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Simone Braverman

Simone Braverman is the founder of IELTS-Blog.com and the author of several renowned IELTS preparation books, including Ace the IELTS, Target Band 7, the High Scorer's Choice practice test series, and IELTS Success Formula. Since 2005, Simone has been committed to making IELTS preparation accessible and effective through her books and online resources. Her work has helped 100,000's of students worldwide achieve their target scores and live their dream lives. When Simone isn't working on her next IELTS book, video lesson, or coaching, she enjoys playing the guitar or rollerblading.

IELTS essay, topic: In many workplaces online communication has overtaken face to face meetings (advantages/disadvantages)

This essay topic was seen in a recent IELTS test in India.

In many workplaces online communication has overtaken face to face meetings. Do the advantages of this development outweigh the disadvantages?

Sample Band 8 Essay

In today’s ever-increasingly digital world, online communication has become the norm for many workplaces. While this development offers numerous advantages for companies such as greater flexibility and efficiency, it also brings with it certain disadvantages like miscommunication, which must be weighed against its benefits.

One of the primary advantages of online communication is that it makes it easier for teams to stay in touch without having to physically convene. This is especially beneficial when individuals or groups are dispersed across vast distances. Reduced travel costs, as well as time saved from not having to travel to and from meetings, also represent meaningful savings for businesses. Additionally, online communication platforms often have a range of features designed to make collaboration more efficient, such as providing an easy way to share documents and other materials with remote team members. To illustrate, digital resources can be sent quickly and securely via email or other software services like Dropbox or Google Drive.

There is a potential drawback associated with relying too heavily on online communication at work, as the lack of physical proximity between members of a team can often lead to misunderstandings due to a loss of context or nonverbal cues that would otherwise be present during face-to-face meetings. However, in my opinion, issues of this nature can be solved by using written language more carefully to avoid any confusion or miscommunication among colleagues.

In conclusion, when online communication tools are used properly, they undoubtedly provide companies with greater flexibility in how their teams collaborate without sacrificing clarity of communication, quality or efficiency.

Click here to see more IELTS essays of Band 8

IELTS test in Italy – November 2022 (Academic Module)

The questions below were shared by our caring friend who recently took IELTS in Italy:

Writing test

Writing task 1 (a report)

The charts below provide information on energy consumption of the UK in 2010 and 2020.

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

IELTS Writing Task 1 pie charts of energy consumption of the UK

* Note: these aren’t the actual charts given in the test, they were recreated for the purpose of demonstration.

Writing task 2 (an essay)

Nowadays many teenagers have a celebrity who they follow as a role model. Some people think this is not a good idea, because celebrities often set a bad example. Do you agree or disagree?

Speaking test

Part 1 (Interview)

– What is your full name?
– Can I see your ID?
– Where are you from?
– What is the weather like in your hometown?
– Do you have a favourite season?
– Why is this season your favourite?
– How often do you check the weather? Why?
– Have your plans ever been affected by the weather?

Part 2 (Cue Card)

Talk about an English lesson you enjoyed. You should say

– when you took the lesson
– where you took the lesson
– what you learned in the lesson
– and explain what the teacher did to make this lesson enjoyable.

Part 3 (Discussion)

– Which language in your opinion is the most important in the world nowadays, and why?
– Why is it so important to know another language?
– Is travel the only reason why learning another language is beneficial?
– What is the hardest part of learning a new language?
– Do you think learning another language is more important for young people or old people?
– Who finds learning a new language easier, children or adults?