. We have to contribute every day to the preservation of nature and environment. For example, always remember to save energy by switching off lamps, computers and everything that we do not use. Our next obligation is to separate waste and throw bulk only in the designated areas. Driving vehicles can also be environment friendly. For example, we have to avoid accelerating the engines too rapidly or using the air condition in the country, where it will be better to save energy and simply open the windows.

To sum up, environmental problems should be handled by local and international authorities also. Every single person should take care of environment and moreover we have to bring up our children to be conscious citizens of a clean and preserved planet.

Explain some of the ways in which humans are damaging the environment. What can governments do to address these problems? What can individual people do?

Humans are responsible for a variety of environmental problems, but we can also take steps to reduce the damage that we are causing to the planet. This essay will discuss environmental problems and the measures that governments and individuals can take to address these problems.

Two of the biggest threats to the environment are air pollution and waste. Gas emissions from factories and exhaust fumes from vehicles lead to global warming, which may have a devastating effect on the planet in the future. As the human population increases, we are also producing ever greater quantities of waste, which contaminates the earth and pollutes rivers and oceans.

Governments could certainly make more effort to reduce air pollution. They could introduce laws to limit emissions from factories or to force companies to use renewable energy from solar, wind or water power. They could also impose ‘green taxes’ on drivers and airline companies. In this way, people would be encouraged to use public transport and to take fewer flights abroad, therefore reducing emissions.

Individuals should also take responsibility for the impact they have on the environment. They can take public transport rather than driving, choose products with less packaging, and recycle as much as possible. Most supermarkets now provide reusable bags for shoppers as well as ‘banks’ for recycling glass, plastic and paper in their car parks. By reusing and recycling, we can help to reduce waste.

In conclusion, both national governments and individuals must play their part in looking after the environment.

16. ENVIRONMENT & ECOLOGY

To what extent should economic planning be influenced by the need of environmental conservation?

Damage of the environment is an inevitable consequence of worldwide improvements in the standard of living. Discuss.

The rising levels of congestion and air pollution found in most of the world cities can be attributed directly to the rapidly increasing number of private cars in use. In order to reverse this decline in the quality of life in cities, attempts must be made to encourage people to use their cars less and public transport more. Discuss possible ways to encourage the use of public transport.

IELTS essay - Pollution and other environmental problems are resulting from a country's developing and becoming richer. Some think this cannot be avoided. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

All the things that human beings have designed and devised for comfort have some kind of repercussion for the environment. The industrial revolution was the main cause of environmental damage. However, I disagree that this cannot be avoided. I think it is possible to achieve progress without damaging the environment. Fortunately technology has advanced enough that environmental damage is no longer necessary for further progress.

It is irrefutable that in our quest for development and becoming richer, we have harmed some of our environment. Most of the things we use require some kind of energy to manufacture, operate and maintain. Disposing-off these things is very difficult too. Most of the energy that we use is polluting the environment. Renewable energy forms a very small part of what is used on a significant scale. Effluents from large factories are being dumped indiscriminately and landfill sites are filling up with non-biodegradable wastes. All this is being done in the name of progress.

Nevertheless, I still refute the statement that the damage to the environment is inevitable.  I think it is possible to achieve progress without damaging the environment. For instance, we know that there are renewable sources of energy which are lesser polluting. Already there are people who are designing houses that do not require air conditioning even in the extremes of temperature. For example, they are using prefabricated material such as aluminum for doors and windows. There are people who are trying to ensure that dependence on modern conveniences remains a luxury and does not become an absolute necessity. I feel that if there is awareness, we can achieve progress literally in its true meaning and without losing any single bit of our environment.

The answer lies in the green technologies which increasingly use renewable resources of energy. We should also remember the three “Rs” - reduce, reuse and recycle. In this way we can achieve an ecologically sustainable development. In order for progress to cause minimum damage to environment, sustainability has to be worked at.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, earlier we could say that - Industrial Revolution = Progress = Environmental Damage; but fortunately technology has advanced enough that environmental damage is no longer necessary for further progress.

17. CRIME AND LAWS

What are your views on the question, “Should people convicted of minor crimes do community service rather than go to prison?”

Over the centuries, punishments for different criminals are subject of great consideration. Weather it’s a punishment for a serious crime like murder, or a low intensity crime like abusing a man, there is always a hot debate, among law makers, social workers & layman citizens. People convicted for minor crimes are treated the same way as for major crimes convicts. I firmly believe, criminals with minor crimes should have a different law & enviornment for punishment. Although, it’s a matter of hot debate, yet I am illustrating some facts.

To begin with, a great amount of tax paid by civilized citizens is utilized to maintain prisons for these convicts. Letting minor convicts to do community jobs, being a part of community, will help to reduce the over-burdened cost. Furthermore, the saved money can be utilized for well fare of society.

Secondly, community can be benefited by aquiring & utilizing a free source of human energy to fulfil society needs. For example, these convicts can be punished or forced to repair damage roads, provide care to patients in the hospitals, maintain old age homes or orphan houses. However, these are possibilities of low quality or service but that can be controlled by providing necessary trainings & supervising their work by authorities.

In addition, minor crime convicts will be living with their families, as a part of community, which could help them to become nobel citizens of country.

Last but not least, this technique can help these convicts to devekop the will & strength, to survive in the society after their trial or prisonment. Enviornment in the prison force or motivate these minor offenders to become real big criminals, whilst having punishment within community can put a barrier for such consequences.

To summarize it all, I would recommend to enforce this law in near future, so that both community & convicts families as well, can be benefited. It could be a beginning of new era of humanity, where law & order punish criminals, but with an intention to provide them opportunities & enviornment to become civilized citizens of our nation.

ELTS essay - Some people think that politicians have the greatest influence on the world. Other people, however, believe that scientists have the greatest influence. Discuss both of views and give your opinion.

It is irrefutable that both scientists and politicians have made great contributions to the societies worldwide and it would be difficult to say whose influence is greater. In the following paragraphs, I would highlight the role of both, politicians and scientists in our lives.

Politicians are elected by citizens to work for the betterment of the masses by enforcing regulations to maintain social harmony and law and order in the country. They represent the common man and do their best so that no one is devoid of their fundamental rights. They also represent their countries in matters where global co-operation is needed. They have the power to change the standing of their nation in the whole world. For example, the economic policies of our Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh have brought India way up in the eyes of the whole world.

On the other hand the contribution of scientists cannot be under estimated. They have made great progress in the field of medicine. Today, there is a cure for many fatal diseases such as cancers. Scientists all over the world are toiling whole-heartedly to find a cure for problems such as AIDS. It is the contribution of scientists that we have electricity and the automobile. The contribution of scientists in the field of communication has shrunk the whole planet Earth into a global village. The satellite TV and the internet have brought the world into the common man’s bedroom.

Because of scientists’ contribution, education has reached the remotest corners of the world, thereby reducing the gap between the rich and the poor. Scientists are working on fighting global warming. They are working on space tourism and exploring other planets for evidence of life.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that no doubt, politicians are very important for people but the contribution of scientists is much more. They have converted yesterday’s fiction into today’s reality.

Some people think that politicians and scientists have the greatest influence on the world, others disagree. Discuss both views    and        state      your       own       opinion....

Scientists and politicians have played an important role in the world lately as their researches and decisions have effects worldwide. We all have been coping with innumerous problems, natural disasters or even conflicts for many reasons. The way our politicians are dealing and the resources and technologies to support these decisions might change the course of the history.

Having said that, politicians have a wide influence over their countries and the world through many means of communication and in some crucial points of recent situations they had their decisions based     on           scientist                 researches.

For instance, a recent epidemic of swine flu which was sparkled in México followed by a quick and huge spreading worldwide was tagged as the biggest flu ever by scientists and the only way to stop that would be buying vaccine developed by a well-known company. Despite some remaining cases, the epidemic was defeated and the most of countries had realised they overspent their revenue based on influence of         scientists and     politicians            who                 endorsed            them.

In addition, a good sample of politicians influence over the world is clearly demonstrated in the Cold War, whereas USA and ex-Soviet Union influenced the world to follow their economic model.

From my perspective, politicians and scientists really have a good influence worldwide. Although, I brought up some negative points they are always influencing the world to move forward.

Some people think that politicians and scientists have the greatest influence on the world, others disagree/ Discuss both views and state your own opinion.


We live in a world where politics and science play very important role. While politics define, advocate and regulate laws, governing bodies and relationship between counrties, the science has brought many astonishing changes to our life. Having said that, I would support the view that nowadays politicians and scientists have the greatest influence on our world.

First of all, I would like to start with politics. Recently all media outlets reported about economic crisis in Greece which is the member of EU. Debt striken Greece was on the verge of declaring its bancrupcy and economic crisis negatively affected euro zone currency, which in turn lead to the speculation that other EU members like Portugal and Spain could find themselves in a very difficult situation. Greek government needed urgent financial aid and EU leading politicians came to the stage. After a week of intence negotiations the politicians agreed not only to help to Greece but also to set up a special fund to safeguard EU economy. On my opinion, all credit should go to the european politicians who in a short time evaluated the real threat and took preventive        measures.

Second of all, scientists do not appear very often on the news like politicians do, but they also contribute a lot to our life and still continue to have influence on the world. Thanks to the scientists like Sir Alexander Fleming, Einstein, Nobel, Newton and many others today we can cure many diseases, travel to the universe or in our daily life enjoy the use of new technologies. The scientific discoveries made our modern life more convenient, diverse and full of             joy.

Last but not least, since we face many issues like global warming, frozen conflicts and many others I believe that politicians and scientists will do their best to solve this problems. In sum, I hope that in the future politicians and scientists would make decisions and discoveries for the benefit of people all over around the globe and continue to have a positive influence on our fragile world.

Sample IELTS essay - health and diet  

Recent research shows that the consumption of junk food is a major factor in poor diet and this is detrimental to health. Some people believe that better health education is the answer to this problem but others disagree. What is your opinion?

A serious concern nowadays is how our eating habits can affect our health. In particular, it has been demonstrated that eating too much junk food can lead to health issues later in life. One sensible suggestion for dealing with this is to improve the level of health education so that we eat better and live longer.

Focusing on health education is an appropriate measure. This would address one underlying cause of the problem. It is clear that there is a connection between what people know about nutrition and their eating habits. For example, children who have learned in school about the need to have a varied diet with plenty of vitamins tend to eat more healthily. In contrast, people who have not had this education still eat too much junk food and as a result suffer from diabetes and other diseases.

Better health education, however, is not a complete answer.  It ignores the wider social factors that cause people to eat unhealthily. For instance, many people eat fast food because they have a lifestyle that means they do not have time to sit down to a proper meal. Again, other people might eat burgers and pizzas because they are seen to be cool and they want to impress their peers.

There would not appear to be any simple way to deal with these social factors.  A difficulty is that it is very hard for governments to make a difference to the individual choices people make. It might help, however, to ban advertisements for unhealthy foods on television and to require companies to provide proper meal facilities for their employees.

My conclusion is that the government certainly ought to introduce measures to improve the level of health education. However, this probably would not be a  perfect solution as it would also be necessary to deal with the other social factors that cause unhealthy eating.

Food is            now easier to prepare.             Is         this      a          good    thing?


Nowadays, more and more people begin to select prepared food as their daily meals, since it can effectively save time which is considered as money in our modern society. However it is obvious that cooked food can bring about some negative influence result from utilizing the artificial ingredients, ignoring the nutrition of food and modifying people's eating habits. In this essay, I would like to explain why this is not a good thing based on the three reasons above.

First of all, to make their food easier to prepare and taste delicious, almost every producer adds a wide range of artificial ingredients in to the food that is now purchased by most people. Some ingredients being added have caused dire consequences. For instance, there are usually some articles in newspapers and magazines which report the relationship between certain chemical components in some food and diseases. Thus, easy-to-cook foods sometimes could be dangerous for human's   health.

Not cooking fresh food will also lead to the lack of nutrition. It is truth that cooking prepared foods needs much less time in comparison with the fresh food., whereas some research has apparently demonstrated that prepared foods are unable to support enough nutrients we need, especially for children who are growing                     up        .

In addition, cooking is one of arts humans create. The more cooked food we chosen, the more cooking skills we lose. At the increasing living pace, the majority of people tend to choose microwave as their unique cooker that help them prepare a dish in five minutes. But rare people have been aware that this has contributed to a modification of cooking habits, which may cause the loss of our custom and culture about cooking.

In conclusion, although the invention of prepared foods definitely satisfies the demand of some people who are busy in their work, it is not a good thing. Cooking is not a waste of time, contrarily, it is crucial for our health and             culture.

Dieting can change a person’s life for the better or ruins one’s health completely. What’s your opinion?

Almost 90% of the women today wants a beautiful figure. That is why we are able to find a diet programme almost everywhere in the country. Most of the women have tought and gone on a diet before either to slim dowm or just for health problem.

A proper diet programme will help you not only to slim down but also to have a healtier eating habit. For instance taking more vegetables and fruits that meat, avoid fried food and carbonated drinks. For a diet programme we shouldn’t cut one self from food and water. There are some diet programme from the doctors that help you to have a healty heart like the “Three day diet” which we can find on the internet. This programme allows you to eat fruits and also some meat. This way of dieting you will be able to avoid some of the health problems in the future like diebetes or a heart attack.

However some people do not only go on a diet but they avoid eating and go hungry for the whole day. All they have is just either water or juices. Also there a people who buy special diet programme over the counter like taking pills which are not approved by the health department and without consulting a doctor first. They do not follow the basic rules of dieting and this will lead them to some serious health problems like disfuctional of some body parts or, even worse, death.

In my opinion there is notting wrong going on a diet as long as we follow the correct way of eating and for a good reason to diet.

Improvements in health, education and trade are essential for the development of poorer nations. However, the governments of richer nations should take more responsibility for helping the poorer nations in such areas.

Today’s world has been divided into developing and industrialised countrieswhich the main difference between them is the amount of money that governments apply in important sectors such as education, health and commerce. Most of the poorer nations are buried in debts as a result of their unbalanced finances which are reflect in a failed health care, an unstructured education system and a weak international trade. This vicious cycle will continue indefinitely unless wealthier nations show interest in minimizing the worldwide economic differences, as well as taking more responsibility for assisting unfortunate countries.

Most of the African countries live in sub-human conditions because of the extreme poverty, upheaval, hunger, disease, unemployment, lack of education and both inexperienced and corrupt administrations. The devastating consequences of the AIDS epidemic in those countries could improve if the infected populations receive free drugs to control the disease, have access to health professionals and get information on how to prevent its spread. But this can only be achieved through international help programs in which leaders of the world?s richest countries donate medicine and also send doctors and nurses to treat and educate those in need.

Moreover, most of the poor countries rely on selling agricultural products and raw material to rich nations and buying industrialized products from them resulting in a huge financial deficit. Consequently,
they borrow a significant amount of money from the World Bank to try to improve their broken economies, but sometimes the money disappears with no significant changes and they cannot even pay the interest to the bank. Regarding this issue, last year the G8, which is comprised of leaders of the eight richest nations, decided to forgive billions of dollars worth of debt owed by the world?s poorest nations. In addition, they developed adequate loan programs to financially assist those countries.

In conclusion, leaders of the industrialised countries play an indispensable role in assisting developing nations deal with essential areas such as health, education and trade. Also, their aid is the key to breaking the vicious cycle, which results in poverty and death.

Some people think that the government should pay for citizens’ health care and education. Others, however, argue that is not the responsibility of the government. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

In my point of view, honestly, government indeed no obligation to provides the financial help for individuals to combats the problem that related to the health and eduction.

Certainly, I never denied the significance of the education in present-day society. However, government strives to invest the huge amount in the compulsory education to give everyone the oppotunity of study, but never pay attention to the method to boost the teaching quality, and give convertion to model of instruction. In my opinion, academic atmosphere is more essential to enhance the efficiency of the teaching. I recommend to begin to halve tuition fee and remain some of funds, for the sake of altering the focus on the education quality with larger capital input, even if it would risen to just little people willing to be educated. I firmly believed that the result will be better, therefore, I did not support the government to pay for individuals' education.

In term of health, my view is for government, it is worthwhile to ensure food security rather than affording the medical expense, thereby providing the assistance. For instance, we all know the issue of Sanlu Milk Powder. Besides, there are various of products containing excess toxic elements that did not be discovered so far, but affect human development. It is one of the hand, to get risen to stifle the potential of the disease. on the other hand, improvement of the medical technology is also a necessity. Sometimes the patient is able to afford his or her own fee-for-service, but still cannot avoid the death due to doctors' helplessness.

My opinion is enough ordinary, I just hope the government to do not pour water into a sieve. More haste less speed.

Some people say the government should pay for the health care and education, but others say that it is not the government's responsibility. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

Despite the development of modern society, the health care and education still remain the basic rights of citizens. And a much debated issue these days is whether or not the government should be responsible for citizens' health care and education.

Some people argue that it is the government that should be obligated to fund the health care and education for citizens. This is because citizens enjoy the right to live in a harmonious and stable environment, which should be enabled by the government, the leader of the society. If citizens had no access to health care and education, their physical health and psychological soundness would be at risk. As a result, such people might fail to get cured in time, thus influencing their working efficiency, which would destabilize the production of the industry. Also, without sufficient guidance of teachers, these citizens might misbehave or even commit crimes, posing a threat to other citizens' security. Therefore, the government should be accountable for citizens' health care and education to keep society safe and stable.

On the other hand, some people oppose the argument, saying it is a waste of public money for the government to subsidize health care and education of each citizen in society, since a great number of people, in fact, have had the capacity to pay for the both privately. Instead, the government should give priority to more pressing problems related to social members' wellbeing, such as soaring crime rate, AIDS epidemic or the shortage of infrastructure, which are requiring financial resources from the government to address.

Personally, I think the government should fund the deprived for their health care and education, who are the group in real need for the authority's help. At the same time, citizens available for the both should encourage the government to allocate money to more urgent areas. After all, the harmonious society calls for the joint efforts of the government and citizens.

Today, advanced science and technology have made great changes to people's life, but artists such as musicians, painters and writers are still highly valued. What can arts tell us about life that science and technology cannot?

( the plan for this essay was already there on the blog. This is the complete sample answer )

It is irrefutable that artists as well as scientists bring many benefits to society. The role of art as well as science is different yet inextricably linked. In the following paragraphs I intend to delve into the role of both in our lives. What is certain is that both types are valuable, priceless and irreplaceable for every society.

The contributions of artists to the society are very essential. Art can bring out people’s creativity, views and personalities. For example, we learn about our history, traditions and culture through movies, songs and paintings made by artists. Art also entertains us. Another important aspect of this is that art is an ancient means of communication. Our language is a result of people's need to communicate. Appreciation of art is what differentiates us from animals.

From the other side, the contribution of scientists cannot be exaggerated. All humankind is indebted to the scientists because of their work and achievements. Scientists make our life easier. We have cars and aeroplanes to move fast from one place to another. We have microwaves and ready-to-eat foods to make cooking much easier. We have different devices that simplify all we do. Finally, scientists are making great achievements in medicines that make our life longer and happier. Nowadays people have a great opportunity to do many things faster by use of computers.

Science and technology give us better life but arts tell us how to live that life. In Science truths are proved and phenomena are explained. In art they are interpreted. We enjoy what science brings to us. But we cannot be satisfied with the material things. What we want most is the emotion from their deep hearts, which can only be obtained from art. Art cannot be valued as certain amount of money, not like the productions of science.  Take Van Gogh’s painting for instance. It cannot be rated by the value of dyes and canvas. The sensation in mankind’s heart is priceless. That’s why art isn't equal to science. Art makes people enjoy life, gives people the pleasure of living from the mental level. That’s where art differs from science.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that artists nourish our souls when scientists and technology feed our minds. So, we cannot eliminate or underestimate one of them.

Even though globalization affects the world�s economies in a very positive way, its negative side should not be forgotten. Discuss.

Globalization is such a commonly used term in the twentieth century. It simply means that the world has become integrated economically, socially, politically and culturally through the advances of technology, transportation and communication. It is undeniable to say that globalization has resulted in both positive and negative effects which must be addressed accordingly.

To begin with, globalization has contributed to the world�s economies in many beneficial ways. The advances in science and technology have allowed businesses to easily cross over territorial boundary lines. Consequently, companies tend to become more productive, competitive thereby raising quality of goods, services and the world�s living standard.

Secondly, several companies from the more developed countries have already ventured to establish foreign operations or branches to take advantage of the low cost of labor in the poorer countries. This kind of business activity will provide more influx of cash or investment funds into the less developed countries.

However, one cannot deny the negative effects which have derived from globalization. One crucial social aspect is the risk and danger of epidemic diseases which can easily be spread as the mode transportation is easier and faster in today�s advance society. This is evidenced in the recent bird�s flu disease which has infected most Asian countries over a short time frame.

As large corporations invest or take over many off shore businesses, a modern form of colonization will also evolve which may pose certain power pressure on the local governments of the less developed countries. Unemployment rates in the more developed regions like Europe may also escalate as corporations choose to outsource cheaper work force from Asian countries.

In conclusion. I like to reiterate that globalization is inevitable and we must urge individuals, companies and governments to use a more balanced approach by taking appropriate steps to deal with matters relating to the financial or economical gains verses the social, political or ecological concerns of the world.

This essay is too long, 318 words instead of 250-265. Otherwise (except for some minor grammatical errors) it is a very nice work. It covers the task, has the right structure, the paragraphs are coherent and logically connected by elegantly used linking words, the structure of sentences is fine and so is your vocabulary. Looks like a Band 7.5 or higher essay.

ELTS sample essay: Scientific and technological advances have changed our lives. But some scientists in some fields say that scientists are not able to find solutions to the problems they have created. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

---

We sure live differently from our parents did decades ago. The changes are wide and profound. At the same time, we are facing challenges and problems unknown in the past. Could we find solutions to problems created by scientific development? The answer seems to be no.
　　
Some of the most obvious problems caused by technological advances lie in the IT industry. At a time when we did not have computers and electronic bank services, people took money with them and paid by cash. If they were stolen, only the amount they had with them was lost. But now credit cards are more commonly used in shopping malls and other places, crimes again us have become more serious and caused greater losses to people. A thief may tape the code of your credit card and make a copy of it. Then he could safely withdraw all your money from an ATM machine. Crimes such as this are very sticky to solve because there is no witness and the surveillance cameras give little help to the police.
　　
Another example is the issue of information control with the media industry including TV networks and Internet that give easy access to information without discrimination to people’s age. This has created a huge problem for parents and schools because teenage people are particularly vulnerable to adult materials and information violent in nature. In the past, when most information came in the form of print, it was relatively easy to control what children read. When a parent put away a book unsuitable for children, they were cut off from the source of information. With computer parents could use software to filter bad web sites but could not prevent new ones from appearing every day.
　　
People are working very hard to solve such problems that come along with advances in science and technology, but the efforts are not sufficient and not very successful. Even with the little progress we have achieved, we find ourselves defeated by new problems with greater complexity and in wider             scope.
　　
In conclusion, developments in many fields of our life have brought us both benefits and problems. Developments in the banking industry give us greater convenience but making us targets of computer-based theft. Changes in media industry expose young people to inappropriate information difficult for parent’s control. However up until now, we have not successfully found permanent solutions yet.

ELTS essay - Some people think that it is necessary to travel abroad to learn about other countries, while other people think that it is not necessary to travel abroad because all the information can be seen on TV and the Internet. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

(This essay is similar to another essay from the 2007 list -    http://kiransielts.blogspot.com/2010/09/some-people-claim-that-public-museums.html

It is irrefutable that nowadays, because of technology, arm-chair tourism through which we can see all the information on television and the internet, has gained popularity. However, I disagree, that travelling abroad will no longer be needed. In fact, I believe that the popularity of foreign travel will grow even further due to publicity these places get because of TV and the internet.

First of all, computers can never replace real places. No matter how real and vivid computer images are, they are only images and can never be likened to the historical objects and natural wonders that we see in real or even might be allowed to touch with our fingertips. The difference can be compared to seeing the picture of a mango rather than actually eating it.

Secondly, visiting other countries is a rewarding experience in many respects. For one thing, it is a good exercise. When we make the trip to a foreign country then we visit the places of interest there, we get some exercise which does a lot of good to our health. We generally go with family and friends and enjoy a lot. We also learn about the culture and tradition of the place. All this broadens our horizons which can never be done by the passive activity of seeing something on the computer screen. At the same time we also get a chance to spread the good points of our own culture also.

Finally, I believe that after seeing these countries on TV or the internet, our craving to actually see these increases even more and so we make efforts to go and see these places. This can be proved by the overwhelming number of tourists to these places that has been increasing year after year. At certain times, especially when it is temporarily impossible for us to visit other countries in person, we can get a rough picture of what those countries are like. However, what we see from a computer screen is, after all, not exactly the same as what we see and feel with our own eyes on site.

In conclusion, arm-chair tourism is there today but international travel will still be needed.

IELTS essay - Tourism is an excellent way to develop a country, but it can also cause harm. How can countries ensure that tourism benefits the development.

It is irrefutable that tourism has become the backbone of many economies of the world. In fact many countries rely on the tourist dollar for their development. This has also led to damage of the natural environment and at many places the tourist places have been so much littered that they have ceased being a tourist attraction any more. In a way tourism is killing tourism. In the following paragraphs, I shall discuss ways in which countries can ensure sustainable tourism.

The first step towards sustainable tourism would be that tourists benefit the local residents of the host country rather than the owners of the five star hotels where they normally stay. The governments and tourist companies could educate the local residents to make a part of their homes as lodges for the tourists. This way the tourists could stay as paying guests and the local people could earn. This would be a win-win situation for both – the tourist and the locals and there would be more chances of culture exchange.

Another cause of concern which goes against tourism is that tourists litter the place by throwing plastic bottles and wrappers of eatables here and there. For this the governments could ensure that dust bins are placed at regular intervals and are also evacuated regularly. Neat and clean rest-rooms should be provided for the convenience of the tourists. The government should also limit the number of tourists according to the capacity of the tourist place.

Furthermore, it is sometimes the case that tourists don’t respect the local culture and therefore the local people do not welcome them. This can be taken care of by the tour guides and tour operating countries to educate the tourists about the important and sensitive parts of the local customs. For example, when tourists visit religious places in India, the tour guides could tell them to take off their shoes outside.

Then, some degree of pollution is inevitable as tourists travel by air, but while travelling locally, the tourist could use a non polluting source such as a rickshaw. They could even opt for an elephant ride instead of an automobile where available. This would ensure that even the common man would welcome them with open arms. After all, the development of a country includes better standards of living for the common man.

Finally, it is in the hands of the tourist to promote eco-tourism and take some responsibility of the environment. It has been well said that, ‘a good tourist is one who takes away nothing but photographs and leaves behind nothing but footprints’.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, there is a negative side of tourism but it can be checked with some simple steps taken by the governments, tour companies and guides, the local people and the tourist himself.

IELTS essay - In several years many languages die out. Some say it is not important because if we speak fewer languages life would be easier. Do you agree or disagree?

The United Nations estimates that approximately 6,500 languages are spoken in the world today. By the end of this century, many linguists estimate that over half of those 6,500 languages will be gone. Some opine that it is futile to save these languages because it is more convenient to have fewer languages today. I agree with this view.

The reason why the possibility of a language dying raises so much concern for sociolinguists is that language is directly related to culture. It is said that, “When a language dies, a culture dies”. Secondly, these languages are a significant part of their speaker's identity. Beyond preserving culture and using language as a part of the speakers' identity, a very practical reason for wanting to save a dying language is that archaeologists and anthropologists can get a wealth of information about a society from its language. If a language dies out, so does our access to direct knowledge about its customs, folk tales, and vocabulary for describing the world.

However, languages that lose their communicative purposes and are abandoned by speakers should disappear from the public arena. The truth of “when a language dies, a culture dies” does not imply the truth of when a language is saved, a culture is so saved. The change of culture is a normal part of the law of change and we should welcome this change. The only thing that can be achieved by saving a language is for intra-linguistic studies and nothing more.

Furthermore, it is irrefutable that what actually kills languages is the choices of the speakers. The moment the speakers of a language realize that their language does not have a global functionality, they begin to abandon it. In today’s global village, it is far more convenient to have a few languages. There is better communication and also better job prospects worldwide with fewer languages. Even the technology of today is more comfortable to learn with fewer languages. So, such languages that have limited potential at the global stage, and they thus come under threat or even die, it would be better to let them die. There is no need to preserve them.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, the idea of saving threatened languages sounds good but it is difficult to sustain because the speakers have a right to shift to another language. Once this happens, there is no logical basis for saving a past linguistic behavior. What is more, globalization will continually lead to language shift. This trend is not likely to abate. Therefore, it is not important to save endangered languages.

In order to learn a language well, we should also learn about the country as well as the cultures and lifestyles of the people who speak this language. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Language and society are as inextricably linked as a chicken and an egg. Language is the verbal expression of culture. I strongly agree that in order to learn a language ‘well’ you must also know the culture and lifestyle of the people who speak that language. In the following essay I intend to support my views with my      arguments.

It is true that some successful language learners have never learnt about the culture and lifestyle of the native speakers. Such learners probably have a gift for learning languages and would be successful under any circumstances with regular effort. For most people, however, learning in a social context is the key to learn the language             well.

Language is much more than just a means of communication. It is an art, a science, a culture, an identity and a vision. It is a lifestyle. It is like seeing the world through different eyes. For instance, the Eskimos have 24 different words for snow like - ‘aput’ means snow on the ground, ‘gana’ means drifting snow. Snow has a greater impact on their culture than ours and so on their language. So definitely learning about their culture and lifestyle would help understand the value of these             meanings.

There are dialects, nuances and idioms of a language which can only be learnt if we learn about the culture and lifestyle of the people. For example, Punjabi is the mother tongue of people who live in Punjab. It has two dialects which mean ways of pronunciation and speaking. The two dialects are quite different and can only be learnt if you spend time with those people or learn about their culture. Then there are the nuances in a language which means subtle shades of meaning which can also not be learnt without knowing the lifestyle of people. Finally it is more enjoyable to learn a language if we learn about the culture and lifestyle. We are more motivated to learn another             language.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, it is definitely needed to know about the culture and lifestyle of people if you have to learn a language well. It makes learning fun and it helps to understand the dialects and nuances of the language.

IELTS essay - Some people think governments should spend money on measures to save languages with few speakers from dying out completely. Others think this is a waste of financial resources. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

The United Nations estimates that approximately 6,500 languages are spoken in the world today. By the end of this century, many linguists estimate that over half of those 6,500 languages will be gone. Some opine that efforts should be made to save these languages, but others believe it would be wastage of money. In the following paragraphs, I shall discuss both views before forming an opinion.

The reason why the possibility of a language dying raises so much concern for sociolinguists is that language is directly related to culture. It is said that, “When a language dies, a culture dies”. Secondly, these languages are a significant part of their speaker's identity. Beyond preserving culture and using language as a part of the speakers' identity, a very practical reason for wanting to save a dying language is that archaeologists and anthropologists can get a wealth of information about a society from its language. If a language dies out, so does our access to direct knowledge about its customs, folk tales, and vocabulary for describing the world.

On the other hand those opposed to saving a dying language say that languages that lose their communicative purposes and are abandoned by speakers should disappear from the public arena. The truth of “when a language dies, a culture dies” does not imply the truth of when a language is saved, a culture is so saved. They say that change of culture is a normal part of the law of change and we should welcome this change. They believe that the only thing that can be achieved by saving a language is for intra-linguistic studies and nothing more.

Furthermore, they feel that what actually kills languages is the choices of the speakers. The moment the speakers of a language realize that their language does not have a global functionality, they begin to abandon it. In today’s global village, it is far more convenient to have a few languages. There is better communication and also better job prospects worldwide with fewer languages. Even the technology of today is more comfortable to learn with fewer languages. So, such languages that have limited potential at the global stage, and they thus come under threat or even die, it would be better to let them die. There is no need to preserve them.

To put it in a nutshell, I pen down saying that, the idea of saving threatened languages sounds good but it is difficult to sustain because the speakers have a right to shift to another language. Once this happens, there is no logical basis for saving a past linguistic behavior. What is more, globalization will continually lead to language shift. This trend is not likely to abate. Therefore, it is a waste of resources to save endangered languages.

Science and technology

Essay questions

When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of life die out. It is pointless to try and keep them alive. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Cambridge IELTS 3)

We are becoming increasingly dependent on computer technology. It is used in business, crime detection and even to fly planes. What will it be used for in future? Is this dependence on technology a good thing or should we be suspicious of its benefits?

“Telecommuting” refers to workers doing their jobs from home for part of each week and communicating with their office using computer technology. Telecommuting is growing in many countries and is expected to be common for most office workers in the coming decades. How do you think society will be affected by the growth of telecommuting? (IELTS to Success)

In the future, we will have more and more leisure time as machines replace many of the tasks we do at home and work. Discuss the benefits this will bring and also the problem it will cause. (Academic writing practice)

We live today in an electronic information age. It is easier to be connected by technology yet many people seem no closer to feeling happy in their lives. In what extent do you agree or disagree. (IELTS on Track)

Advances in science and technology and other areas of society in the last 100 years have transformed the way we live as well as postponing the day we die. There is no better time to be alive than now. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion? (Focus on IELTS)

Space exploration requires vast sums of money. Is the amount of money spent on space research justifiable? Could the money be better spent? (see my sample essay)

The threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace. Nuclear power provides cheap and clean energy. The benefits of nuclear technology far outweigh the disadvantages. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer. (see my sample essay with commentary)

Article:
Tourism is becoming a good source of revenue to many countries. Discuss the advantages and the disvantages of exploiting this         resource.

Nowadays more and more poeple are likely to go travelling and therefore tourism is getting more lucrative than ever to nations galore. While it is undoubtedly true that tourism is beneficial, there are still some concerns as to this field. This essay will look at both these arguments and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of            tourism.

It is obvious that tourism brings to a nation many benefits. Firstly, owing to tourism industry, lots of new jobs have been created. Indeed,the living standard of those who live and work in travelling ares has been inevitably improved since the appearance of new high-paid carrers as tour guide or souvenir seller. Consequently, more revenue will be derived from travellers, which makes great contribution to not only local but national economy.As an typical example, most of Singapo's revenue have come from tourism-related activities and thanks to that, it is becoming one of the most developed nations in the world. Secondly, by investment for tourism, one's country images are widely broadcasted to the world, which will increase one's country role and influence on global political         conferences.

However, There are some drawbacks of tourism. One clear problem is that more and more travellers coming to visit means more risky the enveronment is likely to be. The rubbish exposed by visitors can adversely impact to living environment and as a result to human being's health. Furthermore, tourists could be a source of some serious illnesses. Hundreds of people were dead several years ago due to the wide spread of the disease of SAT, which are caused partially by the travelling of infected passengers though nations. Likewise, terrorists and criminals could easily access a country in the name of                 tourists.

To conclude, while the disavantages of tourism are certainly understandable, the benefits offered by tourism make it well worthwide. Therefore, In my opinion, its advantages outweigh the drawbacks.

The costs of international travel are decreasing and tourism is growing. What are the advantages and disadvantages of increasing tourism activity in different countries?

You should write at least 250 words.

Model Answer

Tourism is often touted as an industry that will never shrink in size. In other words, as the world develops, more and more people will be able to travel. Although many may see this as a positive phenomenon, it is not a trend without drawbacks. Both the advantages and disadvantages of this topic will be analyzed before a reasoned conclusion is reached.

On the one hand, the reduction in travel fare and the increasing of global tourism can be seen as a positive event as it promotes intercultural understanding and global harmony. For example, many Middle Eastern states have opened their doors and embraced tourism over the last twenty years and this has helped shed prejudiced views internationally that all Middle Eastern countries are dangerous. This development clearly shows the benefits of an increasing international tourism industry.

In addition to this, tourism creates new opportunities for trade. For example, many Chinese tourists are bringing back products from foreign countries that are currently unavailable in China. These new trade ties are great for the health of the entire global economy and can be seen as yet another positive ramification resulting from increased tourism.

On the other hand, the international tourism industry does pose some disadvantages. For one, money travelling into countries through tourism can lead to the establishment of some morally questionable activity. To name a few, tourist hotspots in developing countries are often rife with theft problems, maimed beggars and prostitution. The inflaming of these issues as a result of increased tourism is an obvious disadvantage to the growing global travel industry.

Following this analysis of the advantages and disadvantages of tourism and the falling travel prices that are making it more possible, it is felt tourism has more benefits than drawbacks. It is hoped the growth in global intercultural understanding continues uninterrupted as tourism increases.

talking about the advantages and disadvantages of inventing a new international laguage to communicate around the                 world.

In the past, few languages such as English, regarded as an official lingua franca, have played a dominant role in communication between different districts throughout the world. However, someone insist that a new international language should be invented in terms of enhancing efficient of international communication and interaction. Regardless of some undeniable advantages, I believe that this action will bring more negatives than    positives.

Inevitably, one of the main concerns is about the unintended consequences for cultural identity and cultural diversity, especially for the ethnic minorities. Languages in these countries have been suffering extinction. Once the new international language established and accepted, the speed of lesser-known languages' dying out will be pushed up and the publics may be steeped in a monotonous world with very few           languages.

Another negative effect would be that this innovation will markedly increase the government expenditure in creating, publishing and teaching it. As we all know, a wide variety of languages are rooted in their own cultural context and cultural heritage. That is to say, every language is unique with their special characters. As a result of this invention, a huge amount of fund and experts should be invested in this programme to combine these different characters into one. The first step is hard for any government or international community to afford. In this case, maintaining the main position of English around the world is much more cost-efficient and effective than invocating a brand-new one.

Advances in science and technology have made great changes to lives of ordinary people, but artists such as musicians, painters and writers are still highly valued. What can the arts tell us about life that science and technology cannot?

But, individuals can be benefit from this new international language. At least it enables people to communicate with others more conveniently. For instance, individuals can travel the world without language barriers. Furthermore, it may boost the international peace. More precisely, it tends to narrow language gap, improve understanding and reduce the conflicts between different ethnics. However, these advantages can exist in any global language if it would be modified to more inclusive and be treated in a more significant      way.

In conclusion, for the reasons I have given, that the enormous potential risks of innovating a single international language vastly outweigh the benefits of it.

There is no doubt that the quality of our lives in the 21st century has been greatly improved by various scientific and technological advances. Despite this, the arts and humanities too still have much to teach us about ourselves and life in general.

One area in which we can learn from the arts is that concepts such as beauty matter in and of themselves. In the world of science and technology, the only true measure is whether something works or not. This is a limited view of the world and the arts differ in that they offer us an alternative and more spiritual outlook. For example, if we listen to Mozart we can learn about harmony and joy through the medium of music or if even we read an author like PG Wodehouse we learn about the value of humour. These essential aspects of life are absent from the clinical world of science and technology.

The other way in which artists can teach us about more about life is that enjoying art encourages the habit of self-reflection. If you walk into an art gallery, attend a concert or even just stay in to read a book, you will almost certainly begin to think about your inner values. For me, this is a invaluable lesson in life as if we begin to reflect about ourselves, we begin not just to become more human, but also consider the lives of others too.

So while science and technology may have made our physical lives more comfortable in the 21st century. It remains true that the arts and humanities are still absolutely necessary for ordinary people as they promote a more spiritual and reflective view of life that is essential to our humanity.

(290 words)