IELTS  7  Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 4 Task 2 Question

Test 4 Task 2 Model Essay by an Expert Two

The main function of a university, in my view, is to provide students with skills to help them to be productive citizens in the workplace. However, this does not mean that the content of a university course should be directed towards a certain career, since all university courses involve useful transferable skills.

In a knowledge-based economy where graduate jobs are in high demand, it is very important for universities to provide their students with the skills that they need to get a job, and then excel within their company. These skills might include communication skills, organisation, self-motivation, and the ability to prioritise one’s workload. I would argue, however, that every university course equips students with these skills, regardless of the content or subject of the degree. Working towards group projects develops communication skills, for example, and students need to learn to be self-motivated to succeed in their exams.

Indeed, knowledge intended to be relevant to a workplace isn’t necessarily a useful thing for universities to teach. It is difficult for universities to provide knowledge which will be relevant to all of their graduates’ potential workplaces, since different businesses and companies may work from different models. It makes more sense for graduates to learn relevant knowledge once they have a job in a particular company. What companies need from graduate employees are the skills and potential to learn at work, and to function as a successful employee.

It is impossible for a university course to be useless to an employer, since success at university means that the graduate has gained crucial skills. Providing knowledge is not the main function of a university; providing skills as students pursue knowledge should be its main priority.

(277 words)

IELTS  7  Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 4 Task 2 Question

Test 4 Task 2 Model Essay by an Expert One

As many countries try to increase the number of students that gain a university qualification, the experience of university is a more and more common part of the lives of recent generations. As the numbers of students grow, the role of the university in society becomes less clear. Is it just another qualification required to be competitive in the job market, or does the university remain a special place for those few who wish to contribute to the world of ideas? In this essay, I will argue that the university should not consider itself as a place where people gain skills needed for the workplace. Instead, the university should be protected as a place where the main focus is on knowledge for its own sake.

To argue that the university should not consider the needs of employers seems very strange to some. Many university themselves are changing to reflect the wishes of future employers. A number of universities in the UK have “careers services” to help students find the best possible employment opportunities. The University of Cambridge in England has recently set up a Business school, which many of its undergraduates have access to as a part of their degrees. This reflects a growing understanding of the University as a place that trains future employees. Those who support these changes believe that only in this way can the university play an important role in society. They believe that if the university does not make these changes, it would be a waste for governments to support these places of “useless” learning.

In opposition, I argue that the university should be proud of teaching things which employers consider “useless”. To educate people so that they can lead richer, fuller lives does not necessarily mean educating them to be skilled workers. Most people would consider their jobs highly important to them, but would also agree that when the work day ends there is still much more to life. The university can only appear “useless” if we consider one part of people’s lives the most important – their working day. Even employers know this, and many creative-sector companies like Google try to support their employees’ leisure activities, knowing that when people nurture other skills and interests they become happier and more dynamic in the workplace too.

If the university it so be proud of its “useless” knowledge, it does not mean fewer people should go. One of the benefits of a rich nation is its ability to support its citizens in reaching their full potential and leading happy lives. The argument that only those skills which help the economy are important does not take account of people’s entire lives. It is therefore important that we protect the university as a place where people can learn simply because they enjoy learning.

(465 words)

IELTS 7 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 3 Task 1 Question

The chart below shows information about changes in average house prices in five different cities between 1990 and 2002 compared with the average house prices in 1989.

Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Write at least 150 words.

Test 3 Task 1 Model Essay by an Expert 

The chart displays the increases and decreases in average house prices in five global cities. The average house price is shown for two periods – 1990-1995 and 1996-2002, compared to the average house price in 1989.

All cities but one, Frankfurt, experienced an increase in average house price across the time period shown on the chart. The two cities that experienced a dramatic increase in average house price are New York and London. Both cities went from being lower than the 1989 average price in 1990-1995, to above the 1989 average price in 1996-2002. London experienced a striking increase of around 18% between these two time periods, and New York an increase of 10%. The average price of a home in Madrid and Tokyo experienced more modest growth, both of around 3%. Tokyo was the only city whose house prices remained below the average house price in 1989.

The only city on the chart to experience a decrease in average house prices was Frankfurt. The average price of a house there decreased by about 1%. However, the prices remained above the 1989 average throughout the period displayed on the chart.

(189 words)

IELTS  7  Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 2 Task 2 Question

Test 2 Task 2 Model Essay by an Expert Two

Should the punishment fit the crime, or should the background and motivation of the perpetrator be taken into account? This is an age-old issue which has major implications for how the justice system should operate.

Many people hold the belief that there should be a particular punishment for each crime, regardless of the motivations behind an individual committing the crime. In many ways, this is logical. No matter what the motivations for a crime are, the effect on the victim is the same, so arguably, the intentions do not matter. Regardless of how or why a person has been killed, for example, they are still dead, due to the actions of another person. According to this logic, the justice system should not take the criminal’s circumstances into consideration.

A more compassionate approach, however, would suggest that there is more need for human understanding in the punishments of crimes. Clearly, there should be different levels of blame for somebody who steals something in order to feed their struggling family, and somebody who steals something purely out of spite or greed. People who commit serious crimes such as murder may have been forced to do so by gang membership, for example, and many unfortunate people are led into crime by desperate circumstances.

My personal opinion lies somewhere between these two. A crucial question at the heart of this issue is what the purpose of punishment should be. In my view, the most important purpose is to discourage people from immoral behaviour. For this reason, it is important that the punishment fits the crime to an extent. However, there should also be room in the justice system to consider the situations of criminals, since compassion should also be at the heart of a country’s governance.

(292 words)