Writing Task 2

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Ghana. In the recent decades wildlife populations and plant species have suffered a global decline. What are the reasons for this? What are some possible solutions? Sample Band 8 Essay Lately, wildlife populations and plant species have experienced a rapid and alarming global reduction in numbers. This has been caused by a multitude of factors and has led to an unprecedented loss of biodiversity. In my opinion, habitat destruction is one of the leading causes of wildlife population decline. Whenever an area is cleared by humans for development, whether for commercial or residential purposes, the wildlife and plants that used to live there are forced out and often cannot find other suitable habitats or sources of food to survive. Climate change also plays a major role in the plight… Read More »IELTS essay, topic: Recently wildlife populations and plant species have suffered a global decline (reasons and solutions)

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Oman, Iran and Sri Lanka Some people think that educational qualifications are important to success in life. Others believe that this is not the only way to become successful. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Sample Band 8 Essay Although excellent educational qualifications are considered crucial on the road to success by some people, others believe that it is not the only deciding factor. It seems to me that both points of view are valid and should be given equal weight when trying to achieve success in life. Those in favour of the opinion that a university education is essential to achieve success argue that having a good education will help an individual gain knowledge, develop skills and learn how to think critically, which can be used to… Read More »IELTS essay, topic: Educational qualifications are important to success in life (discuss + opinion)

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Canada It has been suggested that primary school children should be taught how to grow vegetables and keep animals. To what extent the advantages of this suggestion outweigh its disadvantages? Sample Band 8 Essay There have been many suggestions that life skills like learning how to cultivate vegetables and care for animals should be introduced as part of the primary schools’ curriculum. In my opinion, the benefits of implementing this idea far outweigh its negatives, since children will develop the ability to take care of themselves even under the worst of circumstances, if they are armed with these valuable skills. Those putting an emphasis on academic achievements could say that it would be too time-consuming to teach students about animals and plants, and they would be better off using… Read More »IELTS essay, topic: Primary school children should be taught how to grow vegetables and keep animals (advantages/disadvantages)

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in India These days people send text messages more frequently than they talk on the phone. Do the advantages of texting outweigh the disadvantages? Sample Band 8 Essay Despite the growing advances in telecommunication, more and more people resort to sending text messages instead of audio and video calls. While there are clearly some drawbacks to this, I, personally, believe that the benefits prevail. One of the most significant disadvantages of sending text messages is that it can often cause unnecessary misunderstandings, since it is difficult to convey one’s true emotions in a text conversation. This means that the feelings behind our statements are left open to interpretation, and things like sarcasm or sincerity can go unnoticed. Compared to this, a phone call makes it much easier for people to… Read More »IELTS essay, topic: People send text messages more frequently than they talk on the phone (advantages/disadvantages)

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Pakistan Today’s teenagers struggle with many social issues. Some people think that this is because their parents are spending more time at work than at home. Do you agree or disagree? Sample Band 8 Essay It is often argued that the youth of today face a greater number of social issues such as drug addiction, depression and bullying than ever before. Some people claim that this is because these days parents are more involved in work activities than their responsibilities at home, and I fully agree with their opinion. The primary role of a family is to be a secure emotional base where children feel loved and accepted. There is evidence that strong family bonds and rules protect children from risky behaviour. However, in the current tough financial climate,… Read More »IELTS essay, topic: Teenagers struggle with many social issues because their parents are not spending enough time at home (agree/disagree)

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Iran These days more and more people spend their free time doing dangerous activities. Why is this happening? Are there more positive or negative effects to this trend? Sample Band 8 Essay Recently, there has been an noticeable increase in interest in extreme sports like skydiving or base jumping. It seems that some of it is arising from personal reasons, and some is caused by the jump in popularity of these activities. Personally, I believe that this is a mostly negative development, since it puts people in unnecessarily dangerous situations. As more and more people rely on technology to carry out a large portion of routine daily tasks, their lifestyles have become more sedentary. One could also argue that our lives have become safer due to the technological advancements… Read More »IELTS essay, topic: More people spend their free time doing dangerous activities (reasons, pros & cons)

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Saudi Arabia Most companies use interviews as the only method to select a candidate for a job. Some people think that this is not the best way. Do you agree or disagree? Sample Band 8 Essay Historically, job interviews have been the prevalent method used in recruitment; nowadays, however, many people doubt its validity. It seems to me that one shouldn’t rely on an interview to determine the candidate’s capability to work, as their answers to interview questions are often made up, and a better way would be seeing someone in action before deciding on their suitability for a role. It is common knowledge that most people tend to heavily embellish their responses or just outright lie in a job interview. This nulls the interviewer’s efforts to gauge a… Read More »IELTS essay, topic: Job interviews may not be the best method to select candidates (agree/disagree)

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Nigeria Some people believe that parents should choose the degree or the major for their child to study at university. Others feel that children should be able to choose their own degree. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Sample Band 8 Essay These days there are many contrasting views regarding tertiary education. There are firm believers that students should be allowed to follow their passion, who are opposed by those of the view that having parents choose majors for their university students is the correct way forward. Personally, I side with the former view. While there are many reasons as to why university subjects should be chosen by parents instead of students, the most compelling one is that parents are more mature and have more experience with job… Read More »IELTS essay, topic: Who should choose the university degree, parents or children? (discuss)

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Taiwan Some people believe that the best way to solve environmental problems is to increase the price of fuel.Do you agree or disagree? Sample Band 8 Essay Raising the price of car fuel is believed by some people to be an excellent method to solve the growing number of environmental issues. However, I strongly disagree with this idea, as doing so would make life difficult for lower-income households. While making fuel more expensive wouldn’t change the habits of wealthy families, switching to fossil fuel alternatives could prove to be much more beneficial for the environment. The most compelling reason against raising the cost of fuel is that the upper classes of society will hardly be affected by rising fuel costs, as this only makes up a minor proportion of… Read More »IELTS essay, topic: The best way to solve environmental problems is to increase the price of fuel (agree/disagree)

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in Kenya Discipline is a growing problem in modern schools. Some people think that parents should discipline their own children, while others think it should be the responsibility of the government. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Sample Band 8 Essay While some people argue that parents should take sole responsibility for disciplining their children, others take the view that the government should be in charge of such matters. In my opinion, the young generation should be primarily guided by their parents where rules of behavior and moral principles are concerned. However, in some instances government intervention is necessary. On one side of the argument, there are people who hold the opinion that the responsibility of disciplining a child falls squarely on parents’ shoulders, since they are their first… Read More »IELTS essay, topic: Who should discipline the children, parents or the government? (discuss + opinion)