sample ielts essay questions and answers

IELTS Writing Topics September & October 2024

The collection of writing topics that were reported by IELTS student in 2024 . These questions could be repeated from previous months. Keep in mind that the provided questions are not predictions.

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ESSAYS PAST QUESTIONS MODEL ANSWERS

Past IELTS writing questions as well as model answers and vocabulary written by IELTS examiners to help you learn how to structure and write your own essays to pass your test.

Click on questions below for model answers: ARTS AND MEDIA Some people feel that entertainers such as film stars, pop musicians or sports stars are paid too much money. Do you agree or disagree? Which other types of job should be highly paid?

Some museums and art galleries charge admission fees, while others have free entry. Do you think the advantages of free admission outweigh the disadvantages?

CRIME AND LAW Some people feel that the design of newly constructed buildings in big cities should be controlled by governments. Others believe those who finance the construction of a building should be free to design it as they see fit. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

Some people think that there should be strict laws to control the amount of noise a person makes because of the disturbance it causes to people. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages.

CULTURE A country becomes more interesting and develops more quickly when its population includes a mixture of nationalities. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It’s generally believed that success in fields such as art and sport can only be achieved if a person has natural talent. However, it’s sometimes claimed that any child can be taught to become a good sports person or artist. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

ECONOMY Some people think that we live in a society where money and possessions are given too much importance. Others believe that this is improving our lives. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Rich countries often give money to poorer countries, but it does not solve poverty. Therefore, developed countries should give other types of help to the poor countries rather than financial aid. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

EDUCATION Learning about the past has no value for those of us living in the present. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

ENVIRONMENT Nowadays we are producing more and more rubbish. Why do you think this is happening? What can governments do to help reduce the amount of rubbish produced?

There is growing evidence that man-made activities are making global temperatures higher. What are the causes of temperatures rising? How should we deal with this problem?

ETHICAL ISSUES Universities should accept equal numbers of male and female students in every subject. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Teenagers who commit serious crimes, such as burglary or murder, should be treated in the same way as adults who commit crimes. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this and give your own opinion?

HEALTH Many people say that cooking and eating at home is better for the individual and the family than eating out in restaurants. Do you agree or disagree?

In some countries, the average weight of children is increasing and their level of health and fitness is decreasing. What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?

TECHNOLOGY The Internet has transformed the way information is shared and consumed, but it has also created problems that did not exist before. What are the most serious problems associated with the Internet? What are the best ways to solve them?

Some people believe that time spent on television and computer games can be valuable for children. Others believe this has negative effects on a child. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

TRAVEL AND LANGUAGES Many people believe children should begin learning a foreign language in primary school instead of secondary school. Do you think the advantages of learning a foreign language in primary school outweigh the disadvantages?

Some people believe that visitors to other countries should follow local customs and behaviour. Others think that the host country should welcome cultural differences. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

Recent questions in 2018 In some countries, young people are encouraged to work or travel for a year between finishing high school and starting university studies. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages for young people who decide to do this.

Some people think that parents have a great influence on their children. Others believe that the media is a bigger influence. Discuss both views and give your own opinion

Many people believe cities should not try to preserve its old, historic buildings and instead, they should destroy them and replace them with modern buildings. To what extent do you agree?

Past IELTS Essay Questions without answers Some people think that the education system should prepare students for employment, while others believe it has other functions. Discuss both sides and then give your own opinion.

Some people believe that sports people and entertainers are paid too much money. What is your opinion?

The range of technology available for individuals will increase the gap between the rich and poor. Others think it is having an opposite effect. What is your opinion?

Some people think that elderly people should be forced to retire at a certain age, such as 65. Others say that people should be allowed to work for as long as they are able and want to. Discuss both sides of this argument and then give your own opinion.

Nowadays, people in some countries can choose to live and work anywhere they want, because of the improvement of the communication technology and transport. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this and then give your own opinion.

In some countries the elderly are put into nursing homes rather than being taken care of by their family. Do you see this as a positive or a negative development?

In some countries students who do not behave are asked to leave the school permanently. In other countries they can return to their school after a suspension period.

Discuss both options and give your opinion.

Today more and more young children have electronic gadgets such as computers and mobile phones. Some people say that this is a positive development. Do you agree or disagree?

Some people believe that environmental problems are too big for individuals to deal with, and that action is needed from the government while others think that individuals should take some action. Discuss both sides of the argument and then give your opinion.

Some people believe that the fast pace and stress of modern life is having a negative effect on families. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people think music plays an important role in society. Others think it is it is simply a form of entertainment. Discuss both sides of this argument and give your own opinion

Some people believe that it is the government’s responsibility to take care of every citizen who is disadvantaged. What is your opinion?

Nowadays people live in a society where consumer goods are relatively cheaper to buy. Do you think the advantages far outweigh its disadvantages?

When visiting foreign countries, visitors should take full advantage of learning the culture and traditions of that country. Why are some people not interested in learning about the culture and traditions of a country? What are some ways to learn about the culture and traditions of the country?

Some people claim that students should focus on the subjects that they are interested or in best at, while others believe that should learn all school subjects. Discuss both sides of this argument and give your own opinion.

Oil and coal are the main sources of energy in many countries. However, in some countries the use of renewable sources of energy, such as solar or wind energy are encouraged. Is it a positive or negative development?

As cities get bigger, many people do not know their neighbours and the sense of community is being lost What problems does this cause? What are some potential solutions?

Some think that in the 21st. Lots of changes will occur that will improve our society. Do you agree or disagree? What kind of changes will be occur?

Obesity is an increasing problem in today’s society. Some people say that the government should put our tax on fast foods in order to solve this problem. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this and then give your own opinion.

Some people argue that teachers should make the choice about the subjects and lesson contents for their classes. Others think this should be decided by the government.. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In countries all over the world the volume of road traffic is increasing at are faster rate than new roads can be built.

What are the causes of this problem? What are some potential solutions?

Some people think that young people should go to university, while other people say that they should skip university and go straight to work. To what extent do you agree?

People in the past would always repair damaged products. However, nowadays, people like to throw out and purchase new products. What are the reasons for this? What problems might this cause?

Many people these days believe that young people should travel abroad for a year after finishing high school. But others think, it is a waste of time and money What is your opinion?

In some countries, some school leavers choose to work or travel for a year between finishing secondary school and attending university. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this and then give your opinion.

Some people believe cities should try to preserve its old, historical building, but others think we should destroy them and replace them with modern buildings.

Discuss both points of view on this issue and then give your own opinion.

Some people think advertising is discouraging us from being different individuals and makes everyone to be the same.

To what extent do you agree or disagree.

Human activities in many countries have negative effects on plant and animal species.

What do you think are the negative effects?

What are some potential solutions ?

Some people think that the education system should prepare students for employment, while others believe it has other functions.

Discuss both sides of the argument and then give your own opinion.

In some countries the elderly are put into nursing homes rather than being taken care of by their family.

Do you see this as a positive or a negative development?

Today more and more young children have electronic gadgets such as computers and mobile phones. Some people say that this is a positive development.

Do you agree or disagree?

Some people believe that the fast pace and stress of modern life is having a negative effect on families.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In countries all over the world the volume of road traffic is increasing at a faster rate than new roads can be built.

People in the past would always repair damaged products. However, nowadays, people like to throw out and purchase new products.

What are the reasons for this? What problems might this cause?

In some countries, some school leavers choose to work or travel for a year between finishing secondary school and attending university.

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this and then give your opinion about it. eBook for Essays Complete writing eBook Get your writing corrected Join my website to receive updates Essay writing on my website

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IELTS Writing Practice Tests

Practice makes perfect when it comes to IELTS Writing. Luckily, we have a huge selection of IELTS Writing practice questions for you on this site.

There are two tasks in the Writing section of IELTS: Task 1 requires you to write 150 words describing a diagram or set of data; Task 2 is a discursive essay of 250 words. You must complete both tasks in one hour and you will be give a score of 0-9 on these four attributes: Task Achievement, Coherence and Cohesion, Grammar, and Vocabulary.

Each of these IELTS writing practice questions comes with a Band 8 or 9 model answer and my explanation of how it achieves that score. Time to get started!

Full list of IELTS Writing practice questions and sample answers

Ielts writing task 1: process.

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IELTS Writing Task 1: Line Graph

Ielts writing task 1: bar chart, ielts writing task 1: diagram, ielts writing task 1: cycle, ielts writing task 1: process (extra hard), ielts writing task 1: map, ielts writing task 1: natural process, ielts writing task 1: table, ielts writing task 2: opinion essay, ielts writing task 2: argument essay, ielts writing task 2: problem/solution essay, ielts writing task 2: two-part question, ielts writing task 2: discuss both views, ielts writing task 2: positive or negative, download a practice version of the ielts writing answer sheet.

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Your Guide to IELTS Band 7

IELTS Writing Sample Questions: Task 2

On this page you will find some IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Questions that you can use when you practise your IELTS essay writing.

I’ve decided NOT to write a big long list of 100 sample questions. Nobody needs to write that many practice essays! Instead, I’ve selected a few questions, but I’ve included some comments about each question: my comments point out tricky words in the question, suggestions for how to answer each one, and potential problems.

I’ve also included my own sample IELTS essays for some of these questions.

These comments will, I hope, help you to plan and write your essay. Please make sure you read my comments before you write!

sample ielts essay questions and answers

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Questions #1: Two Sided Discussion

Good members of society (academic).

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

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.

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

Write at least 250 words.

Cambridge 8 (Test 1)

My Comments : This is a two-sided discussion question on the topic of how children should be brought up. Who should teach them to be “good members of society”? Parents or schools?

One difficulty with this question is the term “good members of society”. What does it mean? It’s a very general, vague term. You need to think about what it means to you before you generate your ideas. I think it includes the idea of law-abiding citizens, but if you only discuss that idea, your discussion will be a bit limited. I think it also includes ideas like contributing to society and studying hard, but this is a very personal and culturally-biased thing.

As with many of these two-sided statements, most people would probably argue that BOTH parents AND schools should play a role in bringing up children, and this a perfectly sensible position to take. It’s the position I would take.

Read My Model Essay For This Question

A Bad Situation (Academic)

Some people believe that it is best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. Others argue that it is better to try and improve such situations.

Cambridge 14 Academic (Test 1)

My Comments: To me, this is a strange question! Do “some” people really believe that if things are bad, they should accept it? My instinct is to take a strong position, and argue that you should always try to make things better, but that’s just me. So this means that in BP1, I would argue that it is not a good idea to accept a bad situation, because you can usually change things for the better. I would also add that there are some things that can’t be changed, so these should be accepted (e.g. the weather).

Environmental Problems (Academic)

Some people say that the main environmental problem of our time is the loss of particular species of plants and animals. Others say that there are more important environmental problems.

Cambridge 14 Academic (Test 2)

My Comments: this question addresses the issue of environmental problems. What are the most important ones, in your opinion?

This is one of those “two-sided” issues where you might think BOTH are important. It’s not one or the other. However, the question uses words like “main” and “more important”, so it’s a good idea to choose one side – it will be easier to write a clear essay.

My Position: while protecting the natural world is really important, the most important issue is global warming, because if we don’t deal with rising temperatures, all species will die out anyway.

Sharing Information (Academic)

Some people believe that it is good to share as much information as possible in scientific research, business and the academic world. Others believe that some information is too important or too valuable to be shared freely.

Cambridge 12 (Test 5)

This question is particularly nasty! The question is difficult to answer because it mentions information from science, business and academia in the question. Information from the business world (e.g. company accounts) is a lot different to information from scientific research (e.g. new medical drugs). So how should you address this question and structure your essay?

You could simply discuss “all” information in a very general way. But this means your essay will lack development.

A better way is to argue that while some types of information should be shared, other types of information (e.g. financial information and sensitive information) should be protected. In other words, both views are correct: you should share as much information as possible (View 1), but some information shouldn’t be shared because it’s too valuable or important (View 2).

(This is a classic example of how two views are not necessarily “opposites”.)

Boys’ And Girls’ Schools (General Training)

Some people think that it is better to educate boys and girls in

separate schools. Others, however, believe that boys and girls benefit

Watching Movies (General Training)

Some people say that now we can see films on our phones or tablets there is no need to go to the cinema. Others say that to be fully enjoyed, films need to be seen in a cinema.

Cambridge 13 General Training (Test 3)

My Comments: this is one of my favourite IELTS questions because there’s quite a lot you could say about this. However, it’s also dangerous, because if you have lots of ideas, you must organise them before you write.

This question is typical of many IELTS “two-sided” issues: both “sides” have their merits; it’s not an “either-or” issue. So a well developed answer would argue that both the cinema and home/cafe/etc are good places – it depends.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Questions #2: Agree – Disagree

Music (academic).

Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together.

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

Cambridge 14 Academic (Test 3)

My Comments: I think this is a difficult question. This is not an issue I’ve ever really thought about! My initial thoughts are these: music often divides the generations, because teenagers like different music to older people, but there are exceptions. I think music can bring cultures together, though. Everybody likes Abba, for example! So I’d write a paragraph about dividing people of different ages, and a paragraph about uniting cultures.

Remember just to focus on the ideas of music dividing or uniting people. Don’t start discussing the effect on local cultures because the question is not asking you about that.

Living In A Foreign Country (Academic)

Living in a country where you have to speak a foreign language can cause serious social problems, as well as practical problems.

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

Cambridge 13 Academic (Test 1)

My Comments: this is a question about living in a foreign country, not one about foreign languages. There are a couple of tricky things about this question. First of all, it’s not clear from the statement if it’s about someone who can speak the foreign language or not: if you live in France, and can speak French fluently, your problems will be different to someone who can’t speak French! Also, the phrase “serious social problems” sounds quite dramatic! It suggests things like isolation and depression.

I think the simplest approach is to disagree with the statement, but acknowledge the problems faced by someone who doesn’t yet know the language. As an Englishman, I would be tempted to argue that I could just socialise with other people who speak English…but the statement says “have to” – i.e. I MUST speak the foreign language, not my own!

Teenagers’ Curfew in USA (General Training)

In some areas of the US, a ‘curfew’ is imposed, in which teenagers are not allowed to be out of doors after a particular time at night unless they are accompanied by an adult.

What is your opinion about this?

Cambridge 13 General Training (Test 1)

My Comments: This is a General Training essay, so you only need to present and support your opinion; you don’t need to explain “to what extent” you agree or disagree (as in the Academic Test)

The issue is quite obscure: curfews of teenagers in America . But you don’t need any specialised knowledge to answer this. You simply need to say whether you think it’s a good or bad idea – or somewhere in between – and why.

Personally, I think it’s a terrible idea! How would you enforce it? Police patrols? (The police have better things to do than arrest teenagers for being outside!) And I would argue that there are better ways to deal with teenagers behaving badly at night.

Tidiness (General Training)

Some people say it is important to keep your home and your workplace tidy, with everything organised and in the correct place.

Cambridge 13 General Training (Test 4)

My Comments: personally, I find it a bit difficult to generate ideas for this question. I’m naturally tidy, so I don’t think about it much!

Remember to discuss BOTH the home AND the workplace, or you will lose marks for Task Response. I’d suggest writing one paragraph on the home, one paragraph about work. Workplace tidiness could include a discussion of safety issues.

Facts And Skills in Education (General Training)

Some people say that in all levels of education, from primary schools to universities, too much time is spent on learning facts and not enough on learning practical skills.

Do you agree or disagree?

Cambridge 11 General Training (Test 2)

My Comments: this is a straightforward “do you agree or disagree” question. You will probably draw on your personal experience of the education system in your own country.

I would find it difficult to completely agree or disagree with the statement as far as the British education system is concerned. Certainly I feel that facts are over-emphasised in schools, but not necessarily universities.

Click the button below to read my model IELTS essay for this question, along with more comments.

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Questions #3: Advantages – Disadvantages

Increased life expectancy (academic).

One of the consequences of improved medical care is that people are living longer and life expectancy is increasing.

Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Official Cambridge Guide To IELTS (Test 2)

My Comments: this question addresses the issue of increased life expectancy. You might think this is obviously a good thing, but think about it… increased life expectancy means more elderly people, who don’t work and need caring for.

If you simply argue that there are only advantages, this suggests that you haven’t thought through your ideas carefully enough.

I would tend to argue that the advantages are greater, but they need to be balanced against the problems with an ageing population.

Self-employment (Academic)

Nowadays many people choose to be self-employed, rather than to work for a company or organisation.

Why might this be the case?

What could be the disadvantages of being self-employed?

Cambridge 14 Academic (Test 4)

My Comments: this question is an advantages – disadvantages question ‘in hiding’: the word “advantages” does not appear, but the question is asking you to think about the advantages of being self employed. IELTS could have written “what are the advantages of being self-employed?” and you would write a very similar response. This shows you how IELTS question types do tend to overlap.

Driverless Vehicles (General Training)

In the future all cars, buses and trucks will be driverless. The only people travelling inside these vehicles will be passengers.

Do you think the advantages of driverless vehicles outweigh the disadvantages?

Cambridge 16 Academic (Test 4)

Tourists In Extreme Conditions (General Training)

Today more and more tourists are visiting places where conditions are difficult, such as the Sahara desert or the Antarctic.

What are the benefits and disadvantages for tourists who visit such places?

My Comments: I think this is a difficult question to generate ideas for. It’s not an issue I’ve thought about, and I didn’t even know people visited the two places mentioned. I know some tourists visit the Himalayas and the Arctic Circle – are the conditions here difficult enough to write about though?

A good response should go beyond the obvious disadvantages (e.g. the extreme temperatures) and address issues like their remoteness and difficulty getting there, and the need to be well-prepared.

The benefits? I’m struggling to think of ideas! Just remember to focus on the benefits for the tourist, NOT the benefits for the local economy / local people.

Mobile Payments (General Training)

In many countries, paying for things using mobile phone (cellphone) apps is becoming increasingly common.

Does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages?

Cambridge 15 General Training (Test 4)

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Questions #4: Problems – Solutions

Weight, health and fitness (academic).

In some countries the average weight of people is increasing and their levels of health and fitness are decreasing.

What do you think are the causes of these problems and what measures could be taken to solve them?

Cambridge 8 (Test 4)

My Comments: this question is a causes (of the problem) – solutions essay: what factors are causing people to gain weight, and poorer health and fitness? And how could we solve these problems?

Very Important! you must discuss the CAUSES, not the problem. Do NOT discuss problems associated with being overweight (e.g. diabetes and heart disease); do NOT discuss problems associated with poor health and fitness. Instead, discuss the causes of being overweight (e.g. too much sugar in diet) and the causes of poor health and fitness (e.g. not enough time to take exercise, high medical expenses).

Hunger (Academic)

In spite of the advances made in agriculture, many people around the world still go hungry.

Why is this the case?

What can be done about this problem?

Cambridge Academic 13 (Test 4)

My Comments: the first question is NOT just asking you “why do many people go hungry?” It’s asking you “why do many people go hungry in spite of advances in agriculture ?” So, to get a high band score for Task Response, you need to discuss why people go hungry despite the use of of pesticides on crops and hormones in animals, increased crop yields, modern irrigation, etc. Also, “go hungry” has a fairly broad meaning; it’s not the same as “starve”, so a response that only discusses famine and why people starve to death might be seen as off-topic. This makes it a much trickier essay that it first appears.

So arguing that people go hungry because they live in areas affected by drought is not quite enough for a high band score in TR; you also need to address why “agricultural advances” haven’t been enough, so a better response would be to add that many governments have failed to implement modern irrigation techniques in remote areas. Or you could argue that while advances have led to a plentiful food supply, this has not always helped people living in extreme poverty.

Here’s an interesting article which looks at the 10 causes of world hunger .

Health And Exercise (General Training)

Many working people get little or no exercise either during the working day or in their free time, and have health problems as a result.

Why do many working people not get enough exercise?

Cambridge General Training 13 (Test 2)

This problem-solution question relates to health and exercise in the modern world.

Note that the statement mentions “ or in their free time “, so you should try to address why working people don’t exercise after work or on their days off (e.g. their weekends). In other words, it’s not enough to argue that they can’t exercise because they’re working a lot of hours.

Lack of Sleep (General Training)

Nowadays many people complain that they have difficulties getting enough sleep.

What problems can lack of sleep cause?

What can be done about lack of sleep?

Cambridge General Training 15 (Test 2)

Plastic and the Environment (General Training)

Plastic bags, plastic bottles and plastic packaging are bad for the environment.

What damage does plastic do to the environment?

What can be done by governments and individuals to solve this problem?

Cambridge General Training 16 (Test 1)

IELTS Writing Sample Task 2 Questions #5: Direct Questions

Technology and relationships (academic).

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?

Cambridge 8 (Test 2)

My Comments: Be careful with this essay! There are TWO questions here:

How has technology affected relationships?
Is this a positive or negative development?

Many test takers will see “positive or negative development” in the question and just write about the positives and negatives (or, if they think it’s only a negative development, only the negatives). This means they will not address the first question..and this means a maximum score of Band 5 for Task Response.

Another tricky part are the words “interact” and “relationships”: what do they mean in the context of this essay? “Interact” literally means “to act upon each other”, so it has a wider meaning than “communication”. “Relationships” also has a broad meaning: it’s not just about lovers or friends, it can also include many kinds of acquaintances, including business ones; it could even include your Facebook friends or your Instagram followers.

So you need to discuss how technology (computers, phones) has affected the way we relate to other people, and whether it’s good or bad.

By the way, one common mistake is to write about how technology has changed communication. If you do this, your response could be seen as “tangential” which means Band 4 for Task Response!

Traffic And Pollution Solutions (Academic)

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

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

What other measures do you think might be effective?

Cambridge 8 (Test 3)

Commentary : this question concerns how we solve traffic congestion and traffic pollution. (I assume it means “traffic” pollution rather than pollution in general because it mentions petrol.)

This is a 2 part question; it combines two other question types: the first question is an agree-disagree question, and the second question asks you for solutions to the problem. You’ll need to answer the first question more concisely than in a question that is ONLY an agree-disagree question. This is quite tricky! The second question uses the word “measures”: this is a synonym of “solutions”.

So what other measures might solve traffic congestion and traffic pollution? I would choose a couple of ideas from this list: improving public transport, limiting the number of cars per household, banning diesel-powered vehicles, introducing congestion charges in city centres, and encouraging more people to work from home. I’m sure you could add to this list!

Travel (General Training)

Today more people are travelling than ever before.

What are the benefits of travelling for the traveller?

Cambridge 8 (Test A)

My Comments: be careful with the first question! The statement includes the words “more people…than ever before.” Therefore, “why is the case?” does NOT mean “why do people travel?” but “why are more people travelling than at any point in human history?” So a response that discusses ideas such as “they want to visit famous cities” is not enough for a high band score. This idea does not address the “more people than ever before” issue. A better response would be to discuss ideas such as “air travel is much cheaper than it used to be”.

Owning a Home v Renting (Academic)

In some countries, owning a home rather than renting one is very important for people.

Why might this be the case?

Do you think this is a positive or negative situation?

Cambridge 15 Academic (Test 1)

My Comments: I think this is a nice question, although I’m British so it’s a topic we often discuss (along with the weather), so I found it easy to generate ideas. You should probably address both owning a home AND renting a home for a high band score, so an essay that only discusses why people want to own a home risks a limited band score for Task Response. The second question – do you think this is a positive or negative situation – is a little tricky: if you argue that it is positive, then your reasons why it’s positive might simply repeat your answers to the first question. A thoughtful answer to this question should, I think, acknowledge that there are both positive and negative aspects.

Living Close To Your Birthplace (General Training)

Some people spend most of their lives living close to where they were born.

What might be the reasons for this?

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

Cambridge 16 General Training (Test 3)

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Discover the 7 STEPS to BAND 7 in IELTS Writing Task 2

Practice Test
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Full Writing Review
General Writing Task
Writing Task 1
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Writing Exercises
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Writing Vocabulary
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Intro Question
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Introduction

This collection of sample answers is intended to help you understand what is necessary in order to write a great essay. All of these answers have been written by a native speaker who is also a professional writer and IELTS trainer with more than ten years of experience. It is important to note before we begin that these answers are not the only way to score band 9. Whether you study English, Korean, Arabic, Spanish, or any other language, it is important to note that there is more than one way to express yourself. If we gather 1,000 professional writers, they would produce 1,000 different IELTS essays.

The fifty answers in this book have been written in order to guide IELTS candidates to the most effective means of composing an essay. They show how to fulfil the requirements of the marking rubric without using overly complex language.

In fact, that is one of the most important things that you should remember. Accuracy and range are more important than using “difficult” language. The best way to approach IELTS writing is through common sense. You could broadly categorise any good approach to an IELTS essay like this:

1) Analyse the question 2) Structure your answer 3) Write your essay 4) Check your writing

Obviously, the hardest part is #3 because there is so much to consider. However, it is important to note that you do not need to achieve perfection in your essay. You just have to make it very good.

When it comes to structure, I always tell people to keep it simple. Do not try to reinvent the wheel. Every task 2 essay requires an introduction and conclusion, as well as two or three body paragraphs. Your structure should look like this: 1) Introduction 2) Body paragraph 1 3) Body paragraph 2 4) Conclusion

The sample answers in this book should help you to understand the construction and execution of a very good IELTS essay. Do not think that these are the only ways to do it. They are intended as models to help you but ultimately the process of planning and writing an essay comes down to one person – you.

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50 Recent IELTS Essay Questions

Hey! It is so important that when you sit down to practice IELTS writing, you only use questions that are “genuine”. This means using either questions that come from the IELTS Cambridge 1 – 15 series or those that have been created by an exam writer like those in my 100 IELTS essay question blog post. However, many students like to practice recent IELTS essay questions i.e. topics that have been reported by recent test-takers.

I understand why students want to do this – knowing what the recent IELTS essays questions are and checking that you can answer them is reassuring. However, unfortunately, test-takers rarely (if ever) manage to accurately remember the wording of the question that they had in their test.

Can they remember the general topic? Sure.

Can they remember the exact wording? Definitely not!

Sadly, changing even one word in a test can change the focus of a question and, therefore, make it impossible to answer! So, every month, I collect 50 recent IELTS essay questions from students in My IELTS Classroom , and edit them so that they are as close to perfect as possible.

Plus, I divide the questions into Academic and General Training (so you can be sure you are tackling the right type of questions) and have highlighted the main topic of each question for you.

This page is updated monthly and is now showing questions from 2021. If you want to see exam questions that reportedly appeared earlier in 2021, then you can look at our 2021 archive .

As always, these questions are provided so that you can check that you have ideas for the nw topics. If you are preparing with a teacher or want high-quality feedback on your writing then you should always use a question from the original IELTS Cambridge Series .

Academic IELTS Essay Questions (February 2021 – September 2021)

1. Some people think that criminal behaviour has genetic causes . Others believe that it is circumstances that lead people to commit a crime. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

2. Some people think that new houses should be built in the same style as older houses in an area. Others believe that local councils should allow people to choose different designs for their houses. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

3. Some people say that the best way to teach children to behave well is to punish them. Others argue that rewarding and praising children is a better way to teach them the difference between right and wrong. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

4. Some people believe that women should be able to join their country’s army and police forces . Others think that only men should be allowed to work in these areas. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

5. In some countries, there are not enough medical or educational facilities in rural areas. Therefore, some people believe newly graduated teachers and doctors should be sent to work in rural areas for some time. Others think that people should be free to choose where they work after graduation. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

6. A lot of research has shown that overeating can have a number of negative effects on the body. Some people therefore believe that the advertising of certain foods should be banned in the same way that some countries have banned advertising cigarettes. Do you agree or disagree?

7 Some people think that parents should teach their children about the importance of recycling . Others believe recycling should be taught in schools. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

8. The media has the right to publish information about the personal life of celebrities . To what extent do you agree or disagree?

9. Some people say that instead of preventing climate change, we need to find a way to live with it. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this view?

10. Young people today mostly learn by reading books or watching movies and TV shows , rather than personal experience. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

11. Big companies should provide sports and social facilities for the local communities where they operate. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

12. Some people argue that thanks to the widespread accessibility of the internet, libraries are no longer necessary. Do you agree or disagree?

13. If asked to choose between a life without work and a life that involves working most of the time, people will always choose not to work. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

14. Eighteen is the appropriate age for children to finish school. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

15. Schools should stop using books to teach and use films, TV and computers in the classroom instead. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Writing a good IELTS essay doesn’t have to be difficult. Follow our step-by-step guide to every type of essay to find out what the examiner expects and exactly what you can do to satisfy the band descriptors in our Task Two course. The first three lessons are free!

16. Nowadays foreign visitors show more interest in the museums of a country than its local residents do. Why is this? What can be done to attract more local residents to visit museums in their country?

17 Many companies sponsor sports teams and events to advertise their products or service . What advantages and disadvantages does this bring for the teams and individuals that these companies sponsor?

18. Most information today is available online whereas in the past it was stored in books or on paper. Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

19. The difference between countries is becoming less and less evident as people all over the world wear the same fashions, watch the same TV channels, use the same brands, and have similar eating habits. Do you think that the advantages of this trend outweigh the disadvantages?

20. Nowadays many people get the news online instead of reading it in newspapers or watching it on TV. Is this a positive or negative development?

21. In many countries today the proportion of older people in the population is higher than the proportion of younger people . Do you think this is a positive or a negative development?

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22. More and more tasks in the home and at work are being performed by robots . Why do you think this is the case? Is this a negative or positive development?

23. Nowadays tourists and scientists are allowed to travel to remote natural environments . Do you think the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

24. Due to population growth many people these days live in apartments with limited space and no outdoor areas. Do the advantages of this trend outweigh its disadvantages?

25. Every country in the world has its own road rules , but many drivers don’t obey them. What do you think are the reasons for this? What can be done to solve this problem?

BONUS In many countries, shopping is now one of the most popular types of leisure activity . Why do you so many young people like shopping? Is this a positive or a negative development?

What are the current Aacdemic writing trends?

My observation of the most recent IELTS essay questions from 2021 is that there have been A LOT of Discuss Both Sides and To What Extent questions. In fact, this is more or less all that I have seen in the first month of the new year, so be sure that you are ready to answer these.

GT IELTS Essay Questions (February 2021 – September 2021

1. Some people believe that individuals who earn a lot of money are the most successful in life . Others say that the individuals who contribute to the society (such as scientists or teachers) are more successful. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

2. It is universally accepted that eating too much sugar has a negative effects on people’s health . Therefore, some believe that the government should control the amount of sugar people consume. Others think that it is the responsibility of an individual to monitor their sugar intake. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

3. Some people say that the development of technology means that people no longer need to learn the skill of handwriting . Others believe that it is still necessary for people to learn how to write by hand. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

4. Some people believe that individuals over 65 should not be allowed to continue working . Others think that people should be allowed to work for as long as they choose. Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

5. Some people think that it is a good idea for parents to help their children with their homework. Others believe that children should do their homework on their own. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

6. Some people think that the government should spend money on cultural activities such as music or art. Others think this is a waste of taxpayers’ money. Discuss both views and give your opinion.

7. Some people think that children should be taught how to become good parents at school . Do you agree or disagree?

8. Many mothers stay at home to take care of their family and don’t go out to work . Some people believe these mothers should be paid by the government. Do you agree or disagree?

9. In many countries, it is common for people to consume fast food. However, some people believe that fast food has too much influence on our lifestyle and diet. Do you agree or disagree with this statement?

10. Some people say that playing sports helps to prepare children for their future jobs . Do you agree or disagree?

11. Some people say that the Olympic Games no longer play a role in the 21st century . Do you agree or disagree?

12. People’s behaviour (for example, their table manners and they way they dress) varies from country to country. When traveling to a different country, people should copy the behaviour and habits of the inhabitants of the country they visit. Do you agree or disagree?

13. The best way to increase road safety is to make car drivers retake their driving test every year. Do you agree or disagree?

14. Some people believe that family is more important than friends . What do you think?

15. The Internet is the best place to find information . Do you agree or disagree?

16. In many countries traditional customs are being lost. Why do you think this is? What can parents and schools do to keep traditional customs alive?

17. People who are learning a foreign language can face a number of difficulties. What are some of these problems? In your opinion, what are the best ways to overcome these difficulties?

18. Young people today are often less polite and show less respect than previous generations . Why do you think this is? What can be done to solve this problem?

19. Developments in technology mean that more and more machines are being used in the workplace instead of human employees. Does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages?

20. In some countries, young people choose to move from their parents’ home to their own house at an early age. In other countries, young people stay with parents for a longer time. Do you think young people who leave their parent’s home at a younger age have more advantages or disadvantages than those who stay?

21. In many parts of the world, more and more large supermarkets are opening and smaller local shops are closing down. Does this development have more advantages or more disadvantages for local people?

22. In some countries it is illegal to stop people applying for a job because of their age . Is this a positive or a negative development?

23. In many countries, people are earning more money today than in the past, so they are able to buy more things. Is this a positive or a negative development?

24. Nowadays, people prefer to shop at large shopping centres rather than in local shops or markets. Why is this? Is this a positive or negative development?

25. Nowadays in many countries traditional customs are becoming less popular than in the past . Do you agree or disagree? What can parents and teachers do about this?

BONUS – Playing team sports at school can teach students a number of lessons that are useful outside of sport. What values can students learn from playing team sports? How can they apply these values in the future?

What are the current GT writing trends?

So far this year, I have noticed two main trends for the recent IELTS essay questions for General Training students. First, there continue to be more 2-part questions than in the Academic test, and the topics seem to be more and more diverse.

Also, the test writers seem to making small changes to the wording of questions, which don’t actually change what you are expected to do, but may confuse some students. For example, in the past, you were always asked “Is this a positive or negative trend?” but recently the same question has been phrased as:

Is this a good thing or a bad thing?
Do you think this is right or wrong?
Do you think this this a good or bad use of public money?

If you enter the exam room and feel confused by the question, my advice is always to simply answer the question that you have been given.

Yes, there are question types that repeat, but if you are given a direct essay question or a type of question that is unfamiliar, simply focusing on answering the question/s you have been given clearly is always the best approach!

Looking for an IELTS school run by native speakers who have a proven track record of helping students achieve their potential in IELTS? Then come join the students at My IELTS Classroom who are using our unique video courses, live lessons and marking service to maximise their scores.

OK – those are the 50 most recent IELTS essay questions. I will try to do this every month so that you can be sure you have ideas for every possible IELTS question in your exam. Well, maybe not to every question, but at least by practicing with these, you will have sharpened your idea-generation skills . Plus, you can help me by adding any questions that you can remember from a recent IELTS exam in the comments below 🚀

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IELTS Writing Samples: 100 Practice Questions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Criminal Justice

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

Discuss both views and give your own opinion.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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

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

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

Which do you consider to be the major influence?

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

Do you agree or disagree?

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

Is it a positive or negative development?

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

Do you agree or disagree?

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

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

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

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

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

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

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

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

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

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

Discuss both views and give your opinion.

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

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

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

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

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

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

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

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

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

How do you think children should spend their free time?

In many countries schools have severe problems with student behaviour.

What do you think are the causes of this?

What solutions can you suggest?

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

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

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

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

Youth Crime

Nowadays many young people deliberately damage public places.

What are the causes and solutions?

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

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

What are the causes of this problem?

What are some possible solutions?

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

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

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

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

Which other types of job should be highly paid?

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

Environment

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

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

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

What other measures do you think might be effective?

Nowadays we are producing more and more waste.

What are the causes of this?

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

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

Global warming is the biggest threat we face today.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Has this become a positive or negative development?

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

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

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

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

What problems does this cause?

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

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

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

What factors contribute to job satisfaction?

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

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

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

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

Globalisation

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

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

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

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

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

Multinational companies are becoming increasingly common in developing countries.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

Government Spending

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Development

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

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

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

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

Sometimes celebrities get invited to international aid events.

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

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

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

Public Transport

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

Many cities have serious problems with traffic congestion.

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

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

What are the advantages and disadvantages?

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

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

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

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

What solutions are there to these problems?

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

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

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

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

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

Do you agree or disagree? Give your opinion.

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

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

IELTS Writing Sample Essays

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

About Christopher Pell

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

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

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

IELTS Academic Writing Task 1 – Sample Answers

It is important for you to look at sample essays when you are studying to see if your work is on the way to becoming a band score 7 or higher.

Sample Essay 1 – Pie Charts

The pie charts show the ratio of goods shipped from Great Britain from 2010 to 2015. The products are measured by percentage.

On the other hand, the diagrams illustrate an increasing rise in the production of plastics at over 4% since 2010. Furthermore, the most relevant feature is the increase in the export of organic chemicals from 2010 (7%) to 2015 (10%). There is a huge difference in the production of pharmaceuticals, due to the fact that it experienced a decrease from 2010 (27%) to 2015 (18%).

Sample Essay 2 – Line Graph Showing Future Trends

The line graph presented depicts the loan status of the Royal Bank of Scotland between the years 2012 to 2022. It is measured in millions of pounds sterling.

Firstly, it is clear that student loans and mortgages are following a very similar pattern over the years. Student loans stood at just under 1.500 million in 2012, noticeably, being the highest of the four groups. Though they remained constant up to 2013, they are expected to climb steadily to approximately 2.5 billion in 2022. Like the student loans, mortgages are predicted to follow a similar pattern and increase.

Finally, personal loans were staged at the lowest level of the four groups, at under 500 million in 2012. Despite climbing up and overtaking auto loans briefly in 2016 to about 800 million, this level will continue decreasing until 2022 to 400 million.

(Word Count = 223 / Band Score 9)

Sample Essay 3 – Process

To begin, a body of water is stored in a large water reservoir holding the water until it goes into the intake. The dam will then control the flow of water to the intake. After that, water will flow to a cylindrical passage called a penstock, making it flow with a strong pressure until it reaches the turbine. Next, the current of the flowing water from the river passing through the penstock will maintain the turbine’s rotation.

Sample Essay 4 – Line Graph

Sample essay 5 – table, writing task 1 band score 9 criteria >>, ielts writing task 2 question types, related posts, write to the singer about his/her performance: semi-formal letter [ielts general writing task 1 ], ielts writing task 1 – line graph essay 1, leave a comment cancel reply.

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IELTS Writing Samples

Here you can find IELTS Writing Samples (both General and Academic) and answers to them. The materials are provided by experienced IELTS tutors or gathered from the best free IELTS preparation resources. All samples are constantly being renewed and correspond to the real exam sections.

IELTS Band 9 sample essay

Band 9 Sample answers are useful as study guides for IELTS preparation for the IELTS Writing Task 2 essay – especially for a band 9 IELTS essay. Having access to previously completed work that you can have confidence in will show you what you are missing!

Take a look at these sample task 2 essay questions to help you prepare for your exam.

Use the following IELTS sample essay and its explanations to see how close you are to a band 9 in your IELTS writing essay!

Evaluation Criteria

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Examples of Band 9 Essays

IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Sample Question and Answer(1)

Why is this IELTS Essay a Band 9?

5 Tips for a Band 9 IELTS Essay

Sample IELTS Writing Task 2 Question and Answer(2)

Sample IELTS Writing Task 2 Question and Answer (3)

Useful Definitions of Advanced Vocabulary Used

Video: Band 9 EX-IELTS Examiner Essay Review

Sample 19 IELTS Essays and 240 Task 2 Essay Questions Ebook

Video: Useful IELTS Essay Writing Tip

Audio Resources

Additional IELTS Resources

IELTS essay task 2: evaluation criteria

IELTS writing tests are evaluated across 4 areas when your band score is calculated:

Task achievement – To what extent does the examinee address all parts of the task with a fully developed position, inclusive of fully extended and well supported ideas?
Coherence and cohesion – Does the candidate logically organise the information and ideas? Is the entire essay cohesive with a logical progression of ideas?
Lexical resource – To what extent does the examinee use a wide range of vocabulary with accuracy? Do they demonstrate sophistication regarding the use of lexical items?
Grammatical range and accuracy – Does the examinee use a range of grammatical structures accurately? Examples of these can be the use of complex sentences with sophisticated clauses instead of simple sentences with a repetitive structure:

Example : Students cannot use phones. They affect development > students are not allowed to use mobile phones in class due to possible distractions.

The British Council (the administrator of the IELTS) outlines 9 different bands of performance for each of the above dimensions here. Your scores in each of these dimensions are averaged to determine your overall band for your essay.

Let's take a look at an example essay that scored as band 9 and then we'll dig into each of these four areas to see why it received that score. It's very important to understand what the IELTS examiner is looking for.

These four criteria are used in our new online essay checker that gives you an estimated band score (free).

IELTS essay sample question (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.

IELTS sample essay answer (1)

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 an 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.

Why is this essay a band 9?

Task achievement.

According to the IELTS Writing Band Descriptors, an essay is Band 9 for Task Achievement if it:

Fully addresses all parts of the task
Presents a fully developed position in answer to the question with relevant, fully extended and well supported ideas.

In order to score well on Task Achievement, the most important thing is to make sure you respond to what is being asked of you . Is the prompt asking for an opinion, a discussion of a problem, a solution to a problem, or some combination of these? If you provide an opinion and not a solution when you're being asked for a solution, you're not going to score well in this area. Read the question carefully!

The prompt for this essay asks: “To what extent do you agree [with the previous statement]? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your answer.” It wants an opinion – with support!

This essay addresses all parts of this task. The opinion is included in the introduction to make the writer's position clear, and then the following paragraphs support the writer's position with examples and justifications. Overall, the response is full and relevant and each of the points is detailed and connected to the thesis.

Coherence and cohesion

Think of this as “How well does the essay flow? Is it easy to follow and does it all tie together?” The exact characteristics for a Band 9 C&C score are that an essay:

Uses cohesion in such a way that it attracts no attention
Skilfully manages paragraphing

Note the specific wording “it attracts no attention.” The goal here is for things to sound natural and not forced. How do you connect your ideas (ensure cohesion) without it sounding forced? I think there are 2 possible ways:

Explain your ideas in a logical order so that you don't need many linking words . This is probably what you do when writing in your own language.
Use easy linking words like and, but, also, firstly, secondly, finally, for example. These are so common that they attract almost no attention.

This IELTS Sample essay does a good job of this – you'll notice that each paragraph naturally (logically) follows the one prior, providing additional support for the original opinion, and some simple linking words – in addition, furthermore (both paragraph 2) and moreover (paragraph 3) – are used throughout. These are all good discourse markers that show what is coming next adds to the argument and are slightly more sophisticated than firstly, secondly, and thirdly but don't come across as being forced.

The other aspect to scoring high in C&C is ensuring an essay is well-structured. What do I mean by that? A well-structured essay has a good introduction, body paragraphs that are easy to follow and connect with one another, and a good conclusion. Each body paragraph should also have its own topic sentence and support and then smoothly transition to the next paragraph.

Our sample IELTS essay has a “simple but good” introduction in which it shows that the examinee has knowledge of the topic and clearly states the writer's position to set up the rest of the essay. The paragraphs all have topic sentences, which are then supported by examples, and are easy to follow. The main body and conclusion relate back to the thesis in the introduction.

A note on conclusions… there are two schools of thought when it comes to how to conclude an IELTS essay. One is to conclude with one simple sentence so that you spend more time perfecting your main body paragraphs. The other is to wrap up with two sentences, once which includes a small prediction (ie, how you think things might turn out) as a way to show the examiner that you know how to correctly use another tense (which will help boost your GR&A score – more on that in a minute). Either is fine, just don't forget your conclusion!

Taking time to plan out and organise your response before you start writing is an extremely important step in scoring well in Coherence and Cohesion for your IELTS essay – make sure you do so to ensure your essay is well structured and reads cohesively when you're done!

Lexical resource

Scoring well in the Lexical Resource dimension is all about (correctly) showing off your vocabulary. The description for a Band 9 here is:

Uses a wide range of vocabulary with very natural and sophisticated control of lexical features, rare minor errors occur only as ‘slips'

Collocations, topic-specific vocabulary and phrasal verbs are the name of the game here. To score well, an examinee needs to show that they have a wide-ranging vocabulary and they know how to use it.

Our sample essay does a solid job of showing off a range of vocabulary – you'll notice that while the essay frequently refers to children, the writer employs different vocabulary ( infants, youngsters, offspring, counterparts ) to do so.

Note : it is highly likely that you will need to refer to people/children in your IELTS Writing task 2 , so make sure that you have lots of different words to use to refer to them.

IELTS examiners do not like to see the words “people,” “children” over and over again! The same goes for the word “ important ” – make sure you have plenty of alternative phrases ( essential and vital are both used in our sample essay).

Other examples of a wide-ranging vocabulary in our essay include using rapidly in place of quickly , mature instead of develop, repercussions to indicate a negative result, and acquire in place of learn.

Our sample essay also does a good job of using collocations – some examples include “fundamental reason,” “reluctant readers” “social and cognitive skills,” “learn vocabulary through context,” and “strongly recommend.”

The correct use of phrasal verbs also demonstrates one's grasp of English – because of the semantics involved, they are sometimes one of the most difficult things for English language learners to master. Our essay writer correctly uses a few of these including “ turned them off” and “falling behind .”

One note here: students preparing for the IELTS often ask if they should use idioms (like “you're barking up the wrong tree”) in their essays to further demonstrate their grasp of the language. In my opinion, no, you shouldn't. Idioms are informal by nature and not appropriate for a written essay of this type. Stick with demonstrating your range of vocabulary and your ability to use phrasal verbs correctly!

Grammatical range and accuracy

The final scoring dimension is related to grammar and grammatical structures – do you know them and can you correctly use them?

The Band 9 description for grammatical range and accuracy :

Uses a wide range of structures with full flexibility and accuracy; rare minor errors occur only as slips

Note that there is nothing in the scoring criteria about including specific tenses or sentence constructions. Your main objective should be to reduce the number of mistakes that you make. An essay that contains no mistakes is likely to get a 9 for grammar, regardless of the types of sentence that it may or may not contain.

If there is a nice mix of long and short sentences in your IELTS essays, you'll meet the grammar requirements. Remember, as soon as you write a “long” sentence you are naturally going to use connectives (linking words), which will make the sentence ‘compound' or ‘complex'. So, don't think too much about the grammar – just aim to reduce the number of mistakes that you make, and try to include a few longer sentences.

Some examples from the sample essay that illustrate the writer's grammatical range and help it easily score as a band 9 include:

appropriate uses of modal verbs in the passive voice: “are further developed,” “will be covered,” “must be acknowledged,” “should be swapped.”
“ to focus on ” is correctly followed by an -ing form
However is used correctly with a semicolon before it and a comma after
“ because of ,” “rather than,” and are correctly followed by -ing verbs

5 Tips for an IELTS writing task 2 band 9 essay

1. answer what is being asked.

Make sure you read the prompt carefully and answer the essay questions you’re being asked. I can’t emphasise this enough. In order to score well on Task Achievement, you need to appropriately and fully address the task.

2. Plan your work, work your plan.

Plan out your essay before you start writing. What are your main points? What order are you going to make them in? How do they link together? Having a well organised essay is key scoring high marks for Coherence and Cohesion. Many IELTS test-takers will spend up to 10 minutes planning out their essay before they start writing. A few points to keep in mind:

Your essay should have 4-5 paragraphs in total and at least 250 words
Plan your supporting points so that they don’t go off-topic

3. Write, review, re-write

Write your essay, review it and then “rewrite” it. Don’t focus on getting things perfect upfront – you don’t want to waste 15 minutes trying to come up with the perfect synonym for something and then not have enough time to finish your full essay! Write your essay first (an unwritten essay won’t score well at all!) and then go back through it to see how you can improve it. Some essay questions to ask yourself at this stage:

Are there places where you can swap out stronger words for weaker ones in order to improve your Lexical Resource score?
Are there places where you can phrase things differently in order to illustrate your Grammatical Range?

4. Where are you falling?

To pass with a Band 9 the reality is you need two sets of skills:

Exam skills
Language skills

What are exam skills?

Can you plan an effective essay? Quickly? Ideally between 3-5 minutes.

Can you think of enough ideas and examples to put in the essay plan?

Firstly you need to discover which of these skills you need. To do this you get feedback, either from an online IELTS essay checker or for more detailed feedback you can use our IELTS essay correction service .

The main goal is to find out which part of the essay writing process is costing you the most amount of time, points or stress.

Personally, the easiest and fastest way to get these skills is to do an online course specialised in training students with these skills. Here is a good course for that.

5. Better language skills?

A lot of students fail the IELTS exam or end up with a band in their IELTS writing test that does not meet their requirements. Also, a significant number of students look to Google to search for “IELTS Writing tips” or “Task two tips”. These tips might be helpful but sometimes the real problem might just be in their general language or writing skills.

Writing error-free perfect sentences is probably much more challenging than students think, especially under exam conditions i.e in 40 minutes with immense pressure to pass. These can result in often mixed outcomes with both positive or negative development occurring at one and the same time.

One of the most important ways to improve language skills is to receive feedback. This can be by asking someone to review written work and will expose the positive or negative development mentioned earlier. This is very common and not something that is a negative issue overall.

Have a look at our essay correction service that will review your essays for you and help you improve and pass the IELTS test.

Here is a checklist of what is needed for reaching Band 9, it includes what the examiner wants to see, and what to do to write at a Band 9 level.

Sample IELTS writing task 2 question (2)

Today, the quality of life in large cities is decreasing. Discuss the causes and solutions.

IELTS writing task 2: essay sample answer (2)

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 for the globe as well as the local community. Therefore, the causes and effects of these on the current generation, as well as possible solutions 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. While such developments have a positive impact on immediate economic objectives, it perpetuates behaviours that can have a negative impact in the long term.

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. Even greater than this, are the relevant examples of natural disasters such as recent fires in Australia, which brought about unprecedented weather patterns resulting in the destruction of wild and rare animals. These effects are far from uniform, as they affect different countries in ways unseen by previous generations.

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 well-being of the population if they did adopt a more active lifestyle and cycle to work. While these solutions are local, if adopted globally, would affect individuals and many countries alike. A collective effort is needed to use social networks and other media to highlight the negative effect of urbanisation as well as the negative sides of the wider ramifications on the population.

To conclude, while it could be argued that urbanisation advantages outweigh the disadvantages, a wealthy city attracts a large population inflow, which then causes pressure on existing infrastructure and security. Various solutions exist to mitigate such drawbacks, such as social networks being used to raise awareness of such negative impacts on many countries, nevertheless an indefinite solution has yet to be found.

Sample IELTS writing task 2 question (3)

Social media marketing can influence what consumers buy. Do you agree or disagree? To what extent do you agree?

IELTS writing task 2: essay sample answer (3)

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, it could be argued 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 that 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 ensure 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 wildfire.

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 definitions of advanced vocabulary used

Paradoxically

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.

There are many methods employed to quell this flow of people, but still a reliable solution has not been discovered.

IELTS writing task 2: 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 the 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.”

IELTS writing task 2: further reading

There are many more writing samples for you to explore.

The BBC has great pages on discursive writing and general writing , also, this video is good for learning how to give examples.

You can even read a sample Harvard essay aimed at preparing students for academic writing.

Remember! Select a text that is appropriate for your level. Choosing the wrong text can result in a loss of confidence and feeling bad never helped anyone to learn anything quickly!

Video: Band 9 ex-IELTS examiner essay review

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Video: ielts writing task 2-extremely useful sentences.

Optimize Your Writing: Try Our Online IELTS Essay Checker

Writing a good essay for the IELTS is important. You want to get a high score, right? But sometimes, it's hard to know if your essay is good. That's why we made a special tool to help you. It's called the online IELTS essay checker .

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The good news is that our tool can help you save money. Some students pay a lot for classes or books to learn how to write better. But our tool is not expensive. And it gives you fast help.

So, after you read the sample essay on this page, try our online IELTS essay checker . It will show you how to write even better essays.

To sum it up, our online IELTS essay checker is here to help you. It's easy to use and not costly. We want you to do your best in the IELTS without spending too much money. Good luck with your writing!

Additional IELTS writing task 2 resources

The University of Manchester Academic Phrasebook provides guidelines and examples of how to introduce essay topics, discuss findings and write conclusions
The University of Birmingham Guide to Academic Writing provides tips on paraphrasing, in addition to how to plan, structure and write an essay
Use these useful sentences for IELTS Writing Task 2 .
This page is good for sample essay topics and answers, also for Task Two.

IELTS writing essay task 2 Sample Band 8 The writing part of your IELTS exam is a great place to score some extra points, especially if you are looking to score within band 8. Here is a task 2 writing sample to help you do just that.

Vocabulary for IELTS Vocabulary is probably the most important part of preparing successfully for IELTS. It is used for both the speaking and writing part of the exam. Click here to view some essential vocabulary.

General essay topics The IELTS exam has a number of general essay topics that span a number of disciplines ad subject matters. To have an idea of what to expect check out our list of general essay topics.

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IELTS Discussion Essay Sample Questions

Below is a list of IELTS discussion essay sample questions for IELTS writing task 2. These are also known as two sided essays.

Discussion Essay Tips

identify both sides
find supporting points for both side
only give your opinion if the task asks for it
use discussion essay language
follow a safe discussion essay model

Discussion Essay Questions

Some people think that environmental problems should be solved on a global scale while others believe it is better to deal with them nationally. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

All parents want the best opportunities for their children. There are some people who think that schools should teach children skills but others think having a range of subjects is better for a children’s future. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

There seems to be an increasing number of serious crimes committed each year. While some think the best way is to use the death penalty as a deterrent, many people believe that other measures will be needed. Discuss both sides.

Completing university education is thought by some to be the best way to get a good job. On the other hand, other people think that getting experience and developing soft skills is more important. Discuss both sides and give your opinion. CLICK HERE: MODEL ESSAY ANSWER

Some people think that exercise is the key to health, while others feel that having a balanced diet is more important. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

It is thought by some that its is better to live in a city, while others believe that life is better in the countryside. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Some people think that the internet has brought people closer together, while others think that people and communities are become more isolated. Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

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Speaking Lessons
Technique for IELTS Speaking Part 1

Tips and Technique for IELTS Speaking Part 1

In this lesson we'll cover some tips and a technique to answer IELTS Speaking Part 1 questions concisely and in the right time frame.

As the first speaking activity, speaking part 1 will often set the scene for the rest of the speaking section, it is important to be prepared and to build your confidence in this section to help you going forward.

So let's look at some tips for IELTS Speaking Part 1.

How long should your answers be?

Speaking part 1 lasts 4-5 minutes and there are 3 sets of topics, with 4 in each topic- so 12 questions (If the examiner has time to ask them all). This means you only need to speak for around 20-30 seconds on each question (you might speak for a bit less than this on some questions and more on others, depending on the question).

You should avoid very short answers otherwise you won't speak for long enough and you'll get a lower score for not answering questions at length. Talking too much may come across as rambling and the examiner will keep having to stop you.

Extending your answers using ACE

An ideal speaking part 1 answer should be interesting, fluent and concise.

A technique for IELTS Speaking Part 1 you can use is a simple structure that will ensure your answers meet these requirements.

This method is called ACE :

This simple technique consists of three parts.

Answer the question

Give a direct answer to the question. This should be a single sentence at the most.
Provide 1 or 2 sentences providing context to your answer. For example, if they ask about your home this may include information about the area or how long you have lived there.

Extra Information

Provide 2 pieces of additional interesting information about the answer you gave. It could include an interesting fact or very short story.

Question – Where is your hometown?

A: I am from a small town in Scotland called Mid Calder.

C: It is a small town around 20km from Edinburgh and It has a population of around 8,000 people.

E: It is a very old town and the church there is over 700 years old. I love to take my dog to the church for a walk as it is really pretty.

This is a simple answer and the score could be improved by using more advanced vocabulary such changing “old” to “historical”.

The important element however is that this gives you as structure to which you can quickly insert relevant points to complete your answer. This structure requires you to quickly think of 3 to 4 points and then insert them to the structure.

Review the part 1 question and choose the best option for each part.

Question: Would you like to learn to play a musical instrument?

No, I don’t like music.
Yes, I would.
Yes, I can play the guitar
Yes, I would love to learn to play an instrument.
I already play the guitar and piano.
Ideally, I would really like to play the guitar as I think it is a very beautiful instrument.
The piano is an excellent instrument.
I don’t really like these activities.
I once tried to learn but I wasn’t very good and it hurt my fingers a lot. Maybe I will try again in the future.
I want to learn Stairway to Heaven.
I would also like to learn to ski.
I go to a school which doesn’t have a music department.

Try to answer the following questions using ACE.

Do you prefer to do your hobbies alone or with other people?
How long have you been studying English?
Do you live in a house or an apartment?
How often do you use a computer?
How often do you play sports or do exercise?
What is your favourite food?
How often do you spend time with your family?

More IELTS Speaking Lessons:

Tips for IELTS Speaking Part 2: Extending your Response

This is a lesson about IELTS Speaking Part 2. Learn how to extend your response so that it lasts two minutes.

Words for Expressing Opinions in IELTS Speaking

Expressing opinions and justifying them is an important part of the IELTS speaking test. This will help you extend your response.

Will and Going To for the Future in IELTS Speaking

Will and going to can be used to talk about the future in part 3 of the IELTS Speaking Test. 'Will' is for certain future events and ‘going to’ for plans.

Common Questions about the IELTS Speaking Test

These common questions about the IELTS speaking test are things that candidates often ask about this module of the test.

Language for Hypothetical Situations in IELTS Speaking

This lesson provides language for speaking about hypothetical situations for part 2 of the IELTS test. For this we use conditional type II 'if clauses'.

IELTS Speaking Questions and Answers: Optimising Your Responses

These IELTS speaking questions and answers will help you to improve your part 1. You should not speak excessively, and be honest but positive.

Key Phrases for IELTS Speaking: Fluency and Coherence

This lesson provides key phrases for IELTS speaking to improve your fluency and coherence in the exam.

IELTS Speaking Tone - Using the Right Language

You need to get your speaking tone correct in the IELTS Test. You are having a conversation with someone, so you want to sound natural.

IELTS: Speaking About Change in Part 3

Speaking about change is a common task in the IELTS test part 3. It is common to use 'used to', comparatives, or 'would' to talk about change. .

Types of Speaking Questions for IELTS

This lesson covers types of speaking questions for IELTS related to part one. It explains how to avoid misunderstanding the question.

Fillers for IELTS Speaking: Avoid 'Eh', Uhm', 'You know'.

fillers for ielts speaking

Useful IELTS Interview Expressions

Learn useful IELTS interview expressions that can help you to sound better in the IELTS Speaking test.

Personal Experiences in Part 3 of the IELTS Speaking Test

You may talk about personal experiences in Part 3 of the IELTS speaking test when you give examples. This explains how.

Using an IELTS Mind Map for Speaking Part 2

This lesson shows you how to use an IELTS mind map to organize and brainstorm your answer for the speaking part two. This can be useful for brainstorming ideas.

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100 Band 7, 8 + 9 IELTS Writing Task 2 Essay Samples
In this blog post, we have compiled a list of 100 Band 7, 8, and 9 IELTS Writing Task 2 essay samples to help you improve your writing skills and boost your chances of achieving a high score on the exam. These sample essays cover a wide range of topics, from education and technology to health and environment, and are a valuable resource for ...
100 IELTS Essay Questions
100 IELTS Essay Questions. Below are practice IELTS essay questions and topics for writing task 2. The 100 essay questions have been used many times over the years. The questions are organised under common topics and essay types. IELTS often use the similar topics for their essays but change the wording of the essay question.
Latest IELTS Writing Topics September & October 2024 with answers
IELTS Writing Topics September & October 2024. Get a band score and detailed report instantly. Check your IELTS essays right now! The collection of writing topics that were reported by IELTS student in 2024. These questions could be repeated from previous months. Keep in mind that the provided questions are not predictions.
IELTS Writing Questions and Model Answers
Past IELTS writing questions as well as model answers and vocabulary written by IELTS examiners to help you learn how to structure and write your own essays to pass your test. Click on questions below for model answers: ARTS AND MEDIA. Some people feel that entertainers such as film stars, pop musicians or sports stars are paid too much money.
35 Sample Band 9 IELTS Essays
These IELTS band 9 essay samples will help you highlight your mistakes and improve your writing band 9 level. See the below IELTS essay writing sample questions and answers to practice for your IELTS writing task 2. You will find the IELTS essay questions and answers categorised by the following essay types. Do you agree/disagree
IELTS Writing Practice Tests and Sample Answers
IELTS Writing Practice Tests. Practice makes perfect when it comes to IELTS Writing. Luckily, we have a huge selection of IELTS Writing practice questions for you on this site. There are two tasks in the Writing section of IELTS: Task 1 requires you to write 150 words describing a diagram or set of data; Task 2 is a discursive essay of 250 words.
IELTS Sample Essays
IELTS Sample Essays. Here you will find IELTS Sample Essays for a variety of common topics that appear in the writing exam.. The model answers all have tips and strategies for how you may approach the question and comments on the sample answer.. You can also view sample essays with band scores on this page.. Looking at IELTS essay topics with answers is a great way to help you to prepare for ...
More than 250+ IELTS Writing Task 2 Questions
In this article, we outline over 250 recent IELTS Writing Task 2 topics and sample questions. The IELTS Writing Task 2 is an essay writing task that assesses your ability to express and develop an argument in response to a given prompt. As an essential part of the IELTS exam, a high score in writing task 2 can help you achieve your desired ...
IELTS Writing Task 2/ Essay Topics with sample answer
IELTS Writing Task 2 (also known as IELTS Essay Writing) is the second task of your IELTS Writing test.Here, you will be presented with an essay topic and you will be scored based on your ability to respond to the topic. You need to write at least 250 words and justify your opinion with arguments, discussion, examples, problem outlining, proposing possible solutions and supporting your position.
IELTS Writing Sample Questions: Task 2
Read My Model Essay For This Question. IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Questions #2: Agree - Disagree Music (Academic) You should spend about 40 minutes on this task. Write about the following topic: Some people say that music is a good way of bringing people of different cultures and ages together.
IELTS writing topics and answers
IELTS writing topics are extensive, and consistently finding answers for them takes practice. Below I share how I produce an essay, including thinking of ideas, building paragraphs and planning.. For these ideas and sample answers, I usually use the latest latest writing task 2 topics seen by our own students when they do the exam.
IELTS Writing Questions for Task 2
These IELTS writing questions are examples of essay questions given in the IELTS exam for Task 2. The IELTS essay topics have been divided into common IELTS writing topics and many have model answers. This way you can easily see and understand the kind of areas of knowledge you will need to know about in order to help you do well in the test.
[PDF] 50 Sample Answers for IELTS Writing [Academic]
The best way to approach IELTS writing is through common sense. You could broadly categorise any good approach to an IELTS essay like this: 1) Analyse the question. 2) Structure your answer. 3) Write your essay. 4) Check your writing. Obviously, the hardest part is #3 because there is so much to consider.
IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Answer Band 9
The IELTS writing task 2 sample answer below has examiner comments and is band score 9. The topic of social media is common and this IELTS essay question was reported in the IELTS test. Check the model essay and then read the comments. Target Band 7, 8 and 9 in IELTS Essays.
50 Recent IELTS Essay Questions
Hey! It is so important that when you sit down to practice IELTS writing, you only use questions that are "genuine". This means using either questions that come from the IELTS Cambridge 1 - 15 series or those that have been created by an exam writer like those in my 100 IELTS essay question blog post. However, many students like to practice recent IELTS essay questions i.e. topics that ...
IELTS Essay Topics with Model Answers
567109. IELTS Essay # 1110 - Governments should spend money on railways rather than roads. 558191. IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample 673 - Environmental problems are too big for individuals to solve. 514225. IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample 1 - People attend colleges or universities for many different reasons. 510564.
IELTS Writing Samples: 100 Practice Questions
IELTS Writing Samples: 100 Practice Questions. Below you'll find more than 100 IELTS Writing sample questions updated for 2019. Each of these essay questions has been taken from a real IELTS past paper and will give you an idea of what to expect on your exam day. These sample questions can be separated into five main Task 2 question types:
IELTS Academic Writing Task 1
Sample Essay 1 - Pie Charts. The pie charts show the ratio of goods shipped from Great Britain from 2010 to 2015. The products are measured by percentage. Overall, over the five-year period, the most exported goods were machinery and vehicles. These two types of goods were predominantly wanted out of all of the categories.
IELTS Writing practice with answers. Unique samples and explanations
Here you can find IELTS Writing Samples (both General and Academic) and answers to them. The materials are provided by experienced IELTS tutors or gathered from the best free IELTS preparation resources. All samples are constantly being renewed and correspond to the real exam sections. See also IELTS Writing exercises . Academic Task 1: Sample ...
IELTS Opinion Essay Sample Questions
Below are some IELTS opinion essay sample questions which can come in writing task 2. Another name for these essays is argumentative essays. Opinion Essays Tips. spend at least 5 minutes analysing the words and ideas in the statement. make sure your answer is a complete answer which addresses all parts of the task. give a clear opinion.
IELTS Writing Task 2: Band 9 Sample Essay
IELTS Band 9 sample essay. Band 9 Sample answers are useful as study guides for IELTS preparation for the IELTS Writing Task 2 essay - especially for a band 9 IELTS essay. Having access to previously completed work that you can have confidence in will show you what you are missing! Take a look at these sample task 2 essay questions to help ...
IELTS Sample Questions with Answers
IELTS Sample Questions. This section gives sample questions from original IELTS tests with model answers. As part of your IELTS preparation, you should practice the IELTS Sample Questions and then review your answers. The sample questions with model answers are intended to help you achieving a high band score in your IELTS exam.
IELTS Discussion Essay Sample Questions
Below is a list of IELTS discussion essay sample questions for IELTS writing task 2. These are also known as two sided essays. Discussion Essay Tips. identify both sides. find supporting points for both side. only give your opinion if the task asks for it. use discussion essay language. follow a safe discussion essay model.
Tips and Technique for IELTS Speaking Part 1
Answer the question. Give a direct answer to the question. This should be a single sentence at the most. Context. Provide 1 or 2 sentences providing context to your answer. For example, if they ask about your home this may include information about the area or how long you have lived there. Extra Information

IELTS Writing Topics September & October 2024

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IELTS Writing Practice Tests

Full list of IELTS Writing practice questions and sample answers

IELTS Writing Task 1: Line Graph

IELTS Writing Sample Questions: Task 2

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Questions #1: Two Sided Discussion

A Bad Situation (Academic)

Environmental Problems (Academic)

Sharing Information (Academic)

Boys’ And Girls’ Schools (General Training)

Watching Movies (General Training)

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Questions #2: Agree – Disagree

Living In A Foreign Country (Academic)

Teenagers’ Curfew in USA (General Training)

Tidiness (General Training)

Facts And Skills in Education (General Training)

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Questions #3: Advantages – Disadvantages

Self-employment (Academic)

Driverless Vehicles (General Training)

Tourists In Extreme Conditions (General Training)

Mobile Payments (General Training)

IELTS Writing Task 2 Sample Questions #4: Problems – Solutions

Hunger (Academic)

Health And Exercise (General Training)

Lack of Sleep (General Training)

Plastic and the Environment (General Training)

IELTS Writing Sample Task 2 Questions #5: Direct Questions

Traffic And Pollution Solutions (Academic)

Travel (General Training)

Owning a Home v Renting (Academic)

Living Close To Your Birthplace (General Training)

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Why is this essay a band 9?

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