Essays

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Global Warming EssayThis model answer is for an IELTS global warming essay.

You are asked in the question to discuss the causes of global warming and possible solutions for individuals and the government.

So you must answer these three things in order to fully answer the question:

1. What are the causes of global warming?2. What can governments do about it?3. What can individuals do about it?

 

This essay has been divided into two paragraphs.

However, you could write a separate paragraph about each of the above points if you wanted.

Take a look at the model answer and examine how it has been organized.

Global Warming Essay - Model Answer

Probably the most worrying threat to our planet at the present time is global warming. This essay will examine the reasons why global warming is occurring and discuss some possible solutions.

The predominant factors resulting in the warming of the earth are the emissions of CO2 and deforestation. CO2, which damages the ozone layer, comes from several sources, but the most problematic are those coming from the burning of fossil fuels from power plants.   This releases thousands of tones of CO2 into the atmosphere every year. Another cause of these emissions is the burning of gasoline for transportation, which continues to increase because of our demand for cars and also our increasing worldwide consumption, resulting in an increasing need to transport goods. Also, forests store large amounts of carbon, so deforestation is causing larger amounts of CO2 to remain in the atmosphere.

Nevertheless, there are potential ways to solve these problems, or at least reduce the effects. Firstly, governments need to reduce our dependence on fossil fuels and promote alternatives. Plant-derived plastics, biodiesel, wind power and solar power are all things that are a step in the right direction, but governments need to enforce the limits on CO2 emissions for the polluting industries in their countries for these to be effective. Also, individuals can play a part by making lifestyle changes. People should try to buy cars with the best fuel economy, and only use their car when really necessary. They can also switch to energy companies that use renewable energy rather than fossil fuels. Finally, small things like buying energy

efficient light bulbs, turning off electricity in the house, and planting trees in the garden can help.

To conclude, although global warming is a serious issue, there are steps that governments and individuals can take to reduce its effects. If we are to save our planet, it is important that this is treated as a priority for all concerned.

(320 Words)

Airline Tax Sample EssayThe following essay is on the topic of airline tax.

You are asked to decide if you agree or disagree with taxing airlines in order to reduce the problems that the increasing amount of air traffic can cause.

It is always a good idea to look at both sides of the issue, and this essay does this.

So you need to brainstorm:

1. the reasons why this would be a good solution2. the reasons why it would not 3. and of course decide which side of the argument you agree with.

 

Model Essay 19

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Air traffic is increasingly leading to more noise, pollution, and airport constuction. One reason for this is the growth in low-cost passenger flights, often to holiday destinations.

Some people say that government should try to reduce air traffic by taxing it more heavily.

Do you agree or disagree?

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Low-cost Airline Tax - Model Answer

Over recent years there has been an enormous increase in the amount of air traffic around the world resulting in various problems, and a major cause of this has been the growth of low-cost airlines.  Although some people believe that taxes should be increased for air travel, I disagree.

Those that support taxing airlines believe that this will result in a reduction in this type of travel and thus solve the problems of pollution, noise and construction. This is because a tax would make the cost of travelling more expensive, which will, they claim, lead to a decrease

in demand.  Proponents of this solution believe that taxes are fair because everyone has to pay them and it is a workable solution that will have the additional bonus of providing an income for the government.

However, there are a number of reasons why this is not the right course of action.  Firstly, a tax is not fair because it will adversely affect people on lower incomes.  Such a tax would have to be a fixed amount paid equally whether you are rich or poor, which means that those on lower incomes would find it more difficult to travel, but it would likely have little effect on the lives of those with a higher income.  In addition, such a tax would not work.   For example, we have seen taxes increase in most countries on cars, but this has had little affect, with car use continuing to grow. 

To sum up, it is evident that introducing heavy taxes on air travel is not fair or workable.  If we continue to explore alternatives, we can continue to enjoy the benefits that air travel offers.

(280 Words)

Writing Task 2Lesson 2: Identify the TaskOnce you have identified the topic for your essay, you need to identify the task.

The ‘task’ is the part of the question that tells you what you have to do to answer it.

This is one of the most important things you will have to do when you analyze the essay question because 25% of your grade for the essay is based on ‘Task Response’ - how you have responded to the task.

How do I identify the task?

In order to grade your task response, the examiner will be looking to see if you have answered the question.

If you have only partially answered the question, this will decrease your grade for this criteria.

Let’s look at the same essay question we looked at in lesson 1 when you identified the topic:

 

The crime rate among teenagers has increased dramatically in many countries.

Discuss some possible reasons for this increase and suggest solutions.

 

In the previous lesson, we identified the topic for this question as ‘teenage crime’.

The task - or ‘what you have to do’ - is usually at the end of the prompt. As you can see, you are being told to ‘Discuss some possible reasons for this increase and suggest solutions’.

It’s very common in task 2 IELTS essay questions to get asked to do two things, and this question is a good example of this:

1. Why teenage crime has increased2. Ways to solve this problem

You MUST discuss both those things to ensure you have fully answered the question and you must write roughly equal amounts about each part.

Doing any of the following things will reduce your score for task response, and hence may reduce your overall score:

1. Only writing about reasons or only solutions2. Writing most of your essay about reasons and only a small part on solutions (or visa versa)3. Writing about the reasons and solutions for crime in general, and not referring to teenage

crime (the topic)4. Writing about neither reasons nor solutions

This is why it is so important to spend some time at the beginning making sure you identify the task so that you know what you have to write about.

A Common Mistake

It is a common mistake for students to rush at the beginning to start writing as they are worried about not finishing, and then write about the wrong thing.

For example, when you have finished identifying the task, you will brainstorm your ideas. You may come up with reasons for an increase in crime such as ‘lack of parental supervision’ and ‘boredom’.

However, I have seen students come up with problems of teenage crime, such as ‘more young people being put in prison' and ‘stress for their parents'.

This particular task asks you to write about ‘reasons’, not ‘problems’ (though being asked to write about 'problems and solutions' is common).

So if you do this you will not be answering the question. This comes from rushing and not taking enough time to identify the task properly.

Other Question Types

The previous question was fairly easy, so to identify the task was hopefully not too difficult.

Some questions, though, will take more thought in order to identify what you need to write about.

Here is another example:

Advances in technology and automation have reduced the need for manual labour. Therefore, working hours should be reduced.

To what extent do you agree?

Again, look to the end of the prompt to identify the task.

You have to say if you agree or disagree with working hours being reduced, or, in other words, automation (machines) taking over from some human’s duties.

You must also say how much you agree or disagree ("to what extent").

Let’s assume you want to look at both sides of the issue. You therefore need to discuss the reasons why you agree, and the reasons why you disagree. Or put another way:

1. The advantages of reducing working hours2. The disadvantages of reducing working hours

And of course in the introduction or conclusion you need to make it clear what your opinion is.

If you do all of these things then you will have answered all parts of the prompt. If you find more reasons to agree than disagree, then you can write more about this side of the argument, or visa versa.

Identify the Task - Practice

Now you can have a practice identifying the task for some IELTS essay questions.

Pick the one that you think best describes what you would write about in order to fully answer all parts of the question.

 

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

Why people have been using cars more and public transport less

How to get people to use public transport more

The causes of increasing congestion and air pollution.

2. Do the benefits of study abroad justify the difficulties? What advice would you offer to a prospective student?

(a) A discussion of the benefits versus the challenges of studying abroad (b) Strategies to cope with studying abroad

(a) The benefits of study abroad

(a) The benefits of study abroad (b) the difficulties of studying abroad

3. Fresh water has always been a limited resource in some parts of the world. Today, however, growing worldwide demand has made this a global problem. What are the causes of the increased demand and what measure could governments and individuals take to respond to this problem?

(a) The problems with using too much water (b) Government solutions (c) Individual solutions

How (a) Governments and (b) Individuals can solve water shortage problems.

(a) Reasons for increased demand for water (b) Government solutions (c) Individual solutions

4. As global trade increases, many goods including those we use on a daily basis are produced in other countries and transported long distances. Do the benefits of the trend outweigh the drawback?

(a) The benefits of this (b) The disadvantages of this (c) Your opinion on whether it is more beneficial or not

(a) The benefits of this (b) Your opinion on whether is is more beneficial or not

(a) The disadvantages of this (b) Your opinion on whether it is more beneficial or not

5. Some people feel that animals should have the same rights as humans, but others think they are not as equal or intelligent as us so should not have the same rights. Discuss both opinions and give your opinion.

(a) The arguments for giving animals rights (b) The arguments against this

(a) Arguments for having animal rights (b) The arguments against this (c) Your opinion

(a) The reasons why animals are not as equal or intelligent as humans

6. Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine. However, at best these methods are ineffective, and at worst they may be dangerous. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

(a) How alternative medicine differs from Conventional medicine

(a) The dangers of alternative medicine

(a) The benefits of alternative medicine (b) The drawbacks of alternative medicine (c) Your opinion

7. Overpopulation of urban areas has led to numerous problems. Identify one or two serious ones and suggest ways that governments and individuals can tackle these problems.

(a) Problems of overpopulation in urban areas (b) Government solutions (c) Individual solutions

(a) The problems of overpopulation (b) The solutions

(a) How governments can tackle urban overpopulation (b) How individuals can tackle urban overpopulation.

8. Computers should never have been invented. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

(a) The reasons why computers were invented (b) The benefits of computers (c) Your opinion.

(a) The problems with computers (b) Solutions to these problems.

(a) The benefits of computers (b) The drawbacks of computers (c) Your opinion

9. Unemployment has become an increasing problem in the recent past. What factors contribute to an increase in unemployment and what steps can be taken to solve the problem?

(a) The causes of increasing unemployment (b) How to solve this problem

(a) The problems with increasing unemployment (b) How to solve this problem.

(a) The reasons why unemployment is increasing.

10. Some people think that young children should be allowed to do paid work, while others think that this should be illegal. Discuss both opinions and give your opinion.

(a) The advantages of allowing children to do paid work (b) Your opinion.

(a) The advantages of allowing children to do paid work (b) The disadvantages this (c) Your opinion.

(a) The problems of allowing children to do paid work (b) The benefits of allowing them to do paid work.

Writing Task 2 - Lesson 1: Identify the TopicIn the writing for task 2, one of the first things you need to do is identify the topic of the essay.

If you write about the wrong topic or go off topic when you write your answer, this is likely to substantially reduce your band score.

How do I identify the topic?

Remember, in IELTS writing, you are usually presented with some issue or problem that is currently affecting society and you need to discuss it.

So you need to read the question carefully and identify what the issue is. You will normally only be looking for one or two key words.

Have a look at the following question. What is the issue?

 

The crime rate among teenagers has increased dramatically in many countries.

Discuss some possible reasons for this increase and suggest solutions.

 

You should have identified teenage crime as the topic.

The crime rate among teenagers has increased dramatically in many countries.

What if I identified ‘crime’ as the topic?

Your essay would be wrong if you wrote about crime generally. When you have a topic, it may require you to talk about a particular area, group of people or place.

In this case, the question specifically wants you to address the issue of TEENAGE crime.

When you identify the topic, always look carefully to see if it is being narrowed down to a particular area that you need to focus on.

Identify the Topic - Practice

Have a look at the following essay questions and choose the best answer to identify the topic. Remember, this is not a full analysis of the question - you are just looking for the broad topic area.

Sometimes more than one answer may be possible. In this case, when you identify the topic, choose the most precise.

 

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

Working from home

Telecommuting

Computer technology

2. To what extent is the use of animals in scientific research acceptable?

Animal research

Animals

Scientific research

3. We are becoming increasingly dependent on computers. They are used in businesses, hospitals, crime detection and even to fly planes. What things will they be used for in the future? Is this dependence on computers a good thing or should we be more suspicious of their benefits?

The benefits of computers

Computers in businesses, hospitals, crime detection, and flying.

Computer dependency

4. In what ways has information technology changed work and working practices in the past 10 years?

Information technology and work

Information technology

Working practices

5. Blood sports have become a hot topic for debate in recent years. As society develops it is increasingly seen as an uncivilized activity and cruel to the helpless animals that are killed. All blood sports should be banned. Discuss the main arguments for this statement and give your own opinion.

Animal cruelty

Blood sports

Blood sports and uncivilized activity

6. A growing number of people feel that animals should not be exploited by people and that they should have the same rights as humans, while others argue that humans must employ animals to satisfy their various needs, including uses for food and research. Discuss the arguments in favour of both these positions and state your own position on the issue.

Satisfying human needs

Animals and humans

Animal rights

7. Forests are the lungs of the earth. Destruction of the world's forests amounts to death of the world we currently know. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The Earth

Deforestation

Death of the world

8. The idea of going overseas for university study is an exciting prospect for many people. But while it may offer some advantages, it is probably better to stay home because of the difficulties a student inevitably encounters living and studying in a different culture. To what extent do you agree or disagree this statement?

Studying abroad

Studying

Living in a different culture

9. Zoos are sometimes seen as necessary but not poor alternatives to a natural environment. Discuss some of the arguments for and/or against keeping animals in zoos.

Natural environments

Alternatives to zoos

Keeping animals in zoos

10. Many countries are currently witnessing an increase in criminal activity among young people. Discuss reasons for this phenomenon and suggest ways to deal with the problem.

Youth crime

Criminal activity

Increases in crime