IELTS Writing Task 1 by Simon - Bar chart - Levels of participation

Levels of participation

The charts below show the levels of participation in education and science in developing and industrialised countries in 1980 and 1990.

The three bar charts show average years of schooling, numbers of scientists and technicians, and research and development spending in developing and developed countries. Figures are given for 1980 and 1990.

It is clear from the charts that the figures for developed countries are much higher than those for developing nations. Also, the charts show an overall increase in participation in education and science from 1980 to 1990.

People in developing nations attended school for an average of around 3 years, with only a slight increase in years of schooling from 1980 to 1990. On the other hand, the figure for industrialised countries rose from nearly 9 years of schooling in 1980 to nearly 11 years in 1990.

From 1980 to 1990, the number of scientists and technicians in industrialised countries almost doubled to about 70 per 1000 people. Spending on research and development also saw rapid growth in these countries, reaching $350 billion in 1990. By contrast, the number of science workers in developing countries remained below 20 per 1000 people, and research spending fell from about $50 billion to only $25 billion.

(187 words, written by Simon)

IELTS Writing Task 1 by Simon - Bar chart - Marriages and divorces

The first bar chart shows changes in the number of marriages and divorces in the USA, and the second chart shows figures for the marital status of American adults in 1970 and 2000.

It is clear that there was a fall in the number of marriages in the USA between 1970 and 2000. The majority of adult Americans were married in both years, but the proportion of single adults was higher in 2000.

In 1970, there were 2.5 million marriages in the USA and 1 million divorces. The marriage rate remained stable in 1980, but fell to 2 million by the year 2000. In contrast, the divorce rate peaked in 1980, at nearly 1.5 million divorces, before falling back to 1 million at the end of the period.

Around 70% of American adults were married in 1970, but this figure dropped to just under 60% by 2000. At the same time, the proportion of unmarried people and divorcees rose by about 10% in total. The proportion of widowed Americans was slightly lower in 2000.

(174 words, written by Simon)

IELTS Writing Task 2: There is a general increase in anti-social behaviours and lack of respect for others. What are the causes and solutions?

TOPIC: There is a general increase in anti-social behaviours and lack of respect for others. What are the causes and solutions?

ANSWER:

The widespread problem of anti-social behaviours and disrespectful attitudes towards others has long been a major topic of concern in society. Some of the major culprits of this problem will be discussed before the most important solutions are drawn.

Reasons for this alarming situation vary. In some cases, people may hold an anti-social attitude or disrespect others because they live in an environment where violence and discrimination are the norms. For example, children of sexist parents in rural families in Vietnam, irrespective of their gender, show a worrying tendency of disrespecting women. In some other cases, it is the lack of parental guidance that is to blame. As modern parents are becoming increasingly busy with their jobs, they may have the proclivity to be indifferent to children education. When there is no one to help young children distinguish between the good and the bad, ill-mannered attitudes may emerge and develop among them without being controlled.

A number of definite actions could be taken to mitigate the problem. On the national level, the first obvious solution is to reduce violence and discrimination. As this would be a massive act, the all voters and legislators should be responsible. Together, they could call for stricter enforcement of the laws on violent and discriminatory acts to deter them from happening. In addition, on the nuclear-family level, parents must not underestimate the significance of their guidance for children. If they notice any signs of an anti-social or insolent manner in children, they must provide them with negative evaluations of these signs. At the same time, parents could also educate their children about social manners by instilling a pro-social sense in them. These actions, albeit small, could have a strong influence on children when they mature.

To conclude, it is clear that violence, discrimination and the indifference of parents to children education are the major catalysts for increase in anti-social behaviours and disrespect for others. Strong measures, such as stringent law enforcement on violent and discriminatory acts, must be taken to alleviate this distressing situation.

338 words, written by Tu Pham, Head Teacher at www.ippielts.com

IELTS Writing Task 2: The government and individuals are spending too much money on national celebrations like new year or festivals. Do you agree or disagree?

TOPIC: The government and individuals are spending too much money on national celebrations like new year or festivals. Do you agree or disagree?

ANSWER:

People have different views about whether public expenditure on national occasions such as new year or festivals is too much nowadays. While I agree that governments and individuals are spending a significant amount of money on those celebrations, I would argue that this activity is necessary and therefore can be considered acceptable.

It is true that a large amount of money is currently spent on some important celebrations of a country. Firstly, governments are spending a proportion of their budget on holding events to celebrate these occasions. For example, much money is being paid for fireworks on New Year's eve in many countries around the world. Secondly, individuals also spend money to have celebrations and parties with their families, which is a common habit in many areas. For instance, my parents and I often have a special dinner on the final day of every year.

However, I believe there are great benefits of public spending on national celebrations, and therefore it is completely justifiable. The first advantage is that this is a great way to preserve the culture of a nation. To illustrate, Lunar New Year is an important part of the Vietnamese culture, and holding celebrations for this occasion is necessary to remind younger generations of this tradition. Additionally, since these occasions are usually the only times for family members to have time and enjoy together, it is understandable that people would want to spend money on something that makes them happy. Finally, as there are only a few national celebrations in a year, the amount of money spent on those days is unlikely to be too much.

In conclusion, I disagree with the idea that people and governments are spending too much money on national occasions.

(288 words, by IELTS Quang Thắng)

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)