IELTS  6 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 1 Task 2 Question

Test 1 Task 2 Model Essay by an Expert One

Everyone complains about the amount of advertising around. You cannot go far without seeing some form of advertising, and studies suggest that the average person sees hundreds of advertising messages each day. With all these images and messages, is it any surprise that society buys things it does not need? In this essay I will argue that it is because of advertising that we consume too much, and that the power the advertisers have is used irresponsibly.

The sale of cigarettes is a case in point. With clever branding strategies and desirable, attractive images, advertisers for decades have succeeded in creating a need that did not exist beforehand. It is very clear that consuming tobacco is not a need. The power of advertising, however, is such that it is able to make a dangerous, unhealthy product into a necessity for many people.

Many will say in opposition that though advertising promotes competition between companies it does not create needs in consumers. In this light, advertising appears to be a positive force in society because it allows consumers to be informed about their choices and for companies to compete to provide the best quality goods and services. But this simply does not reflect the facts. The most heavily advertised products on children’s television, for instance, are for snacks. It is virtually impossible to turn on a television set and not see advertising for unhealthy food products. The amount of time these advertisements take up is not simply to promote competition or inform consumers. It is clear that advertising is really required when goods are not necessary, in order to create demand for them.

The way that advertisers achieve high sales is often by convincing people of a need, and then selling products to correspond. For instance, products for tooth whitening have only been around for a couple of decades. Of course, it is not that everyone in the past had terrible teeth. Rather, the need for tooth-whitening products was invented by advertising that told people to be ashamed of the way they looked. People became convinced of a new need. Today many cosmetic products, especially for women, are sold because advertisers create a demand for them through shame. In this way, advertising alters the true needs of society.

In conclusion, advertising often works to sell goods that are evidently not necessary. Moreover, advertising tries to alter the needs of a society. It is able to create needs where they did not exist before, often using people’s sense of shame to sell new products. So much of what we consume we do not need, but advertising even makes it difficult to know what is a need and what is not.

(448 words)

IELTS 5 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 4 Task 1 Question

Write about the following topic:

Creative artists should always be given the freedom to express their own ideas (in words, pictures, music or film) in whichever way they wish. There should be no government restrictions on what they do.

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

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

Write at least 250 words.

Test 4 Task 1 Model Essay by an Expert One

Censorship of artists is a very controversial topic these days. While many agree that art is better without the rules and interferences of the government, many also feel that certain types of artistic expression can damage society and have a negative impact on its youngest members. In this essay I will argue that though we cannot say a government should never impose restrictions, these restrictions should only limit artist’s freedom in extreme cases.

Take for instance the case of the celebrated Chinese artist Ai Weiwei. Ai Weiwei was arrested in 2011 for criticizing the government, and promoting protests in Chinese cities. Many artists felt that Ai Weiwei’s arrest was a problem to do with human rights, and an international campaign was created to demand Weiwei’s release from prison. Weiwei should not have been put in prison simply for being critical of the government, or encouraging others to be critical. One cannot say that criticizing the government has a negative impact on a society. Often a government needs to hear what the public thinks of its policies, and creative artists have an important role to play in that regard.

The question remains: when can we say that a government is allowed to create restrictions? Writing or images that encourage hatred between individuals present us with a different picture. Regardless of our belief in the freedom of expression, governments are correct to get involved where people are made victims. In other cases, works of art can set negative models of behavior which can lead to violence. Many believe that these cases are very clear. But even this is very difficult. The famous Irish novel Ulysses was banned in the United States when it was published at the beginning of the twentieth century, because it was considered to unsuitable. It is now considered to be a classic work of literature. This shows that public opinions change and that even works considered inappropriate may have a great deal of artistic value. Even in cases where we feel certain that a work of art is bad for society, not everyone will agree.

Though I have presented cases where government restriction is wrong and even presents human rights issues, we must also not forget that sometimes the government is right to get involved. Deciding each case is an extremely difficult task, and more often than not the answer is to let artists express themselves freely. In some extreme cases however, governments must risk the consequences of allowing censorship in order to prevent negative social influences, like the promotion of hatred and violence.

(426 words)

IELTS 5 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 4 Task 1 Question

Write about the following topic:

Creative artists should always be given the freedom to express their own ideas (in words, pictures, music or film) in whichever way they wish. There should be no government restrictions on what they do.

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

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

Write at least 250 words.

Test 4 Task 1 Model Essay by an Expert Two

Freedom of expression is a crucially important human right. For this reason, I fundamentally agree that artists should be able to express their ideas however they want. However, I also acknowledge that the expression of certain notions should be banned, even in art.

On the whole, I have a fairly liberal view towards freedom of creative expression. I find the notion of governmental control of thoughts and ideas uncomfortably Orwellian; that is, it is characteristic of a totalitarian state, which attempts to control its citizens absolutely. In places such as North Korea, where freedom of individual expression is severely limited, it is illegal to express any opinion which criticises the regime or leadership of the country. Artistic expression that touches on any politics other than adulation of the political leader is strictly forbidden. This is evidence of a regime in which the citizens’ human right to freedom of thought and expression is restricted, to devastating effect.

On the other hand, there are also ideas which I believe should not be expressed through the medium of art. Art can be extremely influential, even encouraging people to act in certain ways. So if, for example, a film or picture incites hatred or violence, there should be governmental restrictions on this type of ‘art’. In other words, artists have some responsibility for how their work is received and how their work might affect others. If their so-called artwork encourages people to commit serious crimes and harm others, it should be banned.

Artists should certainly have the right to express their views and ideas through their work, even if their ideas are abhorrent to me personally. This is to protect society’s right to freedom of expression. However, if the work explicitly incites criminal activity and violence, the government should be able to restrict such art.

(301 words)

IELTS 5 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 4 Task 1 Question

The table below give information about the underground railway systems in six cities.

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 Three

The table displays the opening dates, the length and the number of passengers per year for a number of underground railways. The oldest and longest railway system is in London; it is the oldest by almost 40 years, and at 394km, it is almost double the length of the second-longest system, which is in Paris. The youngest underground railway was opened in 2001 in Los Angeles. This system does not, however, have the shortest route or the fewest customers; Kyoto has an underground railway system of just 11km, with a relatively low 45 million passengers each year

The most popular railway system, by over 700 million passengers, is Tokyo, which carries a staggering 1,927 million people each year. Tokyo’s underground system is also under the most pressure, with a yearly rate of 12.4 million passengers per kilometre of route. The system under the least pressure is in Washington DC, where 144 million passengers travel on 126km of railway each year. That’s only 1.14 million passengers per kilometre.

(167 words)

IELTS 5 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 3 Task 2 Question

Test 3 Task 2 Model Essay by an Expert 2

Should children be encouraged to be competitive or co-operative? There is a place for both traits in the adult world. Having a competitive nature often helps children to get ahead in life, whereas valuing co-operation allows them to develop productive relationships.

Some parents and teachers hold the view that a sense of competition should be fostered in children. Certainly, being competitive gives children hunger and drive to succeed, which is necessary in certain careers. To be a lawyer or businessperson, for example, people have to be ambitious and confident in their own abilities. In this case, being encouraged to be competitive as a child is useful preparation for adult life. However, there are serious downsides to being over-competitive, such as having a poor reaction to failure, and prioritising personal gain over the collective good.

In this sense, co-operation is a more positive trait, as it teaches children how to work productively and effectively with others. Almost every element of adult life involves relationships with others, in both personal and professional spheres. Adults must work together for the good of their family, for example, and most jobs involve some kind of teamwork. To become a well-rounded and ‘useful’ adult, children must learn the importance of working with others towards a collective goal. On the other hand, children who are taught only to co-operate may lack confidence in their own individual abilities, which might hold them back later in life.

Essentially, children need to be taught a healthy balance of both competitiveness and co-operation, since both skills are necessary for success later in life. Children not only need to develop both traits, but they also need to recognise when they should prioritise their own needs and when they should act co-operatively with others.

(291 words)

IELTS 5 Writing Model Essay (Free sample)

Test 3 Task 2 Question

Test 3 Task 2 Model Essay by an Expert 1

Everyone remembers that butterflies-in-the-stomach feeling they had when they took part in their first competition, whether it was in sport, in music, or in school. For many, the feeling does not go away even when they become adults. Some believe that because competition is a necessary part of life, children should be encouraged to take part in competitive activities early on. The present essay will consider this perspective, but at the same time will aim to demonstrate that children should be taught about the value of co-operation – a principle which creates happier, more productive, and more able adults.

There are more types of competition for children now than ever before. The spelling test used to be just a classroom exercise – now, in the United States, there is a celebrated National Spelling Bee for which the first prize is $30 000! The organizers of this and other competitions stress the competition’s part in encouraging excellence. While this cannot be denied, it is only part of the picture. When every activity a child might do is judged in competition, a child’s sense of self-worth is decided by his or her ranking. Though excellence is important, it is clear that self-esteem is more important. Moreover, a competitive situation discourages students who do not achieve top results from developing their abilities. The value of competition can replace the value of doing something for its own sake. To teach children self-worth and a love of learning, some other principle is required.

More and more, teachers and coaches of children stress the value of co-operation and teamwork. Co-operation in the classroom or on the team teaches skills that simply cannot be learned in competition. In such settings, children learn how to communicate with one another effectively, and bring their skills together to accomplish a task. Instead of focusing on competitive activities, organizations for youth and children like the Scouts or Brownies ask for personal development and allow children to learn from one another in pursing that goal. This co-operation does not simply create stronger friendships, it teaches skills that future adults will need to know in the work environment.

In examining these values side-by-side, competition appears both unhealthy and unproductive. In valuing co-operation, we do not simply look after children’s emotional needs better, we also teach skills of self-development and communication that are necessary in adult life.

(391 words)