IELTS  9  Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 4 Task 2 Question

Test 4 Task 2 Model Essay by an Expert 

To an extent, we have to accept that over time, the face of the world shifts and changes, and language is an inevitable casualty in the constantly shifting landscape of the world’s cultures. However, I think that when there are enough people to maintain a language’s existence, efforts should be made to prevent the language dying out altogether.

Linguists and psychologists have long acknowledged that language is central to culture and identity. To many people, their language represents their home, their family and their cultural identity. This is particularly important for communities which feel that their cultural identity might be under threat from the homogenising force of globalisation. For example, many Maoris in New Zealand feel that it is vital for them to maintain their indigenous language, in order that their culture is not lost in the predominantly white European population in New Zealand today. As a result, national efforts are made in order to assuage the potentially devastating effects of colonialism on this central part of Maori identity. Whilst having fewer languages would certainly be convenient in some respects, it could have a detrimental impact on individuals belonging to oppressed cultures.

If we refuse to protect languages which are dying out, we have to accept that one day, humans could speak just a handful of languages, or even just one. It’s difficult to imagine a world in which humans cannot enjoy the rich variety of tongues Earth has to offer. Not only is learning a language an enthralling pastime, but it is also beneficial for the brain. Neurological studies have shown that learning a second language, particularly from an early age, has myriad benefits for a child’s mental development. Dramatically reducing the number of languages available to learn would therefore deprive young people of the valuable opportunity to learn and practise another language.

Of course it would be more convenient from a business perspective for there to be fewer languages. However, convenience isn’t the only thing to consider. For me, a sense of cultural identity and the thrill of learning a language are too high a price to pay.

(350 words)

IELTS 9 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 4 Task 1 Question

The graph below shows the quantities of goods transported in the UK between 1974 and 2002 by four different modes of transport.

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

Write at least 150 words.

Test 4 Task 1 Model Essay by an Expert 

The graph shows how much fuel was consumed in various forms from 1980, giving projections of continued usage up to 2030. As a general overview, we can see that consumption on the whole has risen, with petrol and oil consistently maintaining the lion’s share of the market. 

The use of petrol and oil stood at 35 quadrillion units in 1980 and fluctuated slightly until 1995, from which time its use has been rising, sharply at first, and then more gradually.  The use of these fossil fuels is expected to hit just over 45 quadrillion units in 2030. At the start of the eighties another fossil fuel – coal – was about half as popular as petrol and oil, and as time has progressed it has become more popular still, despite a leveling-off period of about a decade between 1995 and 2005, when coal consumption stabilized at just over 20 quadrillion units. Natural gas use fluctuated more wildly at the end of the twentieth century, although it seems to have peaked in 2000, where (at 23 quadrillion units) it briefly overtook coal as the second most popular energy resource. From 2015 onwards, the use of natural gas is expected to stay constant at just shy of 25 quadrillion units. 

Renewable energy resources have been consistently less popular. In 1980, nuclear, solar/wind and hydro power each accounted for only 3 quadrillion units of energy consumed. Nuclear power became more popular in the nineties, however, and in the coming years it is likely to account for around 7 quadrillion units of energy consumption; in other words, it will provide about a third as much energy as natural gas. The use of solar and hydro power fluctuated until 2005, but now they are responsible for about 5 and 3 quadrillion units of energy consumption respectively.

(299 words)

IELTS 9 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 2 Task 1 Question

The chart below shows the total number of minutes (in billions) of telephone calls in the UK, divided into three categories, from 1995-2002.

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

Write at least 150 words.

Test 2 Task 1 Model Essay by an Expert 

The graph shows the number of telephone calls made using different devices over an eight-year period. As a general overview, we can see that whilst local fixed line calls maintain their position as the most popular way to make contact, mobiles and national/international calls have been increasing in popularity.

From 1995 to 1998, all call types increased in concert with each other. Local calls went up from 70 to 90 billion in this period, whilst national and international calls rose from 40 to 50 billion; in other words, national calls were about half as popular as local calls in the mid-nineties. Although enjoying a much smaller share of the market, the figures for mobiles increased more dramatically proportionately, experiencing a fourfold increase from about 2 billion calls in 1995 to about 8 billion in 1998.   

However, the increase in local calls stopped in 1998, and in the new millennium these calls became less and less popular. By the end of the period, the same number of calls were being made on local fixed lines as there were at the start of the period (70 billion). By contrast, the steady increase of national and international calls continued without interruption, and by 2002 there were only 10 billion fewer calls on a national level than on a local level (the difference was about 30 billion in 1995).

The most rapid rise in call types can be seen on the mobile networks. The use of mobiles increases by about 50% each year in 1999, 2000 and 2001. In 2002, although mobiles are still the least popular method of phone communication, they nevertheless are more than half as popular as local phone calls, with around 40 billion calls being made in this year.

 (289 words)

IELTS 9 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 3 Task 1 Question

The charts below give information on the ages of the populations of Yemen and Italy in 2000 and projections for 2050.

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 graphs show the populations of Yemen and Italy according to age group in 2000, and a prediction for the ages of each population for 2050.

In both 2000 and the projection for 2050, Yemen has a much higher proportion of children under 15 than Italy. In 2000, half the population in Yemen were under 15 years old. This is over three times the proportion of children in Italy in 2000. Both countries predict an ageing population in the run-up to 2050, but Yemen predicts a more pronounced fall in the number of people aged 14 and under: a fall of 13% compared to just 3% in Italy.

In both countries, the proportion of people aged 60 and over is expected to roughly double in the half century following the year 2000. In Italy, however, the proportion of this age group is much higher, in both 2000 and in the projection for 2050. In 2000, the proportion of this age group was eight times higher in Italy than Yemen; the prediction for 2050 is that this age group will make up around seven times more of the population in Italy than in Yemen.

The proportion of people aged15-59 years is expected to fall in Italy and grow in Yemen. In 2000, this was the significantly largest age group in Italy, at 61.6%, whilst in Yemen it was only the second largest group at 46.3%. In Yemen, this is expected to grow by 11% by 2050, but in Italy, it is expected to fall by 15%.

To summarise, in both Yemen and Italy it is predicted that the age group 60+ will rise between 2000 and 2050, but this is the only similarity in predictions for population age changes in this period.

(291 words)

IELTS 9 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 1 Task 1 Question

The two maps below show an island, before and after the construction of some tourist facilities.

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

Write at least 150 words.

Test 1 Task 1 Model Essay by an Expert 

The maps show the transformation of an island from its natural state to a tourist resort. As a general overview, we can see that the developers left the natural features intact, whilst they added a complex infrastructure of housing and leisure facilities.  

 Although the developers did not change much at the extreme east and west of the island, the centre of the island saw dramatic changes. A reception forms the central hub of the island and it is flanked to the north and south by a restaurant and pier. These facilities form the central north-south axis of the island. To the east and west of this axis, houses have been constructed. These are in a circular formation and they are each connected to a central footpath, which in turn connects the houses together in a circle. The cluster of houses to the west is linked to the beach by a footpath.

(151 words)