IELTS Writing Task 2 Essays

200+ Sample Answers

DR VISHAL GOYAL

Ex Lecturer in English

M.Phil., Ph.D. (English), BCCIT, London (UK)

VISHAL ENGLISH, IELTS & PTE INSTITUTE, YAMUNANAGAR

What are your opinions on this?

81. School children are becoming far too dependent on computers. This is having an alarming effect on reading and writing skills. Teachers need to avoid using computers in the classroom at all costs and go back to teaching basic study skills.

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

82. It is becoming increasingly popular to have a year off between finishing school and going to university.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

83. The birth rate in most developed countries is predicted to begin to fall over the next 50 years. By 2030 it is estimated that over one third of the population in most developed countries will be aged 65 and over.

What effects will these predictions have on developed countries if they prove true? What can be done now to deal with this situation?

84. Some people believe that technology has made man more sociable while others believe it has made us less sociable.

Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

75. Motorways help people travel quickly and cover long distances but they also cause problems.

What are the problems of motorways and what solutions are there?

Sample Answer 1

Band 8.5

Motorways serve as crucial arteries of transportation, enabling swift travel across extensive distances. However, they are not devoid of issues, and addressing these challenges is imperative for sustainable development. This essay will delve into the problems associated with motorways and propose viable solutions to mitigate them.

Firstly, traffic congestion stands out as a major issue plaguing motorways, especially during peak hours and in urban centers. Heavy traffic not only leads to delays and frustration but also contributes to environmental pollution and greenhouse gas emissions, exacerbating air quality concerns and climate change. Secondly, the high incidence of accidents on motorways poses significant safety risks to motorists and passengers alike. Factors such as speeding, reckless driving, fatigue, and inadequate road conditions contribute to accidents, resulting in injuries, fatalities, and disruptions to traffic flow.

Furthermore, the construction and operation of motorways can have adverse impacts on local communities and the natural environment. Land acquisition, displacement of residents, and disruption of ecosystems are common consequences, leading to social upheaval, loss of livelihoods, and habitat fragmentation.

To address these challenges, several solutions can be implemented. Firstly, enhancing traffic management through the implementation of intelligent transportation systems (ITS) and traffic management strategies can alleviate congestion on motorways. Variable speed limits, ramp metering, and real-time traffic monitoring are effective measures to optimize traffic flow and reduce bottlenecks. Secondly, investing in road safety infrastructure and promoting safe driving behaviors are crucial for reducing accidents on motorways. Crash barriers, improved signage, and public awareness campaigns can mitigate risks and enhance road safety for all users. Moreover, prioritizing sustainability in the design and construction of motorways can minimize environmental impacts. Incorporating green infrastructure, engaging local communities in the planning process, and implementing mitigation measures are essential steps to address social and environmental concerns.

In conclusion, while motorways offer efficient travel over long distances, they present various challenges that need to be addressed. By implementing comprehensive solutions that prioritize traffic management, road safety, and sustainability, we can mitigate the problems associated with motorways and ensure their continued role as vital transportation infrastructure.

Difficult Words/Phrases with Example Sentences:

Word: Artery (noun)

Meaning: A main road or route.

Example Sentence: The highway acts as a major artery connecting the north and south regions.

Word: Devoid (adjective)

Meaning: Lacking something.

Example Sentence: The house was devoid of furniture when they moved in.

Word: Imperative (adjective)

Meaning: Absolutely necessary or essential.

Example Sentence: Addressing climate change is imperative for the future of the planet.

Word: Delve (verb)

Meaning: To investigate or explore something in detail.

Example Sentence: The research team will delve into the causes of the disease.

Word: Mitigate (verb)

Meaning: To make something less severe or intense.

Example Sentence: Flood mitigation measures help protect communities from the damaging effects of flooding.

Word: Incidence (noun)

Meaning: The rate at which something happens.

Example Sentence: The incidence of cancer is increasing in developed countries.

Word: Exacerbate (verb)

Meaning: To make something worse or more serious.

Example Sentence: Lack of access to healthcare can exacerbate existing health problems.

Word: Bottlenecks (noun)

Meaning: Places where traffic flow is restricted, causing congestion.

Example Sentence: The bridge creates a bottleneck during rush hour.

Word: Viable (adjective)

Meaning: Practicable or feasible.

Example Sentence: The proposed solution seems like a viable option for solving the problem.

Word: Fragmentation (noun)

Meaning: The breaking up of something into smaller pieces.

Example Sentence: Habitat fragmentation poses a threat to biodiversity.

What are your opinions on this?

To what extent do you agree or disagree?

82. It is becoming increasingly popular to have a year off between finishing school and going to university.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of this?

What effects will these predictions have on developed countries if they prove true? What can be done now to deal with this situation?

84. Some people believe that technology has made man more sociable while others believe it has made us less sociable.

Discuss both sides and give your opinion.

Sample Answers

(Writing Task-1)

1. The graph below gives information about the percentage of the population in four Asian countries living in cities from 1970 to 2020, with predictions for 2030 and 2040.

2. The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

3. The diagram below shows the floor plan of a public library 20 years ago and how it looks now.

4. The graph below shows the average monthly change in the prices of three metals during 2014.

5. The maps below show an industrial area in the town Norbiton, and planned future development of the site.

6. The table and charts below give information on the police budget for 2017 and 2018 in one area of Britain. The table shows where the money came from, and the charts show how it was distributed.

7. The chart below gives information about how families in one country spent their weekly income in 1968 and in 2018.

8. The graph shows the number of shops that closed and the number of new shops that opened in one country between 2011 and 2018.

9. The charts below show the changes in ownership of electrical appliances and amount of time spent doing housework in households in one country between 1920 and 2019.

10. The diagram below shows the manufacturing process for making sugar from sugar cane.

11. The plans below show the site of an airport now and how it will look after redevelopment next year.

12. The diagram below shows the process for recycling plastic bottles.

13. The chart below shows the results of a survey about people’s coffee and tea buying and drinking habits in five Australian cities.

14. The graph below shows the number of tourists visiting a particular Caribbean island between 2010 and 2017.

15. The diagram below shows how instant noodles are manufactured.

16. The chart below shows what Anthropology graduates from one university did after finishing their undergraduate degree course. The table shows the salaries of the anthropologists in work after five years.

17. The charts below show the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

18. The chart below shows the value of one country’s exports in various categories during 2015 and 2016. The table shows the percentage change in each category of exports in 2016 compared with 2015.

19. The diagram below shows how electricity is generated in a hydroelectric power station.

20. The plans below show a public park when it first opened in 1920 and the same park today.

21. The two maps below show road access to a city hospital in 2007 and in 2010.

22. The chart below shows the percentage of households in owned and rented accommodation in England and Wales between 1918 and 2011.

23. The bar chart below shows the top ten countries for the production and consumption of electricity in 2014.

24. The plans below show the layout of a university’s sports centre now, and how it will look after redevelopment.

25. The bar chart below shows the percentage of Australian men and women in different age groups who did regular physical activity in 2010.

26. The maps below show the centre of a small town called Islip as it is now, and plans for its development.

27. The chart shows how frequently people in the USA ate in fast food restaurants between 2003 and 2013.

28. The diagram shows how geothermal energy is used to produce electricity.

29. The charts below show the percentage of water used for different purposes in six areas of the world.

30. The charts below show the proportions of British students at one university in England who were able to speak other languages in addition to English, in 2000 and 2010.

31. The graph below shows average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

32. The table below shows the numbers of visitors to Ashdown museum during the year before and the year after it was refurbished. The charts show the result of surveys asking visitors how satisfied they were with their visit, during the same two periods.

33. The first chart below shows how energy is used in an average Australian household. The second chart shows the greenhouse gas emissions which result from this energy use.

34. The tables below give information about sales of Fairtrade-labelled coffee and bananas in 1999 and 2004 in five European countries.

35. The charts below show what UK graduate and post graduate students who did not go into full-time work did after leaving college in 2008.

36. The diagrams below show the life cycle of a species of large fish called the salmon.

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

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

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

40. The graph below gives information from a 2008 report about consumption of energy in the USA since 1980 with projections until 2030.

41. The pie chart below shows the main reasons why agricultural land becomes less productive. The table shows how these causes affected three regions of the world during the 1990s.

42. The three pie charts below show the changes in annual spending by a particular UK school in 1981, 1991 and 2001.

43. The diagrams below show the stages and equipment used in the cement-making process, and how cement is used to produce concrete for building purposes.

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

45. The table gives information on consumer spending on different items in five different countries in 2002.

46. The graph below shows the consumption of fish and different kinds of meat in a European country between 1979 and 2004.

47. 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.

48. The pie charts below show units of electricity production by fuel source in Australia and France in 1980 and 2000.

49. The graph and table below give information about water use worldwide and water consumption in two different countries.

50. The table below gives information about changes in modes of travel in England between 1985 and 2000.

51. The diagrams below show the life cycle of the silkworm and the stages in the production of silk cloth.

52. The charts below give information about USA marriage and divorce rates between 1970 and 2000, and the marital status of adult Americans in two of the years.

53. The graph below shows the proportion of the population aged 65 and over between 1940 and 2040 in three different countries.

54. The charts below show the main reasons for study among students of different age groups and the amount of support they received from employers.

55. The map below is of the town of Garlsdon. A new supermarket (S) is planned for the town. The map shows two possible sites for the supermarket.

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

57. The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in Australia in 1999.

58. The graph below shows the demand for electricity in England during typical days in winter and summer. The pie chart shows how electricity is used in an average English home.

59. The chart below shows the different levels of post-school qualifications in Australia and the proportion of men and women who held them in 1999.

60. The charts below give information about travel to and from the UK, and about the most popular countries for UK residents to visit.

61. The charts below show the number of Japanese tourists travelling abroad between 1985 and 1995 and Australia’s share of the Japanese tourist market.

62. The chart below shows the amount spent on six consumer goods in four European countries.

63. The pie charts below show the devices people in the 18 to 25 age group use to watch television in Canada in two different years.

64. The graph below shows population figures for India and China since the year 2000 and predicted population growth up until 2050.

65. The table below shows the percentage participation of women in senior management in three companies between 1975 and 2015.

66. The maps show improvements that have been made to a university campus between 2010 and the present day.

67. The chart and graph below give information about participants who have entered the Olympics since it began.

68. The diagrams below give information about the manufacture of frozen fish pies.

69. The graph below shows the pollution levels in London between 1600 and 2000.

70. The chart gives information on the percentage of women going into higher education in five countries for the years 1980 and 2015.

71. The table below gives information about a restaurant’s average sales in three different branches in 2016.

72. The diagram below shows the recycling process of aluminium cans.

73. The graph below shows radio and television audiences throughout the day in 1992.

74. The chart below gives information about the number of social networking sites people used in Canada in 2014 and 2015.

75. The chart below shows the proportions of graduates from Brighton University in 2019 entering different employment sectors.

76. The table below shows the changes in some household types in Canada from 1984 to 2020.

77. The diagram below shows how instant noodles are manufactured.

78. The graph below shows the number of passenger railway journeys made in Great Britain between 1950 and 2004/5.

79. The charts show projections for global production by sector in 2040 and 2060.

80. The graph below shows the percentage of part-time workers in each country of the United Kingdom in 1980 and 2010.

81. The graph shows the number of visitors to four international museums between 1980 and 2015.

82. The pie charts below show the most common advantages and disadvantages of Bowen Island, according to a survey of visitors.

83. The graph below shows average carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions per person in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Italy and Portugal between 1967 and 2007.

84. The chart below shows the average hours worked per day by married men and women in paid employment.

85. The pie charts show the electricity generated in Germany and France from all sources and renewables in the year 2009.

86. The diagram shows how fruit is canned.

87. The graph shows the impact of vaccination on the incidence of whooping cough, a childhood illness, between 1940 and 1990 in Britain.

88. The following bar chart shows the different modes of transport used to travel to and from work in one European city in 1960, 1980 and 2000.

89. The charts below show the average percentages in typical meals of three types of nutrients, all of which may be unhealthy if eaten too much.

90. The diagram below shows how the Australian Bureau of Meteorology collects up-to-the-minute information on the weather in order to produce reliable forecasts.

91. The graph below shows four countries of residence of overseas students in Australia.

92. The table below shows the figures (in thousand) for imprisonment in five countries between 1930 and 1980.

93. The plans below show the layout of a university’s sports centre now, and how it will look after redevelopment.

94. The first chart below shows the results of a survey which sampled a cross-section of 100,000 people asking if they traveled abroad and why they traveled for the period 1994-98. The second chart shows their destinations over the same period.

IELTS Speaking

200+ Sample Answers

75. Motorways help people travel quickly and cover long distances but they also cause problems.

What are the problems of motorways and what solutions are there?

Sample Answer 2

Band 8.5

Motorways help people travel quickly and cover long distances but they also cause problems. Motorways, which are large and fast roads that connect different cities or regions, are a convenient and efficient way of transportation. However, motorways also have negative aspects, such as traffic congestion and environmental pollution. In this essay, I will partly agree with this statement, as I will argue that while motorways have some benefits, they also have some drawbacks, and that these problems can be solved by implementing some measures.

One of the main problems of motorways is traffic congestion. Traffic congestion is the situation where there are too many vehicles on the road, causing delays and frustration for the drivers and passengers. Traffic congestion can affect the economy, as it can reduce the productivity, efficiency, and competitiveness of businesses and industries. Another problem of motorways is environmental pollution. Environmental pollution is the contamination of the natural environment by human activities, causing harm to the health and well-being of humans and other living organisms. Environmental pollution can also affect the climate, as it can contribute to global warming and extreme weather events.

One of the main solutions for motorways is congestion charges. Congestion charges are fees that drivers have to pay to enter or use certain roads or areas, especially during busy times. Congestion charges can help to reduce traffic congestion and environmental pollution, as they can discourage people from driving their cars unnecessarily or excessively, and encourage them to use public transport or other alternatives, such as walking, cycling, or carpooling. Another solution for motorways is public transport improvement. Public transport improvement is the enhancement of the quality and quantity of public transport services, such as buses, trains, subways, or trams. Public transport improvement can help to reduce traffic congestion and environmental pollution, as it can provide people with more accessible, affordable, comfortable, and reliable alternatives to driving their cars.

In conclusion, this essay has partly agreed with the statement that motorways help people travel quickly and cover long distances but they also cause problems. It has argued that while motorways have some benefits, they also have some drawbacks, such as traffic congestion and environmental pollution, and that these problems can be solved by implementing some measures, such as congestion charges and public transport improvement. Therefore, it is suggested that the governments, the businesses, and the individuals should work together to create a more sustainable and balanced transportation system.

Difficult Words/Phrases with Example Sentences:

Word: Connectivity (noun)

Meaning: The state of being connected or linked together.

Example Sentence: Motorways improve connectivity between major cities.

Word: Frustration (noun)

Meaning: The feeling of annoyance or disappointment caused by something you cannot change.

Example Sentence: Traffic congestion causes a lot of frustration for commuters.

Word: Productivity (noun)

Meaning: The rate at which someone or something produces goods or services.

Example Sentence: Traffic congestion can negatively affect business productivity.

Word: Contamination (noun)

Meaning: The process of making something dirty or impure.