IELTS Writing task 2: Too much emphasis is placed on going university for academic education. People should be encouraged to do vocational training, because there is a lack of qualified tradespeople such as electricians or plumbers. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

TOPIC:
Too much emphasis is placed on going university for academic education. People should be encouraged to do vocational training, because there is a lack of qualified tradespeople such as electricians or plumbers. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

ANSWER:

It goes without saying that society always needs a skilled workforce to function. Employees of different professions contribute different to the thriving of the community, and therefore I disagree with the statement that vocational courses should be given anymore weight than before.

There is no doubt that many people consider taking tertiary education instead of a vocational training program to prepare for their future. It is universally accepted that knowledge and qualifications gained from university can help one to have a head start over other candidates when it come to job hunting. In Vietnam, for instance, a majority of high school graduates are content to spend fours to five years more studying at a university with the hope for a bright career ahead. This results in a lack of skilled manual workers such as plumber and electricians in society.

However, if we encourage more people to become blue-collar workers, then there will be a shortage a while-collar workers who may otherwise create more wealth for society. For example, few engineers would mean lower productivity; a dearth of scientists may inhibit scientific discoveries which can provide us with a better life in the future. In contrast, those doing blue-collar jobs may face redundancy when too many applicants complete for the same position. An unbalanced workforce might, therefore, hold society back from development in the long term.

In conclusion, the workforce will adjust itself to carter for the need of the community. If there are too many engineer than necessary, some will take vocational courses to become tradespeople to avoid unemployment.

(260 words, written by Thay Vinh IELTS)

IELTS Writing Task 1 by Simon - Car ownership

The graph below gives information about car ownership in Britain from 1971 to 2007.

The graph shows changes in the number of cars ______ household in Great Britain ______ a period of 36 years.

Overall, car ownership in Britain increased ______ 1971 and 2007. In particular, the number of households with two cars rose, while the number of households ______ a car fell.

In 1971, ______ half of all British households did not have regular use of a car. Around 44% of households had one car, but only about 7% had two cars. It was uncommon for families to own three or more cars, ______ around 2% of households falling into this category.

The one-car household was the most common type from the late 1970’s ______, although there was little change in the ______ for this category. The biggest change was seen in the proportion of households without a car, which fell steadily over the 36-year period ______ around 25% in 2007. In contrast, the proportion of two-car families rose steadily, reaching about 26% in 2007, and the proportion of households with more than two cars rose ______ around 5%.

Fill the gaps in the essay with the following words:

almost, to, figures, per, between, by, over, with, without, onwards

(Source: ielts-simon.com)

IELTS Writing Task 1 by Simon - Water consumption

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

The charts compare the amount of water used for agriculture, industry and homes around the world, and water use in Brazil and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

It is clear that global water needs rose significantly between 1900 and 2000, and that agriculture accounted for the largest proportion of water used. We can also see that water consumption was considerably higher in Brazil than in the Congo.

In 1900, around 500km³ of water was used by the agriculture sector worldwide. The figures for industrial and domestic water consumption stood at around one fifth of that amount. By 2000, global water use for agriculture had increased to around 3000km³, industrial water use had risen to just under half that amount, and domestic consumption had reached approximately 500km³.

In the year 2000, the populations of Brazil and the Congo were 176 million and 5.2 million respectively. Water consumption per person in Brazil, at 359m³, was much higher than that in the Congo, at only 8m³, and this could be explained by the fact that Brazil had 265 times more irrigated land.

(184 words, band 9)

Source: ielts-simon.com

IELTS Writing Task 1 by Simon - Line Graph - UK acid rain emission

The graph below shows UK acid rain emissions, measured in millions of tones, from four different sectors between 1990 and 2007.

I've made the following essay into a gap-fill exercise.

The line graph compares four sectors in ______ of the amount of acid rain emissions that they produced over a period of 17 years in the UK.

It is clear that the total amount of acid rain emissions in the UK ______ ______ between 1990 and 2007. The most ______ decrease was seen in the electricity, gas and water supply sector.

In 1990, around 3.3 million tones of acid rain emissions came from the electricity, gas and water sector. The transport and communication sector was ______ for about 0.7 million tones of emissions, while the domestic sector ______ around 0.6 million tones. Just over 2 million tones of acid rain gases came from other industries.

Emissions from electricity, gas and water supply fell dramatically to only 0.5 million tones in 2007, a ______ of almost 3 million tones. While acid rain gases from the domestic sector and other industries fell gradually, the transport sector ______ a small increase in emissions, ______ a peak of 1 million tones in 2005.

Fill the gaps using these words:

produced, reaching fell, responsible, saw, considerably, terms, drop, dramatic

(source: ielts-simon.com)

IELTS Writing Task 1, Written by Simon - Line Graph - International migration in UK

 International migration in UK

The chart gives information about UK immigration, emigration and net migration between 1999 and 2008.

Both immigration and emigration rates rose over the period shown, but the figures for immigration were significantly higher. Net migration peaked in 2004 and 2007.

In 1999, over 450,000 people came to live in the UK, while the number of people who emigrated stood at just under 300,000. The figure for net migration was around 160,000, and it remained at a similar level until 2003. From 1999 to 2004, the immigration rate rose by nearly 150,000 people, but there was a much smaller rise in emigration. Net migration peaked at almost 250,000 people in 2004.

After 2004, the rate of immigration remained high, but the number of people emigrating fluctuated. Emigration fell suddenly in 2007, before peaking at about 420,000 people in 2008. As a result, the net migration figure rose to around 240,000 in 2007, but fell back to around 160,000 in 2008.

(159 words, written by Simon)

Source: ielts-simon.com

IELTS Writing Task 1 by Simon - Line Graph - Internet Users as percentage of population

Internet Users as percentage of population

The line graph compares the percentage of people in three countries who used the Internet between 1999 and 2009.

It is clear that the proportion of the population who used the Internet increased in each country over the period shown. Overall, a much larger percentage of Canadians and Americans had access to the Internet in comparison with Mexicans, and Canada experienced the fastest growth in Internet usage.

In 1999, the proportion of people using the Internet in the USA was about 20%. The figures for Canada and Mexico were lower, at about 10% and 5% respectively. In 2005, Internet usage in both the USA and Canada rose to around 70% of the population, while the figure for Mexico reached just over 25%.

By 2009, the percentage of Internet users was highest in Canada. Almost 100% of Canadians used the Internet, compared to about 80% of Americans and only 40% of Mexicans.

(151 words, written by Simon)

Source: ielts-simon.com

IELTS Writing Task 2: The consumption of the world's resources (oil, and water etc.) is increasing at a dangerous rate. What are causes and solutions?

TOPIC: The consumption of the world's resources (oil, and water etc.) is increasing at a dangerous rate. What are causes and solutions?

ANSWER 1:

The accelerating rate of natural resources consumption has been a major topic of concern in recent years. As some factors are likely to trigger this alarming trend, a number of drastic measures can be employed to slow down the pace.

Perhaps it is the key role of natural resources in boosting economic growth and the heavy reliance on natural resources that accompany each other to create this dire situation. Today, precious commodities from nature such as gas, oil and coal still remain crucial to the operation of a country as transport and industries would grind to a halt without the energy and fuel generated from these resources. In emerging economies which are striving to rise, the demands for resources are certainly on the increase. The dependence on natural resources is also to blame as it is easier to exploit them from nature than developing and converting to sustainable alternatives such as wind and solar energy, which requires many years and great determination to produce changes on a large scale.

In order to alleviate the existing problem, there are some feasible solutions. One step to be mentioned is that the authority should impose higher taxes on the use of natural resources to deter further consumption. On the other hand, renewable energy sources such as solar and wind power can be developed to substitute fossil fuels in transport and manufacture. Lastly, governmental campaigns need to be launched to make individuals acknowledge the risks of overusing natural resources through the mass media.

In conclusion, the overuse of the world’s resources may result in severe consequences, threatening the environment and many people’s life, and strong measures must be implemented to tackle this situation.

(279 words - Bao Nguyen)

ANSWER 2:

The overconsumption of natural resources has evolved as a major topic of concern in recent years. This alarming trend is caused by a few factors, and it must be addressed by a number of definite actions.

The increasingly high level of exploitation of natural resources could be ascribed to a number of reasons. The most obvious reason is the tremendous demand for resources in developing countries, such as China and Brazil. The citizens of these countries are becoming increasingly wealthy, and they may now afford a living standard that is associated with a higher level of resource consumption. A clear example of this is the widespread use of cars among tens of millions of middle-income Chinese nationals, which may have contributed substantially to the burning of oil on a global scale. Besides, the over-dependence on natural resources, such as fossil fuels, is another significant reason to consider. In Vietnam, for example, the majority of electricity is generated in thermal power stations, in which a vast amount of coal is the burnt on a daily basis.

Some measures can be taken to mitigate the problem of over-consuming Earth’s resources. The most practical measure at the moment is to reduce the demand for resources in developing countries. This can be done by mass-producing energy-efficient products, such as hybrid cars, and selling these items at a low price to citizens of these nations. If such a measure is implemented, these people may still benefit from the modern living standard without over-consuming natural resources. Besides, the most sustainable solution is to lower the reliance on natural resources by taking advantage of alternative sources. For instance, wind and tidal power in the Netherlands, nuclear power in Japan and solar power in the United States have all proven their efficiency in energy production. These forms of energy should be used in other parts of the world as well, to minimise the global dependence on fossil fuels.

All the existing data provides a concrete foundation that the overexploitation of natural resources derives from the strong demand in developing countries and the over-reliance on these types of resources. Strong measures, such as reducing the aforementioned demand and making use of alternative energy sources, must be implemented to tackle this situation.

372 word, written by Tu Pham, Head teacher at IPP IELTS

IELTS Writing Task 2: Whether or not someone achieve their aims is mostly by a question of luck. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

TOPIC: Whether or not someone achieve their aims is mostly by a question of luck. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

ANSWER:

The debated whether luck is the primary determinant of success in achieving targets has been heated constantly. My position is that hard work and determination are far more important than luck, while luck must not be considered as the main precursor of the attainment of one’s goals.

I advocate the notion that the role of being industrious and determined is more significant than luck. Thomas Edison, one of the greatest inventors in the 20th century, is an excellent example of such a notion. He conducted numerous experiments with the filament until the finest light bulb was produced; and his hard work, rather than luck, was acknowledged by all the human race. Another clear evidence of this notion is the case of Nguyen Ngoc Ky. This disabled man could not write by hand, but he was determined enough to teach himself to write by foot. The fact that he would then became one of the greatest teachers in the history of education in Vietnam provides a concrete foundation that even with bad luck, determination could result in goal achievement.

By contrast, I believe the saying that fortune has a major part to play is just a fallacy. One clear reason is that although there may have been a number of people reaching their goals with good luck, such good luck in most cases only comes to people who have worked hard. Take Mendeleev as an example. As a research chemist, he worked tirelessly for a few decades, until one day in his dream, the complete arrangement of the elements appeared. The appearance of this arrangement could be ascribed to luck, but no one could deny the extreme effort that Mendeleev had exerted. Another clear reason for my belief is that luck could only lead people to short-term achievements, and there is nothing to ascertain that it would continue to exist in the long run. The over-reliance on good fortune, as a result, would prevent people from achieving their long-term or life-long aims.

In brief, I think the importance of luck in determining goal attainment is overstated, while there are much more significant factors to consider, namely hard work and determination.

(359 words, written by Tu Pham, Head Teacher at IPP Ielts)