IELTS_WRITING_TASK.docx

IELTS WRITING TASK 2
INTRODUCTION
You will notice that the questions can be
separated into five main question types:
1. Opinion
2. Discussion
3. Advantages and disadvantages
4. Problem/Cause and solution
5. Two-part questions
They are also split into 13 categories.
These common IELTS essay topics have
appeared regularly over the last few years.
IELTS is always changing, but the common
topics can help you prepare more effectively
by studying within them and improving
your vocabularyrelated to them.

Criminal Justice
1)Some people believe that there should be
fixed punishments for each type of crime.
Others, however, argue that the
circumstances of an individual crime, and the
motivation for committing it, should always be
taken into account when deciding on the
punishment. Discuss both these views and
give your own opinion.
2)Some people believe that capital
punishment should never be used. Others,
however, argue that it should be allowed for
the most serious crimes.
Discuss both views and give your opinion.
3)Some people feel unsafe when they are in
public and at home.
What are the possible causes for this and
what are some possible solutions?

4)Some people say that excessive noise
should be a criminal offence, while others say
they should be free to make noise without
limitation.
Discuss both views and give your own
opinion.
Health
5)Some people say that the best way to
improve public health is by increasing the
number of sports facilities. Others, however,
say that this would have little effect on public
health and that other measures are required.
Discuss both these views and give your own
opinion.
6)In some countries levels of health and
fitness are decreasing and average weights

are increasing. What do you think are the
causes of these problems and what are some
possible solutions?
7
7)Research indicates that the characteristic
we are born with have much more influence
on our personality and development than any
other experiences we may have in our life.
Which do you consider to be the major
influence?
8)Schools should do more to teach students
about their health and wellbeing.
Do you agree or disagree?

9(More and more schools allow fast food
restaurant to sell their products to their
students.
Is it a positive or a negative development?
Education
University students must pay all tuition fees,
because it benefits mostly them individually,
rather than the society as a whole.
Some say that music, art and drama are as
important as other school subjects, especially
at the primary level.

Some people believe that studying history is
very important and we must study the past to
understand the present. Others say that it is
useless and should not be studied at all.
opinion.
Some teachers tend to reward students who
achieve high academic results. Others,
however, support and reward students that
show the most improvement.
opinion.
Giving lectures in halls to large numbers of
people is an outdated method of teaching.
With the technology available today there is

no justification for it, and everything should be
done online.
To what extent do you agree or disagree?
In most universities students focus on
specialised subjects, however some people
believe that universities should encourage
students to study a wider variety of subjects.
It is generally believed that some people are
born with certain talents, for instance for sport
or music, and other are not. However, it is
sometimes claimed that any child can be
taught to become a good sports person or
musician.
opinion.

Some people think that universities should
provide graduates with the knowledge and
skills needed in the workplace. Others think
that the true function of a university should be
to give access to knowledge for its own sake,
regardless of whether the course is useful to
an employer.
What, in your opinion, should be the main
function of a university?
Some parents think that childcare centres
provide the best services for children of pre-
school age. Other working parents think that
family members such as grandparents will be
better carers for their kids.

Governments should spend more money on
education than on recreation and sports.
Some people believe that unpaid community
service should be a compulsory part of high
school programmes (for example working for
a charity, improving the neighborhood or
teaching sports to younger children).
Some people think that it is better to educate
girls and boys in separate schools. Others,
however, believe that boys and girls benefit
more from attending mixed schools.
opinion.

Some people think that parents should teach
children how to be good members of society.
Others, however, believe that school is the
place to learn this.
opinion.
Universities should accept equal numbers of
male and female students in every subject.
In some countries young people are
encouraged to work or travel for a year
between finishing high school and starting
university.

What are the advantages and disadvantages
of this?
Some people think that a sense of
competition in children should be encouraged.
Others believe that children who are taught to
co-operate rather than compete become more
useful adults.
opinion.
Some people believe that children are given
too much free time. They feel that this time
should be used to do more academic work.
How do you think children should spend their
free time?

In many countries schools have severe
problems with students behaviour.
What do you think are the causes of this?
What solutions can you suggest?
University students should pay in full for their
own education instead of the society funding
their studies. The reason is that individuals
tend to benefit after graduation more than the
society.
Give your own opinion.
Some people believe that students should be
allowed to evaluate and criticise their teachers
to improve the quality of education. Others
think this is disrespectful to teachers.

Discuss both views, give your opinion and
include relevant examples.
Youth Crime
Nowadays many young people deliberately
damage public places.
What are the causes and solutions?
Some people believe that a person’s criminal
record should be removed when they reach
the age of 18.

More and more young people are using drugs
and alcohol and as a result, breaking the law.
What are the causes of this problem?
What are some possible solutions?
Children should never be put in prison with
adults no matter how serious their crime.
Celebrity
Being a celebrity- such as a movie star or
professional athlete- brings problems as a
well as benefits.
Do you think that being a celebrity brings has
more benefits or drawbacks?

Some people feel that entertainers (e.g. film
stars, pop musicians or sports stars) are paid
too much money.
Which other types of job should be highly
paid?
Successful sports professionals can earn a
much more money than people in other
important jobs. Some people think this is fully
justified while others think it is unfair.
opinion.
Environment

There is a growing demand for fresh water
nowadays and this is becoming a global
problem.
What are the causes and solutions?
Many people think that too much attention
and resources are given to protection of wild
animals and birds.
Increasing the price of petrol is the best way
to solve growing traffic and pollution
problems.
What other measures do you think might be
effective?

Nowadays we are producing more and more
waste.
What are the causes of this?
What can be done to help reduce the amount
of waste?
Many people believe that companies and
individuals should pay to clean up the
environment in proportion to the amount of
pollution they have produced.
Global warming is the biggest threat we face
today.

Technology
Children today are too dependent on
computers and electronic entertainment. It
would be better to encourage them to spend
more time outside playing sports and games.
Some people say that public libraries are an
important public resource and should be free,
others say that they are just a waste of public
money?
opinion.
Some people think that excessive use of
smart phones badly affects teenagers’
literacy skills.

The internet contains a lot of information that
can help people, however, sometimes
the information is inaccurate or wrong.
Nowadays the way many people interact with
each other has changed because of
technology.
In what ways has technology affected the
types of relationships people make?
Has this become a positive or negative
development?

Computers have made the world a better
place to live.
Some people believe that the use of mobile
phones in public is as annoying as smoking
and should be banned.
Employment
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.
Do you agree?

Nowadays more and more people have to
compete with young people for the same jobs.
What problems does this cause?
What are some possible solutions?
Women and men are commonly seen as
having different strengths and weaknesses.
Is it right to exclude males or females from
certain professions because of their gender?
As most people spend a major part of their
adult life at work, job satisfaction is an
important element of individual wellbeing.
What factors contribute to job satisfaction?

How realistic is the expectation of job
satisfaction for all workers?
Some people think that people in senior
positions alone should make decisions in a
business, while others think that employees
should be involved in the decision-making
process too.
opinion.
Nowadays many people work part or full time
from home. Some people say that working
from home has many benefits while others
disagree.
opinion.

For some people a high salary is the
most important criterion when choosing a new
job while others are satisfied if the job
contributes to society.
Globalisation
In many places traditional food has
been replaced by international fast food. This
has adverse effects on individuals and
society.
More and more people are visiting historic site
and sometimes tourists may damage these
ancient sites. The number of people visiting
these places should be strictly limited.

Shopping has developed from a necessary
activity to a kind of entertainment.
Many small businesses are being forced to
close because they are unable to compete
with multinational corporations.
What problems does this cause and how can
those problems be solved?
Multinational companies are becoming
increasingly common in developing countries.

What are the advantage and disadvantages of
this?
Government Spending
People prefer to watch foreign films rather
than locally produced ones.
Why do you think this happens? Should the
government support local film makers
financially?
Some people think that governments should
invest more in public services instead of
wasting money on arts such as music and
paintings.

Some people believe that the government
should pay for and offer housing to people
who lost their homes or cannot afford them.
Some people think that the government
should fund music, dance and arts lessons for
children. Others think that they should be
funded by private businesses or by children’s
families.
opinion.
Many people think that the government
should spend money to explore outer space,
while others think that it’s a waste of public
money.
opinion.

Some people think that mothers should spend
most of their time raising their family, and
therefore the government should support
them financially.
Development
In some countries the numbers of children
aged 15 and younger are increasing
dramatically.
What are the current and future effects of an
ever increasing population?
A recent study showed people in developed
countries are not as happy as they were
before development.

What are the causes of this and what are
some possible solutions?
Sometimes celebrities get invited to
international aid events.
Do you think that such events deviate from
their main purpose by inviting famous people?
Some people believe that richer countries
should give poorer countries more financial
assistance.
Some people believe that no aid should be
given to developing countries that have poor
human rights records.

Public Transport
Some people think that a car is the best way
to travel in cities while others believe a bicycle
is a better way to commute.
opinion.
Many cities have serious problems with traffic
congestion.
What are the causes of these problems and
what are some possible solutions?
A growing numbers of cities are making their
centres pedestrian-only zones.

What are the advantages and disadvantages?
Some people believe that the best way to
reduce traffic congestion is to increase the
price of petrol.
Society
Every year several languages die out. Some
people think that it is not important because
life will be easier if there are fewer languages
in the world.
To what extent do you agree or disagree with
this opinion?

It is becoming increasingly popular for people
to travel to tourist destinations during public
holidays.
What problems does this cause?
What solutions are there to these problems?
Today, the high sales of popular consumer
goods reflect the power of advertising and not
the real needs of the society in which they are
sold.
Some people believe that visitors to other
countries should follow local customs and
behaviour. Others disagree and think that the
host country should welcome cultural
differences.

opinion.
At present the media affects people’s lives
significantly.
What impact does this have on society? Is it a
negative or positive development?
Young people say that traveling to different
countries benefits them and society.
Do you agree or disagree? Give your opinion.
These days more fathers stay at home and
take care of their children while mothers go
out to work.

What are the main reasons for this? Do you
think this is a positive or a negative
development?
SOME SOLVED EXAMPLES
1)Doing an enjoyable activity with a child can
develop better skills and more creativity than
reading. To what extent do you agree? Use reasons
and specific examples to explain your answer.
Parents throughout the world place spend time
reading with their offspring to prepare them for
school where their literacy skills are further
developed; however, recent research suggests
that focusing on reading at an early age can be
detrimental, and participating in fun activities
would be far more beneficial. I am a strong
advocate of this approach, and the benefits of it
will be covered in this essay.
A fundamental reason for this is that there is no

biological age for reading, and pushing infants to
acquire this skill before they are ready could have
repercussions. For example, in the UK, many boys
are reluctant readers, possibly because of being
forced to read, and this turned them off reading.
By focusing on other activities and developing
other skills such as creativity and imagination,
when they are ready to read, they usually acquire
this skill rapidly. In addition, the importance of
encouraging creativity and developing a child’s
imagination must be acknowledged. Through
play, youngsters develop social and cognitive
skills, for example, they are more likely to learn
vocabulary through context rather than learning
it from a book.
Furthermore, play allows youngsters to mature
emotionally, and gain self-confidence. There is no
scientific research which suggests reading at a
young age is essential for a child’s development,
moreover, evidence suggests the reverse is true.
In Finland, early years’ education focuses on
playing. Reading is only encouraged if a child
shows and interest in developing this skill. This
self-directed approach certainly does not result in
Finnish school leavers falling behind their foreign

counterparts. In fact, Finland was ranked the sixth
best in the world in terms of reading.
Despite being a supporter of this non-reading
approach, I strongly recommend incorporating
bedtime stories into a child’s daily routine.
However, reading as a regular daytime activity
should be swapped for something which allows
the child to develop other skills.
2)Today, the quality of life in large cities is
decreasing. Discuss the causes and solutions.
The global phenomenon of urbanisation from the
beginning of industrialisation to the present day
has brought opportunity and prosperity, albeit at
a cost in the quality of life. With an increasing city
population, the complexity of the challenges also
increases, the causes and solutions for this are
outlined below.
The causes for the decrease in the quality of life
are paradoxically the prosperity endowed on such
metropolitan centres. Their growth is largely due
to the increase of opportunities on offer, which in
turn increases their attractiveness, essentially
they are trapped in a positive self-reinforcing

cycle. However, this eventually leads to a
decrease in the quality of life as the city can
experience overcrowding, exorbitant property
prices, and increased vulnerability to terrorist
attacks. For example the density of London
makes it a more efficient place to attack, when
compared to a smaller city such as Bradford.
Therefore, due to continuous growth and
prosperity, urban citizens, especially the less well
off, often experience a lower standard of living.
Considering the solutions, greater investment in
public transport would ease traffic congestion, as
would bike lanes. In theory this would reduce air
pollution, and possibly improve the wellbeing of
the population if they did adopt a more active
lifestyle and cycle to work. To counter violent
terrorist attacks, cities could embark on CCTV
installations, so as to closely monitor for threats.
For example, it is said, the CCTV in London has
foiled many potential attacks, and therefore
greatly increased the security of its citizens.
To conclude, a wealthy city attracts a large
population inflow, which then causes pressure on
existing infrastructure and security. Various

solutions exist to mitigate such drawbacks,
nevertheless an indefinite solution has yet to be
found.
3)Social media marketing can influence what
consumers buy. Do you agree or disagree? To
what extent do you agree?
Since the introduction of social media
applications in the early 2000’s the world has
become a much smaller place. Social media
applications such as Facebook, Instagram and
Twitter have become information sources for a
majority of the global market. As such, I would
agree that marketing, which happens to be a
source of information accessible on these
platforms can influence the consumers who use
them. This notion is further aided by the rise in
online retail stores who conduct the bulk of their
transactions online. This makes it easier for the
consumer to purchase from anywhere in the
world.
As a consumer on social media, you are
constantly bombarded with advertisements of
various products that are specifically designed to

catch your attention. This means that most of the
adverts on your news feeds aren’t random and
will almost always feature something you have
previously searched online or something
currently popular or trending. Given the fact that
most social media users are young consumers
who are influenced by current trends and
happenings these adverts will almost always
catch their eye.
The habit of sharing, retweeting and liking also
ensures that these adverts get around, quite fast.
As such, when an advert does reach your news
feed you have already probably seen it on your
friend’s news feed. The truth is, adverts are a
form of information and with the age of the
internet, information spreads faster than a wild
fire. Therefore, it only makes sense that in the era
and age of technology, globalization and the
need to be trendy, social media marketing can
influence what consumers buy.

USEFUL VOCABULARY:
Equivalent sentences
“For example, it is said, the CCTV in London has
foiled many potential attacks, and therefore
greatly increased the security of its citizens.”
Could also be said as:
“Statistics show that CCTV used in London has
scuppered many a terrorist plot, massively
contributing to the security of its citizens.”

More Equivalent sentences
Various solutions exist to mitigate such
drawbacks, nevertheless an indefinite solution
has yet to be found.
Could also be said as:
A myriad of partial fixes exist for these issues, yet
a permanent solution is still out of reach.
Or even:
There are many methods employed to quell this
flow of people, but still a reliable solution has not
been discovered.
Vocabulary booster
The highlighted sections in the following
paragraph represent key phrases or words
relating to this topic. Study this paragraph to
expand your vocabulary knowledge on this topic:
The modern urban environment
varies considerably depending on both the city
that produces it and the individual
who perceives it; Each experiencing a unique blend

of at least some economic success, varying degrees
of localised or wider deprivation and periods of
growth and decline. Environmental factors
permitting, a city will provide well for its citizens as
long as it can properly manage the execution of
social policy.
Globalisation presents many challenges for those
responsible for policy as large inflows of people are
to be expected in a place of success and therefore
opportunity; The ensuing mixing of cultures has far-
reaching social consequences that can affect how
the city is both presented and perceived.
Considerably
Con·sid·er·a·ble (kən-sĭd′ər-ə-bəl) adj.
1. Large in amount, extent, or degree: a writer of
considerable influence.
2. Worthy of consideration; significant: The
economy was a considerable issue in the campaign.
Perceive
Per·ceive (pər-sēv′) tr.v.
per·ceived, per·ceiv·ing, per·ceives
1a. To become aware of (something) directly
through any of the senses, especially sight or

hearing: We could perceive three figures in the
fog.
1b. To cause or allow the mind to become aware
of (a stimulus): The ear perceives sounds.
2. To achieve understanding of;
apprehend: Einstein perceived that energy and
matter are equivalent.
3. To regard or consider; deem: an old technology
that is still perceived as useful; a politician who is
perceived to be untrustworthy.
Deprivation
Dep·ri·va·tion (dĕp′rə-vā′shən) n.
1. The/an act or an instance of depriving; Loss.
2. The state of being deprived: social
deprivation; a cycle of deprivation and violence.
“The town’s generally miserable appearance led
her to perceive it as a place of considerable
deprivation.”
4)Some people say that E- books and modern
technology will totally replace traditional
newspaper and magazines to what extent do you
agree or disagree.

Technology is flourishing by leaps and bounds and
providing us new avenues while keeping ourselves
update with latest news and current affairs.
Therefore, a fair amount of people believe, a
conventional way of newspaper reading will be
disappeared. I do not completely accord on it
because conventional newspaper are easiest and
cheapest way to get news.
To embark on, there are multiple reasons why the
traditional ways of getting news are still popular.
First of all, reading newspaper has become ardent
habit of many people. Everyone whether from
affluent or middle class are seen desperately
waiting for paper in morning and enjoy it reading
with cup of tea. Moreover, these are the portable,
cheapest an easiest way of knowing about the
global activities. It can be carried from one place
to other in bag and available at economical price.
It is so handy and merely by continuing flip of
pages can make you omniscient.
Secondly,electricity and other appliances are not
required. Moreoverthe other attachments are like
icing on the cake. For instance, the Hindustan
times has multiple attachments like women’s
fashion, career guide, culinary art and so on.

However, undoubtedly, technology has given the
radical approach to reading news, for example,
videos provide full and clear view to reading
besides that we can download, share and forward it
to our relatives and friends. Needless to say that
technophobic will be having no place in this ever-
advanced modern world.
To conclude, the lives of people are drastically
affected by advanced versions of technology yet,
in my opinion, it will not be able to pose threat to
the existence traditional newspaper and magazines.
5)Some people believe that teenagers should be
required to do unpaid community work in their
free time. This can benefit teenagers and the
community as well.
To what extent do you agree or disagree.
Children are the backbone of every country. So,
there are people who tend to believe that
youngsters should be encouraged to initiate social
work as it will results in flourished society and
individualistic growth of youngsters themselves. I,

too believe that this motivation has more benefits
than its drawbacks.
can be easily associated with personality
development because during this drive, they tend
to communicate with variety of people, leads to
polished verbal skills. For example, if they start
convincing rural people to send their children in
school they have to be such a convincing attitude
along with developed verbal skills to deal with
diverse kind of people there. This improved skill
will help them lifelong in every arena. Apart from
this, the true values of life like
tolerance,patience,team spirit,cooperation can be
learnt. Besides that, young mind serve the country
with full enthusiasm that gives them feeling of
fulfillment and self satisfaction. This worthiness
for themselves brim them with self confidence and
patriotic feeling.Moreover,going and experiencing
multiple culture and tradition make their horizon
so broad that add one more feather in their cap.
However, It is truly said, no rose without thrones.
Can the drawbacks of this initiation be ignored?
Children go to school, participate indifferent
curriculum activities, endure the pressure of peers,
parents, and teachers and in competitive world
they should not be expected to serve society

without their self benefits. This kind of pressure
might bring resentment in their mind.
In conclusion I believe, notion of teenager doing
unpaid work is indeed good but proper monitoring
and care should be given to avoid untoward
consequences.
6)Do children behave better when they are
physically punished or rewarded?
Children are the future of the nation and how they
should be raised, is a debatable issue. Some people
believe that they should be exposed to the physical
punishment while other say constant appreciation
is required for them. According to me, these
arguments need proper scrutinisation before
forming any opinion.
To begin with, there are many advantages of
conferring rewards to children first of all,
appreciation and verbal praise can have a magical
impact on the behavior of the children because
when they are appreciated for good conduct they
come to know about value of good behavior and
try to keep continue with that. The more they brim
with positive comments, the more they are
confident. On the other hand, children who are

subjected to artificial physical punishment are seen
with lack of self confidence. A survey conducted
on behavior of children revealed that a child
exposed to punitive actions my parents are more
aggressive and furious than others of his age.
Hence beatings to child can never be fruitful.
On the contrary, there is no denying the fact that
training to the notorious and ferocious mind is a
hard nut to crack because it is true that rod the
only logic for the fools. Moreover, some children
repeat mistakes even after being warned and
punished, this type of stubbornness force parents
and guardians to give them beatings. Needless to
say, over pampering may have adverse effect on
children. In this present scenario, parents have one
or two children and this pampering distract them
away from their path.
To conclude, children are the tender buds and
nurturing them is really a major responsibility.
Therefore, a fair judgment on behavior is required
for good upbringing.
NTOE: In IELTS WRITING TASK 2
QUESTION ANSWERS THE EXAMINER
WILL ASSESS THE COHERENCE AND
COHESION OF YOUR ANSWER. THEY WILL

JUDGE HOW YOUR IDEAS ARE ORGANIZED
AND LINKED TO MAKE SENSE.

IELTS_WRITING_TASK.docx

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