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This lesson is based on task 2 of the IELTS Writing exam, in which you write an essay. There is a model answer and five exercises, practising one aspect of writing. You must complete each exercise before moving on to the next.

Topic: transportation
Task type: explain + suggest solutions
Key skills: using more academic or sophisticated vocabulary

You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

Nowadays, in many places around the world, there are an increasing number of cars on the road.

Why do you think this is the case? What can be done to solve the problems caused by this trend?

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

Write at least 250 words.

There are more automobiles on the road today than ever before. This is due to economic development in many countries combined with a larger suburban population, who often commute into the city centre by car. There are a few important measures that can be taken in order to change this situation.

There are more privately-owned cars on the streets of almost every metropolis today for several reasons. First, in countries like China, India and Brazil, there is a growing class of people who can now afford their own car, due to rapid economic development. Secondly, in large cities where affordable housing is hard to find, more people are choosing to live in suburban areas and commute into the centre for work. For them, public transport—which may be overcrowded or unreliable—is often not as practical an option as it is for those who live more centrally, and therefore driving one’s own automobile is preferable.

This problem can be significantly mitigated if governments impose policies which discourage unnecessary vehicle use and if individual drivers take this seriously. Specifically, governments can pass laws which make it harder for people to own and drive more than one car. For instance, in some countries, obtaining a new licence plate has been made very expensive. In other places, people can only drive their vehicle in the downtown area on particular days of the week. Single-occupancy driving can be discouraged by implementing tolls or by rewarding carpooling through beneficial conditions such as special lanes. Furthermore, improving the quality and punctuality of public transport could make it a more viable option. This depends, however, on individuals recognising the importance of the problem and making it a priority over convenience and comfort.

All in all, while owning and driving a car is becoming easier, it is not necessarily better in the long run and steps do need to be taken to reduce the damage being done as a result of this.

This lesson is based on task 2 of the IELTS Writing exam, in which you write an essay. There is a model answer and six exercises, practising one aspect of writing. You must complete each exercise before moving on to the next.

Topic: crime and punishment
Task type: direct question + suggest solution
Key skills: using -ing forms and infinitives with and without ‘to’ to form grammatically correct sentences

You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

In many places in the world, people who commit crimes are punished by being put in prison.

What other solutions would be effective?

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

Write at least 250 words.

In countries like the United States, incarceration is one of the most common ways to punish criminals. While putting offenders in prison does remove them from society and might offer rehabilitation in some cases, it is both very expensive for taxpayers and questionable in effectiveness. I believe community service rehabilitation programs and execution may be more successful alternatives.

Some contend that imprisoning people who break the law is an ideal solution to crime. Most importantly, it incapacitates criminals so they cannot continue to commit acts which endanger others. Supporters also argue that denying offenders their freedom by confining them to a cell in a penitentiary is fair retribution for what they have done. As well, prisons aim to rehabilitate lawbreakers, ultimately giving them a chance to become law-abiding citizens. However, research is inconclusive about how effective prisons are at doing these things. Opponents of imprisonment point out that correctional facilities are not only unsuccessful in rehabilitation but cost the tax-paying citizen a lot of money, as governments must pay to house, feed and treat criminals. All in all, I believe incarceration is not the best form of punishment.

Alternatives to prison include community service programs or conditional sentences which allow offenders to continue to live with and support their families while being rehabilitated. This would be appropriate for first-time offences of a lower severity, for example theft or assault. It costs the taxpayer less money and may be more effective in helping someone turn their life around. If, however, the crime committed is extremely violent or severe—for example, pre-meditated murder or rape—or if the individual shows no remorse, then more serious punishments like execution must be considered. Although the death penalty seems barbaric to some, it does act as a strong deterrent in many countries, and certainly costs less than keeping someone behind bars.

In conclusion, I would argue that putting criminals in prison is often not the best form of punishment. Instead, governments should use more effective and less socially disruptive forms of rehabilitation to give these people a second chance. For repeat offenders and remorseless criminals, I believe capital punishment is the answer.

This lesson is based on task 2 of the IELTS Writing exam, in which you write an essay. There is a model answer and four exercises, practising one aspect of writing. You must complete each exercise before moving on to the next.

Topic: humans and animals
Task type: to what extent do you agree?
Key skills: using adverbs and adjectives to create collocations and compound nouns

You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

Human beings are the most dominant and important species on the planet, and therefore the hunting, killing or consumption of animals is completely justified.

To what extent to you agree with this statement?

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

Write at least 250 words.

There are people who believe that humans are the centre of the natural world and that all other living things on Earth exist for our benefit. This line of thinking results in behaviour which has had a decidedly negative impact on the environment; from the poaching of endangered species and the deforestation of these creatures’ natural habitats, to the mass farming of domestic animals. I completely disagree that this type of behaviour is justified.

The most important reason why I disagree that humans should be permitted to kill other animals for our own benefit is that it destroys natural ecosystems. When animals are hunted or their habitats are destroyed, their populations are reduced, and this affects the intricate balance between different species. This can create an ecological imbalance which ultimately results in extinctions and permanent loss of biodiversity. Humans’ desire for furs, horns, tusks or other body parts from animals which are quickly becoming endangered is absolutely senseless and risks the future of the planet.

The second reason why I am opposed to this human-centric thinking is that it is ethically wrong to cause animals suffering just to satisfy our own desires. The growing consumption of meat and poultry has meant that factory farming is now the norm. Cattle, pigs and chickens are forced into miniscule holding cells, subjected to cruel treatment and robotically slaughtered just so that humans can get the food they have become accustomed to. The suffering these animals endure could be avoided or dramatically reduced if we meat-eating humans were to respect other creatures as equal to ourselves.

To conclude, I wholeheartedly disagree with the idea that homo sapiens’ unadulterated killing and consumption of non-human animals is justified. The idea that because we are more intelligent or ‘advanced’ than other living things we are permitted to destroy them is utterly ridiculous. If we are the most important species on Earth, we should act as defenders of the planet, rather than its owners.

This lesson is based on task 2 of the IELTS Writing exam, in which you write an essay. There is a model answer and three exercises, practising one aspect of writing. You must complete each exercise before moving on to the next.

Topic: education
Task type: address both views and give an opinion
Key skills: use of linking words and phrases for a variety of functions

You should spend 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic.

Some people believe their children should be educated at home by a parent or private teacher whereas others are satisfied with a traditional education in a public school.

Address both sides of the argument and give your opinion.

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

Write at least 250 words.

For most parents, sending their child to a local school to be educated seems an obvious choice. However, there are parents who do not think this provides their children with the best opportunities and therefore prefer to homeschool them. While there are certainly advantages to the latter, I believe that a conventional education in school is far superior for the child’s overall development.

There are a variety of reasons why a parent would want their child to be taught at home. Most importantly, many parents are dissatisfied with the teaching or the curriculum in nearby schools and feel that they could do a better job. Specifically, a parent could control virtually every aspect of the teaching and could choose to include or omit certain subject content for moral or religious reasons. In addition, children who are gifted or have special needs can have teaching geared to their exact requirements. Lastly, homeschooling may be a better choice for reasons not related to quality of education. For example, travelling to the closest school may mean long or dangerous journeys due to geographic or social circumstances.

On the other hand, being educated in a public school can benefit a child in many ways. Firstly, a child who goes to school every day socialises with his or her peers in a natural way and has a chance to develop social skills and interests independently. This better prepares a young person for the demands of university life and the world of work. As well, a school education offers more than just an in-class curriculum which can be taught at home. There are opportunities to join clubs, teams or go on trips, which might be crucial to discovering a hobby or passion, or simply enjoying childhood. Finally, public school education is free. That means parents do not need to spend money on things such as books or testing which would be necessary if their child was homeschooled.

All things considered, although there are some specific situations in which homeschooling could be a good alternative, the developmental advantages to being educated at school with other children are far greater and, in my opinion, make it the better option.