IELTS Essays

JUMP IELTS

IELTS ESSAYS LETTERS, GRAPHS, DIAGRAMS & MAPS

ABAZAR ALIZADEH

Whatever you do, do it heartily, as for the Lord and not for the Man

Acknowledgements I would like to appreciate all those who provided me with enlightening suggestions by reading the manuscript. I would like to thank Mr. Ashkzari who helped me immeasurably to publish this book. Finally I would like to extend my heartfelt appreciation to my wife without whose patience and support writing this book would have been impossible.

Abazar Alizadeh Tehran, December 2009

About the Author Abazar Alizadeh specialized in ELT (English Language Teaching) from the University of Allameh Tabatabaee, and started his professional teaching career as a TOEFL (Pbt) instructor in 1998 and in 2000, he began to teach IELTS, GRE and GMAT preparation courses. In 2002, he was awarded a prize by the University of Allameh Tabatabaee for wining third place in Iran's nationwide MA examination. He also has taught "Contrastive Analysis", "Language Teaching Methodology", "Advanced Essay Writing" and many other courses at various universities in Tehran. He published his first book entitled "New IELTS Strategies" in 2004 and from 2004 to 2007 he worked as an IELTS supervisor and syllabus designer for various IELTS Centers in Iran. In 2008, he published his speaking book entitled "New IELTS Interview Samples" which is widely used by candidates in Iran and many other countries in the world including Georgia, Armenia, the UAE and Turkey. In 2009, he published his writing book "IELTS Essays" to give a chance to IELTS candidates to read as many samples as they wish to prepare themselves for the writing test.

Author's Guide to the Book IELTS Writing Tasks For the first task of the Academic Module, you need to describe a graph; a diagram or a map and you are required to write at least 150 words in 20 minutes. The second task requires you to write an essay with at least 250 words within 40 minutes. For the first task of the General Module, you need to write a letter and you are required to write at least 150 words in 20 minutes. The second task requires you to write an essay with at least 250 words within 40 minutes.

Essay Samples IELTS Essays provides numerous essay samples in both the academic and the general modules of the test. There are precisely 30 academic essays and 30 general essays. There are five essay question types in the IELTS writing test and the book provides essay samples on all question types. Candidates should note that even though academic essay questions need you to discuss more complicated issues than the general essay questions, there is no difference in the essay formats. As a result candidates can benefit from all sixty essays regardless of the module they intend to take. In addition to practicing the essay formats by analysing the sample essays, you can have access to a plethora of ideas on various issues along with topical words used to discuss the idea. After each essay sample, a question is provided to let you practice writing an essay on your own. Hence in total the book provides 60 different essay questions for the candidates.

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples Graphs are far more frequent than diagrams; accordingly, the book contains 20 graph descriptions and 6 diagram descriptions. Maps are rarely given in IELTS task 1; hence, only two map descriptions are provided in order to give you the chance to familiarize yourself with such tasks and not to deviate your attention away from the main task which is the graph.

The graph, diagram and the map samples not only let you get familiarized with various task types but also provide many of the words needed to pull off each task.

Letter Samples There are formal letter questions, semi-formal letter questions and informal letter questions in IELTS writing task 1 and so the book contains letter samples of all types. The letters are written according to standard letter formats and include all the various parts of a standard letter. The letter samples give you enough ideas, expressions and words to handle sample questions provided after each letter sample.

Appendix To ace your writing test, you need to know numerous expressions and structures for different purposes. I have included useful connectives, words and structures for 27 different functions. Learning these useful words and structures can help you with various language functions.

Table of Contentss                                                 

Table of Co ontents   Genneral Moddule Letter Samplles ........................................................................................ 1  Th hey broke thee front window w of your car ............................................................................................... 2  Yo ou are dissatissfied with you ur grade ....................................................................................................... 3  Yo ou were disreespected by an n employee ................................................................................................. 4  Yo ou have recen ntly moved to a new compaany  ....................................................................................... 5  Yo ou recently heeard about the pass‐away o of your colleague’s father  ................................................... 6  In n response to a job advertissement of a co ompany  ............................................................................... 7  A letter to som meone you meet  ................................................................................................................. 8  A resignation leetter to your m manager  .................................................................................................... 9  Yo ou want to seell some of you ur furniture  .............................................................................................. 10  Yo ou borrowed some books ffrom a library  .......................................................................................... 11  W Write a compla aint letter to aa bank  ....................................................................................................... 12  Yo ou have just b been qualified d for a position n  ........................................................................................ 13  W Write a compla aint letter to aa telephone co ompany  ............................................................................. 14  W Write a letter t to a magazine about a prob blem .................................................................................... 15  Yo ou saw a job aadvertisement on a websitee  ........................................................................................ 16  W Write a letter t to a friend you u haven't mett for some tim me ................................................................... 17  Ask someone to act as a refeerence  ...................................................................................................... 18  W Write a farewe ell letter to one of your colleeagues  ............................................................................... 19  W Write a letter t to a colleague who is hospittalized  ................................................................................ 20  Yo ou cannot attend the class for some reassons  ................................................................................... 21 

Gen neral Essaays ....................................................................................... 22  Do o animals havve rights? ......................................................................................................................... 23  W What are the a advantages an nd disadvantagges of being rich? ............................................................... 24  Are comic bookks trash? .......................................................................................................................... 25  W Why are teena gers becomin ng addicted? .............................................................................................. 26  Caan they remove all the unh healthy foods from school ccanteens? ...................................................... 27  Su uggest some ssolutions in orrder to preven nt people from m getting obeese ........................................... 28  Does playing gaames teach uss about life? ....................... . ...................................................................... 29  W What are the a advantages an nd disadvantagges of studyin ng abroad? ..................................................... 30  Caan the govern nment set a hiigher driving aage? .................................................................................... 31 

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TTable of Contents  W What are the b benefits of exeercise? ....................................................................................................... 32  How can the go overnment heelp reduce thee number of car accidents?  .............................................. 33  W Why are schoo ol classes borin ng and uselesss? ........................................................................................ 34  Sh hould huntingg animals as a sport be illeggalized? ............................................................................... 35  How can recycling save the eenvironment and help the people on Earrth? ......................................... 36  W Why do you th ink people atttend college o or university?  ..................................................................... 37  W What are the m most importan nt reasons forr getting divorrced? .............................................................. 38  Iss people’s cho oice of leisure activities affeected by fashio ons ................................................................ 39  Sh hould studentts spend theirr free time leaarning their school lessons?? ............................................... 40  Sh hould police fforces use security camerass in public placces?  .............................................................. 41  W What are the a advantages of attending sch hool before th he age of 7?  .................................................. 42  Su uggest some ggood places to o obtain inforrmation for a rresearch. ....................................................... 43  W What are the m major effects o of getting exeercise?  ................................................................................ 44  W What are the r easons for sch hool drop‐outt and what are e the solution ns?  ........................................... 45  W What are the n negative effects of television? how can w we minimize th hem?   ..................................... 46  W What are the p problems asso ociated with TV V addiction an nd what soluttions can you offer?  .............. 47  Discuss the advvantages and disadvantagees of building aa company in your commun nity. .................. 48  W What are the a advantages an nd disadvantagges of living in n a big city? ................................................... 49  Discuss the cau uses of longevvity? ........................................................................................................... 50  W What are the c causes of stresss and how caan we solve it??  .................................................................... 51  Discuss the advvantages and disadvantagees of studying abroad? ........................................................ 52 

Aca ademic M  Module  Graaphs, Diaggrams & m maps ...................................................................... 53  Th he different leevels of post‐sschool qualificcations in Australia  ............................................................ 54  Th he proportion n of different ccategories of families livingg in poverty  ................................................... 55  Th he amount off money per w week spent on n fast foods in Britain  ......................................................... 56  Th he rate of fish h catches in th he USA and Caanada  ................................................................................. 57  Th he trends in the Australian immigration from 1992 to 2002 ............................................................. 58  Th he causes of d diseases in developing and the develope ed countries  .................................................. 59  Th he forms of energy used to o generate eleectricity in the USA  ............................................................. 60  Th he average monthly tempeeratures in thrree African countries  ......................................................... 61  Fo our different ccars manufacttured in threee different cou untries  .......................................................... 62  Th he factors affeecting students' decisions w when choosing a universityy  .............................................. 63  How much coal it would takee to make all the energy  ......................................................................... 64 

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Table of Contentss                                                  Th he incidence o of injuries cau used in differeent sports  ........................................................................... 65  Th he US spendin ng patterns in two differentt years  ............................................................................... 66  Th he percentagee of the intern net users  .................................................................................................. 67  Th he literacy rattes of six diffeerent countriees  ........................................................................................ 68  Th he percentagee of obese people in 12 diffferent countriies ................................................................. 69  Th he amount off meat consum med in the USA A  ........................................................................................ 70  Th he number off London Undeerground stattion passengers  .................................................................. 71  Th he oil producttion capacity iin six different Persian Gulff countries  .................................................... 72  Th he number off children killeed in road acciidents  ................................................................................. 73  Th he typical stagges of consum mer goods manufacturing  ....................................................................... 74  Th he process byy which bricks are manufacttured  .................................................................................. 75  Th he process byy which examss are taken in a computer room  ............................................................. 76  Th he process byy which plasticc paper clips aare manufactu ured  .............................................................. 77  How a central h heating system m in a house w works  ................................................................................. 78  How olive oil iss produced  ...................................................................................................................... 79  Th he map showss the site of a shopping cen nter  .................................................................................... 80  Th he map showss the city of N New Townsville   ....................................................................................... 81 

Acaademic Esssays .................................................................................... 82  Sh hould the sociiety ban violent and pornoggraphic scene es from being broadcast?  ............................. 83  M Must capital pu unishment bee banned? .................................................................................................. 84  M Must capital pu unishment bee banned? .................................................................................................. 85  W Why are the m ain reasons fo or advertisem ment? ................................................................................... 86  w what are the h armful effectss of body pierrcing on our health? ............................................................ 87  W Would they like e to live in a m multicultural ssociety?  .............................................................................. 88  W Why should we e avoid racism m and how can n we solve it? ...................................................................... 89  W Will violence o n Television u ultimately resu ult in more vio olence?  ......................................................... 90  W Will internet us sers finally end up addicted d to the net?  ...................................................................... 91  M Must the gover rnment ban hand guns?  ................................................................................................ 92  W Why is it hard t to define happiness? and h how can we acchieve it?  ...................................................... 93  Discuss views ffor and againsst human cloning and give yyour opinion  ................................................. 94  ploration makke any sense? ........................................................................................... 95  Does space exp W What are the m main sources o of environmental pollution? .................................................................... 96  How can peoplle save energyy in their hom mes? ..................................................................................... 97  W What are some e of the factorrs affecting seelf‐esteem? ......................................................................... 98  Iss children’s miisbehaviour in n life due to th heir genetic ch haracteristics??  ............................................. 99 

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TTable of Contents  M Must violent an nd pornograp phic scenes bee censored?  ...................................................................... 100  How can techn nology help ed ducation?  ................................................................................................ 101  Are welfare payments a wasste of the society's financial resources?  ............................................... 102  etirement and give your opiinion. .............. 103  Discuss the advvantages and disadvantagees of forced re M Must the gover rnment ban dangerous spo orts?  ................................................................................. 104  Do patients havve the right to o choose betw ween life and death?  ....................................................... 105  . .......................................................................................... 106  Iss spanking chilldren cruel?  ....................... W What are the e effects of alcoholism?  .................................................................................................. 107  What are the reasons for thee increasing d W drug use and w what are the ssolutions?. ............................. 108  W Why do people e produce more trash thesee days? and ho ow can we red duce it? ................................. 109  W What are the p problems caussed by drug ab buse and what are some so olutions?   .............................. 110  Are there betteer ways of enccouraging employees to wo ork hard?  .................................................... 111  Discuss the views for and aggainst first imp pressions and give your opinion? .................................... 112 

App pendix .............................................................................................. 113  Ap ppendix 1  con nnectives ...................................................................................................................... 114  Addition ............................................................................................................................................... 114  Trransition ............................................................................................................................................. 114  Su ummation ........................................................................................................................................... 115  Apposition ............................................................................................................................................ 115  Result ................................................................................................................................................... 116  nference .............................................................................................................................................. 116  In Reformulation ...................................................................................................................................... 116  Replacement ........................................................................................................................................ 116  Co ontrast ............................................................................................................................................... 117  Co oncession   ......................................................................................................................................... 117  Appendix 2 Structure and Vo ocabulary Aid ......................................................................................... 118  Lo ocation ............................................................................................................................................... 118  Co omposition ......................................................................................................................................... 119  Approximation n  .................................................................................................................................... 119  Q Qualification  ......................................................................................................................................... 119  Definition ............................................................................................................................................. 119  Exxemplification n .................................................................................................................................... 120  Classification  ....................................................................................................................................... 120  omparison  ......................................................................................................................................... 121  Co Caause and Effeect. ................................................................................................................................. 121 

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Table of Contentss                                                  Sccale ..................................................................................................................................................... 123  Caaution  ................................................................................................................................................ 123  Referring to a d diagram, charrt etc.   ..................................................................................................... 124  Describing change  ............................................................................................................................... 125  ntroducing a p point of view. ...................... . .......................................................................................... 126  In Su ummarizing and concludingg .............................................................................................................. 126  Useful words ........................................................................................................................................ 127  Reporting  ............................................................................................................................................ 127  Appendix 3 How to Express Essential Worrds  .................................................................................... 128  Reason  ................................................................................................................................................. 129  Advantage  ........................................................................................................................................... 131  Disadvantage  ....................................................................................................................................... 132  Result  .................................................................................................................................................. 133  Because  ............................................................................................................................................... 137  Caause  ................................................................................................................................................... 138  Sttop  ..................................................................................................................................................... 142  Disagreement  ...................................................................................................................................... 143  Agreement  .......................................................................................................................................... 145  Allow  ................................................................................................................................................... 146  orbid  .................................................................................................................................................. 147  Fo Co ontrast ............................................................................................................................................... 148  Siimilarity  ............................................................................................................................................. 150 

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Letter Samples

GENERAL MODULE writing task 1 (letter)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Letter Samples 1- One of your neighbor’s children has accidentally broken the front window of your car. You should write a letter to his/her parents and in your letter you should • introduce yourself • explain how it happened • and what they should do. Dear Ms. Grimes, I am your next door neighbor and I am writing to inform you that your daughter, Sarah, broke the front passenger window of my Chevrolet Caprice while playing softball yesterday afternoon. The car is brand new. As you know it is winter now and this also aggravates the situation since I am not able to use the car. Hopefully, your homeowner's insurance will cover this kind of damage. Please check with them to see if it is covered. If they do not pay for it, I will get two repair estimates for you so that you can determine how you will pay for the repair. Perhaps we could meet this Saturday afternoon to discuss our options. In case you are not available at that time please let me know so that we would be able to make an appointment for some other time. Thank you in advance for your kind and considerate attention towards the matter. Yours sincerely, Ms. Green (163 words)

Letter Practice You recently had your car repaired and now it is not working properly. Write a letter to your mechanic and in your letter, • • •

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Introduce yourself Explain the problem And say what you need him to do

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Letter Samples 2- You recently received your grade from your instructor and you are dissatisfied with your score. Write a letter to your instructor and • introduce yourself. • let him know that you are dissatisfied with your grade. • mention the reasons to convince him that you deserve a better grade. Dear Mr. Sockman, This letter is to express my dissatisfaction with the grade that I received for my class project. I know you made it clear that individuals in each group would all receive the same grade; but I would like to ask you to reconsider your decision about my grade. I put a lot of effort into this project. I spent numerous hours in the library and at the computer working on my research. My project partner, Jack, apparently did not approach the project with the same dedication as I. Enclosed, you will find copies of my notes and sources that I used in my research. You encouraged us to speak with you if we encountered any problems within our groups, and I made two appointments with you to discuss the situation. Unfortunately, you were unable to attend either one. Considering that I did attempt to contact you, and that I put a lot of effort into this project, I hope that you will be generous enough to raise my project grade. I would like to thank you for your considerate attention in advance. Yours sincerely, S. Dent (189 words)

Letter Practice One of your friends has just had a twin and for some reason you cannot go visit them in their town. You should write a letter to your friend and in your letter you should • congratulate them on the new-born babies • explain why you cannot go visit them • offer to help in case they need help

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Letter Samples 3- You recently went shopping at a department store and you were disrespected by one of the employees. Write a complaint letter to the sales manager of the department store In your letter you should • • •

let him/her know about the rude behavior of the clerk clearly state how it happened and tell the manager about the bad behaviour.

Dear Sales Manager, This letter is a complaint concerning the actions of one of your salespersons. On Tuesday, May 1, 2009, around 3 PM. I went to your store to look for an outfit. When I asked an available salesperson, Ms. Maria Johnson, for help in finding my size, she informed me that she was busy and that I would have to find it myself. I explained that the reason I came to her was because I couldn't find it. She then said in a rude tone that if I couldn't find it, it means that your store did not have it, and that I needed to look somewhere else. I felt that Ms. Johnson was rude and unnecessarily curt with me. If she was busy, she could have simply and politely told me that she would be able to help me in a moment. I hope that you will confront Ms. Johnson about her behavior. I shop frequently at your store and I look forward to a more pleasurable shopping experience next time. I appreciate your wholehearted concern with regard to this issue in advance. Regards, Mrs. Betty Arthur (190 words)

Letter Practice

Write a letter to one of your colleagues has recently been appointed as the new manager of the company. In your letter you should, • • •

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introduce yourself congratulate him/her on the promotion and ask for an appointment to discuss the problems in your section

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Letter Samples 4- You have recently moved to a new company and you want to write to the manager. In your letter, • • •

introduce yourself, mention what you have done since you moved to the company and ask to meet the manager to discuss your needs and concerns.

Dear Mr. Stevenson, The purpose of this letter is to briefly introduce myself as Dynatek's new Sales Representative, Business Accounts. I very recently joined the company and am taking over your account from Jack Winters who has moved on to other challenges in this industry. I have just completed Dynatek's management orientation program and am now keen to meet face-to-face with all of my key customers. Accordingly, as the first step in my customer familiarization process, I would like to meet with you personally, for about an hour or so, to discuss OfficeTech's needs and concerns. To set up a meeting at your convenience, I propose to call your office by the end of this week. It is my hope that we will be able to arrange to meet at your office before the end of the month. I look forward to meeting with you and learning more about your company in the near future. Sincerely, Jim O'Malley (158 words)

Letter Practice

You just used a website to gain some information about an issue; write an email to the institute and in your letter, • • •

appreciate the institute for the informative website ask if they can help you with your problem in other ways make some recommendations in order to improve the website

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Letter Samples 5- You recently heard about the pass-away of your colleague’s father. Write to your colleague and in your letter • • •

offer your condolences, mention how honorable his father was mention the reasons to let your friend know that you understand the situation.

Dear Robert, I would like to express my sincere condolences on the recent passing of your father. Pamela and the children also send their thoughts and prayers to you and your family at this difficult time. Although I didn't know your dad that well, on the half dozen or so occasions that I spent time in his company over the years, I did come to realize his great kindness and compassion towards those less fortunate than him. And I do know that he was very highly respected throughout this community and profession, and his good works changed the lives of many. You were truly fortunate to have such a man as a model in your life. As you know, it was not that long ago that my own father passed away, so I have some idea of what you and your family are going through. No comfort is quite enough to replace the loss. Please pass my deepest sympathies on to your mother, and brother, and sister, and to all of your father's grandchildren. Yours sincerely, Gord Henderson (178 words)

Letter Practice

Last night you attended a party thrown by your manager. Write a letter to him and in your letter • • •

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appreciate for the party say that you particularly enjoyed the party and apologize for arriving late at the party

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Letter Samples 6- Write a letter in response to a job advertisement of a company, in your letter, • • •

let them know that their advertisement has interested you, tell them about your qualifications and try to convince them that you fit in the position.

Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to apply for the position you advertised in today’s newspaper. I found the wording of your advertisement with emphasis on leadership, innovation and change quite intriguing. It is in response to such challenges that I have excelled during my career. Most recently, I was the President of a troubled company which I turned around and led to the best performance in its history. Before that, I had worked successfully in a variety of unusual situations, including the startup of a significant division of a large insurance company in London. In each of these situations, the problems (or opportunities) differed widely. They had in common, though, a requirement of an ability to size up the situation, assess the reasonable alternatives and execute a plan of action. I have also worked 14 years in mining and milling operations, where I obtained an in-depth exposure to production problems. I am free to travel and open to relocation. I would welcome the opportunity to meet you and to further discuss your requirements. Thank you for you interest. Sincerely, Robert S. Rosenthal (182 words)

Letter Practice

You just saw the advertisement of a course in a newspaper and you are willing to attend the course. Write a letter to the institute; in your letter you should • • •

introduce yourself say why you are interested in the course and ask for some more information about the course

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Letter Samples 7- Write a letter to someone you met at your company’s meeting. In your letter you should • • •

thank him for taking part in the company's meeting. try to elaborate on the importance of his role in the meeting and let him know about another meeting to be held next month.

Dear David, I would like to take this opportunity to express my heartfelt thanks to you for your very active and influential participation in our recent meeting in Montreal. Your skill in chairing the controversial panel was very much appreciated by those representing all sides of that extremely sensitive topic. As well, we have received numerous post-conference requests for the paper that you delivered in the beginning of the conference. On both a professional and a personal level, I really appreciated the time that the two of us were able to spend together for fun and reflection during conference down times. I certainly learned a lot about the unique aspects of your profession (not to mention the things you taught me about the backhand on the squash court!). I would also like to let you know that another meeting is going to be held next month in New York and I would be glad to see you at the meeting. I am looking forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Very Sincerely, Peter Smithfield (176 words)

Letter Practice

You just received a product you had ordered a few days ago. You just found out the product does not work properly. Write a letter to the company and in your letter • • •

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introduce yourself say what the problem is and mention what action you need the company to take

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Letter Samples 8- Write a resignation letter to your manager to let him know that you have started to cooperate with another company. In your letter, • • •

Let him know the exact time that you are leaving the actions you took in order not to cause the company any problems and also let him know that you appreciate the time you cooperated with the company.

Dear Mr. Hopkins, This is to advise you that I have accepted the position of Marketing Manager, with an oil company, based in Buffalo New York. Accordingly, please regard this as my official letter of resignation. My last day of work here will be June 28, 2008. This will give me three full weeks from next Monday to complete the current marketing program design that I have recently been putting the finishing touches on. In addition, during this period I will be able to bring you all of the operations and outstanding issues in the department. In closing, I would like to express my sincere appreciation to you as my manager, as well as to my many friends and colleagues. I have truly enjoyed my years working with all of you, and am grateful for the many learning and growth opportunities I was given over the years. I wish all of you success. Sincerely, Ryan Alexander (156 words)

Letter Practice

You are going to throw a birthday party for your new-born son and you are writing to invite your friends. Write a letter to an old friend of yours and in your letter • • •

have a warm greeting invite him to the party give him the direction so as to find your new house

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Letter Samples 9- You want to sell some of your furniture. You think a friend of yours might like to buy it from you. Write a letter to your friend, In your letter • • •

explain why you are selling describe the furniture and suggest a date when your friend can come and see the furniture.

Dear Jane, As you know, we’ll be moving to a new house soon and there are a few things that I won’t be able to take with me. The new house is a bit smaller so I have to sell some furniture and I was wondering if you might be interested. In particular I want to sell my big dining table. Do you remember it- the one in the living room? It has wooden legs and a grey glass top and it’s big enough for six people. There are six matching chairs to go with it. I know you’ve always liked this furniture so I could let you have it at a good price. I’d rather sell it to you than a stranger! Why don’t you come around and take another look at them on Saturday? We’ll be here all day, so maybe we could have some lunch together? Give me a ring and let me know, Love, Katherine (159 words)

Letter Practice

You are going to take a tour of a historic place. Write an email to a travel agency you usually travel with and in your letter • • •

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introduce yourself as an regular customer ask for more information about the city ask them for more information about the tour (e.g. price, dates etc.)

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Letter Samples 10- You borrowed some books from your school or college library. Unfortunately you have to go away to visit a sick relative and cannot return the books in time. Write a letter to the library. • introduce yourself • explain what has happened • and tell them what you want to do about it. Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing this letter to explain why I have been unable to return the three books I have out on a three-day loan, which are now overdue. After taking the books out on 16th March, I had an urgent call from my elderly aunt’s neighbor to say that my aunt had had a fall and had been taken into hospital. I am her only surviving relative in this country, so I felt I had to go and see her immediately. I traveled down to Dallas the following morning, thinking I would stay for only two or three days. Unfortunately my aunt’s condition has only improved very slowly, so I have had to stay here longer than I expected. However, the hospital says that if all goes well, she should be able to go home in two or three days’ time, in which case I will be back at the beginning of the next week. Bearing in mind the circumstances, I trust you will kindly waive any fines that may have accumulated. I would like to apologize for the inconvenience that I have caused you. And I trust that you understand. Yours sincerely, Thomas Anderson (199 words)

Letter Practice

You have already booked a tour of London and for some reason you are not able to take the tour. Write an email to the travel agency and in your letter • • •

introduce yourself say why you cannot take the tour apologize for the inconvenience caused.

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Letter Samples 11- You have had a bank account for a few years. Recently you received a letter from your bank stating that your account is $240 overdrawn and that you will be charged $70 which will be taken directly from your bank account. You know that this information is incorrect. Write a letter to the bank. In your letter • introduce yourself • explain what has happened • and say what you would like them to do about it. Dear Sir or Madam, I am your bank customer and I am writing in reply to a letter I received from you a few days ago. In your letter you state that I am $240 overdrawn and that you will be charging me $70. I would like to point out that the reason I am overdrawn is because of a mistake made by your bank. If you look through your records you will see that I wrote several weeks ago explaining the situation. For the last twelve months, I have been paying $300 a month for a car I bought last summer. The monthly payments were taken directly from my bank account. However, two months ago I sold the car and I wrote to you instructing you to stop paying the monthly installments. I received a letter from you acknowledging my request, but for some reason, nothing was done about it. Another $300 installment has been paid this month and this is the reason why I am overdrawn. I would like you to contact the garage where I bought the car explaining your error. I would also like you to ask them to return the money. I am looking forward to hearing from you as soon as possible. Yours Faithfully, P. Stoft

(212 words)

Letter Practice

You recently travelled to New York and you were completely dissatisfied with the hotel service you stayed at. Write a letter to the hotel manager, in your letter • • •

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introduce yourself mention the problems you had at the hotel during your stay say what action you need the hotel manager to take

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Letter Samples 12- You have just been qualified for a position in a company. Write a letter to the manager, in your letter you should • • •

show your willingness to accept the job mention when you can start the new job ask for an opportunity to discuss your employment terms.

Dear Mr. Happy, I am pleased to inform you that I will accept the graphic designer position you have offered. Thank you for choosing me. I will follow up with a phone call to discuss other issues related to the job, including when you will need me to start, salary, and accommodations while I am relocating. Please keep in mind that I will need adequate time to resign from my current job. As I said before I have been working there for quite a long time and I definitely have to take care of a few issues before leaving. I am excited about starting at your company and I look forward to talking to you again. If you need to contact me for any reason, please feel free to call me, fax me, or send me an email. I would like to thank you again for your offer and I hope to have great cooperation with your company. Yours sincerely, Marisa Bookman (162 words)

Letter Practice

As a public relations manager of your company trying do a public survey on your company’s public image, write a letter to your customers. In your letter. • • •

introduce yourself say what you are trying to do and ask what your customers suggest the company should do to better satisfy the customers

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Letter Samples 13- Write a complaint letter to a telephone company and let them know how their services failed to fulfill your expectations. In your letter you should • • •

introduce yourself mention what the main problem is and say what you want them to do

Dear Sir or Madam, I am writing this letter to complain in the strongest terms about the poor service that I have received from your company. We signed up to your telephone and internet service package two months ago because your advertising suggests that you are better than Telco. In addition, you promised to deal with problems quickly and efficiently, something that Telco was unable or unwilling to do. However, in the first month of service you managed to cause me to lose two days worth of business because of poor administration. The main problem was that you failed to provide me with the correct telephone number, 9818 8747, that you had promised when I completed the contract. This phone number was an established business line which I had been using for the last three years. Obviously this meant that my clients were unable to contact me and it cost me many hours of phone calls to resolve the matter with your support centre. I would appreciate it if this situation could be resolved and a substantial rebate offered on my first three month's account. I look forward to hearing from you soon. Yours Faithfully, Charlie Williams (197 words)

Letter Practice

Your father underwent a medical operation and now he has completely recovered. Write a letter to your father’s surgeon and in your letter • • •

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appreciate the surgeon and explain some of the post-operation complications your father has been facing ask the surgeon what action you should take

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Letter Samples 14- Write a letter to a magazine and express your opinion about a problem you are faced with in your neighborhood. In your letter • • •

introduce yourself say what the problem is and recommend a solution to the problem

Dear Sir or Madam, I am one of the senior citizens and I have lived in the city of Pertshire since I was born. I would like to give my opinion on the environmental impact of tourism as someone who has traveled throughout Asia on business and holiday. Having visited Indonesia, Thailand and Malaysia I understand that tourism can bring money to developing countries. However, I cannot ignore the environmental problems that are affecting my hometown’s ecosystem. Unfortunately the department of tourism has not taken any effective measures to counteract the adverse effects of tourism in our town. I would like to warn the local people of the possible dangers and I want to urge them to check that any tours or excursions we offer have minimal effect on the natural surroundings. Besides, we even need to attempt to change the behavior of tourists by sharing our environment-friendly opinions with them. If we follow these simple steps we can be sure that our business is not causing any harm to our town’s ecosystem. I would like to appreciate your concern in this regard. Yours faithfully, Charlie Williams (187 words)

Letter Practice

You have been working for a company for some time, and other rival companies are willing to employ you with a higher salary for all the practical experience you have gained. Write a letter to your company manager and in your letter • • •

Explain the situation Say what you would like the manager to do (increase the salary etc) say what action you would take in case the manager fails to meet your demands

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Letter Samples 15- You saw a job advertisement on a website. Write a letter and apply for the job; • • •

let them know your qualifications for the job. also mention the places you have worked for and try to convince them that you are the one they are looking for.

Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing this letter to apply for the position of student assistant that I saw advertised on your website. I am interested in working in the teachers' resource library, or in the accommodation department. I have recently graduated from the WSB Business School in Warsaw and received high grades in both my English and Business Courses. In addition, we had to use all of the Microsoft Office programs in the preparation of our finished assignments, so I am able to do most things with computers. Since I was 15 years old I have helped my father to run his small importexport business. I have been involved in helping a variety of clients and also the general administration of the business. In the past 2 years I have worked in the WSB library, helping teachers and students to find and use the resources there. This experience has given me the ability to deal with the needs of all types of people. I look forward to hearing from you. Yours faithfully, Powel Herbert (174 words)

Letter Practice

You are faced with an increasing workload in your company due to a growth in the number of orders placed daily. Write a letter to the company manager and in your letter • • •

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introduce yourself explain the problem you are facing and ask if the company could hire a new employee to help you with the job

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Letter Samples 16- Write a letter to a friend whom you haven’t met for some time. • • •

let your friend know what is going on to you. also ask your friend to tell you about himself/herself and ask him the questions you want to know.

Dear Leo, It's been a while since we wrote, so I thought I'd drop you a line to bring you up to date with what's been happening here. I suppose the most important thing is that Jane's job is more secure than we thought. At the beginning of the year, when she got the job, we thought it might only be for one semester, but we just found that she has a permanent contract. Obviously this is great, as it means we can relax a little. I still don't have the job I really want, but it will happen soon. You have to stay positive, don't you? So, what about you these days? Are you still stuck in that old job? Since I've been having so much trouble getting a job I understand your reluctance to change. There's nothing worse than filling in endless application forms, with no idea of what it will lead to. Anyway, I've got another form to fill in so I'll love you and leave you. Best wishes, John (173 words)

Letter Practice

You have been faced with an increasing number of wild animals in your neighborhood. Write a letter to the editor of your local newspaper and in your letter • • •

introduce yourself say what the problem is and mention what you would like the city authorities to do

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Letter Samples 17- There is an institution that is offering a free journalism course and you have applied for it. They want to talk to one of your friends who knows you well as a reference. Write a letter to your friend in your letter, • explain the situation • say why you chose him as a reference • ask him if you can give them his/her name as a reference Dear mark, I'm writing this letter because I really need your help. You're the only person who knows me well enough to give me a reference for a course I want to do. I saw an advertisement in a paper recently offering a free journalism course to successful applicants. I sent in an article I wrote for the student newspaper, you know, the one about legalizing drugs? Anyway, they really liked it, but as there are only five places they want a reference as well. I haven’t given them your name yet, as I expect this would be the first reference you've been asked to give. Is it OK if I send them your phone number? I think they want to phone you so they can have a proper conversation with you and really check me out. I know it's been a while but if you could do it, it'd really help me out. I've got a new phone number, 09957 234 563, so you can get me on that, and my address is still the same. Hope to hear from you soon. Regards, Patrick (185 words)

Letter Practice

As a teacher, you would like to take your students on a field trip to a museum. Write a letter to the museum manager and in your letter • • •

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introduce yourself say what you are planning to do and why and finally ask for a discount

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Letter Samples 18- You are about to leave your company. Write a farewell letter to one of your colleagues, in your letter, you should write • • •

let him know that you are leaving also let him know how much you appreciate the time you have been working together let him/her how he/she can contact you at your new place

Dear John, I wanted to take a moment to let you know that I am leaving my position at Simpson's Corporation. I will be starting a new position at Newville Company next month. I have enjoyed my tenure here and I appreciate having had the opportunity to work with you. Thank you for the support, guidance and encouragement you have provided me during my time at Simpson's Corporation. Even though I will miss my colleagues and the company, I am looking forward to this new challenge and to starting a new phase of my career. I think the position they are offering at this new Company is what I have been looking for since the beginning of my career. Please keep in touch; I can be reached at my personal email address ([email protected]) or at my new place, 555-121-2222. I would like to hear from you and once again I would like to thank you. Yours truly, Samantha (158 words)

Letter Practice

You have recently opened up a shop in your area and as an advertisement campaign you would like to send a letter to all potential customers • • •

introduce your shop introduce your services and offer a special discount for the new customers

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Letter Samples 19- Write a letter to a colleague who is hospitalized at the moment. In your letter you should • • •

ask about his/her health let him/her know what changes occurred since he/she has been hospitalized also try to make him/her happy in some ways

Dear Jane, I hope you are feeling better. Are you able to sit in the garden and enjoy the sunshine? We all miss you in the office and look forward to your return. There have been a few changes since you went into hospital. Eric Johnson has now retired (lucky man) and Matthew has taken over Eric's job. He is struggling at the moment. As you know he is not as experienced as Mathew was. He hopes you will return soon to rescue him from the muddle. I thought you would like the book I'm sending you with this letter I saw it in the bookshop and thought it would make you laugh. I know you’ve always wanted to live in Greece. Anyway, I hope you enjoy it and find time to read it before you return to work Take it easy and look after yourself I'll write again soon. Best regards, Sheila (153 words)

Letter Practice You live on the fourth floor of a five-storey building which is not equipped with an elevator (lift). Write a letter to your neighbors and in your letter • • •

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introduce yourself say what the problem is ask the neighbors to agree on the installation of an elevator.

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Letter Samples 20- You recently registered for a course, and you cannot attend the class for some reasons. Write a letter to your course instructor and in your letter • introduce yourself • explain the situation • and say what action you would like to take. Dear professor Moss, I am Sandy Lee, an undergraduate student of the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. At the beginning of this semester, I registered for one of your courses, African Literature and Culture. It is a two-hour course held on every Thursday afternoon. Yesterday, I received a notice from my department that a major course, Computer Principle, would be changed to Thursday afternoon. This major course conspicuously influences my credits and it is very important to me. Unfortunately, I can not study your course this semester. Because of your reputation and my enthusiasm in literature, I hope I could study this course in the next semester. I also heard that another course of yours, China Literature, is held every Friday afternoon. If the registration of this course has not closed yet, I will be so glad to participate in your class. Sorry to bother you, your help will be greatly appreciated. Sincerely yours, Sandy Lee (157 words)

Letter Practice

You and classmates have been trying to find a book for a while and the book is out of stock. Write a letter to the publisher. Write a letter and in your letter • • •

say why you need the book mention what the problem is and ask the publisher to republish the book or provide you with copies of the book

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General Essay Samples

GENERAL MODULE writing task 2 (essay)

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General Essay Samples 1- Some people believe that we can use animals the way we want while others believe animals have rights and we must respect their rights. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons o support your point of view. Animal rights is a topic that is very important to me. I simply think that everyone should have the decency to treat animals with kindness and respect, and not make them suffer in any way. I believe that animals deserve to live according to their own natures, without harm, abuse or exploitation. It has been shown that animals are capable of feeling pain, hunger, thirst, loneliness, and kinship. It breaks my heart when I see people wearing fur. Fur belongs to its original owner. Some fur comes from animals caught in horrific traps called leg holds. Leg holds are spring-loaded steel jaws that clamp shut on an animal’s foot once it is sprung. It causes injuries and blood loss. Animals are stuck in these traps for hours and even days before the trapper comes to pick them up. Some animals try to chew and bite their own limbs off just to get out of it. Fur also comes from ‘fur farms’. Millions of animals are killed each year in these farms. The farms force them to live in extremely close contact with the other animals, which is completely against their instincts. This lifestyle causes severe stress that can lead to cannibalism and self-mutilation. They are killed by poisonous gasses, electrocution, suffocation, and neck breaking. Then there is also the subject of animal testing. Humans are important, but that does not give anyone the right to inflict endless pain and suffering on the animal, especially for stupid reasons like makeup testing. If animal testing were to stop now, the progress of medical progress would speed up, because the alternatives such as in-vitro techniques are less time-consuming, more accurate, and less expensive than using animals In conclusion, I believe that we are not allowed to make animals suffer. Animals have rights and we must protect them under any circumstances. (307 words)

Essay Practice Some people think that human needs for farmland, housing, and industry are more important than saving land for endangered animals. Do you agree or disagree with this point of view? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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General Essay Samples 2- Nowadays many people are trying to earn more and more and to get rich. In your opinion what are the advantages and disadvantages of being rich and what’s your opinion? Everybody wants to be rich; that is a fact. People try hard to earn as much money as they can in order to be affluent and powerful; and they believe wealth can benefit them in many different ways. First of all, you can enjoy a lot of things that money can buy; you do not have to worry about matters related to money such as controlling your expenses, etc. Also, you do not have to worry about your living, for example: you will neither experience the fear of losing your job, nor do you need to save money to raise your children. In addition, you can choose to study where you want, get a bachelor’s or master’s degree without having to worry about the tuition fees and payments. However, being rich does have some disadvantages, perhaps when you are rich, you and your family members are always in danger. I mean there are people who may plan to kidnap your relatives in order to earn some money. Clearly, the accounting system in your head tells you that you should save some money for some future purposes, but the temptation to spend money immediately is so overwhelming that you can’t resist and actually you go on a shopping spree and possibly, you will become materialistic. As a matter of fact, things will get boring, since you can afford everything that money can buy, so you will take up activities that can entertain you, for example, risky activities such as gambling. That’s why there are people who get addicted to gambling. In conclusion, I prefer to live a poor but a happy life, because money does not create happiness. Money does not buy you love. Money does not solve your problems. The more money you have, the more things you have to worry about, so, just treasure what you have. (308 words)

Essay Practice People work because they need money to live. What are some other reasons that people work? Discuss one or more of these reasons. Use specific examples and details to support your answer.

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General Essay Samples 3- Some people believe that comic books are trash and they waste our children’s time and energy. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Comic books are cheap entertainments that trash the minds of our children. I have seen this many times and each time I have disagreed with it. If people were willing to go beyond that old stereotype, they would see that comic books are not that much different from other books. First, let us all remember that the authors, regardless of what type of writing they do, can always influence the minds of their young readers. So if it is true that some comic books are sexist or violent, it is also true that some of them are, to put it simply, fine. It would be wrong to accuse all comic books of prejudice and violence, as it would be wrong to do the same with novels. In the same line of thought, one of the great things about books is that they can teach you a lot of things, they teach you facts that you did not know; they broaden your horizon. Well, that is also true of some comic books. And it is not so surprising, when you think about it. For example, I had never heard of the country of Tanzania before I read a comic book in which it was the birth place of one of the main characters. Even you can find more complicated and philosophical concepts being taught in some comic books, even though it is less obvious. For instance I read a particular comic book titled “understanding those who are born different from us”; It can easily be related to racism and its disadvantages. Thus, comic books, like books, can teach us great lessons. On a different note, it has often been said that literature is a form of art and that the writer is an artist and should be looked upon as such. What about comic books? Shouldn’t the writers of comic books also be praised for their work? At least because it demands a lot of talent and hard work. After all, how many of us could write good dialogues and scripts to keep the reader hanging month after month or pencil the characters so well? In the end, comic books can help us learn things in their own way; and they as well require hard work and talent. So, if you could forget the old stereotype for a minute, you might want to try and read one. (396 words)

Essay Practice Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should read only those books that are about real events, real people, and established facts. Use specific reasons and details to support your opinion.

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General Essay Samples 4- Nowadays more and more teenagers are becoming addicted to drugs or alcohol. In your opinion what are the reasons? And how can we prevent them from becoming addicted? Everyday more and more teens are turning to drugs and there is no simple answer to why a teen might begin using drugs or alcohol. Many times, it is a combination of several things. They may turn to drugs to escape stress or loneliness or to overcome shyness in social situations. They may want to be seen as grown up, or they may simply be curious. Teens often want to be like their role models as well; so, if their favorite music group or a "cool" friend at school uses drugs or alcohol, they may also use drugs or alcohol to be like them. Adolescence is often a time of low self-esteem, which can develop as a result of not being able to grow and change as quickly as desired. A young person with low self-esteem may feel they are not as smart, attractive, talented or popular as their friends. They may also feel pressured by parents, teachers or others to achieve goals. To help deal with the pressure, a young person with low self-esteem may be more likely to put aside his/her good judgment and turn to drugs or alcohol to escape. If some parents suspect that their teen is using drugs they may feel the need to catch them. So, they search their room, or control their activities and friends. These are all normal feelings, after all parents want their kids to be safe. However, it might be more helpful to talk with them and let them know about the changes they have observed and what the cause is. Preventing teen drug use is possible; parents and guardians need to learn the warning signs and dangers; therefore, parents must be aware of its symptoms. In conclusion, I think that every single individual must try to avoid drugs for the simple reason that it ruins our lives and society. (309 words)

Essay Practice In some countries, teenagers have jobs while they are still students. Do you think this is a good idea? Support your opinion by using specific reasons and details.

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General Essay Samples 5- As the first step to combat obesity among students, Health authorities intend to remove all the unhealthy foods from school canteens and introduce new kinds. To what extent do you agree with this scheme? Nowadays the number of students suffering from obesity and obesity-related diseases is increasing at an astonishing rate and I think it is a good idea to promote healthy living and eating habits among students today, but in my opinion removing the food most children love from school canteens is not going to work. Would children want to buy something they have never heard of? Most of the items that may be introduced are strange to students. If the government forces schools to provide this kind of food, most children will definitely not buy them. It is not the government’s business what students eat. Education is the best way to promote healthy living, not prohibition. Therefore, instead of starting with schools and banning the school canteens from selling the unhealthy foods, authorities must inform the students of the harmful effects of such foods. Furthermore, the ill-conceived plan could wipe out a great deal of money a year from school revenues and force schools to close canteens. Therefore, school communities and parents should as well choose what is best for their students. Hence, abandoning the foods most children are fond of is not an alternative. However I do believe that canteens should gradually try to provide foods suited to students’ ethnic and religious backgrounds and try to improve their health and reduce alarming rates of obesity among the students. In conclusion, serving nutritious food might improve children’s health and reduce obesity. But the move to ban such foods from canteens will have a negative feedback. (253 words)

Essay Practice People do many different things to stay healthy. What do you do for good health? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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General Essay Samples 6- Obesity is turning into a serious national program. Suggest some solutions in order to prevent people from getting obese? Obesity is on the rise, and it is becoming more and more of a national health concern. It affects more than 1/3 of the population, and an additional 1/3 is overweight. With obesity becoming more and more of a problem each year, the people in Iran are going to suffer from a catastrophic health problem. I believe that the Iranian Government should take action to manage its people’s diets because they will not do it on their own. If the Iranian government stepped up its campaign on obesity, many of the country’s obese people could stop getting heavier and will shed pounds. I think that the problem with people in our country is the lack of motivation to diet and exercise. I believe that the public policy for people would be such that people who exercise regularly should be rewarded. I believe that people who put forth effort in an exercise program should be rewarded with tax deductions. This would bring a lot more people into the world of exercise. The next most-important solution is education. Education is the key if lowering of the people’s weight is wanted. Providing them with the knowledge of what foods do what, how, and why would allow the public to be more educated on how to lose weight properly. Habits are established at a young age, and if healthy habits can be established, then the country can be much better off. And the final step is to pass laws requiring fast food and chain restaurants to post nutrition information such as caloric, fat and sugar content on menus. After being thoroughly educated about dieting, Iranians must have access to the information to be able to know what foods are good or bad and why. Knowing how to read is not relevant if there is nothing to read. (303 words)

Essay Practice Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Universities should give the same amount of money to their students' sports activities as they give to their university libraries. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

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General Essay Samples 7- Many people believe that playing games teaches us about life while others believe that children waste their time by playing games. What’s your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. No one can deny the importance of playing games in our lives. Some people argue that playing games teaches us many valuable things about life, while others believe that playing games teaches us nothing about life. I strongly support the idea that playing games is beneficial in our life for the following reasons. One reason why I believe so is that playing games teaches us teamwork especially in team games. In team games, the individual team members should not only play for personal achievements but for the sake of the team as well. Moreover, playing games teaches us cooperation, organization and loyalty to our team, which in turn affects positively our relationships with other people. Another reason that can make playing games valuable is that it teaches participants to have goals and to work very hard to accomplish these goals. In life, everyone has many goals and he/she puts them in front of his/her eyes and tries day and night to achieve them. Thus, there is a strong relationship between playing games and learning about life. In addition, when people practice team sports they come into contact with people who have different characteristics and personalities. However, I much acknowledge that children must not spend all their time playing games. They must not ignore their school lessons and their responsibilities in life; they must certainly have a program and try to abide by their programs in order to succeed in life. To sum up, I still believe that playing games teaches us many useful things about life such as cooperation, loyalty, organization, and achievement of goals in life. (267 words)

Essay Practice Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Games are as important for adults as they are for children. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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General Essay Samples 8- Nowadays an increasing number of students prefer to extend their studies abroad. What are the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Education is essential in order to secure as good an employment position as possible. Studying abroad is a popular choice among students today; however, is it the best choice? Studying abroad has both its advantages and disadvantages. There are several advantages to studying abroad. Firstly, one can have more knowledge about different cultures. It is also the best way to learn foreign languages since one has the chance to speak with the native speakers. In addition, one can learn about various traditions and customs. And all these can help one to have better employment positions, because foreign language skills and knowledge of foreign traditions are important when working with foreigners. Besides, it can help one become more organized and self-confident. There are many good and bad things in every society. Living abroad is like learning what the big world is like. And finally Students learn to take good care of themselves and learn what they should do for a living in different situations. On the other hand, one of the main disadvantages of studying abroad is living in a different place and culture. When students go to study abroad they are living somewhere very different and it is not easy to do so. They may come across many problems e.g. strange food, bad weather and no friends. Also when they go back to their countries they need to get used to the culture again. It can become a big problem if they cannot, because they might not be able to work with others. Another disadvantage of studying abroad is selfishness. Selfconfidence could be self-destructive. Almost all students that study abroad are very confident. It is good to be self-confident but at times it may become selfdestructive, since these students will not hear the ideas of others and believe in only what they think which might make working with other people hard. In conclusion, studying abroad is a good opportunity, but the advantages and disadvantages must first be considered very carefully before deciding whether or not to enter foreign universities. (340 words)

Essay Practice

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Teachers should be paid according to how much their students learn. Give specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

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General Essay Samples 9- The government is planning to set a higher driving age. The law will not allow young people below 21 to drive. Do you agree or disagree with this scheme? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. The media seem to have developed a grudge against teenage drivers recently. They claim that these young people should not be allowed on the road because they cause accidents, while teens cause no more accidents than adults do. Incredibly the government seems to share this blind prejudice and is going to set an unacceptably high driving age. Even if teens cause as much mayhem as the government claims they do, they should be given a chance to improve on themselves, not wait for themselves to become safer. An extremely obvious fact that both the government and the media have overlooked is that age does not make a person safe. This is why adults cause just as many accidents as teenagers do. However, the government refuses to see what is plainly under its nose and is going to set an unjust driving age in the hope that it will reduce the country’s number of road accidents. Bear in mind that adults, who have the exact same rate of accidents, are allowed to roam freely on the road. This shows how biased the government is. The high driving age also creates problems for all the young people who will not be allowed to drive on their own, especially university students. They are usually forced to take the highly unreliable and mismanaged public transport. As the services are usually delayed or overloaded, it causes the young people to be late for their daily commitments. They also have to pay more and suffer the added frustration. In conclusion, I believe instead of taking the easy way out, the government should tackle the problem at its roots. Young people usually cause accidents because of the lack of experience or awareness, or both. So the government should provide education of some sort to help young people build these things. (303 words)

Essay Practice

A friend of yours has received some money and plans to use all of it either o to go on vacation or to buy a car. Your friend has asked you for advice. Compare your friend's two choices and explain which one you think your friend should choose. Use specific reasons and details to support your choice.

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General Essay Samples 10- Some people say that physical exercise should be a required part of every school day. Other people believe that students should spend the whole school day on academic studies. What are the benefits of exercise? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Most people need some motivation to get off the couch and begin exercising. They have started to work out and then stopped their workout routine so many times that they cannot keep track of the number of programs they have tried. In fact, by statistics these people are among the average Iranians. There are many benefits that arrive from the presence of exercise in our daily routine. Improved strength, improved cardiovascular fitness, and an improved immune system are just three of the many benefits that come from exercise. First, strength is the power to resist strain or stress. Strength training, also known as resistance training, has many benefits. By training over a regular period of time your muscle tone will increase the muscle's readiness for work. Increased muscle tone improves posture, which can help lead to a betterdeveloped physique. Following a resistance-training program you can expect to find changes in your body shape. Another benefit might also be the cardiovascular fitness. The heart is a muscle that responds to exercise by becoming stronger and more efficient. The muscles demand more energy and oxygen due to the increased workload that comes from exercise. This causes the heart rate and respiratory rate to increase in order to provide the required additional fuel to the muscles. In addition, the entire circulatory system works more efficiently due to vascular dilation and cholesterol reduction. By improving the condition of your cardiovascular fitness you are also helping yourself live longer, decrease the risk of heart diseases, lower the blood pressure, strengthen your cardiovascular system, and the list goes on. Regular physical activity appears to improve the functioning of the immune system. Recent research suggests that people who exercise regularly come down with fewer colds and flues than their sedentary friends. Regular physical activity seems to strengthen the immune system so that it is better able to fight the foreign germs that make our bodies sick. In conclusion, exercise can be very beneficial if performed correctly and efficiently. (331 words)

Essay Practice

Why do you think some people are attracted to dangerous sports or other dangerous activities? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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General Essay Samples 11- Despite all the government’s efforts to decrease the number of car accidents, this number is still on the rise. In your opinion, how can the government help reduce the number of car accidents? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. The number of vehicles on freeways and streets is increasing at an alarming rate. This influx of motor vehicles is creating hazardous conditions. Moreover, drivers are in such a rush to get to their destinations that many become angry or impatient with other motorists who are too slow and although law enforcement authorities warn motorists against aggressive driving, the number of drivers who act out their angry impulses has not declined. The first reason indeed is not legislating serious punishments for aggressive driving. Legislating punishments for foolish behaviors is very crucial in order to decrease the number of such accidents. At the same time police officers, who have the right to arrest any driver who is drunk, should also have the right to capture aggressive drivers as both drunk and foolishly behaving drivers threaten the safety of motorways. In my opinion, the government should play its role in controlling this phenomenon. Besides, ignoring the traffic laws and regulations leads to more road accidents and to decrease the number of road accidents, our drivers should be more accurate in obeying these rules. For instance, they should look and signal before overtaking other cars. They should also stop when they come to a junction. This, consequently, would reduce the number of accidents which take place daily on our motorways. To conclude, careless and irresponsible drivers are endangering everyone because they create hazardous conditions by acting and driving foolishly, the drivers should control their anger and learn to drive safely. After all, the lives they save could be their own. (258 words)

Essay Practice Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spend more money on improving public transportation (buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.

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General Essay Samples 12- Many students think school classes are boring and useless. What are the factors leading to this problem? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Students often remark that school is boring. This remark could be fueled by a lackadaisical and truly inappropriate set of mandatory credits, lack of interest towards subjects and an extremely boring method of teaching. The main problem, Mandatory Credits, starts right at the top of the ladder. Students are forced into classes they will not need and are taught skills that will never be used. If a child is to become a mathematician why is he/she forced to sit through classes where a teacher rambles on and breaks down a story that will never be picked up in life again? Once this problem is figured out, students will be more interested and encouraged in classes. The second problem, lack of interest, is fueled by the same mandatory credits. Why should a student be forced into taking a class where they will simply be caught "snoozing" due to lack of interest. By this time a student has given up and starts to hate school in general. The third problem, drilling students, is found with the teachers themselves. A student has to sit in class with his books open rewriting the same words being said by the teachers. Why cannot they make it more hands-on, keep the students into it? If teachers want results they should involve their students in the learning process and avoid promoting passive leaning by using more practical and interesting teaching methods. In conclusion, I think in order to interest the students in school, the school principles need to make significant changes in their education programs. (258 words)

Essay Practice

It has recently been announced that a new high school may be built in your community. Do you support or oppose this plan? Why? Use specific reasons and details in your answer.

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General Essay Samples 13- Some people believe hunting animals as a sport should not be illegalized while others disagree. What’s your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. How many animals will be slaughtered before it is decided too many are dead? Will species die out and fade into obscurity? With the large prevalence of hunters in today's world, it is time to define what hunting is. Hunting is not a sport due to its inability to follow the definition of a sport, the waste of precious animal lives, and moral ethics. Many people think that a sport should be fair to both sides. There should always be a chance for the other team to win; otherwise there would not be a point. Also, a sport should be fun for both sides. If it is not, then the sport stops being recreational. A third reason is the fact that people participate in sports by choice. An animal does not choose to be hunted, it is chosen by the hunter. It would seem that hunting is no longer a sport: it is unfair to the animal, the animal is definitely not having fun and the animal has absolutely no choice about participating. In addition, when People in the past hunted an animal, they would honour its spirit. This was done because they believed that all creatures, including humans, were equal in life. One of the ways they honoured the animal's spirit was to use every portion of the body. They would use the skin for clothing or shelter, the stomach for cooking, the meat for eating and many other portions for various uses. This practice continued for hundreds of years. It still exists today. Many modern day sport hunters do not follow this ideal. A lot of hunters stuff and mount their kills as trophies, or decorations. This is a waste of the animal. And finally if people believe that killing humans is wrong, why do they not believe the same about wild animals? If a person walked into a gun store and told the clerk that he/she was going to go hunting, the clerk would start setting up the license. If the same person told the clerk that he/she was going to hunt humans, the clerk would immediately set off the alarm and summon the police. Then If it is wrong to kill humans in this manner, then it must be wrong to kill animals in the same way. In conclusion I believe to kill an animal out of necessity is understandable, but to kill an animal for sport! That is unjust and should never occur. (408 words)

Essay Practice Many parts of the world are losing important natural resources, such as forests, animals, or clean water. Choose one resource that is disappearing and explain why it needs to be saved. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

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General Essay Samples 14. Humans are producing an increasing amount of trash everyday and the world is becoming full of the landfills we use to get rid of our trash. In your opinion, how can recycling save the environment and help the people on Earth? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Recycling means to use again and again. Recycling helps the world because we are reusing things instead of using energy to make more things. Paper, tin, metals, plastic, glass & miscellaneous items can be recycled. Paper is cellulose, which is in plant fibers. The cellulose is made by cutting down trees, grinding them up, and dumping the wood pulp in acid. Paper can also be recycled from other paper. Old paper is sent to factories, where it is shredded and mashed into pulp, which is then turned back into paper. Recycling uses cellulose over and over again, this saves trees from being cut down. Recycling can also save energy because making recycled paper uses 30% to 40% less energy than producing paper from new wood pulp. Tin is a metal and is mostly in the form of cans and tin foil. Tin cans are actually 99% steel, with a thin layer of tin added to prevent rusting. In Iran, they throw away enough metals (including tin) to build new cars. Aluminum can recycling saves 95% of the energy needed to make aluminum. Also it will save our mineral resources from depletion. And finally Plastic is the material that makes up many things. Bottles, Cups, cell phones and many other items are made of plastic. Plastic is used so much, and recycling it can save our oil resources as well as the energy used to produce plastic. There are many more things which can be recycled. Recycling is good for us because we reuse products and we do not waste energy which we can use in the future. Recycling is good and you should recycle as much as you can. (279 words)

Essay Practice

A company is going to give some money either to support the arts or to protect the environment. Which do you think the company should choose? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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General Essay Samples 15- Nowadays almost every student who graduates from high school tries to attend college or university. Why do you think people attend college or university? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. Entering higher education is nowadays regarded as one of the most important aims of most teenagers in Iran, it is indeed considered so essential that most teenagers, upon graduation from high school, take the university entrance examination which is administered annually in the hope that they can pass it and enter university. Of course they have many different reasons for sitting the test many of which are not educational purposes. I believe most students struggle for success for occupational purposes. I mean they would like to have better employment opportunities with a higher salary; consequently, their favorite field of study is usually based on market demand. They are fond of the specialties that are in higher demand in society. Another reason for entering college and university is achieving a higher social status. Holding a university degree is these days associated with a relatively superior status. There are also some teenagers who try to keep up with the Joneses; they do not have any justifiable reason for their decisions; however, they do so since they do not want to fall behind others. Some other teenagers study their lessons hard to pass the university entrance exam since they are forced to. It is an obligation imposed on them by their parents to which they have to conform. On the other hand, there are many others who prefer to extend their education for some better reasons. There are teenagers who continue their studies in order to broaden their knowledge; they try to obtain academic, professional knowledge in their favorite fields, they love their major and try to obtain as much information in the field as possible. In conclusion, I believe each single teenager may have his or her reason for entering college or university, and a reason that may or may not seem convincing for others. (303 words)

Essay Practice

You have been told that dormitory rooms at your university must be shared by two students. Would you rather have the university assign a student to share a room with you, or would you rather choose your own roommate? Use specific reasons and details to explain your answer.

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General Essay Samples 16- In the modern world today the rate of divorce is rising dramatically in most societies. In your opinion what are the most important reasons for getting divorced? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Marriage is known to be a lifetime commitment towards love and caring among people. However, most marriages these days seem to be failing due to the increasing number of problems with the modern world. Why do people get married? Well it is a known tradition in humanity that a woman and man will come together and live their lives as one. The most important element that seems to have disappeared is love not just any love, but true, deep-feeling love. To keep a relationship clear, the love itself should be clear, not artificially placed. If there is no well-defined understanding of love, then it should obviously not be a marriage. In some traditions, they have what is known as an arranged marriage. This is the process where love is somewhat “forced” to exist between two people. Disloyalty is another reason leading to divorce. Nowadays adultery is one of the most popular reasons for most divorces and it usually has the worst outcome as well. These include physical and verbal fights, splitting of a family including children, lawsuits, and much more. Financial problems can also end a good marriage. This cause leads to fights on spending too much money, making a bad investment, and purchasing useless things. Being stingy can also be another bad reason. No matter what the reason is, the causes of failing marriages are practically endless, Unexpected health deterioration is still another problem. In the Modern world women or men would rather get a new life than stay with a husband that will sooner or later die. Physical illness is pretty bad as well. If a man is impotent or a woman is infertile, this means that they cannot conceive a child. Some people believe that the main reason for marriage is to have children, and if there is no potential of having children, then why should they stay together? Finally, I believe that the young people must change their attitudes towards many things such as love, life, loyalty and so on before they end up in divorce themselves. (341 words)

Essay Practice Some people think that the family is the most important influence on young adults. Other people think that friends are the most important influence on young adults. Which view do you agree with? Use examples to support your position. 38

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General Essay Samples 17- Some people believe that people’s choice of leisure activities is to a great extent affected by fashions, while others believe that people still choose their favorite leisure activities regardless of fashions. With which opinion do you agree? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. By comparison with even the recent past, the choice of leisure activities on offer today is vast, but while it may seem reasonable to argue that some of these activities reflect the trends and fads of the day, I believe the majority still choose to take up their hobbies out of interest. While some may fall victim to fashion in the modern world, many people of all ages and backgrounds take up hobbies for social reasons. Traditional hobbies range from participation in active sports like tennis to old favorites such as chess and stamp collecting, and these continue to be popular. There are still people who collect shells as a hobby and they eagerly pursue their hobbies irrespective of the fashions that catch on and fall out day in day out. Where sports is concerned, most people know what they like and participate out of love of the game, rather than because it is currently fashionable. People have been interested in a particular sport during their whole life and changes in fashion have rarely affected their interests. It is worth mentioning that children’s games such as hide and seek and tag are still widely appreciated by most children all around the world regardless of the new games that are being introduced on a daily basis. However, for some people as new hobbies and activities are introduced, other hobbies are history. For example, sports such as rollerblading lose their fascination after a few months. Current trends are always overshadowed by the new ones being promoted through massive advertisement. Electronic games go out of date almost as soon as you have bought them and this is so because manufacturers promote the fact that only the latest version is worth having, and so ensure continued sales. Therefore, I feel that while fashions have an influence, particularly among the young, the majority of people enjoy their hobbies for their own sake. (317 words)

Essay Practice Some people prefer to plan activities for their free time very carefully. Others choose not to make any plans at all for their free time. Compare the benefits of planning free-time activities with the benefits of not making plans. Which do you prefer-planning or not planning for your leisure time? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your choice. IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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General Essay Samples 18- Some parents believe that students must work hard at school and spend their free time learning their school lessons, while others believe that students need to spend their free time playing and developing other skills. With which opinion do you agree? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Today education has become a priority for many parents seeking to secure a good future for their children in this rapidly changing world. Most parents believe that if their children work hard at school, then they will increase their opportunities for going to higher education and eventually getting a good job. Of course they are right. However, they must know that there are other things to learn except the academic skills at schools. The parents, who do not allow their children sufficient free time for leisure activities outside school hours, are misguided. Such activities are far from being a waste of time for the children for the simple reason that they are not academic. It is important to remember that children need to develop skills other than intellectual ones, and the best way to do this is through activities such as sports, games and playing with other kids. Moreover children must develop their imagination; make-believe games can help children to inspire their imagination. Besides, they must learn physical coordination through the games they play with their peers. They must taste victory and failure, how can they learn important social lessons about winning and losing if they do not practice any sports? Many children form strong, personal relationships with their friends they play with, and without the opportunity to do this, they could grow up emotionally immature and unformed. However, In the world today, students need to be educated in order to survive in this world; they must be skilled and knowledgeable; therefore, allowing children to ignore these fundamental needs and waste their time will not help them, so as access to the best education and best jobs is becoming more competitive, then it is true that children have to make the best of their study time when they are young. Finally I think it is important to remember that children need to relax as well as work. If everything they do must have educational or academic relevance, then they will soon get tired of studying altogether, which is the last thing parents would want. (344 words)

Essay Practice Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? All students should be required to study art and music in secondary school. Use specific reasons to support your answer. 40

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General Essay Samples 19- In the fight against crime, police forces and governments are increasingly using security cameras in public places. Some people are opposed to this, saying that it invades our privacy. Discuss both these views and finally give your opinion. Security cameras have become ubiquitous in many countries. Whereas before they appeared only in banks and at high-security areas, they are now entering public places such as malls, streets, stadiums and transport. Many people feel they intrude on citizens’ privacy while others believe they may help increase social security. Some people believe security cameras are far from being a perfect solution. The biggest objection they can lodge concerns privacy. Many people feel that they should be free to travel or move around a shop, mall, street or country without being photographed or recorded. They feel that being watched constantly is like being in a jail, and that ordinary people are losing their freedom because of these security devices. Another point is that although the police say that only criminals have something to fear from the cameras, many people do not trust governments with too much information. Corrupt authorities could use the information in the wrong way or twist it to victimize some groups, and finally I think cameras and computers can make mistakes. However, others believe that surveillance cameras have several benefits. An obvious benefit is that the police can catch criminals in the act, and reduce crime. This will make the streets safer for ordinary people. Catching a criminal red handed will also greatly reduce the police costs as the police do not need to conduct large scale investigation to prove a criminal guilty. A more important point is that criminals, particularly young offenders or petty criminals will be deterred. They will not be tempted to carry out crimes, and thus society will be a lot safer. Cameras are also cost-effective and unobtrusive. Authorities do not need to spend large amounts of money on police. In conclusion, although there are definite disadvantages to using surveillance devices such as cameras, but considering the rapidly increasing crime rate in our society and the critical need for enhancing our social security, I think the merits way outweigh its demerits. (327 words)

Essay Practice Some people believe citizens should be allowed to carry handguns in order to protect themselves, while others think this can lead to many social security problems in the society. What’s your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your answer.

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General Essay Samples 20- Some people believe that starting school at an earlier age is very beneficial for children, while others believe that children must stay home and attend school at the age of 7. In your opinion, what are the advantages of attending school before the age of 7? In many places today, children start primary school at around the age of six or seven; however, because it is more likely now that both parents work, there is little opportunity for children to stay home up to that age. Instead they will probably go to a nursery school when they are much younger. While some people think this may be damaging to a child's development or to a child's relationship with his or her parents, in fact there are many advantages to having school experience at a young age. Firstly, a child will learn to interact with a lot of different people and some children learn to communicate very early because of this. They are generally more confident and independent than children who stay at home with their parents and who are not used to strangers or new situations. Such children find their first day at school at the age of six very frightening and this may have a negative effect on how they learn. Another advantage of going to school at an early age is that children socially develop faster. They make friends and learn how to get on with other children of a similar age. This is often not possible at home because they are the only children, or because their brothers or sisters are older or younger. So overall, I believe that attending school from a young age can benefit children in many different ways. Moreover , they still have plenty time to spend at home with their parents, so they can benefit from both environments. (260 words)

Essay Practice

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Self-confidence is the most important factor for success in school or at work. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

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General Essay Samples 21- Research is an essential part of completing assignments. Write a report for a course tutor suggesting some good places to obtain useful information. Give reasons for your choices. The most important step in the completion of a class assignment is researching the topic. Some assignments require you to give written answer, and others require spoken presentation. However, finding useful information is only possible if you know where to look. To begin with, there is the reading list that the tutor gives students in class. Reading lists show the essential book titles you should read to complete a written task, and are useful because they contain the books that the tutor recommends. Secondly, there is the library in the school where you are studying. Most good colleges have libraries containing a wide range of books, newspapers, magazines and reference material. These days, modern well-equipped libraries have banks of computers with CD- ROM disks on a variety of subjects. Alternatively, if you are researching information for a spoken presentation, you might borrow a video to show your class. If you cannot find the books you need in the school or college library, you can go to the local library and ask the librarian there to help you. Additionally, the internet allows us to obtain information from a huge number of sources all over the world. It might take a long time to search for what you want, but once you find it you can print out only the pages you require. Finally, people can be good sources of information, too. By interviewing people with particular knowledge, or conducting surveys, you can obtain information that is the most current and suitable for your needs. (253 words)

Essay Practice

A university plans to develop a new research center in your country. Some people want a center for business research. Other people want a center for research in agriculture (farming). Which of these two kinds of research centers do you recommend for your country? Use specific reasons in your recommendation.

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General Essay Samples 22- Nowadays more and more research results show the positive effects of sports in our life, and people are strongly advised to take up a sport as soon as possible. What are the major effects of getting exercise? Practicing a sport is much more than the sole act of pushing your body through exhaustion or using your skills to reach your goal. There are many effects that show after you get involved in a sport. The first major effect of practicing a sport is that you will develop physical abilities. Your body will be in better shape, and you will be able to achieve things that physically you could not accomplish before. For instance your speed, muscular mass, stamina, lung capacity, and elasticity will all increase enormously. By exercising on a regular basis your body will be healthier, which means fewer diseases and fewer injuries. People with a healthy life tend to live longer and more happily. The second effect has to do with your personal life. Yes, sports will get very deep into your life. Practicing a sport requires some time, so you will be entertained for a while everyday instead of watching television or surfing on the internet. By practicing a sport you will get the chance to travel to new places where competitions are held. And that’s not all because once you enter a better level of competition; you may compete in national or international tournaments, attract sponsors, and even make a profit out of it! Practicing a sport affects you as a person as well as your social life. You will meet a lot of people in the business, from beginners to professionals; however, only a small group of individuals will become your friends to the point of turning into your second family. That is having a team. As an athlete you will develop a strong character and a competitive spirit. Besides you will become more disciplined and responsible, which will certainly help you in your professional life. In conclusion, sports can shape your body, your life, and your mind in good ways. Practicing a sport keeps you entertained and far away from boredom. In addition you will have the chance to experience the amazing feeling of beating all your opponents down from the quarterfinals or crossing the finish line ahead of everyone else. (350 words)

Essay Practice

People have different ways of escaping the stress and difficulties of modern life. Some read; some exercise; others work in their gardens. What do you think are the best ways of reducing stress? Use specific details and examples in your answer. 44

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General Essay Samples 23- Unfortunately nowadays many school students drop out of school before they graduate. In your opinion what are the reasons for school drop-out? And what ways can you suggest in order to solve the problem? Today, although most students in Iran complete their education, a large number still drop out because of family, social and work pressures. This problem requires serious action from both individuals and the government. Most students who do not complete school do so because of family problems. Girls, especially, want to get married and start a family. Some parents are not interested in education and do not support their children in studying. Social problems are also a contributing factor. Education is compulsory but, despite this, some people do not take it seriously. Furthermore, jobs are available even if students do not have a good education. The third reason is work pressure. Some families are poor and need their children to work in order to increase the income. All these problems will create young people who do not have any skills and who will not be able to improve their lives for the family and the country. There are several things that can be done about these problems. Parents should be encouraged to send their children to school. Schools with babyminding facilities should be opened specially for married students. The government needs to stress the importance of education and even offer financial support to students to continue. This will encourage students to stay at school rather than start working. In conclusion, there are several things that the government can do to allow more people to finish school. However, a number of society attitudes also have to change if the country’s young people are to achieve their full potential. (256 words)

Essay Practice Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? It is more important for students to study history and literature than it is for them to study science and mathematics. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

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General Essay Samples 24- Television is now widespread in all communities. Almost everyone has access to this medium on a daily basis. However, the effects of television are not always positive. What are some of the negative effects of television? What can be done to minimize these bad effects? Give reasons for your answer. One can say that television is one of the most important technological developments and nowadays almost everyone in the world has access to TV. Television has caused significant changes in family life and education some of which have been negative. Certainly TV can be a powerful educational tool which can benefit the people; however, the effect that TV has had on our lives have not all been positive. Before television was widely available, families spent more time together talking and playing games. They seemed much closer to each other than modern families. Now many children even have their own TV in the bedroom so they spend very little time with their parents or brothers and sisters. Some people might argue that this helps young people to be independent, but I think this is a negative effect because they will be unable to communicate effectively or relate to others emotionally. Also the fact is that many people waste a lot of time watching poor quality programs which do not have a positive influence. Advertising, too, can have very negative effects. Furthermore TV is sometimes used to deliberately misinform people, for example when it is used as a propaganda tool by governments. I am sure there are some very practical ways in order to reduce the negative effects of TV in society. First off, I think the government must legislate rules according to the religious beliefs of the nation preventing the people in charge from broadcasting poor quality programs. Another thing the government can do is to provide education programs for parents and children instructing them about the negative effects of TV. And finally I think every single individual must understand that it is time to kick the habit of watching TV and take up a more beneficial and active hobby. In conclusion even though it can benefit the members of the society, I believe the one-eyed monster is doing a great harm which we must not ignore. (326 words)

Essay Practice In the future, students may have the choice of studying at home by using technology such as computers or television or of studying at traditional schools. Which would you prefer? Use reasons and specific details to explain your choice.

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General Essay Samples 25- Addiction to TV is becoming more and more common worldwide. What are some of the problems associated with this and what recommendations can you offer? The word television comes from Greek and means "seeing far away". However, the more we watch it, the more short-sighted and narrow-minded we become. Unfortunately, TV is fast becoming as popular and dangerous as drugs. In this essay, I will outline some problems linked to TV addiction and suggest some viable solutions. Starting with the dangers, health is one of the biggest. To clarify, people who watch too much TV frequently develop problems with their eyes and back and, too, many become obese. A further negative effect is that a lot of time is wasted. In fact, statistics show that frequent viewers watch TV for an average of three or more hours daily. A final issue is that TV addicts may become antisocial, spending little quality time with family and friends. Indeed, this is particularly detrimental to children who need to learn good social skills. Fortunately, there are remedies for this dangerous addiction. One answer is to budget the amount of time spent watching TV For example, people can set aside one hour a day and schedule other activities, such as sports or reading, in their leisure time. Yet another alternative is to limit the number of televisions in the household, even covering screens with a sheet or blanket when they are not in use. Last, the best solution of all could be to kill the contraption! If you don't have a TV, you won't watch one! To conclude, addiction to TV is a widespread disease, but with the right medicine, it can be cured. Individuals must take a long view towards the future, recognizing that short-term actions have long-term consequences. (271 words)

Essay Practice Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Television, newspapers, magazines, and other media pay too much attention to the personal lives of famous people such as public figures and celebrities. Use specific reasons and details to explain your opinion.

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General Essay Samples 26- A company has announced that it wishes to build a large factory near your community. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of this new influence on your community. Do you support or oppose the factory? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. These days I hear news about a big company which intends to build a large factory in the proximity of my neighborhood. I think living close to a large manufacturing firm certainly has a lot of considerable merits, even though it might cause some problems for the residents of the neighboring communities. The factory can help decrease the rate of unemployment in this area. Unfortunately recently there have been few employment opportunities in my community and most people go downtown in search of employment; therefore, the construction of a large factory can save people from commuting to and from work in the city center. The factory will also place more importance on our town. I mean more people will be traveling to our neighborhood and therefore the local businesses will flourish as well. However, there will be some problems for the residents too; For example, if accurate measures to combat pollution are not taken the area may be threatened by pollution. Chemical wastes produced by the factory will contaminate the water resources and may endanger the lives of people as well as the ecosystem. The people may as well face more traffic jams in the neighborhood as more people rush into the town in the morning. On the whole, I believe we need this factory; people have been suffering from financial problems in recent years, and the low unemployment has led to an increasing rate of crime and violence among the youth. Many people spend several hours commuting to and from work and many people have emigrated to other cities and have settled down there. Our town is disappearing and we need this factory to save it. (277 words)

Essay Practice Some people like doing work by hand. Others prefer using machines. Which do you prefer? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

General Essay Samples 27- Some people prefer to live in a small town. Others prefer to live in a big city. What are the advantages and disadvantages of living in a big city? Which place would you prefer to live in? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. Most people live in places where they can enjoy their lives; even though some people like living in small rural areas, some people prefer to live in large modern cities and while the wide range of facilities available in a large modern city can benefit its inhabitants in so many different ways, it certainly causes some problems for them. Most people prefer to live in a large modern city since there is a wide range of facilities in a large modern city including transport facilities, social and recreational facilities, educational facilities and a lot more, such as medical facilities; there are large up-to-date hospitals and schools and other community facilities most of which are not available in a small town. Public facilities existing in a large modern city also include disabled facilities and sports facilities which a small town lacks. Nevertheless one can’t ignore the disadvantages either, consider the hustle and bustle of a large modern city for instance, most large cities are crowded, noisy and at times polluted, and you can never find the peace and quiet of a small town in a large city. There is also usually a higher crime rate in large modern cities. Living expenses are also much higher in large cities and this forces the residents to work harder in order to earn a living. In conclusion, I do prefer to live in a large modern city; of course I realize the fact that there are some disadvantages in living in a large modern city. However, you cannot compare the facilities available in small towns and modern cities, the existing facilities in a modern city are far more extensive that those in a small town. There are enough employment opportunities in a small town and finally I cannot extend my education in a small town since there are not enough universities and colleges. (309 words)

Essay Practice It is better for children to grow up in the countryside than in a big city. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Use specific reasons and examples to develop your essay.

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

49

General Essay Samples 28- In general, people these days live longer in most countries of the world. Discuss the causes of this phenomenon. Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay. Living longer has always been a dream for most human beings, and they have tried throughout history to find ways to achieve longevity; luckily their efforts have led to some good results and now according to official figures, average life expectancy in many countries of the world has increased. In my opinion the most important reason for this phenomenon is adequate healthcare and better hygiene. In the past most people who contracted the formerly fatal diseases would die in no time. There were no remedies for such diseases and only a very small proportion of the people afflicted with a fatal disease would survive. Infant mortality rate was, therefore, extremely high since children were more vulnerable and their immune system was the weakest. But these days most children are vaccinated against most fatal diseases and their immune system is stronger. Nowadays there are treatments for most diseases or at least people can take preventive measures against most of them. Furthermore, nowadays the food that we eat and the water that we drink are hygienic. Most people in the past did not have access to clean water recourses. In areas where people were not close to mountainous areas, they had to consume even dirty water. Nowadays people carry their foods in sterilized packages and keep them in their fridges; hence the chances of contamination are low. People nowadays can use fruits and vegetables from far-away places transported in refrigerated containers and can take in a range of vitamins and minerals therefore they are healthier. In conclusion, I think the technological advances in different fields have helped people live longer than before and they will certainly pave the way for still a higher average life expectancy, and people will live a longer life providing they pay attention to their lifestyles, healthcare and hygiene. (301 words)

Essay Practice

Some people believe that the Earth is being harmed by human activity. Others feel that human activity makes the Earth a better place to live. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

General Essay Samples 29- It is said that people’s life now is becoming more and more stressful. What are the causes and how can we solve it? The acceleration of industrialization and the prosperity of economy benefit our society a great deal. But with the speeding up of economic development, people are facing more and more pressure from various aspects of their lives. This essay will explore the causes for the heavy pressure and put forward some feasible solutions. One of the major causes is that people’s living rhythm has been promoted immensely with the upgrading of neo-knowledge and hi-tech. To keep abreast with the society, people have to work intensively on the one hand and improve their knowledge on the other. The economic globalization strengthened international cooperation and expanded people’s scope of activity. The fierce social competition deprives people of their spare time and makes their life more stressful. Another factor comes from the pressure of people’s family. People in the current society have to shoulder the responsibility of family maintenance. On the one hand, people have to care for their parents, creating for them a happy and comfortable life. On the other hand, they have to provide a good education for their children. To earn more money, people have to work very hard to finance their family. If people live in heavy pressure, they will have problems both physically and psychologically. To relieve the pressure, I think the following suggestions are feasible and practical. Firstly, people are suggested to go in for some sports games in their spare time or at the weekend. Sports can build up people’s physique and make them vigorous. Secondly, people should communicate with others frequently and confess their trouble and difficulty to others, which is a very magic way to release ones pressure. Finally, people have to find a balance between money and health. Otherwise, one’s health will be overdrawn and spoiled by earning money. In brief, good life should not be obtained at the price of the deterioration of one’s health. People should improve their lifestyles and lead a life of high quality. (324 words)

Essay Practice Some people believe that success in life comes from taking risks or chances. Others believe that success results from careful planning. In your opinion, what does success come from? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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General Essay Samples 30- Most students upon graduation from high school choose to study abroad. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of studying abroad for a period of time and give your own opinion. With the rapid development of societies, we have entered an era of information explosion. In order to acquire more knowledge, more and more people decide to further their study abroad. Studying abroad brings about many advantages. It widens students' knowledge and horizons, and meanwhile cultivates their independence and personalities. Students can learn advanced knowledge and experience abroad. Since the reform and the policy of opening to the outside world, China has strengthened cooperation with many countries. As a result, the scientific and technological level has been improved very rapidly. However, compared with the developed countries in the world, we still have a very long way to go. Studying abroad provides opportunities to students, who can learn advanced knowledge and management experience so as to enhance the scientific level in our country. Besides, studying abroad can enhance students' ability to live independently. Students have to deal with many problems when they study abroad. They have to learn how to be accustomed to a new environment and how to get along with the teachers and classmates. During their study, they can acquire some interpersonal skills. However, "Every coin has its two sides". Studying abroad also brings about many disadvantages. Firstly, students will be confronted with so many psychological problems and most students get homesick after a short time. They often feel lonely and helpless in a new environment. Furthermore, the tuition fee is very high, which is a very heavy financial burden to the average people. Finally most students are faced with crippling communication problems since there are not proficient enough at the target language. To sum up, the advantages of studying abroad outweigh the disadvantages greatly. I encourage students to study abroad. In spite of all the problems one may face, studying abroad can pave the way for future progress and when students complete their curriculum, they can make more contributions to the construction of our society. (316 words)

Essay Practice

Some people believe that a college or university education should be available to all students. Others believe that higher education should be available only to good students. Discuss these views. Which view do you agree with? Explain why.

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

IELTS PROGRESS 8 7 6 5

Bandscore

4 3 2 1 0 First

Then

Next

Afterward

Finally

ACADEMIC MODULE writing task 1 (graph, diagram & map description)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

53

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

1- The bar graph below shows the different levels of post-school qualifications in Australia and the proportion of men and women who held them in 1999. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Post-school qualification in Australia according to gender 1999 Skilled vocational diploma undergraduate diploma Females

Bachelor's degree

Males

Postgraduate diploma Master's degree 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Percentage of Males and F emales

The chart gives information about post-school qualifications in terms of the different levels of further education reached by men and women in Australia in 1999. We can see immediately that there were substantial differences in the proportion of men and women at different levels. The biggest gender difference is at the lowest post-school level, where 90% of those who held a skilled vocational diploma were men, compared with only 10% of women. By contrast, more women held undergraduate diplomas (70%) and marginally more women reached degree level (55%). At the higher levels of education, men with postgraduate diplomas clearly outnumbered their female counterparts (70% and 30% respectively), and also constituted 60% of master's degree. Thus we can see that more men than women hold qualifications at the lower and the higher levels of education, while more women reach undergraduate diploma level than men. The gender difference is smallest at the level of Bachelor’s degree, however. (155 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

2- The table below shows the proportion of different categories of families living in poverty in Australia in 1999. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Family Type Single aged person Aged couple Single, no children Couple, no children Sole parent Couple with children All households

Proportion of people from each household type living in poverty 6% (54,000) 4% (48,000) 19% (359,000) 7% (211,000) 21% (232,000) 12% (933,000) 11% (1,837,000)

The table gives a breakdown of the different types of family who were living in poverty in Australia in 1999. As it can be seen from the graph, the rate of poverty among couples is lower than singles. On average, 11% of all households, comprising almost two million people, were in the state of poverty. However, those consisting of only one parent or a single adult had almost double this proportion of poor people, with 21% and 19% respectively. Couples generally tended to be better off, with lower poverty levels of couples without children (7%) than those with children (12%). It is noticeable that for both types of household with children, a higher than average proportion were living in poverty at this time. Older people were generally less likely to be poor, though once again the trend favoured elderly couples (only 4%) rather than single elderly people (6%). Overall the table suggests that households of single adults and those with children were more likely to be living in poverty than those consisting of couples. (174 words)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

55

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

3- The chart below shows the amount of money per week spent on fast foods in Britain. The graph shows the trends in consumption of fast foods. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Expenditure on fast food by income groups 50 40 Hamburgers

30

Fish and Chips

20

Pizza

10 0 High Income

Average Income

Low Income

Consumption of fast foods 1970-1990 600

Grammes

500 400

Fish and Chips

300

Hamburgers

200

Pizza

100 0 1970

1975

1980

The charts show the sum of money spent on fast foods among three income groups as well as the consumption rate of fast foods in Britain from 1970 to 1990. The first chart shows that high income earners consumed considerably more fast foods than the other income groups, spending more than twice as much on hamburgers (43 pence per person per week) than on fish and chips or pizza (both under 20 pence). Average income earners also favoured hamburgers, spending 33 pence per person per week, followed by fish and chips at 24 pence, then pizza at 11 pence. Low income earners spent less than other income groups on fast foods, though fish and chips remains their most popular fast food, followed by hamburgers and then pizza. From the graph we can see that in 1970, fish and chips were twice as popular as burgers, pizza was at that time the least popular fast food. The consumption of hamburgers and pizza has risen steadily over the 20-year period to 1990 while the consumption of fish and chips has been in decline over the same period with a slight increase in popularity since 1985. (193 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

4- The graph shows the rate of fish catches in the USA and Canada over a period of 30 years. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Annual Fish Catch: North America

Millions of tonnes

6 5 4

US

3

Canada

2 1

2000

1998

1996

1994

1992

1990

1988

1986

1984

1982

1980

1978

1976

1974

1972

0

The graph shows changes in fish catches for the US and Canada over the last 30 years. The most significant feature is that fish catches have declined drastically in both the US and Canada since the mid-1980s. Although Canadian production is much lower, it echoes US figures, declining or increasing at the same rate. Between 1972 and 1977, US fish catches averaged between 2.5 and 2.75 million tonnes per year, while Canadian landings fluctuated between 800,000 and 1.1 million tonnes. In 1997, however, there was a big increase in fish caught in the US, and this rise continued up to a peak of 5.5 million tonnes in 1987. During the same period, Canada's catch increased from 1 million tonnes to 1.5 million tonnes, an increase of 50%. From 1987 onwards, there was a sudden decline in both countries. US figures tumbled to 4 million tonnes in 1995, a drop of 28%, and Canadian catches plunged to 0.5 million tonnes, a drop of 66%. In the following four years, US catches fluctuated around the 4 million tonne mark, while Canadian catches rose very slightly. In general, both Canadian and the much larger US catch have declined dramatically since their peak in the mid-1980s. (202 words)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Graph, Diagram & Map Samples 5- The pie charts show the trends in the Australian immigration from 1992 to 2002. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

South & Central America 3% Middle East & North Africa 7% Oceania

Africa (excl. Nth Africa) 3%

North America 2% Europe & former USSR 24%

1992

10% India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan 10%

Southeast Asia 21%

Northeast Asia 20%

South & Central America 1% Middle East & North Africa 7%

Africa (excl. Nth Africa) 10%

North America 2% Europe & former USSR 20%

2002 Southeast Asia 16%

Oceania 22% India, Sri Lanka, Pakistan

Northeast Asia 12%

The pie charts show changes in Australian immigration between 1992 and 2002. Overall, immigration dropped, and the number of immigrants from Europe and Asia declined. The biggest single group of immigrants in both years is from Europe. In 1992, almost 27,000 Europeans moved to Australia. This represented 25 of all immigrants to Australia, but this figure dropped to just 17,000, or 20% in 2002. Immigrants from Northeast and Southeast Asia accounted for 41% of new citizens in 1992, but this figure plunged to just 28% in 2002, with just 25,000 people. There was also a drop in the number and proportion of immigrants from North and South America and from the Middle East. However, the number of immigrants from Africa went up sharply. In 1992, only 3% of immigrants to Australia were African. By 2002, this figure had shot up to 9300, or 10%. Another large increase was in immigration from Oceania, the islands neighbouring Australia. By 2002 they made up the largest single group, at 19,000, or 22%. In conclusion, although Europe is still an important source of people seeking to live in Australia, immigration dropped overall, and applicants from regions such as Africa and Oceania became more numerous. (200 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples 6- The pie charts show the causes of diseases in developing and the developed countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

Cancer 9%

Other 2%

Developing Countries

Infectious & Parasitic Diseases 46%

Heart Disease 43%

Infectious & Parasitic Diseases 1%

Industrialized/ Developed Countries Heart Disease 24%

Other 54% Cancer 21%

The two pie charts show differences in the causes of diseases in rich countries and in the developing world. The biggest difference is that infectious diseases still kill millions of people in poorer countries, whereas in the wealthy nations, they account for only 1% of the deaths. In both rich and poor countries heart disease is the biggest single killer. It accounts for almost a quarter of deaths in the affluent countries, at 24%, but almost double that in the poorer countries, at 43%. Cancer is also a major cause of death. In the industrial countries, 21% of deaths are due to cancer. However, in third world countries, it only makes up 9% of fatalities. The greatest difference however, is infectious diseases. These make up almost half of all deaths in poorer countries, but only 1% of diseases in developed countries. In contrast, over half of deaths in the developed world are the result of other diseases. This compares to just 2% of deaths in poorer countries. In summary, most people in poorer countries die because of simpler, more treatable infectious and parasitic diseases. They also suffer because of a lack of resources to treat heart disease, whereas people in richer countries die due to cancer, heart disease, and a wider range of other illnesses. (215 words) IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

59

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

7- The pie charts below show the forms of energy used to generate electricity in the USA in two years. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. 1970

Natural Gas 24.3%

Coal 46.0% Hydro-electric Power 16.2% Oil 12.1%

Nuclear 1.4%

1984

Natural Gas 12.3% Hydro-electric Power 13.7% Coal 55.5%

Nuclear 13.5% Oil

The two pie charts illustrate the production of electricity in the US by source in 1970 and 1984. In general, it can be said that coal was the most important source of electrical power in both years, although nuclear power grew in importance. In 1970, coal-powered stations were the main source of electricity in the US, producing 46% of electricity, and this figure increased to 55% in 1984. The second most important source of power in 1970 was the natural gas, with almost 25%. However, by 1984, this had declined to just 12.3%. Hydroelectric power also declined over the same period, from 16% to less than 14%. In contrast, nuclear energy gained in importance. It rose from just 1.4% of production in 1970 to almost 14% in 1984, showing a ten-fold increase. In summary, more electricity was produced from coal and nuclear energy, while natural gas, hydroelectric power, and oil declined in importance. (153 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

8- The graph shows the average monthly temperatures in three African countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The line graph gives information about the average monthly temperatures in three African cities - Mombasa, Cairo, and Cape Town. Overall, each city has its own different climate, with very different characteristics. The hottest place shown on the graph is Cairo. In July and August, average temperatures rise to over 80º Fahrenheit. However, Cairo also has the biggest variation in climate, being both the hottest and coldest place shown in the graph. Temperatures drop to as low as 55 degrees in Cairo’s winter, during January and February. This is equal to Cape-Town’s lowest temperature in July. In fact Cairo and Cape Town are almost opposites in temperature. Cairo is hottest when Cape Town is coldest. Cape Town does not have the range that Cairo has. Its maximum temperature is 70º F from November to February, after which it drops gradually to about 55 degrees in its winter In contrast to Cairo or Cape Town, Mombasa is warm all year round. Its temperature fluctuates very little, ranging from a low of 75 to a maximum of 83 in March. In conclusion, location is very important in deciding climate. When it is winter in Cairo, it is summer in Cape Town, but Mombasa is warm all year round. (206 words) IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

61

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

9- The table below shows four different cars manufactured in three different countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Make

Price

Engine size

$15,550

Country of origin Japan

1400cc

Miles per gallon 48

Toyota Corolla Volkswagen Golf Ford Focus Nissan Micra

$18,250

Germany

1600cc

40

$15,800

USA

1400cc

50

$15,500

Japan

1200cc

52

The table compares the price, the power and the fuel consumption of four different models of cars produced in three different countries. The Toyota Corolla and the Nissan Micra are both made in Japan, and have almost similar prices. The former costs $15,550 while the latter is $50 cheaper. The Corolla has a bigger engine but the Micra does more miles to the gallon. The Volkswagen Golf is made in Germany and is the most expensive of the four cars as it is priced at $18,250. The Golf has the biggest engine size at 1600cc and is the least economical as it only does 40 miles to the gallon. The Ford Focus is in the same price range as the Corolla and the Focus at $15,800, although it does more miles to the gallon than either of them. In conclusion, the table shows that as the engine of the cars get bigger, they are more expensive and also consume more fuel. (161 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

10- The bar graph below shows some information gathered from a 1,000 first year overseas students about the factors affecting their decisions when choosing a university. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. Reasons for Choosing a University Friendliness Cost of tuition Location Language of tuition Up-to-date teaching facilities Good language support Modern teaching methods Cost of accommodation etc Quality of teachers Good preparation for w ork Reputation 0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

%

The chart shows 11 reasons why first-year students from overseas chose a particular university. The survey of 1,000 first year overseas students was carried out at universities in the UK. The top three reasons are language of tuition, up-to-date teaching facilities, and the quality of teachers respectively. Language of tuition comes top of the survey at 95%. Another important reason is teaching facilities. About 90% of students mentioned this as a reason. The third top reason was the quality of the staff. This also accounted for 90% of student choices. The reputation of the university was also a crucial factor. About 70% of the respondents picked this as a reason for their choice of school. Non-teaching related reasons were also important. Cost was a major factor. More than three quarters of the students said that cost of tuition was an important reason for choosing a college. A similar number picked a college based on accommodation costs. The friendliness of a university was given as a reason by two-thirds of students. Some factors were relatively unimportant. These included good language support, at only 20% of students, and modern teaching methods, at 30%. In conclusion, the reasons for choosing a particular university can be divided into teaching related reasons and non-teaching reasons, but the most important factors are language, the quality of the staff and facilities, and cost. (226 words) IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

63

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

11- The following table shows how much coal it would take to make all the energy that people use in different countries. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The table gives us information regarding the amount of coal which is required to meet the energy demands of fifteen selected countries. The figures mentioned are in kilograms. The countries with the highest energy requirements are the USA, Germany, the UK, Russia and France. Of these the USA has by far the highest rate of energy consumption with 11,485 kilograms. This is twice as high as the other countries in this group. The next group of five countries has energy needs ranging from 3,839 kg in Japan to 646 in Brazil. In the last group Turkey is at the top with 628 kg. Egypt, the Philippines and Thailand have similar requirements ranging from 322 down to 33. In conclusion, the table shows that the energy requirements of the USA are much higher than any of the other 14 countries. The energy needed for the top group is higher than the other two groups combined. (154 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

12- The table below shows the incidence of injuries caused in different sports. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Sport

Number of sports injuries

% of sports injuries

% admitted to Hospital

% of injuries during competition or practice

Australian football

10,122

24.5

7.5

83

Soccer

3777

9.2

7.1

84

Rugby

3636

8.8

10.9

95

Cricket

3408

8.3

5.4

83

Basketball

3228

7.8

4.1

83

Netball

3098

7.5

2.5

95

Hockey

1219

3.0

3.2

95

Martial Arts

882

2.1

5.6

71

Squash

787

1.9

6.4

91

Volleyball

776

1.9

2.2

79

This table presents some information regarding the number of sporting injuries which leads to emergency hospital treatment. It is obvious that while Australian football causes more injuries than all the other sports, Rugby seems to be the most dangerous sport. The highest number of injuries occurs in Australian football with over 10,000 reported cases. This is a quarter of all the injuries reported. Soccer, rugby, cricket, basketball and netball have similar numbers ranging from 3,777 in soccer to 3098 in netball. Rugby has the highest number amongst all the other sports in the number of people admitted to hospital with almost 11% Basketball, by comparison, only has 4% hospital cases and netball 2.5%.. Hockey, martial arts, squash and volleyball all had significantly lower numbers of injuries compared to the other sports mentioned. The vast majority of all sports injuries happened during practice or competition with the lowest figure being just over 70% for martial arts up to over 95% for hockey. In conclusion, the table shows that Australian football had the most injuries with rugby having the highest percentage of injuries ending up in hospital. (185 words)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

65

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

13- The pie charts below show the US spending patterns in two different years. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. 1966

1996

The pie charts show changes in American spending patterns between 1966 and 1996. As it can be seen clearly from the charts, spending habits of US families changed remarkably over the 30-year period. Food and cars made up the two biggest items of expenditure in both years. Together they comprised over half of household spending. Food accounted for 44% of spending in 1966, but this dropped by two thirds to 14% in 1996. However, the outlay on cars doubled, rising from 23% in 1966 to 45% in 1996. Other areas changed significantly. Spending on eating out doubled, climbing from 7% to 14%. The proportion of salary spent on computers increased dramatically, up from 1% in 1996 to 10% in 1996. However, as computer expenditure rose, the percentage of outlay on books plunged from 6% to 1%. Some areas remained relatively unchanged. Americans spent approximately the same amount of salary on petrol and furniture in both years. In conclusion, money spent on cars, computers, and eating out accounted for most of the expenditure of the American people. (176 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

14- The table below gives information about the percentage of the internet users according to age? Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Who Uses the Internet?

Percent

% 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

53

45 41

44 39

37

Less than 15 16 - 30 years 31 to 50 years

4

2

8

8

1998

1999

10

9

50 or more

2000

The graph shows changes in the age profile of Internet users in Taiwan between 1998 and 2000. The main users of the Internet in Taiwan are young adults between 16 and 30 years old. In 1998, they accounted for more than half of all users. In 1999 the number dropped slightly to 45%, but even in 2000 they were the biggest group. The second biggest group of users is aged between 31 and 50. They made up 41% in 1998, falling slightly to 37% in 2000. When combined with the 16-30 age group, over 94% of users in 1998 were between 16 and 50. However, this number dropped steadily as more children and older users log on. In 1999, the number of children online quadrupled from 2% to 8%, and it continued to increase in 2000. There were similar increases for older users, rising from 4% in 1998 to 10% in 2000. In summary, while adults between 16 and 50 represented the great majority of Internet users in Taiwan, their share declined as more children and older users joined the web. (181 words)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

67

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

15- The chart below shows the literacy rates of six different countries in 1990 and 2000. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Literacy Rates, by Country, 1990 and 2000 100 90 80 70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0

Male 1990 Male 2000 Female 1990 Female 2000

Bangladesh

Brazil

China

Egypt

Kuwait

Pakistan

The graph shows changes in literacy rates in different countries between 1990 and 2000, for men and women. Overall more and more people are able to read, and there have been significant improvements for women, although they lag behind men in literacy. The most obvious trend in the graph is that women have lower illiteracy rates in most of the countries in the graph. For example, in Bangladesh in 1990, 45% of men could read and write, but only 25% of women. The difference was even bigger in Pakistan, with 50% of men being literate but only 20% of women. Even in Kuwait and China, slightly more men than women could read and write. The second biggest trend in the graph is the improvement in literacy between 1990 and 2000. In all countries shown, figures for both men and women improved. The biggest change was in Pakistan, from 49% of men in 1990 to 57% over the ten year period. Even in countries with relatively high literacy rates, such as China or Brazil, there were significant increases for men. However, the increases in literacy rates for women were much higher. In Egypt, the percentage of non-illiterate women jumped from 35% to 44% and in Pakistan from 20% to 28% over the decade. In conclusion, almost all the countries in the graph have a long way to go before achieving 100% literacy rates, and women in particular need support in order to increase their reading ability. However, all countries improved over the ten years, and women appear to be catching up even in the lowest countries. (265 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

16- The chart below shows the percentage of obese people in 12 different countries. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Obesity: Percentage of Population 40

% of obese people

35 30 25 Men

20

Women

15 10

USA - Mexican

Czech Republic

USA - Black

USA - White

Australia

Germany

UK

Canada

Finland

Russia

Netherlands

0

France

5

Country

The graph shows the percentage of obese men and women in different countries. There are two trends in the graph. First of all, rates vary greatly between countries. Secondly, the obesity rate among women tends to be much higher. The USA, Australia, and the Czech Republic, have the highest rates of obesity, at an average 23%. The lowest rates of obesity are found in France, Netherlands and Finland, at less than 15% of the population. America is the country with the highest rate of obesity. However, the rate differs for different groups inside each population. White males, at 20% have a lower rate of obesity than Mexican-American males, at 24%. There are also huge differences between the sexes. Although the figure for men is only 10%, the rate of obesity for Russian women is over 25%. Black American women, at 37%, are the most obese, but the black males are only slightly fatter than white US males, at 24%. In other countries, however, the difference can hardly be noticed. In France, the percentage of obese men is about 9%, which is only 1% higher than the figure for women. The figures for Canadian males and females, at 15%, are identical. In Finland, France and the Netherlands, there are slightly more obese men than women. In conclusion, there are significant differences between countries, but females are more obese than males in most countries. (232 words) IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

17- The graph below shows the amount of meat consumed in the USA between 1950 and 2000. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Meat Consumption, USA, 1950-2000, per person per year in kilograms 60

Kilograms

50 40

Poultry

30

Beef

20 10 0 1950

1960

1970

1980

1990

2000

The graph shows changes in the amount of chicken and beef eaten in the USA over the last 50 years. Overall, beef consumption is declining, while Americans are eating more and more chicken. The biggest change in the graph is the increase in poultry consumption. This soared from just 12 kilograms per person per year in 1950 to almost 50 kilograms in 2000, increasing four times. The biggest increase was between 1990 and 2000, when it jumped almost by half, from just 35 kilos to almost 50kg. That was the period when poultry consumption overtook beef for the first time. The other trend in the graph is the decline in beef consumption. Although more beef was eaten in 2000 than in 1950, at 40 kilos per person per year compared to 32 kilos in 1950, there has been a big drop since 1970. Sales of beef peaked in 1970 at almost 50kg and have declined steadily since then. In conclusion, Americans are eating much more meat overall than they were in 1950, but the proportion of chicken and turkey products has increased sharply, while beef consumption is declining in importance. (190 words)

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Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

18- The graph below shows the number of London Underground station passengers from 6 am to 22 pm. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below.

500 400 300 200

22:00

21:00

20:00

19:00

18:00

17:00

16:00

15:00

14:00

13:00

12:00

11:00

10:00

9:00

8:00

0

7:00

100 6:00

Number of people

London Underground station passengers

Time

The graph shows the fluctuation in the number of people at a London underground station over the course of a day from 6 am to 22 pm. The busiest time of the day is in the morning. There is a sharp increase between 06:00 and 08:00, with 400 people using the station at 8 o'clock. After this the numbers drop quickly to less than 200 at 10 o'clock. Between 11 am and 3 pm the number rises, with a plateau of just under 300 people using the station. In the afternoon, numbers decline, with less than 100 using the station at 4 pm. There is then a rapid rise to a peak of 380 at 6pm. After 7 pm, numbers fall significantly, with only a slight increase again at 8pm, tailing off after 9 pm. Overall, the graph shows that the station is most crowded in the early morning and early evening periods. (153 words)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

19- The graph below shows the oil production capacity in six different Persian Gulf countries. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Oil Production Capacity (estim ated)

Millions of VBarrels per Day

16 14 12

1990

10

2000

8

2005

6

2010

4 2 0 Iran

Iraq

Kuwait

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

UAE

The graph shows Oil Production Capacity in millions of barrels per day for selected Gulf countries. There are several features in this graph. The most significant feature is that oil production will increase sharply in almost all the countries shown. Kuwait and Iraq are both expected to double their output between 1990 and 2010, with Kuwait's production rising from 1.8 million barrels per day (bpd) in 1990 to 3.8 in 2010. Iran will also increase its output by a slightly smaller amount. After remaining steady at 2.5 million bpd from 1990 to 2000, the UAE's output is expected to approach 4.0 million bpd in 2010. Only Qatar's production is predicted to fall, back to 0.8 million bpd after a slight rise in 2000. However, the greatest increase will be from Saudi Arabia. In 1990, its output capacity at 8.5 million bpd exceeded the combined production of Iran, Iraq and Kuwait. This lead is expected to continue with a 75% increase in production to 14.5 million bpd 2010. In summary, while most of the countries are expected to show increases, Saudi Arabia will maintain and strengthen its position as the major producer. (191 words)

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Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

20- The table below gives information about the number of children killed in road accidents in a 3-month period in 2004 in USA Write a report for a university lecturer describing the information shown below. Where accidents occurred

Age

Age

Age

Age

Age

2-4

5-7

8 - 11

12 - 14

15 - 16

Going to school

2

12

8

2

1

25

Returning from school

2

17

10

3

2

34

Playing in the street

98

81

28

5

2

214

Cycling in the street

1

10

25

8

1

45

Shopping for their parents

5

32

12

2

1

52

TOTAL

108

152

83

20

7

370

Total

The table shows the number of road accidents which involved children in 1995. Five age groups were mentioned. The highest number of accidents involved children playing in the street with 214 out of a total of 370. The vast majority of these involved children between 2 and 7. The number dropped in each age group and there were only 2 of this type of accident amongst 14 to 16 year olds. Shopping for parents accounted for 52 accidents, with the highest figure being in the 5 to 7 group. Cycling in the street came next with the most accidents amongst children aged between 5 and 13. Journeys to and from school were the least number of accidents although younger school children were more likely to be involved. The table shows that the highest number of accidents involved younger children. Children aged between 2 and 7 accounted for 260 accidents which is around two thirds of the total. (157 words)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Graph, Diagram & Map Samples The diagram below shows the typical stages of consumer goods manufacturing, including the process by which information is fed back to earlier stages to enable adjustment. Write a report for a university lecturer describing the process shown.

Most consumer goods go through a series of stages before they emerge as finished products ready for sale. Raw materials and manufactured components comprise the initial physical input in the manufacturing process. Once obtained, these are stored for later assembly. But assembly first depends upon the production planning stage, where it is decided how and in what quantities the stored materials will be processed to create sufficient quantities of finished goods. The production planning stage itself follows the requirements of the goods' design stage that proceeds from extensive research. After assembly, the products are inspected and tested to maintain quality control. Those units that pass the inspection and testing stages are then packaged, dispatched and offered for sale in retail outlets. The level of sales, which is the end point of the manufacturing process, helps determine production planning. A product's design is not only the result of product research, but is also influenced by testing and market research. If the testing stage (after assembly and inspection) reveals unacceptable problems in the finished product, then adjustments will have to be made to the product's design. Similarly, market research, which examines the extent and nature of the demand for products, has the role of guiding product design to suit consumer demands which may change with time. Market research, while influenced by product sales, also serves to foster future sales by devising suitable advertising for the goods. Thus the reality of consumer goods manufacturing goes well beyond a simple linear production process. (249 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

The diagram below shows the process by which bricks are manufactured for the building industry. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The process by which bricks are manufactured for the building industry can be outlined in seven consecutive steps. First the raw material, clay, which was just below the surface of soil in certain clay-rich areas, has to be dug up by a digger. Then the lumps of clay are placed on a metal grid in order to break up the big chunks of clay into much smaller areas, which fall through the metal grid onto a roller, whose motion further segregates the bits of clay. Sand and water are added to make a homogenous mixture, which is then either formed in moulds or cut into brickshaped pieces by means of a wire cutter. Those fresh bricks are then kept in a drying oven for at least 24 and a maximum of 48 hours, several dozens if not hundreds of bricks at a time. The dried bricks are then transferred to a so-called kiln, another type of high temperature oven. First they are kept at a moderate temperature of 200 degrees Celsius which is then raised to the maximum temperature of1300 degrees Celsius. This process is followed by cooling down the finished bricks for 48 to 72 hours in a cooling chamber. Once the bricks have cooled down and have become hard, they get packaged and delivered to their final destination, be it a building site or storage. (228 words) IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

The diagram below shows the process by which exams are taken in a computer room. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features.

Score verification Grouping and Analysing

The diagram shows the various stages of an exam administration. As we can the exam is taken in a computer room. The test consists of three sections, namely the self-corrected test, the written composition and the oral test. The student has to complete two sections devoted to use of language: the computer corrected test and the written composition. As shown in the diagram, after completing these two sections, the student will take the third section of the test that is the oral test. Afterwards, the data is stored and transferred to the raters section in the back office. The first section of the test is corrected by both the computer and the rater. The raters will be able to retrieve the information and play the students' recordings as many times as necessary. Then the scores are transferred to the database and then grouped and analysed accordingly. Finally if the results are verified by the exam committee, they are announced to the test takers. (163 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

The diagram below shows the process by which plastic paper clips are manufactured. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The diagram illustrates the manufacturing process of plastic paper clips. There are four main stages in the production of plastic paper clips from this small factory. Two of these stages involve actual preparation of the clips, while the other two consist of quality control before the clips are sent out from the factory to the retailers to be sold to the public. To begin with, molten plastic is poured into three different moulds depending on the colour required; the colours are red, blue and yellow. Once these clips emerge from the moulds, a quality control machine checks them for strength. Unsatisfactory clips are rejected. In the third stage in the process the clips are stored by hand into two groups, mixed and single colours. When this stage is complete the groups are checked a second time to ensure that the colour mixtures are divided correctly into single colours and mixed colour batches. Finally, the clips are packed and dispatched to the markets. (162 words)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

The diagram below shows how a central heating system in a house works. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

This diagram provides an overview of a domestic central heating system. It shows how the tank, boiler and pipes ensure a constant flow of hot water to both the radiators and the taps. The cold water enters the house and is stored in a water storage tank in the roof. From there it flows down to the boiler, located on the ground floor of the house. The boiler, which is fuelled by gas or oil, heats up the water as it passes through it. The hot water is then pumped round the house through a system of pipes and flows into the radiators, located in different rooms. The water circulates through the radiators, which have small tubes inside them to help distribute the heat, and this warms each of the rooms. Some of the water is directed to the taps to provide hot water for the house. Once the water has been through the pipes and radiators, it is returned to the boiler to be re-heated and circulated round the house again. (172 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

The diagram below shows how olive oil is produced. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The diagram provides a step-by-step overview of olive oil production process. At first olives are collected and then they are milled in a milling machine. The milled olives are then pressed and the oil is extracted. The extracted oil is then either prepared to be refined or is cold-pressed to produce cold-pressed olive oil. Having been prepared, the oil is then refined and finally the product is combined with virgin olive oil to produce a type of olive oil with less than 1.5% acidity. Still, the cold-pressed olive oil may undergo some other stages. The process may result in either extra virgin olive oil with 1% or less acidity or virgin olive oil with more than 1% or less than 3% acidity. As described before, coldpressed olive oil may be combined with refined olive oil to produce a third type of olive oil with less than 1.5% acidity. Finally, as shown in the diagram, there are various types of olive oil depending on the acidity level. (166 words)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

The map below shows three possible sites for the construction of a shopping center (A,B and C) Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant.

The map shows the potential sites where a new shopping center may be constructed in the city of Pellington. Site A is located in the residential area near the traffic-free zone which may make it difficult for people to drive to the shopping center. Yet, people can easily commute from and to the shopping center via the railway. As it is located in the residential area, parking space may be still another problem and the area on which the shopping center is going to be built may be limited. Unlike site A, site B is located in the countryside to the northeast of the city and people can easily drive to the shopping center as it is close to the motorway. Parking space will not be a problem in site B as the countryside is quite empty. Site C is also located is the countryside to the south of the city; however since it is surrounded by the residential and industrial areas, driving to the shopping center is still a problem. But you can use the railway to get to the shopping center. In conclusion, I think site B is the best as it is close to the motorway and away from the residential and the industrial areas. (208 words)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Graph, Diagram & Map Samples

The map below shows three different residential areas in the city of New Townsville. Summarise the information by selecting and reporting the main features, and make comparisons where relevant. New Townsville Park 90 C: population 80 160,000 70 60 50 Airport 40 30 20 10 B: population 0 80,000 1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr

East West North

A: population 90,000

Residential Industrial Traffic-free Zone Countryside Highway Subway

The map shows the various residential areas in the city of New Townsville According to the map, residential area A is located to the southeast of the city and it has a population of 90,000 people. It is not a crowded city in comparison with its area; however, as there is no access to the subway, commuting from and to the city center which is a traffic-free zone is not easy. Moreover, it is far away from the airport and the park. The residential area B which is the least populated area is located in the southwest of the city and it has access to the subway as well. It is also in the proximity of the airport. Nevertheless, there is no access to the highway which makes it difficult to commute from and to the neighboring residential areas as well as the park in one's private car. The residential area C which is located to the northwest of the city is the most populated and the smallest area in the city of New Townsville. However, it is close to the airport and the park and it has access to both the subway and the highway. On the whole, considering the public facilities in the residential area C, it is the most convenient residential area in the city. (218 words)

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Academic Essay Samples

ACADEMIC MODULE writing task 2 (essay)

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Academic Essay Samples 1- Some people believe that the society must ban violent and pornographic scenes from being broadcast on TV, while others believe in order to have an open society, the law of censorship must be totally abolished. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons o support your point of view. Censorship is widely practiced all over the world, as it is supposed to protect people against the harm caused by the violent and pornographic scenes broadcast on TV; however, in my opinion probably the most obvious example of intolerance in our society today is the existence of censorship. First, I have yet to encounter a valid argument for any form of censorship. Such arguments as are presented invariably take the form of concern for the well-being of others, children frequently being the alleged victims quoted. The arguments are specious and shallow and constitute nothing more than the imposition of one group’s morality on another. Furthermore, as it stands, the current position is farcical. A small group of officials, comprising customs clerks, policemen and arbitrarily-appointed members of various tribunals, are, to take one example, apparently deemed by law to be invulnerable to those supposedly corrupting influences of pornography and violence. However, should these people retire or change their employment, they suddenly join the masses becoming corruptible like the rest of us and must now be protected However, I much acknowledge that the violence and pornography shown on TV may inflict some harm on the youth and teenagers in our society. It may increase the rate of sex crime or violence in our community. I believe the harmful effects of these scenes can never be denied. In conclusion, censorship is an all or nothing situation and even if proof can be made of harm to some through the absence of censorship, it is a price well worth paying to ensure an open society in which each of us determines our own behaviour. (270 words)

Essay Practice How do movies or television influence people's behavior? Use reasons and specific examples to support your answer.

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Academic Essay Samples 2- Some people believe capital punishment must be banned while others think in order to protect individuals; criminals committing certain crimes must be executed. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your point of view. The death penalty is the most severe form of punishment in the world today. Once the jury has proved a criminal guilty, they go to the second part of the trial – the punishment phase. Lethal injection is the most common form of death. Capital Punishment is a difficult issue and there are as many different opinions as there are people; nevertheless, I think that Capital Punishment should be made illegal. Firstly it is possible to execute someone who is innocent. If this does happen it cannot be undone, whereas if they were put in jail they could be released and given compensation. Secondly I think that the death penalty is almost not a punishment because you are not around to be punished like if you were in jail with the poor living conditions and no freedom. Another reason I think that Capital Punishment should be made illegal is that life imprisonment without parole serves the same purposes as capital punishment at less cost. Right now, to execute a person in the U.S costs approximately three times the amount it would to have them serve a life sentence in prison. The money used to pay for the death row (including court appeals) comes out of the taxpayers’ wallets. If Capital Punishment were made illegal, this money could go to other projects in need of the funds like building new prisons. Nevertheless, I still believe that some criminals are just incorrigible and insane; they also cause a lot of problems in jail and do not seem to be lamenting the crime they have carried out against other individuals. Capital punishment in this situation may seem to be the only solution. In conclusion, I hope we understand that it is all too easy to take a person’s life, however we must be very suspicious of the decision we make. (306 words)

Essay Practice Some people believe environmental factors are more important than a person’s free will in determining whether or not he/she may turn to crime; however others think free will is the most important factor in one’s life. Discuss both these views and give your own opinion.

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Academic Essay Samples 3- Some people believe capital punishment must be banned while others think in order to protect individuals; criminals committing certain crimes must be executed. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons o support your point of view. Hanging, firing squad, electrocution, gas, and lethal injection are all methods of execution used all around the world to punish murderers. And most countries around the world have the death penalty as a method of punishment. The subject of capital punishment has been under debate for a long time. Some believe it is a good way to punish murderers. Others call it immoral and unethical. I personally believe that it should be used as a punishment by our government. I have many facts to support my opinion. Statistics say that over 60% of people around the world believe in using the death penalty. That is almost a two-to-one ratio. Also, it is legal in almost two-thirds of the countries including our own country. Consequently as most nations agree with this method and I think we should keep it. Furthermore, if a mother can have an abortion, killing an unborn child, innocent of any crime, then why can the society not use the death penalty to punish murderers who have been tried and convicted of their crime? In addition, the scripture clearly approves of the death penalty by saying that "if he strikes him with an iron implement, so that he dies, he is a murderer; the murderer shall surely be put to death”. In 1991, a young mother was rendered helpless and made to watch as her baby was executed. The mother was then mutilated and killed. The killer should not lie in some prison with three meals a day, clean sheets, cable TV, family visits and endless appeals. In my opinion for justice to prevail, some killers just need to die. However, we must remember that not every killer is as brutal as the killer in the above-mentioned case. There are certainly people who unintentionally kill a person, in my opinion the jury before issuing its verdict must consider every single aspect and then make a decision. In conclusion, I believe a person who dares kill another human being with no mercy must be executed. (336 words)

Essay Practice Some people believe drug addicts are patients and they should not be treated as criminals; others believe drug addicts threaten the citizens’ social security just like criminals and they need to be punished. Discuss both these views and finally give your own opinion. IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Academic Essay Samples 4- Nowadays companies spend a lot of money on advertisement, what are the main reasons for advertisement. Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Higher sales figures and production rate is one of the most important goals of every company and in order to achieve this goal companies try to heavily advertise their products. Therefore, the primary purpose of an advertisement is to sell a certain product; but advertising has many other purposes too. Therefore, I believe each advertising campaign is based on a particular purpose, or to help meet specific goals. First of all companies would like to increase their sales figures by advertising their products on a daily basis. They always allocate a great percentage of their annual income to press and TV advertisement. In addition through advertising, a company or an individual tries to communicate the brand personality. I mean they try to enhance the company’s image and make people trust the brand when they want to purchase a product and finally convey the type of company that is selling the product. Another reason for advertising is indicating the brand’s place in the community. It is important that the consumers see how they can fit these products or services into their daily lives, and in what ways they can benefit from those certain products. The final reason why most firms spend such vast sums of money on advertising campaigns is building up a brand name. It is decisive to make the brand recognizable through a logo or reputation so that people can easily recall them. In conclusion, companies regard advertisement as one of the best ways to introduce and promote their products and this is because nowadays people are greatly influenced by the advertisement broadcast on TV and radio. (268 words)

Essay Practice Some people say that advertising encourages us to buy things we really do not need. Others say that advertisements tell us about new products that may improve our lives. Which viewpoint do you agree with? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

Academic Essay Samples 5- Nowadays body piercing is turning into a popular method for makeup, and more and more people pierce their body for beauty purposes. In your opinion what are the harmful effects of body piercing on our health? Body piercing is commonly done all over the world. Everything from ears, nose, eyebrows, tongue, genitals, lips, naval, and nipples are being pierced. People are mostly unaware of the dire consequences of body piercing and they do not realize the complications that can occur. Depending on where and who pierces a person's body, certain complications can occur. If the piercer is not experienced, they may not know or understand the necessary health and safety precautions needed to avoid infections. Adolescents and young adults under the age of 18 are piercing each other without this knowledge because most places will not pierce them without a parental consent. If instruments are not properly sterilized or the environment is not clean, infection may occur. Infections that can arise are HIV, hepatitis and many others. Another complication that can arise is scarring. Piercing a certain part of the body for many times ultimately results in mutation of the skin cells which in turn will lead to an ugly growth of skin cells distorting the shape of the skin. Unfortunately such scars never get healed. Moreover, the quality of the jewelry, such as brass-plated costume jewelry, can cause complications such as an allergic reaction or infection. These reactions and infections can later lead to severe skin problems resulting in skin cancer. Besides there may be psychological complications. if a person has a negative experience with body piercing they may also suffer from psychosocial problems. In most cases as people grow older, they regret having pierced their body; however, since removing a tattoo is costly and most people cannot afford the medical operations, they have to put up with it forever. In conclusion, I believe one can enhance one’s beauty using many other methods which are less harmful. I think considering the complications which can result from body piercing, teenagers must avoid such cruel methods. (310 words)

Essay Practice Nowadays teenagers try to improve their beauty by any means available to them. What are some of the harmful beauty methods teenagers use these days? Why do teenagers use such harsh methods to add to their beauty? IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Academic Essay Samples 6- Multiculturalism is a recent phenomenon. While many people would like to live in a multicultural society others prefer to live in a society with their own culture and disrespect people from other nation. With which opinion do you agree? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Racism is a certain kind of prejudice, based on faulty reasoning and inflexible generalizations toward a specific group. Fortunately, through multiculturalism people recognize the diversity of cultures and their bias against a certain race is removed. In multicultural societies all those individuals have their own culture, religion, morals and standards. Humans are not perfect species; we all have our flaws. Human’s greatest flaw is fear. Humans fear everything that is unfamiliar and strange to them such as foreigners and their cultures. In multicultural societies that fear is automatically eliminated as a result of familiarization with the “stranger”. In addition, it provides people with the opportunity of understanding and accepting one another. People usually try to change a culture or a religion to fit their own views, instead of accepting it and its diversity. Accepting the individuality and diversity of people and their customs indicates that they are equal in your eyes and that forms respect. In many ways humans are equal because they all have the same necessities and they all get hurt the same way. Once we accept someone’s religion and nationality we accept them as human beings. Furthermore, there is an advantage in living in a country that contains a variety of cultures. People get a “taste” of each culture, thus gain a greater understanding of its customs and history. For that matter, people living in a multicultural country are endowed with extraordinary powers of knowledge. As a great man once said “Knowledge is Power”. Countries with multicultural societies have the power to revolutionize the world and create unity and diversity at the same time. In summation, in order to reduce racism multiculturalism is a necessity. As a result of multiculturalism fear of the unknown is eliminated and instead of it respect and understanding for one another steps in. (301 words)

Essay Practice When people move to another country, some of them decide to follow the customs of the new country. Others prefer to keep their own customs. Compare these two choices. Which one do you prefer? Support your answer with specific details.

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Academic Essay Samples 7- Racism is becoming a widespread phenomenon and some people take pride in their racist views. Why should we avoid this problem? How can we help solve the problem? Racism denies human beings the basic equality and dignity which as children of God we deserve. While there are people who think they are superior to other human beings, I think racism is a sin and we must completely avoid it. Racism is a sin. It is a sin because it divides our community, blots out the image of God among the inhabitants of the planet and violates basic human pride. Racism is the sin that says some human beings are innately superior and others basically inferior because of the colour of their skin. Our holy book clearly states that all human beings are equal in the eyes of God and that the ones with a stronger faith are better valued; therefore, if we consider ourselves as the followers of our holy prophet, we must not judge a person based on his or her colour or race. In order to solve the problem of racism, we must be aware of its numerous forms. I have always viewed racism as being, whites against blacks, because that is what I was taught by those in authority , the media and society overall, even my history classes at school have caused me to have this narrowminded view. Research, however has caused me to think differently, I have read stories, newspaper articles and watched interviews on television, regarding racism, and I have discovered that racism is not a “white thing”, instead, it is a “human thing. Therefore, to address racism, we need to recognize two things: that it exists in a variety of forms, some more subtle and others more obvious; and that there is something we can do about it even if we realize that what we say and the steps we take will not result in an immediate solution to a problem that spans generations. In conclusion I believe that we must tackle this issue with certainty and our small contributions will ultimately help eliminate the problem. (325 words)

Essay Practice

Some people believe women and men should not have exactly the same rights since they are different in many ways. What’s your opinion? Support your answer with specific details.

IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Academic Essay Samples 8- Many people believe that violence on Television will ultimately result in more violence among the youth. Do you agree with this opinion? Why? What has our society come to these days? Everywhere we look, violence is present; on the streets, back alleys, schools, and even at home. Even if one might be a pacifist, violence will seep its way into our homes through the television. Some children that see violence on television are pulled into its harmful deceptions of problem solving and choose violent solutions to their problems. Scientists have tried to explain why children are so amused by a big glowing box and the action that takes place within it. Research shows that television is a major source of violence for children. This research shows us that violence appeals to every audience, including children. The effects have been seen in a number of cases. It must be pointed out that most children who commit a crime are claimed to have seen a similar act on television. Even though we should not hold television directly responsible for these acts, we need to admit that it is television that plants a violent seed in the minds of these children. Furthermore, some psychologists and psychiatrists feel that continued exposure to such violence might unnaturally speed up the impact of the adult world on the child. This can force the child into a kind of prematurity. As the child matures into an adult, he can become bewildered, have a greater distrust towards others, a superficial approach to adult problems, and even an unwillingness to become an adult. In conclusion, violence on television proves to be a root of violence among the young people. There are many examples and proven research that shows how violence viewed on television takes root all over our country. Only when we decide to put an end to this problem as an individual will we begin to see a more peaceful world. (300 words)

Essay Practice Films can tell us a lot about the country where they were made. What have you learned about a country from watching its movies? Use specific examples and details to support your response.

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Academic Essay Samples 9- Some people believe that internet users may finally end up addicted to the net. Do you agree with this opinion? Why? Some time ago I heard that an "internet-crazed" woman was arrested for neglecting her three young children. The woman reportedly spent 12 hours straight online, while her hungry kids were locked away in one room so she could be online without interruption. The three kids were placed in county custody while the mother was tossed in jail. The Internet is rapidly becoming an addictive source to a lot of its users. Users of the Internet include students, housewives, and business professionals. Some of these Internet users spend a minimum of thirty-eight hours per week on the "net"; hence, losing touch with reality and reeking havoc on their studies, family lives or careers. Individuals such as these are classified as "Internet Addicts. First they turn to users who try to convince themselves that they are not addicted to the Internet. Next, they change into users who make convenient excuses to use the Internet like mothers who claim they have to visit the website of their children’s school in order to read the highlights of the last PTA meeting. And finally they become the "Internet junkies". These users neither sneak online nor make excuses to get online. They put their lives on hold to get online. The mother I mentioned at the beginning of the essay is an example of an Internet junky. These three stages all happen surreptitiously without us sensing their occurrence and we only find out after we have become addicted to the internet. In conclusion, I believe we must be wary of the problems that the Internet can cause; therefore, we must avoid indulging ourselves in browsing the World Wide Web. (273 words)

Essay Practice The internet has recently turned into an inseparable part of our lives and we are increasingly becoming dependent on it. What are some of the reasons for the widespread use of the internet? And do you think this dependence on the internet is acceptable?

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Academic Essay Samples 10. Some people believe that the government must ban hand guns since they are dangerous while others believe that hand guns have many advantages if handled wisely. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Hand guns; are they a good thing or a bad thing? It is still an issue of controversy and most people still have mixed feelings about people owning them. However, hand guns are a great thing when handled responsibly. People seem to think that hand guns today are just weapons of destruction used for harm, or to kill. On the contrary, guns have much more of a purpose than to cause harm, they can provide great opportunities. Here are a few reason to own a hand gun, if you are responsible. Firstly, it can be an interesting item to collect, from old types used in the Civil War, to the modern high-tech ones. They do not depreciate in value, unless mistreated and scratched up. Secondly, you can use it to defend yourself and your loved ones at home and when you are out. There are criminals everywhere and to protect oneself against them, one needs to be armed at times. Thirdly, it can make a good recreational activity, for multiple reasons. It can be a great competitive sport, and a good stress relief There are many good and valid reasons for owning a hand gun; however, you always have to remember to be responsible. If you abuse the right, it takes it away for others who use it wisely. In conclusion, I believe everything can cause harm, if handled irresponsibly, and hand gun is no exception. So people need to be taught how and when to use their hand guns. (250 words)

Essay Practice According to figures, the rate of crime is rising rapidly in most countries in the world and many sociologists are worried about the future of human societies. In your opinion, what are the many causes leading to the increasing crime rate?

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Academic Essay Samples 11- Happiness is certainly the most important element in one’s life. Why is it hard to define happiness? How can we achieve true happiness? Though it is defined as the condition of being content, different people may have their own ideas of happiness. It is commonly thought of as having a lot of money, power, or fame. But can these things actually make people happy? For some people happiness means money and fame, most would agree that family and friends also bring great joy and happiness. Frequently, people have the wrong idea of happiness. They believe it arises from just material, ephemeral objects. However, for others, happiness may come from things as simple as hanging out with friends or reading a good book. Therefore, Happiness can come from many different sources but perhaps the most ubiquitous ones are friends and family. Some believe Happiness resides not in transient possessions or gold, but instead in the conviction that we are loved. Happiness is actually more than what most people think it is. It can be mysterious and elusive, sought after by many, but not gained by all. Happiness, which is often thought of as a fairly simple concept, is actually more than what people assume it is. Although this natural mood or feeling is desired by numerous people, it is very elusive and therefore, for some, extremely difficult to obtain. True happiness arises from the enjoyment experienced following divine satisfaction with who we are and what we have done. In conclusion the majority of people are not truly happy. However, other people assert that friends and family are the main sources that bring about happiness. But, whatever the source, happiness is definitely an essentiality and a necessity of life. (264 words)

Essay Practice

"When people succeed, it is because of hard work. Luck has nothing to do with success." Do you agree or disagree with the quotation above? Use specific reasons and examples to explain your position.

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Academic Essay Samples 12- Human cloning is today turning into one of the hottest issues in the world and while it has attracted many supporters, there are still people who disapprove of this modern science. Discuss both these views and give your opinion Science fiction authors have for many years instilled in us the fantastic idea of great armies of cloned men and women, fighting mindless battles for the betterment of human kind. Perfect beings created under the microscope of fantasy to accelerate the evolutionary process, a brave new world, of identical people. But is there truly an application for human cloning in our 21st century society? Some people’s answer to the question is a simple “NO”. Money and power have played large roles in societal development and destruction throughout history. The concerns that face society with the onslaught of cloned humans lie in a similar vain. Those who can afford the perfect child, will have a perfect child, and will still serve it caviar for breakfast. This could cause an ever greater rift in the current class structure that the western world currently adheres to. Furthermore, they maintain that there will be people who will abuse the cloned human beings they own. They will use them to achieve their goals and will try to dominate the world using the clones they have. However, there are people in the business world who would much prefer an employee that is never ill to an employee that might catch flue the week of the first cricket world cup match. Clones could very well be better suited to the working world, than the working class that drives the economy today. There are also people who are suffering from a chronic lack of free time and they would prefer to have their tiring daily chores done by a clone in order to save up some time. In conclusion, considering the fact that the cloned humans are more likely to be abused by the people in power in today’s world, I believe we’d better put up with our daily chores and so before legalizing any form of cloning we must give it a second thought. (317 words)

Essay Practice Genetically modified foods are becoming very widespread these days. While many believe they can help feed the world’s growing population; others are skeptical of their benefits. Discuss both these views and give your opinion. 94

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Academic Essay Samples 13- Does space exploration make any sense in a world where so many people live in abject poverty? Use specific reasons to support your opinion? Space exploration has advanced a lot especially during the Cold War, where the United States and the Soviet Union competed against each other and invested huge sums of money in this field. Since then, U.S.A. has kept on with the project of sending ships into outer space and exploring the endless universe waiting hopefully for something to appear. Millions of dollars are spent on these projects, but are they really worth it? I mean, millions of people are living in abject poverty, starving to death, and these imperialist countries could not care less for them. These countries should reconsider their policy. They only want to be the best and if the rest is worse, even better. Maybe their country is fine, there is a low rate of unemployment, people are happy and proud of being part of this developed power of the first world, but, while they send spaceships to Jupiter, there are other countries which cannot even have access to the Internet, and there are millions of people who cannot take home a piece of bread to feed their starving family. The capitalist world in which we live has made the gap between the rich and the poor even wider, and it will continue to be like this as long as the system remains the same. If only the people in developed countries could experience the problems that millions of children face every single day, they would think twice about space exploration. Many people say that space exploration has advanced a lot and that soon they will be having their vacations on the moon. This is because they only take the opinion of people who have all what they need, so they have to give sense to their lives with these types of things. Have you ever seen a poor person talking about astronomy? Their only preoccupation in life is to survive, to make the pain less harsh, and to try to avoid suffering. In conclusion, I believe If the developed world spent less money on space exploration and more on fighting poverty it would make a greater sense. (350 words)

Essay Practice

Some people think governments should spend as much money as possible exploring outer space (for example, traveling to the Moon and to other planets). Other people disagree and think governments should spend this money for our basic needs on Earth. Which of these two opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Academic Essay Samples 14- What are the main sources of environmental pollution? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Pollution is the introduction of harmful substances or products into the environment. It is a major problem in the world. Pollution damages the environment. I believe the most important sources of pollution are the automobiles, the waste produced and dumped by people and businesses. Automobiles are undeniably the greatest source of pollution. The noise pollution created by cars is immense. Another polluting effect of cars is the heat it creates. This heat makes it unpleasant to be near the car while it is running. The toxic fumes given off as a byproduct of the combustion engine are slowly deteriorating our lungs and our atmosphere. The exhaust is extremely toxic to human beings. Another popular source of pollution is the post-consumer market. People around the world especially in developed countries throw away millions of tons of garbage each year, and this trash has to go somewhere. While there are projects underway to clean and reuse this refuse, most of it gets dumped into huge landfills. These landfills are disgusting festering blisters on our country's landscape. The last great source of pollution lies in the businesses. Although not common, businesses have been known to dump their waste into streams, lakes, and rivers. This may seem like a relatively small occurrence that really is not your concern, but you are wrong. Each time one of these companies pollutes the environment; there are horrible consequences to pay. Mutations, destroyed ecosystems, and human death have all occurred as a direct result of illegal dumping. It contaminates our drinking water and soil. It causes entire communities of humans (not to mention animals) to move on to new places and not to return for at least a century. The pollutants dumped by industry are so concentrated that a single barrel can destroy an entire lake's ecosystem. In conclusion, pollution like any other problem can be solved, but this is a long process. Individuals can do their part to save the environment as well as themselves. (328 words)

Essay Practice

Many parts of the world are losing important natural resources, such as forests, animals, or clean water. Choose one resource that is disappearing and explain why it needs to be saved. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion. 96

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Academic Essay Samples 15- Considering our depleting energy resources, conservation of energy is a necessity. How can people save energy in their homes? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Since the beginning of time, energy has pervaded our earth. These days we rely on it to advance in our technological developments. We also need energy for a variety of other things such as: to keep our bodies alive and healthy, to run our machines and other technical devices, and also to keep warm in winter and cool in summer. However, People and other things can run out of energy in which case they can no longer have the ability to do work. Therefore, energy conservation is of paramount importance. Conservation of energy means to ‘save’ energy. As the natural energy sources become increasingly scarce it is important to learn how to save energy. One way of doing this is to create an energy efficient home. To create an energy efficient home there are many measures that can be taken to save energy including the installation of solar energy panels; as the sun is a constant natural energy resource we can store that energy and use it to heat out water. We can also save energy by using the ‘Sleep mode’ on most modern household appliances including computers. Computers are definitely becoming more and more popular in homes, if and only if the computer needs to be on at all times you should use the sleep mode which lets the computer run on the minimum amount of energy needed. Last but not least, energy can be conserved by doing the simple things around the home to lessen the usage of the machines that do work: for example, turning appliances off at the power point instead of just at the switch on the appliance and shutting all windows and doors and closing all curtains to keep the heat in the house instead of relying on the heater to do all the work, and vise-versa in the summer, opening all the windows and doors to let the cool air in instead of relying on the air conditioner. In conclusion, it is important for all people to realize the need for conserving energy. It is impossible for all the natural resources to keep up with our forever advancing civilization, and supply us with the energy that we need. (365 words)

Essay Practice Massive consumption of fossil fuels is causing various types of environmental pollution upsetting the ecosystem. How can the governments and the people help to reduce the destructive effects of fossil fuel consumption? IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Academic Essay Samples 16- In order to achieve success, self-esteem is considered to be very necessary. What are some of the factors affecting self-esteem? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. People’s motivations, goals, inspirations, loves, and health are profoundly affected by an important machine inside themselves called self-esteem. This machine enables the person to keep going in life and answers the question “Why am I here?” Self-Esteem can be called “the motivator.” It’s a drive to do well, succeed in life, and represent the “natural selected” group of society that will survive and reproduce. Self-Esteem is influenced primarily by social activity with others. If a group of friends wanted to do things and one of the boys kept bringing up ideas but was always put down by his cohorts, it would bring down his self-esteem from ever saying anything again. This would have a harmful effect on children and their progression towards high goals in life. The lack of self-esteem in early childhood could lead them towards a swamp of depression, lack of motivation, and loneliness. Instead of achieving a job or extending their education, they might be stuck in jail for drugs or robbery. However, self-esteem is not completely based on appraisals by others. The person might have a family background or successful jobs and high positions. This might turn on the machine towards higher self-esteem. It is true that experiences with others will increase or decrease self-esteem; however, the importance of staying strong and believing in oneself will also contribute to a higher self-esteem. In conclusion, without self-esteem inside the person, the road would have dead-ends, bumps, and other obstacles. And parents and individual themselves must care about the self-esteem issue so that they will achieve happiness and success in life. (263 words)

Essay Practice Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? Self-confidence is the most important factor for success in school or at work. Use specific reasons and examples to support your opinion.

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Academic Essay Samples 17- Some people have come to believe that children’s misbehaviour in life is due to their genetic characteristics, while others believe their misbehaviour is the direct result of ineffective upbringing. What’s your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. Children misbehave because something vital is missing in their nurturing. Genetics is not the only valid excuse for a child’s misbehaviour. These mothers and fathers allow young children to stray from moral equity, challenge authority and use violence as a resolution for anger. Nurturing should include deterrence from wickedness and inducement of morality. When a child does something wrong it is the parents’ responsibility to discourage the repetition of bad conduct and encourage the understanding that the action committed was wrong. Parental guidance is necessary for a child’s survival because children are born into the world knowing nothing, and thus, adapt to the world’s surroundings with the help of these great leaders. However, telling a child what is wrong is not enough. A young person needs an explanation for the mistakes that he/she makes and must be given a reason not to repeat it otherwise, he or she is prone to believe one can do anything one wants. A child misbehaves because he/she does not comprehend that certain actions are wrong. As parents neglect to make children aware of these errors, elders in turn become guilty of the child’s transgressions. Civilization trusts in parents to raise the young to recognize lies, insubordination and aggression for what it is: misbehaviour. Grown-ups must help kids see deceit as a form of misbehaviour. Parents should reiterate that the right way to treat his/her mother and father is with respect. Ultimately I believe that genetic characteristics inherited from parents can not be a good excuse for the misconduct of a child and the society should see parents as the root of a child’s misbehavior. (270 words)

Essay Practice Some people think that children should begin their formal education at a very early age and should spend most of their time on school studies. Others believe that young children should spend most of their time playing. Compare these two views. Which view do you agree with? Why?

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Academic Essay Samples 18- Many people believe violent and pornographic scenes must be censored, while others believe that people must be able to choose what they view. What’s your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. In a world in which acts of heinous violence, murder, or crude and shocking behavior seem to be a normal occurrence, it may lead one to wonder what has put society onto this slippery slope. How did this type of behavior come to be so acceptable and in some cases even glorifiable? A careful study of society may lead to mass media as being the main cause. The modern world has become desensitized to the acts shown on television, movies, and video games or printed in newspapers and magazines. Censorship must be employed if morals and decency are to be preserved. One of the culprits of criminal behavior is T.V. violence. Violent programs may have a negative influence on those individuals who are already violence-prone, or children who are living through vulnerable periods of their development. Adult violent offenders claim to have viewed violence on television. Furthermore, the amount of violence on television continues to grow. A typical child watched eight thousand murders and one hundred thousand acts of violence before finishing elementary school. In such an environment, how can people not become desensitized to criminal acts? By allowing this type of material to be openly exposed to the public we are endangering our safety and the society’s values. Without control of what material is delivered to the masses, we cannot expect people to have a proper sense of right and wrong. More evidence that shows censorship may be positive is explained when we examine what leads to delinquent activity. To see this we must take a look at what is inside the mind of a criminal. Eighty-one percent of criminals rate pornography as their highest sexual interest. This means that a clear majority of criminals like pornography and find it highly interesting. While normal people probably rank their spouses as their highest sexual interest. Further evidence of the relation between pornography and crime is seen when an adult bookstore is closed; the crime rate in the surrounding areas falls significantly. Taking away pornography from criminals may allow their minds to focus on other things and could prove to be an important tool in the reform of hardened criminals. To conclude, when these points are taken into account we can see that censorship is a necessity in the society today. It will give our children a better chance to develop in a healthy way. Without crime being pushed onto our society everyday, deviant thoughts might not be so deeply set into impressionable individuals. (413 words)

Essay Practice

Some people think that governments should spend as much money as possible on developing or buying computer technology. Other people disagree and think that this money should be spent on more basic needs. Which one of these opinions do you agree with? Use specific reasons and details to support your answer. 100

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Academic Essay Samples 19- Technology is advancing at a rate faster than ever before and is revolutionizing many fields. In your opinion how can technology help education? What’s your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. The best method for improving educational standards is to utilize every tool available, including state-of-the-art technology. Computers and the Internet have expanded the way in which information can be delivered to the students of today. Today's networking technologies provide a valuable opportunity to practice new learning techniques. Educators are discovering that computers are facilitating learning. Computer-based communications, or telecommunications, can offer many educational opportunities; therefore, educators will need to adapt current teaching methods to incorporate this new media into the classroom. Computers have made a fundamental impact in most industries, providing a competitive advantage that has come to be essential to many businesses. Therefore, schools must also use technology to improve the educational process. School systems often consider purchasing a computer network, and justify its purchase by applying it to routine administrative tasks, such as attendance records and grading. While these tasks are very important, they only show a small part of what technology can do for a school. Technology must go further than simply keeping attendance; it must focus on keeping students interested and productive. It is currently possible to engage in "distance education through the Internet. Since computers and the Internet have expanded in such a way in which education can be delivered to students living far away from education centers, Distance education involves audio and video links between teachers and students in remote areas. Video conferencing allows groups to communicate with each other. Desktop video conferencing promises to bring students together from geographic and cultural distances, face to face via computer. Not only will the teacher talk to the students, but the students will be able to interact with each other. This will make students more interested and fascinated with learning. In conclusion I believe educational boards should be open to any new idea that technology has to offer. It would not be fair for a student in a particular city to receive a better education than another student in a different city. Technology is not meant to replace teachers, but is there to serve students to make tedious tasks easier.

(344 words)

Essay Practice Many believe trying to preserve traditional customs and skills is unnecessary in the modern technological world; others disagree and call for the preservation of such customs and traditions. Discuss both these views and give your opinion. IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Academic Essay Samples 20- Some people believe that welfare payments are a waste of the society's financial resources, while others believe that welfare payments are needed to support certain members of the society. What is your opinion? Social welfare is an essential element of an advanced society. Good systems are always abused, but this does not mean they are faulty. In my opinion, there are two main reasons why welfare payments are necessary to protect the rights of citizens. First of all, critics forget that there are many forms of welfare payments besides payments to the unemployed. Their negative opinions harm those who are not capable of earning a wage, such as single-parent mothers, the disabled, and the sick. Moreover, the unemployed have the right to an income, too. They are always at fault for not having a job, and in most cases the tax they have paid in the past entitles them to assistance. The second reason is that crime increases when people have no means of support. The desperately poor inevitably turn to crime, which is not only dangerous but costly. Policing the streets is more expensive that providing welfare. A policeman’s wage is four or five times higher than a dole payment. However, we must be careful while we let the jobless join the dole queue, I mean this must not increase their dependency on others; the relief payments in the case of the unemployed must be temporary. And the government must try to create employment and help them to set up their small businesses and go off the dole. It is surely the government’s fault if there are long-term unemployed people. To conclude, it is vital to understand the need for welfare in a modern democratic society. Without welfare payments the poor are destined to become poorer. The first duty of a government is to provide a financial safety net for all disadvantaged persons, and that includes those without work. (287 words)

Essay Practice Should governments spend more money on improving roads and highways, or should governments spend more money on improving public transportation (buses, trains, subways)? Why? Use specific reasons and details to develop your essay.

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Academic Essay Samples 21- Some people believe that old people must be forced to retire in their 60s, while others believe they must have the right to work until they prefer to retire. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of both views and give your personal opinion. Many old people are allowed to work well into their 70s and 80s, running families, countries or corporations. Other people, however, despite being fit and highly talented, are forced to retire in their 60s or even earlier because of company or national regulations. There are several arguments for allowing older people to continue working as long as they are able. First of all, older employees have an immense amount of knowledge and experience which can be lost to a business or organization if they are made to retire. Older people are well-experienced, and their experience can help companies reduce their expenses and increase their efficiency. Another point is that older employees are often extremely loyal employees and are more willing to implement company policies than younger and less committed staff. Finally I think older employees are more conservative in general; they are also more practical than ambitious young employees who would not mind leading the company to failure in order to assert their abilities. Allowing older people to work indefinitely however is not always a good policy. Age alone is no guarantee of ability. Some younger employees have more experience or skills than older staff, who may have been stuck in one area or unit for most of their working lives. Having compulsory retirement allows new ideas in an organization. In addition, without age limits, however arbitrary, many people would continue to work, merely because they did not have any other plans or roles. Besides, old staff may not have enough motivation and stamina to brush up on their technical knowledge and hence may not be able to improve the company’s efficiency and competitiveness. In conclusion, with many young people unemployed or frustrated in low-level positions, there are often calls to compulsorily retire older workers. However, this can affect the older individual’s freedom - and right - to work and can deprive society of valuable experience and insights. I feel that giving workers more flexibility and choice over their retirement age will benefit society and the individual. (337 words)

Essay Practice Old people have always been important for the family in every culture. In your opinion how can we respect the elderly in the best way?

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Academic Essay Samples 22- Some people believe the government must ban dangerous sports such as boxing or motor-racing, others believe people must have the right to play these sports. Discuss both views and give your opinion. Millions of people play sports every day, and, inevitably, some suffer injury or pain. Most players and spectators accept this risk. However, some people would like to see dangerous sports such as boxing banned. Some sports are nothing but an excuse for violence. Boxing is a perfect example. The last thing an increasingly violent world needs is more violence on our television. The sight of two men (or even women) bleeding, with faces ripped open, trying to obliterate each other is barbaric. Other sports, such as American football or rugby, are also barely-concealed violence. Some people argue that the players can choose to participate. However this is not always the case. Many boxers, for example, come from disadvantaged backgrounds. They are lured by money or by social or peer pressure and then cannot escape. Even in richer social groups, schools force unwilling students to play aggressive team sports, claiming that playing will improve the students' character (or the school's reputation). However, many would not opt for the illegalization of violent sports. They believe, being a couch potato and growing obese has certainly more risk for the person than participating in some violent sport competitions. As many people choose to turn into slothful people suffering from a wide range of chronic diseases caused by obesity such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes; for justice to prevail, athletes must be given the freedom to choose their favorite field of sport. As we never prevent the lazy from getting obese in spite of the health risks involved, we should not boycott some sports for the violence they may contain. In conclusion, I believe banning a certain sport immediately after we discover it is dangerous is not a practical solution. Some sports are really very interesting and popular. I believe we can have a new version of some sports. Most sports can be moderated by setting some new rules and regulations; for instance, experts have already changed most of the rules and regulations in boxing and now the new form is approved of by many countries. (341 words)

Essay Practice Why do you think some people are attracted to dangerous activities such as bungee jumping and sky-diving? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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Academic Essay Samples 23- Euthanasia means mercy-killing and recently has become an issue of controversy. While some people believe that patients have the right to choose between life and death. Others believe it is cruel to kill a person who has an incurable disease. What’s your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. A doctor’s function has changed over time. In the past, the doctor was a person who besides being your friend treated the diseases. Now a doctor is a stranger who combats diseases, but he/she is not always your friend. What will never change is their constant struggle against death. However, their job is not only to prevent death but also to improve their patient’s quality of life. Many times there is nothing a doctor can do to prevent a patient from dying if the patient has a terminal disease; all he/she can do is to wait for death to arrive. This waiting time can be very painful for both the patients and the people who surround them. Not practicing euthanasia at the request of the dying person is violating a person’s rights, creating an economic burden, interfering with a doctor’s job, and increasing suffering. First of all, deciding if you want to be alive or not is a personal decision. Neither the doctors nor the government has the power to decide if you should live or not. Since it is not their life and they are not in your situation, they cannot make that kind of decision for you. It might sound like suicide, but again, that is our problem, not theirs. They give us the liberty to choose our job, our family, our religion, and even our sex preference. Why should they not give us the right to decide if we want to live or not? Next comes the economic factor. Many times we do not have enough money to pay for the necessary medical care. In a way, we are just wasting time and money on a situation that won’t get better. If the patient wants euthanasia, why should we avoid it if we cannot end the huge amount of money wasted on a treatment that won’t help? Finally, the basic reason why euthanasia should be practiced is because it stops the person from having a bad quality of life. As I said, a doctor’s function should not only be the one of curing diseases but also providing the patients with a better quality of life. Having a patient suffering is not giving him a better quality of life. When doctors reach this point, then they should be allowed to grant the patient whatever he wants since he or she cannot offer something better. Even if they could offer the patient any kind of treatment or options, it is the patient who should decide how he wants to live his life. In conclusion, I have never been in a situation where I have to decide whether euthanasia should be applied to someone or not. However if I ever see myself in that kind of situation, I would have no doubt of agreeing with it. (466 words)

Essay Practice While many people may easily tolerate the unfavorable living circumstances, some prefer to commit suicide to end the suffering. Why do some people commit suicide? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer. IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Academic Essay Samples 24. Some parents believe spanking children is cruel while others believe at times it can be a good form of punishment. What’s your opinion? Use specific reasons to support your opinion. The term corporal punishment means the intentional infliction of pain on the body for purposes of punishment. Spanking can be defined as the use of physical force aimed at causing children to experience pain but not injury, for the purposes of correction and control of youthful behavior. Spanking is a controversial topic and should not be taken lightly. As a child I was spanked when I did something wrong. My parents never left a mark on me whatsoever. Being spanked taught me respect and kept me in line. The way my parents disciplined me, I think is an accepted method of punishment. I believe what parents do to their kids at home is their business as long as it is not a cruel or an unusual form of punishment. I find that younger kids these days are not disciplined enough by their parents; these kids do not respect their parents or other adults. Spanking can be a practical form of punishment if first you tell the child that he or she is going to be spanked. Spanking should never be spontaneous. Parents must also tell the child the reason for the spanking, he or she may already know why, but it's best that you verbally tell the child. Parents must also let the child know that even though they are giving their children a spanking they still love their children. And finally parents must take the child into a private room such as a bathroom or bedroom, and close the door. A spanking should never be administered in front of other siblings or onlookers. However the child's personality directly influences the form of the punishment that works best for him or her. Some children will only respond to physical punishment and others will respond to verbal punishment. So before deciding on the form of punishment, you must know your child well. In conclusion, I believe spanking can be regarded as an acceptable form of punishment as long as you do not hurt your child and follow the rules stated above. (340 words)

Essay Practice Nowadays the rate of school drop-out is increasing rapidly. Many educators blame this on the characteristics of the new generation while others think the demotivating education system is the culprit. What is your opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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Academic Essay Samples 25- Alcoholism has turned into a serious problem in the world and in particular in western countries. What are the effects of alcoholism? How many times have you heard about the consequences of alcoholism? Have you taken them into account? Alcoholism is one of the major problems in most societies. The effects of this disease are really serious. Many people get used to drinking alcohol, and they can easily abuse it. Alcoholism has many side effects and I will only discuss the most important ones. The first effect of alcoholism is physical. It is the most important effect because it can cause death. For example, alcoholism causes cancer in the neurons, so it causes problems in the body movements, loss of appetite, and depression. All these physical consequences could cause death if you drink alcohol. The second effect caused by alcoholism is psychological. At the beginning, alcohol may make you feel relaxed, but if you drink it again, it increases anxiety and causes depression. It also causes family and legal problems, violence, changes of behavior, suicide, among others. Alcohol is very powerful and affects all your normal behaviors. The third effect of alcoholism is economic. Alcohol is not cheap. If you drink two or three times in a week, it could cost you a lot! People do not think about the money and spend almost everything when they are drunk. In conclusion, the effects of alcoholism can cause many problems which would affect all aspects of your life. Alcohol damages your brain, muscles, digestion process, and other organs. It also can cause depression or changes in your behavior which will consequently result in problems with your family and friends, and finally it will leave you in poverty because it costs a lot. (269 words)

Essay Practice Some people believe smoking and sale of cigarettes must be banned totally; others think people should be free to choose whether to smoke or not. Discuss both these views and give your opinion.

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Academic Essay Samples 26- Nowadays the rate of drug abuse among the youth is on the increase. What are the reasons for the increasing rate of drug abuse among the youth? How can we solve this problem? Youth drug abuse is a serious problem nowadays in many cultures. Not only is illegal drug use on the rise, but children as young as 10 years old are experimenting with alcohol and tobacco. The reasons for this behavior are unclear, but certain sociologists blame the examples set by the elders. Parents who drink and smoke to excess are, in effect, telling their children that it is acceptable to abuse their bodies with drugs. Consequently, children may have a similar view towards illegal drugs even if their parents are against their use. In addition, drug use shown on television and in films can only confuse children who are also taught at school that drug abuse is wrong. The pressure on young children to perform well at school in order to compete for jobs is a possible cause for the problem. Many believe they cannot live up to their parents’ expectations and feel a sense of hopelessness. Also, the widespread availability of drugs means teenagers are faced with the temptation to experiment. Drugs are used as a means of expressing dissatisfaction with the pressures they face in society. The rate of drug abuse is increasing and it is high time we took action to tackle the problem. I recommend that in order to solve the problem; the first step to be taken is to educate young people and their parents about the dangers of drug abuse. Parents must also set a good example for their children to follow; parents need to know that children are influenced more by the way they behave rather than by what they say as the old saying goes, “actions speak louder than words”. The government must also severely punish drug traffickers who either produce or smuggle drugs into the country. It must be extremely impossible for a teenager to purchase illegal drugs. In conclusion, I believe it is possible to eliminate the problem of youth drug abuse providing that we discover its causes. Then it is high time we took action to save our children who may get addicted to narcotics in the near future. (349 words)

Essay Practice Addiction means dependency on a certain habit and addict is a person who is dependent on a certain habit. In your opinion what are different forms of addiction? And how can one recognize whether one is addicted to a certain habit or not?

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Academic Essay Samples 27- These days, people are producing more and more trash, and unfortunately the rate is increasing. In your opinion why do people produce more trash these days? What actions can we take in order to reduce the amount of trash that people produce? Each family in the world produces a certain amount of rubbish everyday and the governments allocate a huge sum of money for collecting and dumping trash. Producing trash is inevitable however what looks unacceptable is that families these days are producing much more than they should and this is causing many problems for the people and the governments. The first reason why we produce so much rubbish is our modern lifestyle. These days we are consuming things which are packaged. Most of our garbage comes from packaging, we are consuming a lot of convenience food and we are throwing away lots of cans, bottles, and packages. We are also discarding many plastic bags and boxes used to carry things around. We are accustomed to using disposable products, we use them once and then we dispose of them. And unfortunately we forget that many of the things we try to get rid of are non-biodegradable and difficult to dispose of. Another reason is our interest in mass consumerism. In the modern world today many people consume more than they really need and therefore waste a lot which in turn results in the production of trash. In my opinion, the future generation must be aware of the consequences of this trend therefore they must be educated about the environment issues at school now. The governments must urge upon industry the importance of applying reusable packaging, such as glass bottles instead of plastic bottles. People must be informed of the damage to the environment caused by trash and encouraged to use recycled materials since most of the things that we consider as being trash can be used to produce other things. And finally I think People must learn not to waste anything. Unfortunately a considerable amount of the rubbish we produce comes from things we have wasted. To conclude, I think we cannot help producing trash and the earth and the ecosystem can take in only a certain amount of trash; therefore, people must reduce the amount of rubbish they produce before it is too late. (343 words)

Essay Practice Most companies these days promote the habit of consumerism among people thinking it can boost the world economy. While others think the so-called benefits of consumerism are elusive. Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of consumerism and finally give your own opinion. IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Academic Essay Samples 28- Drug abuse is becoming a problem in our society. What are the problems caused by drug abuse and what are some solutions? Drug abuse is rife in many countries. And the rate of drug abuse is rising dramatically all around the world, even though Billions of dollars are spent internationally preventing drug use, treating addicts, and fighting drug-related crime. Drugs threaten families as well as the societies, and their effects can be combated successfully. Drug abuse causes multiple problems for countries and communities. The medical and psychological effects are very obvious. Addicts cannot function as normal members of society. They neglect or abuse their families, and eventually require expensive treatment or hospitalization. The second effect is on crime. Huge police resources are needed to fight smuggling and dealing. Criminal gangs and mafia underworlds develop with the money from drugs. However, the menace of drugs can be fought. Education is the first battle. Children need to be told at home and in school about drugs. People need to be aware of the effects so that they can avoid this problem. A second approach is to increase police manpower and powers to stop dealers and to enforce the law. However the main target should be the user. Families and counselors need to talk to children and people at risk. Parents need to look at their children and help them In conclusion, although the problem of drugs may seem impossible to eliminate, there are concrete steps that can be taken to weaken the hold of drugs on society. Drug addiction is jeopardizing our society and ignoring it is the biggest mistake we can ever make. (250 words)

Essay Practice “Drug traffickers are more dangerous than murderers and they deserve a more severe form of punishment”. Do you agree or disagree with this opinion? Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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Academic Essay Samples 29- Some employers reward members of the staff or their exceptional contributions to the company by giving them extra money. This practice can act as an incentive for some but may also have a negative impact on others. To what extent is this style of management effective? Are there better ways of encouraging employees to work hard? In times of high unemployment, employers need to do very little to encourage their staff to work hard, but when job vacancies are galore, they have to find effective ways of rewarding their staff in order to stop them from going elsewhere. One obvious way of doing this is to offer extra money to employees who are seen to be working exceptionally hard and this is done in companies with a product to sell. For example, real estate agencies or department stores can offer a simple commission on all sales. This style of management favours the ones who can demonstrate their contributions through sales figures, but does not take into account the work done by people behind the scenes who have little contact with the public. A better approach is for management to offer a bonus to all the staff at the end of the year if the profits are healthy, this however does not allow management to target individuals who have genuinely worked harder than others. Another possibility is to identify excellent staff through incentive schemes such as ‘Employee of the month’ or ‘worker of the week’ to make people feel recognized. Such people are usually singled out with the help of clients. Hotels, restaurants and tour operators may also allow staff to accept tips offered by clients who are pleased with the service. However, tipping is a highly unreliable source of money and does not favour everyone. Basically, employees want to be recognized for their contribution – whether through receiving more money or simply some encouraging words. They also need to feel that their contribution to the whole organization is worthwhile. Good management recognizes this need and responds appropriately. (280 words)

Essay Practice

Do you agree or disagree with the following statement? People should sometimes do things that they do not enjoy doing. Use specific reasons and examples to support your answer.

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Academic Essay Samples 30- Some people trust their first impressions about a person’s character because they believe these judgments are generally correct. Other people do not judge a person’s character quickly because they believe first impressions are often wrong. Discuss both these views and give your opinion. Leaving a good impression upon the people we meet especially the ones we meet for the first time is now common practice, but judging a person by his or her appearance or the impression they create cannot be considered a sensible policy; however, there are people who trust their judgments about a person’s character based on their first impressions. Some people know that people might not be what they pretend or claim to be; as a result, they think first impressions are always wrong. They try not to evaluate people merely based on how they appear or how they try to assert themselves, rather they try to base their evaluation on other variables such as people’s thoughts, achievements in life, relations with others, their friends, their beliefs etc. Hence, even though these people have taken the issue to an extreme, I think they will make fewer mistakes than those who trust their first impressions since they appear to be intelligent or they might deign to speak with a person who appears to be below par. However, Others believe one must not adopt a radical approach to the problem; for them, appearance is very important too. A person cannot have an unkempt and disheveled appearance and advise others about cleanliness. In fact such a person is a hypocrite. Generally taking into account many variables before making a decision about a person’s character and appearance is definitely one of the important variables. In conclusion, I believe that human beings are more complex than we could make up our mind about their character by simply looking at them; therefore, people must try to pay attention to many variables affecting a person’s character before making a judgment. (283 words)

Essay Practice

We all work or will work in our jobs with many different kinds of people. In your opinion, what are some important characteristics of a co-worker (someone you work closely with)? Use reasons and specific examples to explain why these characteristics are important.

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Appendix 1: Connectives

APPENDIX 1

CONNECTIVES

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Appendix 1

Connectives

1- Enumeration: First, … Firstly, …

Furthermore, … Finally, … Secondly, …. Thirdly, …

Above all Last but not least First and foremost First and most importantly To begin, … In the second place, … Moreover, … And to conclude, … To start with, … Next, … Then, … Afterward, … Lastly/Finally, …

2- Addition: to what has been previously indicated A. Reinforcement (includes confirmation): Also Furthermore Further Moreover What is more Then In addition Above all Too As well (as) B. Equation (similarity with what has preceded): Equally Likewise Similarly Correspondingly In the same way

3- Transition can lead to a new stage in the sequence of thought Now With reference/ respect/ regard to Regarding Let us (now) turn to 114

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Appendix 1: Connectives As for As to

often used when discussing something briefly

spoken language

Incidentally By the way Come to think of it Talking/speaking of … (informal) Apropos of … (formal) That reminds me …

Indicates a digression and an afterthought

To introduce a digression

4- Summation indicates a generalization or summing-up of what has preceded

In conclusion To conclude To sum up briefly In brief To summarize Altogether Overall Then Therefore Thus

5- Apposition is used to refer back to previous sentences or to parallel or related references

i.e., that is, that’s to say vis., Namely in other words or, or rather, or better and as follows mostly (of) The relationship that these phrases can express include: reformulation, exemplification and particularization

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6- Result before:

expresses the consequences or result of what was said

So Therefore As a result/consequence The result/consequence is/was Accordingly Consequently Now Then Because of this/that Thus Hence For this/that reason

7- Inference

indicates a deduction from what is implicit in the preceding sentences:

Then In other words In that case Or else Otherwise

Equivalent to a negative condition

If so/not That implies My conclusion is

8- Reformulation

to express something in another way:

Or better Or rather In other words In that case To put it (more) simply

9- Replacement preceded

to express an alternative to what has

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Appendix 1: Connectives On the other hand The alternative is Another possibility would be

10- Contrast,

with what has preceded

Instead Conversely Then On the contrary By (way of) contrast In comparison (On the one hand) … on the other hand …

11- concession

indicates the unexpected, surprising nature of what is being said in view of what was said before:

or (else) however nevertheless nonetheless notwithstanding only still while al(though) even if/though

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yet in any case at any rate for all that in spite of/despite that after all at the same time on the other hand all the same

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APPENDIX 2

STRUCTURE & VOCABULARY AID

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Appendix 2

Structure and Vocabulary Aid

1- Location X is situated/located in/to/on X is in the south of the country X is to the north of the country The north of the country is on/near the equator/the coast/sea The north of the country is inland X is a neighboring country

2- Composition

X

comprises … consists of … constitutes … is composed of …

3- Approximation X has just/a little over/under (a figure, measurement, etc.) X has about/approximately (a figure, measurement, etc.)

4- Qualification X is predominately/mainly/generally … The majority of/most of the X is …

5- Definition X

is … means … describes … is defined as … is used …

X is concerned with/deals with/relates to/involves

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6- Exemplification Shown/exemplified/illustrated by … X shows/exempify/illustrates … The following are examples of X A and b are examples of X Writes such as Dickens and Hardy … Such writers as Dickens and Hardy …

7- Classification Useful nouns Criterion/criteria Basis/bases Features Characteristics Categories Classes Groups Types Kinds Sorts speacies

Breeds Orders Divisions Families Members Sub-categories Sub-classes Sub-groups Sub-orders Sub-divisions

Useful verbs To Classify Categorise Group Divide into Arrange in Put into Fall into

Place in Distinguish Differentiate Sub-classify Sub-categorise Sub-group Sub-divide

X consists of … according to whether or not … there is X … comprises X may be classified

according to … on the basis of … depending (up)on…

The classification is based (up)on …

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Appendix 1: Connectives Note the possible sequences: … may be divided … may be sub-divided … … may be further sub-divided …

8- Comparison

X is

X is

considerably A great deal (very) much (quite) a lot rather somewhat a little slightly scarcely hardly only just exactly precisely just virtually practically more or less almost nearly approximately about

smaller bigger cheaper etc.

than

the same as

X is not exactly/entirely/quite the same as X is totally/completely/entirely/quite different from Y X is not quite as/so big/expensive etc. as … X and Y are different/dissimilar in every way/respect X and Y are totally/completely/entirely/quite different

9- Cause & Effect the cause of higher prices was an increase in demand the one effect/consequence/result of an increase in demand is higher prices IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Appendix 1: Connectives therefore, so, as a result, as a consequence, accordingly, the demand has increased (:) consequently, higher because of this, thus, hence, for this reason,

the prices are

because/as/since/now that the demand has increased, the prices are higher an increase in demand often causes/results in/leads to/produces higher prices higher prices are (often) caused by/due to/because of an increase in demand because of as a result of on account of owing to through the prices are higher

because since as

an increase in demand

there is an increase in demand

when/if there is an increase in demand (then) prices rise

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Appendix 1: Connectives

10- Scale Percentage guide

QUANTITY

all/every/each most a majority (of) many/much a lot (of) enough

100 %

some a number of several a minority (of) a few/a little

0%

no/none/not any

it it it it

FREQUENC Y always usually normally generally on the whole regularly often frequently sometimes occasionally rarely seldom hardly ever

PROBABILITY ADVERBS

ADJECTIVES

VERBS

certainly definitely undoubtedly clearly presumably probably

certain definite undoubted clear (un)likely probable

will is/are must/have to should would ought to

conceivably possibly perhaps maybe uncertainly

possible uncertain

never

may might can could will is/are can could

is fairly certain/likely that … is very/quite probable/possible/likely/unlikely that … is rather unlikely that … is almost/quite certain that …

in the (vast) majority of cases in a (large) number of cases in most cases in some cases in a few cases

11- Caution: impersonal verbs phrases it appears to/that it would appear to/that it seems to/that it would seem to/that it tends to be there is a tendency to/for it is said that some of the evidence shows that some writers say that IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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not

Appendix 1: Connectives it has been suggested that it is generally agreed that it is widely accepted that it is now generally recognized that it is very doubtful if

some adverbs and nouns adverbs Apparantly Approximately Hardly Practically Presumably Relatively Scarely Seemingly Slightly virtually

nouns Assumption Claim Estimate Evidence Possibility Presumption Chance Likelihood

12- referring to a diagram, chart etc. as it can be seen from/in the chart … according to table … as (is) shown in the diagram … it can be seen from the graph that …

from the table, it can be

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seen concluded shown estimated calculated inferred

that …

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13- Describing change Direction

Verbs Rose (to) Increased (to) Went up (to) Climbed (to) Boomed

Fell (to) Declined (to) Decreased (to) Dipped (to) Dropped (to) Went down (to) Slumped (to) Reduced (to) Plummeted (to)

Nouns A rise An increase A growth An upward trend A boom (a dramatic rise)

A decrease A decline A fall A drop A slump (a dramatic fall) A reduction

Leveled out (at) Did not change Remained stable (at) Remained steady (at) Stayed constant (at) Maintained the same level Plateaued (at) Reached a plateau

A leveling out No change A plateau

Fluctuated (around) Peaked (at) Bottomed out at Stood at (we use this phrase to focus on a particular point, before we mention the movement, for example: In the first year, unemployment stood at … )

A fluctuation

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Appendix 1: Connectives Adjectives dramatic sharp huge enormous steep substantial considerable significant marked moderate slight small minimal

Adverbs dramatically sharply enormously steeply substantially considerably significantly markedly moderately slightly minimally

Adjectives rapid quick swift sudden steady gradual slow

Adverbs rapidly quickly swiftly suddenly steadily gradually slowly

14- introducing a point of view the first thing/first of all we have/I should like to consider … the first thing to be considered is … it is a fact that … there is no doubt that … I believe that … one of the main arguments in favor of/against X is that…

15- Summarising and concluding in short, … in conclusion, … in a word, … on the whole, … in brief, … altogether, … to sum up, … in all, … therefore/thus/on this basis/ given this, it can/may be concluded/deduced/inferred

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16- useful words Stating the topic Concept To consist Factor Hypothesis

Hypothesise Issue to predict premise

Proposition To speculate Thesis topic

General research vocabulary Academic Anecdotal Anomaly Argument Assimilate Cogent Conform Consequent Controversy Debate Empirical To equate

Evidence Exception Explicit Feasible Findings Homogeneus Implicit Issue Norm Pertinent Priniciple Relevance

Reliable Research Source Study Subsequent Survey Tentative Theory Trend Valid

17- Reporting as X implies … X implies that … as noted by X … it has been argued by X that … Add Affirm Agree Argue Assert Assume Challenge Claim Clarify Comment Consider Contend Contradict demonstrate

Deny Describe Determine Disagree Discern Discuss Dispute Emphasise Enumerate Explain Imply Infer Maintain Point out

Postulate Querry Question Recommend Refute Reject Remark Report Repudiate Say Suggest Stipulate View note

other reporting structures:

according to X, … for example, X argued that … writing in 1979, X commented that … to quote X: '…' recent research by X shows that …

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas

APPENDIX 3

HOW TO EXPRESS ESSENTIAL IDEAS

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Reason 1- to be the reason why something happened or why someone does something Be the reason Nick's teachers think that problems at home are the reason for his poor schoolwork. Be the reason why He borrowed too much money, and that's the reason why his business failed. Be the reason (that) I knew that I had my weaknesses. Perhaps that is the reason that I was not more successful. Explain something We were all puzzled: what could explain his sudden change of mind? Explain why/what/how She couldn't sleep last night, which explains why she was in such a bad mood this morning. Account for If it's true that he was taking drugs that would account for his strange behavior. Lie behind I wonder what lies behind Arthur's sudden interest in golf. I think that behind Tania's aggression lay a deep insecurity about her.

2- why something is right or should be done Reason (why/that) The reason why we need these laws is to protect children from violent adults. Reason to do something I can think of lots of reasons to get married. You may be dissatisfied, but is that sufficient reason to resign? Have every reason to do something We have every reason to believe he is guilty.

Argument that Do you agree with the argument that violence on TV makes people behave violently? Argument for/against What are the arguments for the legalization of cannabis? The main argument against smoking is that it's bad for Justification for There's no justification for cruelty. Justification for doing something What justification can there be for paying women lower Grounds for Is mental cruelty sufficient grounds for divorce? On the grounds of something (=for this reason) He had been fired from his job on the grounds of incompetence. On what grounds are you claiming compensation? On the grounds that

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas She was prohibited from speaking to the students on the grounds that it would stir up trouble. Cause to do something I've never had any cause to complain about my doctor. With good/just cause He no longer loved her, and with just cause, because she had betrayed him. Without good/just cause We have little sympathy for people who leave their jobs without just cause. Cause for complaint/alarm/concern etc The child's behavior is giving us cause for concern. There is no cause for alarm about the safety of drinking water. Rationale for/behind In the document he explains the rationale for his plan to build a car for the African market. If you do not understand the rationale behind any action you are asked to take, be sure to find out.

3- to tell someone the reason for something Provide an explanation is more formal than come up with an explanation In an attempt to provide an explanation she said she thought I had given her permission to be absent. After failing to come up with an adequate explanation, Jones was arrested for robbery. Justify Something How can you justify the expense? Justify doing something How can you possibly justify charging four pounds for a glass of beer? Account for If you walked home, how do you account for the fact that a witness said he saw you driving your van? It is difficult to account for the big differences in their scores. Provide an explanation/come up with an explanation In an attempt to provide an explanation she said she thought I had given her permission to be absent. After failing to come up with an adequate explanation, Jones was arrested for robbery.

4- when there is no reason for someone's behaviour Be no reason to do something I know I'm late, but that's no reason to lose your temper. There is no reason for something Please remain calm everyone. There is no reason for panic. Be no excuse/justification to do something Ron may not be the most pleasant person to work with, but that's no justification to fire him. There's no excuse/justification for something 130

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas There's no excuse for such childish behaviour from a grown man. Groundless Fleury dismissed our fears as groundless, though he was secretly alarmed. A message from Interpol confirmed that our Inspector's suspicions were far from groundless. Unfounded I am going to prove to you that your suspicions are entirely unfounded. All the signs indicate that the general's optimism is unfounded.

Advantages 1- the good and bad features of something Have both advantage and disadvantages Being an only child has both advantages and disadvantages. The advantages and disadvantages of something The advantages and disadvantages of owning a car in the city Weigh the advantages and disadvantages of something (=to consider the advantages and disadvantages of something) Politicians should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages of committing US troops to this conflict.

The pros and cons of There has been a lot of discussion about the pros and cons of making certain types of drugs legal. Your doctor should explain the pros and cons of the different treatments available. Weigh up the pros and cons (=think about the advantages and disadvantages) Karen and David weighed up the pros and cons of having another child and decided against it. The pluses and minuses of She talked about some of the pluses and minuses of being self-employed.

2- a good feature of something Advantage of The advantage of walking to work is that I get some exercise. Big advantage One of the big advantages of the course is that it helps students develop their writing skills in English. Benefit to Tourism has brought many benefits to the area. Benefit of The benefits of a healthy lifestyle What are the benefits for Britain of belonging to the European Union? Merit The merits of the new health programmed are gradually being recognized. The committee is still considering the merits of the new proposals. Be a plus The hotel's closeness to the beach is definitely a plus. Plus point IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas The plus point of this area is its school system, which is considered one of the best in the city.

3- something that makes you more likely to be successful Have an advantage People who have been to university have a big advantage when it comes to finding jobs. Advantage over I had already lived in France for a year, so I had a big advantage over the other students. Give somebody an advantage Taxes on imports gave Japanese companies an unfair advantage. An asset for somebody A sense of humour is an important asset for any teacher. Be an asset to something Laney continues to be a great asset to the company. Have a privilege/grant a privilege Foreign diplomats have all kinds of special privileges. Countries within the European Community grant certain commercial privileges to each other. The privilege of something Not everyone has the privilege of a private education.

4- the only good feature of something Saving grace I can't really play baseball. My one saving grace is that I can pitch. I hate this house. Its only saving grace is that it's near the centre of town. Redeeming feature The heroine of the novel is cruel and evil, with no redeeming features. Coal is relatively expensive but its redeeming feature is that it is in plentiful supply.

Disadvantage 1- a bad feature of something Have a disadvantage The proposal has some major disadvantages. Disadvantage of The main disadvantage of being a nurse is working irregular hours. Drawback of One of the major drawbacks of being famous is the lack of privacy. Drawback to High house prices are one drawback to economic growth. Liability to The product that was once so popular is now a liability to the company. Serious liability 132

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas The bank realized that the dispute was becoming a serious liability in doing business Limitations I think we've done a wonderful job, considering the limitations we've had to work under. We made an inspection of the building's resources and limitations. The downside of The downside of the New Economy is the forced resettlement of villagers.

2- to have a disadvantage compared to other people or things Be at a disadvantage Women are still at a disadvantage when it comes to getting jobs in the military. People with previous convictions are always at a disadvantage when on trial in a court of law. Put/place somebody at a disadvantage The test put candidates whose first language was not English at a disadvantage. The disadvantaged (=disadvantaged people) Booth invented schemes to help the disadvantaged in the community. Be against Time is against us. The longer we wait to find a solution to the crisis, the worse it will get. He wanted to become a pilot but his bad eyesight was against him. Count against We believe Caroline Connely is innocent, but her silence could count against her in a court. He was a child when he committed the crime. Should that count against him as an adult with a clean record?

Result 1- something that happens or exists because of something else Result of Her constant cough is the result of many years of smoking. The results of the attack included two helicopters burnt out, and three groundcrew wounded. With the result that More and more people are using cars, with the result that towns are much more polluted. As a result Jobs are hard to get and, as a result, more young people are continuing their education. A direct result of something (=caused by only one thing even if people think there may be other causes) Her parents believe that her death was a direct result of medical error. Effect of The effects of the oil spill were devastating for wildlife. The harmful effects of radiation IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas Have an effect/have no effect All my efforts to persuade them were beginning to have an effect. I've been taking these pills for three days, but so far they've had no effect. Effect on The death of a parent can have very serious and long-lasting effects on a child. Have a bad/good effect (on something/somebody) Any increase in fuel costs could have a bad effect on business. Consequence of Pain and illness are sometimes thought to be the unavoidable consequences of growing old. Consequence for If river levels continue to rise, it will have very serious consequences for many people's homes. Take/face the consequences (=accept the bad results of something you do) People who run up big debts eventually have to face the consequences. Damaging/dire/disastrous etc consequences Safety procedures had been ignored, with disastrous consequences. Implications of The legal implications of the case are extremely significant. Implications for Any change in interest rates has important implications for most people's financial situation. Important/significant/profound etc implications The discovery of planets orbiting other suns has profound implications. Outcome of It's impossible to say for sure what the outcome of the election will be. Affect/influence the outcome The patient's general health and fitness can also affect the outcome of the disease. Predict the outcome At this point, I wouldn't even try to predict the outcome, but we're hoping for the best. Upshot of What was the upshot of the trial? The upshot is that The upshot of that experience was that I decided I didn't want to study medicine after all. The end result is that If students constantly fail, the end result is that they switch off any interest in learning. The net result/effect is that The new system is designed to spread payments over several months but the net effect is that people pay more in total. Aftereffect of A large number of working days are lost through the aftereffects of alcohol abuse. Psychological aftereffects

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas The psychological aftereffects of a tragedy like the Zeebrugge disaster can stay with the survivors for years.

2- a result that happens in addition to the intended result Have side effects The drug can have side effects such as headaches and sickness. Transplanting genes from one plant to another may have unintended side effects for the environment and the food supply. Side effect of One of the side effects of chemotherapy is hair loss. Dangerous/nasty/unpleasant etc side effects These pills don't normally have any unpleasant side-effects. Indirect result of The job losses were an indirect result of lower cost imports. The increase in greenhouse gases is the direct result of pollution, and the indirect result of a reduction in the atmosphere's ability to absorb them. By-product of One of the by-products of the peace treaty was the growth of trade between the two nations. Another by-product of space exploration is a growing awareness of this planet's fragile environment. Corollary of Huge increases in unemployment were the corollary of the government's economic policy. A logical/natural/necessary etc corollary (of something) A rapid increase in population would be a natural corollary of any such changes in the birth control program. The corollary of this is that The government has promised tax cuts, but the corollary of this is that there will be a reduction in public services. Spin-off for One of the main spin-offs for countries that host the Olympic Games is increased business for hotels, restaurants, and theatres. Have a spin-off Research into lasers has had important spin-offs for eye-surgery. Ramifications of The ramifications of the decision whether to build a new airport or not are enormous. Ramifications for The course that people choose to do at university can have ramifications for the rest of their lives. Economic/legal/political etc ramifications Whatever the judges decide, the legal ramifications of the case will be with us for many years to come. Wider ramifications (=more complicated results)

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas The introduction of national testing in schools had wider ramifications than people realized. Repercussions of The psychological repercussions of the accident might affect her for the rest of her life. Have repercussions (on something) The transport strike had all sorts of repercussions on other industries. Important/profound/serious etc repercussions A scandal like this could have serious repercussions on his political career. Economic/legal/political etc repercussions Even the possibility of a war in the Middle East has important political repercussions.

3- when one thing happens because of another Because of Sampras seemed likely to miss the US Open because of a back injury. Because of problems with the fuel system, the launch has been put back a week. She was chosen for the Peace Prize because of her courageous fight for democracy. Be a result of/result from Our success is the result of a great deal of hard work. The big population increase in the US was partly the result of immigration. It is thought that the train crash resulted from a fault on the line. When one thing happens because of another Be the product of When one thing happens because of another The agreement was the product of 21 months of negotiations. Saturday's goal was the product of some poor defending by the opposing team. When one thing happens because of another Stem from from (doing) something Many of my patients' anxieties stem from experiences in their childhood. The dog's aggression stemmed from being kept locked up all day. Stem from the fact that Part of the education problem stems from the fact that class sizes have increased dramatically in the last 5 years. When one thing happens because of another Arise from the fact that Lung cancer is just one of the many diseases that arise from smoking too many cigarettes. The difficulty arises from the fact that there has been insufficient time to train new staff. As a result of He died as a result of cold and exhaustion. Over 60 drugs have been removed from sale as a result of recent tests. Resulting/consequent Burrows took the resulting penalty kick. Without government support the factory would be forced to close, with the consequent loss of thousands of jobs. 136

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas Britain's resulting debt burden was greater than that of the French.

4- to think that something happens because of something else To put something down to When Charlie became ill, I was inclined to put it down to the pressures of his job. No one was injured, and US officials put the incident down to "high spirits". To attribute something to The management attributed the success of the company to the new Marketing Director. 1150 deaths a year can be attributed to drunk driving.

Because 1. what you say when you are giving the reason for something Because She's in a bad mood because her father won't let her go to the party tonight. "This photograph doesn't look like you." "That's because it isn't me - it's my sister". Because you've done such a good job, I'm giving everyone a 10% bonus. Just because (=used when you think an explanation is not a good enough reason for something) You mean you dumped him just because he forgot your birthday? Simply because (=used when there is a very simple reason for something) We're not going on holiday this year, simply because we can't afford it. Because of something I had to move because of my job. Because of the increase in street crime, many old people are afraid to leave their homes. Since Also as British [conjunction] use this to give the reason why someone decides to do something We had planned to play tennis but since it was raining we decided to go swimming instead. Since you're going to be in the area anyway, you can pick up the order for me. As he wasn't well, I offered to do the shopping. Owing to Owing to circumstances beyond our control, we regret to inform customers that this store will close early. In the end I was unable to attend the conference, owing to financial difficulties. Be due to The accident was due to a concrete block thrown from a bridge. Thanks to Today thanks to the Internet, you can do all your Christmas shopping from home. The play was a great success thanks to the effort and commitment of everyone involved. As a result of Many people are now homeless as a result of the civil war. IELTS Essays, Letters, Graphs, Diagrams & Maps

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas As a direct result of Mr Logan died as a direct result of the injuries he received in the accident. The reason … is The reason we didn't consider her for the job was that she didn't have enough experience. The reason we are here this evening is to say thank you to Brian for all his hard work. Through We succeeded through sheer hard work. Hundreds of working days have been lost this year through illness. The Community Association collapsed through lack of support. Out of interest/curiosity/desperation etc She opened the letter, just out of curiosity. I came to you out of desperation - you've got to help me. On account of We had to move to London on account of my job. They're called the Black Hills on account of their color. Seeing as Spoken informal use this to give a reason for what you are suggesting or deciding Seeing as it's your birthday, why don't we go out for a meal? I'd better do it myself, seeing as no one else wants to do it.

Cause 1. to make something happen To make something happen I wish you wouldn't slam the door. It makes the floor shake. Accidents don't always just happen - people can make them happen. Gravity is the force that makes the planets move around the sun. Cause something Heavy traffic is causing long delays on the roads. About half of the chemicals that were tested caused cancer in rats. The autopsy showed that her death was caused by liver failure. Cause somebody trouble/problems/anxiety etc As children we were always causing our parents trouble. Try to isolate the problems that are causing you the most difficulty. Cause something to do something The power failure caused the whole computer system to shut down. To make something happen Be the cause of It's too early to say whether this virus is actually the cause of the disease. An explosion on board appears to be the cause of the crash. Be the leading/main cause of something The study showed that drug use is the leading cause of crime and violence. Be responsible for Heart disease was responsible for most of the deaths. He was clearly responsible for the deaths and must be punished. Be largely/mainly responsible for something Inflation was largely responsible for the economic crisis. Results in something

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas Workers fear that the company's reorganization will result in layoffs. Months of secret talks with the rebels finally resulted in the release of the hostages. If left untreated, the condition will eventually result in blindness. Lead to something His research eventually led to the development of a vaccine. The new regulations should lead to an improvement in our water supply. The bank has offered a reward for information leading to the arrest of the robbers. Give rise to something The canal project gave rise to a malaria epidemic in the region. The President's frequent cancellations have given rise to concerns about his health. Create / creation The white walls and mirrors helped to create an illusion of space. Margot's outburst created an unpleasant atmosphere and most of the guests left early. The end of the cold war helped create a situation in which more countries than ever have access to nuclear weapons. The government's main economic aim has been the creation of wealth.

2. to make someone do something Make Sarah's very funny. Her jokes always make me laugh. The things she said make me wonder if she is in some kind of trouble. The smell was so bad it almost made me throw up. Be made to do something I was made to wait for over an hour. Cause somebody to do something A dog ran into the road, causing the cyclist to swerve. The parents' fear of gang activity caused them to move the family to a safer neighborhood. No-one understands what could have caused her to hate him so much. Lead somebody to do something What led you to take up teaching as a career? It was my interest in gardens that led me to study biology. Lead somebody to believe The negative publicity has already led many to believe that Tompkins is guilty. Motivate somebody to do something I don't know what motivates people to commit such crimes. Be motivated by something He was motivated by a desire to help his fellow man. Many in the Asian community feel that the police actions were motivated by racial bias. To induce someone do something Whatever induced her to buy such an expensive car? The state advertises a great deal to induce its citizens to buy lottery tickets. To prompt someone do something It was reading his book that prompted me to write to him. What exactly prompted him to call you in the middle of the night?

3. to make something bad suddenly happen Set off something The army's invasion set off a major international crisis. Set something off Nobody knows what set the riot off. Spark/trigger something

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas Even the smallest diplomatic incident can trigger a major international conflict. The assassination of Archduke Francis Ferdinand sparked the First World War. Trigger/spark off something Riots, sparked off by the arrest of seven student leaders, have spread to other universities. Precipitate The 1929 stock market crash precipitated the collapse of the American banking system. Both countries claimed the same area, precipitating a border war.

4. to be the first or basic cause of something Be at the root/bottom of Simple greed is at the root of most white-collar crime. At the bottom of the country's economic problems is its overwhelming debt. Lie at the root/bottom of something Difficulties with the company's overseas subsidiaries lie at the root of last year's losses. Underlying cause/reason/factor etc A cause, reason etc that is one of the most basic and important, but which is not easy to notice They were treating only the symptoms of the disease rather than its underlying cause. Climate and geography are the underlying reasons for the region's low level of economic development.

5. to cause someone or something to be in a particular situation or condition To cause someone or something to be in a particular situation or condition Make somebody late/ill etc Hurry up - you're going to make me late for work. Something I ate last night really made me sick. Make something safe/interesting/dirty etc He could make things very difficult for us. Engineers have been working throughout the night to make the bridge safe. We gave the house a coat of paint to make it more attractive. Make it easy/impossible/necessary etc (for somebody) to do something The regulations should make it easier for patients to receive the treatment they need. The increased costs made it impossible to continue producing the computers in the U.S. Have something ready/organized/prepared etc We'll have your car ready by 3 o'clock. I'm going to have the roof fixed as soon as I can afford it. My parents had the little train all laid out under the tree on Christmas morning. Render something useless/impossible/harmless etc Both runways have been rendered useless by enemy bombings. The angry exchange rendered future compromise impossible. Render somebody unconscious/helpless etc Suddenly Packer struck a blow that rendered his victim unconscious.

6. to be one of the causes of something Play a part Many cases of breast cancer have genetic causes, but environmental substances may also play a part. Play a part in

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas It is not yet known if weather conditions played a part in the accident. The genius of the two designers has played a big part in the company's recent success. Contribute to An increase in the price of drugs has contributed to the rising cost of medical care. It is thought that the pilot's negligence may have contributed to the disaster. Contributory cause/factor One of several causes of something that happens, but not the main cause Malnutrition was considered to have been a contributory cause of death. Alcohol is a contributory factor in at least 50% of the violent crimes reported.

7. something that makes something else happen Cause Something that makes something else happen Doctors cannot find a cure for the illness until they have identified the cause. Cause of Investigators are still trying to determine the cause of the accident. Root cause (=basic cause) The root cause of the current energy crisis is that we simply use too much energy. Factor The price of insurance depends on several factors, including the age of the car. Factor in His girlfriend lives in London and I'm sure that was a factor in his decision to move there. Key factor (=very important factor) Money will be the key factor when we decide to buy a new house. Deciding/determining factor (=the thing that finally makes something happens) Race should never be a deciding factor in a hiring decision. Reason "Why are you helping her?" "She asked me to. That's the only reason." The main reason she quit is that she was not being paid enough. Reason for/behind Can anyone explain the reason for the delay? There were two reasons behind the company's failure. Reason why/ (that) The reason why the economy is growing more slowly is a lack of workers. Reason to do something There's no reason to doubt what she says. Origins of The origins of the crisis were very complex. Other cultures' beliefs about the origins of disease often differ from our own. Have origins in Many of our attitudes to the issue of race have their origins in the colonialism of days gone by. Root of The roots of the wars in the Balkans go back hundreds of years. Get to the root of something (=discover the most important cause) We need to get to the root of the problem.

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas Stimulus The appointment of a new director gave the project immediate stimulus. Stimulus to The surge in new housing construction ought to provide a stimulus to the economy. Impetus for/behind The impetus for change in the industry was provided by a new management team. Press criticism has been the main impetus behind the government reforms. Give impetus to something The Surgeon General's speech will give new impetus to the anti-smoking campaign.

Stop 1. to prevent someone from doing what they want to do To prevent someone from doing what they want to do Prevent somebody from doing something A leg injury may prevent Shearer from playing in tomorrow's game. There were reports that some people had been prevented from voting in the election. Stop somebody (from) doing something My parents tried to stop me seeing Anne. The government has taken legal action to stop the BBC from broadcasting a documentary about the Secret Service. Keep somebody from doing something Staying busy kept her from thinking about her illness. It was all I could do to keep myself from hitting him. Restrain yourself She wanted to ask him all about his private life, but wisely restrained herself. Restrain somebody from doing something His arm was hurting him and he had to be restrained from doing too much Discourage somebody from doing something Higher cigarette prices do not seem to discourage people from smoking.

2. a problem that prevents you from achieving something Obstacle to The greatest obstacle to economic progress has been mass unemployment. Overcome an obstacle (=deal with it successfully) She had to overcome a lot of obstacles to finally make it to Drama College. A bar to something His disability was no bar to his entry into the profession. Differences in religious beliefs are not necessarily a bar to a good relationship. Limiting I found the lack of available reference books very limiting. There is a lot of research that still needs to be done, but money is an important limiting factor.

3. intended to prevent something happening Preventive/preventative We should spend more money educating people about preventive medicine. Schools must take preventative measures so that this type of tragedy never happens again Preventative action can easily be taken to avoid damp occurring in your house.

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas Pre-emptive strike/action/attack An action that is done to harm someone before they can harm you - use this especially about official or military actions The US says it is prepared to launch a pre-emptive strike with nuclear weapons if it is threatened.

4. something that can be prevented Preventable Whooping cough and measles are both preventable diseases. Many of these deaths each year are preventable. Avoidable Running out of gas is annoying and easily avoidable. Too many children are still injured in avoidable accidents.

5. to stop happening Come to an end When we had children, all our trips to theatres and cinemas came to an end. Research at the college came to an end in 1870. All good things must come to an end. Cease Hostilities between the two countries have now ceased. Presently, the rain ceased and the sun came out. Cease altogether (=stop completely) The sound of gunfire gradually receded and then ceased altogether.

6. to gradually stop happening Wears off The effects of the anesthetic will wear off within a few hours. The shock has not worn off yet and he seems to be walking around in a daze. The novelty wears off (=when you stop feeling interested or excited about something because it is no longer new) The kids spent hours on the computer at first, but the novelty soon wore off. Fade away He waited until the sound of the engines had faded away. As the music faded away the audience broke into enthusiastic applause.

Disagreement 1. when people disagree Disagreement about/over Disagreement over who should produce the next album caused the band to split. Disagreement between/among There is some disagreement among medical experts about the best treatment for back pain. Difference of opinion about/over There were major differences of opinion over who should command the UN forces. Difference of opinion between/among There is a difference of opinion between the chairman and the board as to the best way to handle the takeover.

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas Controversy Controversy surrounds the TV show, which many consider to be racist, sexist, and homophobic. Controversy over There has been a huge controversy over where to put the city's new sports stadium and who should build it. Deadlock/stalemate over The political deadlock over allowable levels of greenhouse emissions Break the deadlock/stalemate (=end the situation) US negotiators met with representatives from both countries today in an attempt to break the deadlock. Discord over There has always been discord over NATO's role in world conflict.

2. causing disagreement Controversial A recent government paper on education contains some controversial new ideas. Rossellini's controversial film, "The Miracle" The decision to use the bomb remains the most controversial question of the Second World War. Causing disagreement Contentious issue/subject/problem etc One that is likely to cause a lot of disagreement and argument Abortion has always been a contentious subject. The contentious issue of arms sales to non-democratic countriesone that is likely to cause a lot of disagreement and argument Abortion has always been a contentious subject. The contentious issue of arms sales to non-democratic countries

3. to have a different opinion from someone else Disagree with I showed my article to the editor. He disagreed with almost everything I'd written. Disagree about Throughout their marriage my parents disagreed about whether to stay in their hometown or not. Disagree that The company's lawyers disagreed that the complaint was a criminal matter. Strongly disagree The court decision represents an issue on which the president and the Justice Department strongly disagree. Take issue with somebody over something I took issue with Meeker over the way he was running the company. Differ about/over Critics differed about the importance of Osborne's new play. All politicians agree that inflation must be beaten but they differ over methods of achieving this. Differ widely (=differ a lot) Scholars differ widely about when the two manuscripts were written.

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4. a person or group that opposes something Opponent of In some countries, any opponent of the government is likely to lose their job. One notable opponent of the proposal was the mayor. Opposition Opinion polls showed the opposition pulling ahead in some areas. Newspapers must reflect the views of the opposition as well as those of the government.

5. words or behavior that show that you oppose something Have an objection If anyone has any objections, please let us know as soon as possible. Raise an objection (=state an objection) When I told him about my plans, my father raised one objection after another. Have no objection If you have no objection, I would like to use your name as a reference when I start applying for jobs. Opposition to Opposition to the war grew rapidly. Face opposition Plans for the new stadium will no doubt face a lot of opposition. Express opposition Thousands of people plan to gather on Sunday to express their opposition to the government's handling of the crisis. Strong opposition Despite strong opposition, the law was passed. Hostility to/towards Recently there has been hostility towards the Prime Minister from members of his own party. Open hostility (=obvious or public hostility) Given his open hostility, it seemed pointless to try and continue to persuade him. Antagonism to/towards Hines made no effort to conceal his antagonism towards his supervisor. Antagonism between Mitchell sees no clear way to end the antagonism between the two groups.

Agreement 1. to have the same opinion as someone else Agree with Mr. Johnson thinks it's too risky, and I tend to agree with him. Lee agreed with Jackson that more opportunities should be created for minorities in film. Agree that Most experts agree that drugs like heroin can cause permanent brain damage. Agree on/about I agree with you about the color -- it looks awful. The one thing all the parties agreed on was the need for fair elections. Be in agreement on The two sides are in agreement on the need for arms reduction. Be in agreement with

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas I found myself in agreement with the lawyer, for once. Share somebody's view Many people shared Duvall's view, and thought the plan should be stopped. Share this/that view This view is shared by many doctors. Concur with He resigned three years later, because he did not concur with the division of the country into separate republics.

2. to agree by accepting less than you originally wanted Compromise The employers will have to be ready to compromise if they want to avoid a strike. Critics accused the mayor of compromising too easily. Compromise on Stalin refused to compromise on any of his demands. The President might be willing to compromise on defense spending. Make concessions on The government has already made significant concessions on pay and conditions. Make concessions to Our policy of not making concessions to terrorists remains intact.

3. when people have the same opinion about something Agreement that There is general agreement among doctors that pregnant women should not smoke. Agreement on Officials said there was widespread agreement on the need to promote growth by cutting government spending. In agreement Tara nodded her head in agreement. Consensus on/about There is still no general consensus on what our future policy should be. Consensus of opinion The consensus of opinion seems to be that the Prime Minister should resign. Reach a consensus (=achieve agreement) The delegates will continue to meet until a consensus is reached. Unanimous The decision of the committee was unanimous. Unanimous agreement/choice/decision/vote etc Mr. Harada was elected by a unanimous vote. Ryan needed unanimous agreement to bring his proposal up for a vote. Unanimously The union members voted unanimously for a strike.

Allow 1. to let someone do something Let somebody do something Sue doesn't let her kids eat candy. Thanks for letting me spend the night at your place.

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas Allow somebody to do something We do not allow people to smoke anywhere in the building. Under federal law, Indian nations are allowed to operate casinos on their reservations, with the state's permission. Allow somebody something (=allow them to have it) Paul's bank now allows him £35 a week, and Geoff can withdraw no more than £40. Agree to The rebels finally agreed to a ban on terrorist activity. McCaskill left the California Angels on Saturday and agreed to a three-year contract with the Chicago White Sox worth over $6 million. Permit somebody to do something The law permits foreign investors to own up to 25% of British companies. Permitted The water contained six times the permitted level of chlorine. Authorize Who authorized the decision to close the factory? Among other matters, the city council authorized more funds for additional police officers. Authorize somebody to do something Only Congress can authorize the President to declare war. Have no objection to somebody doing something They said they had no objection to us leaving a little early. Give your consent to something In September, he gave Dr. Arming his consent to conduct the experiment.

2. to be allowed to do something Be allowed to do something Are we allowed to use calculators on the test? Something is allowed Lanterns and heaters are allowed on Forest Service lands if they are fueled by propane. Be allowed in/out/off/on etc (=be allowed to go in, out, off etc) Several international relief organizations had been allowed into the area to determine what help was needed. Be permitted to do something Residents were not even permitted to fish in the reservoir. Something is permitted Smoking is only permitted in the public lounge.

Forbid 1. to tell someone that they must not do something Not let somebody do something My parents won't let me stay out after 11 o'clock. Not allow somebody to do something The university does not allow athletes to work during the school year. Not allow something Joan and Bill don't allow smoking in their house. Forbid somebody to do something The management forbids employees to accept tips from customers. Forbid somebody (from) doing something

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas They were forbidden from entering the sacred chamber. Ban Many doctors now say that boxing should be banned. A new international treaty banning all nuclear tests Ban somebody from (doing) something Relatives of the prisoners were banned from visiting them. Prohibit International Law prohibits the use of chemical weapons. The U.S. prohibited all flights to the country while the war was in progress. Prohibit somebody from doing something Mexican law prohibits the clergy from teaching in universities and schools.

Contrast 1. when one thing is being compared with another Compared to/with The British are good drivers compared to those in the rest of the EU. Statistics show that there has been a 20% reduction in burglary compared with last year. Women visit their doctors six times a year compared to the three or so visits that men make. In comparison/by comparison with We employ far fewer staff in comparison with similar-sized companies. Pale in/by comparison (=to look worse or much less important in comparison) Forecasters say this year's drought could make that of 1991 pale by comparison. The Yankees' problems pale by comparison with those of the Dodgers. In contrast I read a lot as a child, but my daughter, by contrast, just seems interested in television. In contrast to In contrast to the hot days, the nights are bitterly cold. Besides Tom's efforts seemed so weak beside Martin's. Delhi is so old that many European cities actually look young beside it. As against Last year there were 443 industrial accidents as against 257 in 1985. With only 57 inhabitants per square mile, as against a world average of over 70, the country is far from overcrowded. In proportion to Ricky's head is small in proportion to the rest of his body. I've always thought that my problems were very minor in proportion to those of many other people. Relative strength/weakness The relative strength of the dollar against the Mexican peso Relative advantages (and disadvantages)

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas She was terrified of flying. The relative advantages of air travel didn't tempt her at all. Relative merits (=what is good about them compared with each other) The two men stood at the bar discussing the relative merits of various sports cars. It is all relative (=it cannot be judged on its own, but must be compared with others) It's all relative, isn't it? Someone who is poor in this country might be considered well off in another. Relatively Once you've mastered the basic strokes of squash, the rest is relatively simple. Comparative happiness/comfort/safety etc Happiness, comfort, safety etc that is fairly satisfactory when compared to another After a lifetime of poverty, his last few years were spent in comparative comfort. Fresh fruit and vegetables have become a comparative rarity in the region. During the bombings, families sheltered in the comparative safety of the underground rail stations. Comparatively We were absolutely broke in those days. Now we're comparatively well off. More/less/bigger etc than Geographically, Canada is bigger than the US. My sister earns a lot more than I do.

2. To compare things Compare something/somebody with I hate the way you always compare me with your ex-boyfriend. If you compare rents in London with those in New York, you'll find they are about the same. You can't compare Charlie Parker with John Coltrane. They were completely different musicians. Liken somebody/something to Critics have likened the new city hall building to a barn. Morris has often been likened to Bobby Kennedy. He likened today's stock market to that of the 1920s. Make a comparison between The article makes a comparison between the novels 'Anna Karenina' and 'Madame Bovary'. Draw an analogy between He drew an analogy between mathematics and language. Joe drew an analogy between the Soviet Union of 1946 and Germany of 1938 Draw a parallel between/with One could draw a parallel between the professions of acting and politics. He was drawing parallels between events leading up to the last war and current political problems. You could draw parallels with the old Samson and Delilah story. Contrast with

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Appendix 3: Essential Ideas In the film, the peaceful life of a monk is contrasted with the violent life of a murderer. It is interesting to contrast life in Spain now with what it was like prior to 1975. Compare and contrast (=show the similarities and differences) The book compares and contrasts the various methods used in language teaching.

Similarity 1. the quality of being similar Similarity between The author notes the similarity between Western and Chinese principles and sees them as having a common basis in science. Similarity with/to We were able to tell the date of the statue because of its similarity with other statues of that period. The similarity of something (to something) For generations, scientists and science-fiction writers talked about the similarity of Mars to Earth. Resemblance to Although the fish have little external resemblance to each other, skeletally they are quite similar. Family resemblance (=a resemblance between members of the same family) When he met Francesca's aunt he was instantly struck by the family resemblance. Striking resemblance (=extremely strong resemblance) The Japanese maple leaf bears a striking resemblance to a marijuana leaf.

2. a particular way in which things or people are similar Similarity in The book classifies cheeses by similarities in flavour, rather than by ingredients. Similarity between There is one important similarity between the two political systems. Parallel between There are certain parallels between the situation in Europe today and that which existed 90 years ago. Kakar finds parallels between the Hindi film and popular myths.

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