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IELTS Writing Samples

IELTS essay samples (writing task 2), report and letter samples (writing task 1) with Band Scores, marked by IELTS teachers, including comments and suggestions on how to increase your score

IELTS essay, topic: Everybody should pay a small amount from their income to help people in poverty (agree/disagree)

This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.

Set 4 General Training book, Practice Test 18

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Everybody today should pay a small amount from their income in order to help people who are homeless and / or suffering great poverty. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this?

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Band 9 Essay

Homelessness and poverty is a terrible but topical issue in both more economically advanced and less industrialised countries. To deal with this, many people feel that a small proportion of everyone’s income should be used to aid the homeless and poor. This could create more opportunities and change the lives of many disadvantaged people for the better.

Though there are certain facilities such as shelters and soup kitchens to aid the poor and homeless, it is clear that this is not enough. In the U.S. alone, a very developed country in itself, nearly two million people are homeless. These facilities can lend a helpful hand; however, they do not help eradicate the problem. Those people who are homeless or poor can have trouble finding jobs, or, if they are lucky to gain employment, the pay may not be enough to support them and their families.

If a small percentage of everyone’s income was used to help build more aid facilities and fund organisations to help the homeless and poor, the suffering of many people could be alleviated. However, this is not a perfect world, and taxes are high enough for many people. A similar argument could be that a portion of the taxes already paid to the government should then be set aside for this cause, but of course government funds are usually stretched to breaking point as it is, as governments have so many financial responsibilities already.

Though the fundamental idea that people should pay a small percentage of their income to help the homeless and poor is admirable, it is unlikely that enough people would agree to it. People need all the money they earn after taxes anyway and, although governments already have too many calls on their available funds, in my view they should prioritise support payments for the homeless.

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IELTS essay, topic: Some say that new homes should be constructed in existing cities while others argue that new towns should be built (advantages/disadvantages)

Many countries are experiencing population growth and need to build more homes. Some say that new homes should be constructed in existing cities while others argue that new towns should be built to accommodate the growing population. What are the advantages and disadvantages of these points of view?

Sample Band 8 Essay

In the past two decades, there has been an exponential increase in the migration of people to different cities and countries, indirectly resulting in a considerable infrastructure development. However, there has been a long-standing debate on whether to direct these infrastructure projects to current cities or establish new counties. Careful consideration of both alternatives reveals that each has its positives and negatives.

One of the major advantages of focusing on current cities for new construction is that it would benefit the residents of the cities in multiple ways. Tenants living in Vancouver would prefer to buy a newly constructed house in the city where they work rather than in a new town, to reduce their commute time. Moreover, the city has everything they desire such as efficient public transport, thriving job market and affordable healthcare. This would not be possible in new towns because of the time it takes to establish services and generate opportunities for people.

On the other hand, accommodating people in houses built in newly created towns would put them in a pollution-free and clean environment. This is because new towns may take at least 10 years of time to become an attractive spot for people and industries alike. As a result, their exposure to harmful emissions from industrial plants and transportation is reduced, shielding them from the risks of acquiring health complications. A recent report released by the word Health Organization (WHO) suggests that the number of people affected by airborne infections is 20% higher in cities compared to new towns that were formed just a couple of years ago.

In conclusion, while there are both positive and negative aspects to these views, the decision on where to build the new homes to accommodate increasing population will depend on many other factors as well. Therefore, a thorough assessment is required before starting an infrastructure project.

Teacher’s comment: The writer discussed both sides of the argument and presented relevant examples. This essay has good structure, main ideas are organized well and conveyed coherently. The writer has a good range of vocabulary and has demonstrated strong knowledge of grammar. Overall, this is a very good essay and seems worthy of Band 8

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