IELTS essay, topic: Should governments impose extra taxes to restrict tourism in order to reduce pollution?

This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.

Set 2 Academic book, Practice Test 10

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Tourism today creates a variety of problems, such as pollution due to flights, transport and dirty water.

Do you think that governments should impose extra taxes on flights or accommodation to restrict today’s tourism industry?

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Band 9 Essay

Travelling today is simple to the extent that within twelve hours one can travel from Europe to Singapore, crossing nearly the whole globe. Based on this simplicity, tourism has changed significantly over the years. While in the past a family would be proud to drive two hours to a lake, many families now think nothing of travelling to the far side of the world. This also has a downside as increased pollution is a result. Extra taxes on flights or accommodation have therefore been offered as a solution so as to increase the cost of tourism and reduce its popularity.

No matter what major transportation is used, travelling creates pollution. To decrease the amount of pollution caused by tourism, the tourism industry itself would have to be weakened. If these increased taxes are based on travelling distance, people would be more willing to stay closer to their home country, as for many even a slight increase would mean that their planned holidays would be too expensive. Accommodation taxes would raise holiday costs no matter the distance travelled. Therefore, if increased taxes were levied on travel and accommodation, tourism and therefore pollution would decrease.

On the other hand, the main transport methods that would be impacted by imposing extra taxes would be communal ones, such as planes, trains and buses, and increasing the taxes would also impact non-tourists. Also, holidays are a vital part of ordinary people’s lives, as they escape from work and stress, and get to spend valuable time with their families. Stopping people travelling would greatly impact some simple pleasures of ordinary life.

In conclusion, while tourism impacts the environment significantly, simply introducing extra taxes on transport or accommodation is a drastic measure. It could be more valuable to change the methods of transportation to decrease pollution, instead making people stay close to home.

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How to take IELTS just ONCE, and get the score you need

Did you know? When people decide on a date to take their IELTS test, they often go with just a random date. Whenever the test centre has seats available. Whenever the deadline for their uni application is. Whenever they can get some time off work. This causes many test takers to do the test before they are really ready. What happens next is, they get a score that is lower than they need, and then they have to take IELTS again. Is there a better way? Yes, there is.

Don’t wait until your IELTS test to discover that your Speaking score is a Band 6, but you need a Band 7. It’s too time consuming and expensive. Discover well before the test what your score is and use the time you have to work on it. The end result will make you happy!

As you may know, we have been working for a while with Adam, a former IELTS examiner. Adam has been assessing Speaking and Writing at the British Council for 10 years, and he is the best person to evaluate you, and tell you how to score higher. He never speaks in general terms! Adam’s advice is always laser-sharp and to the point, showing you all the issues you need to work on, and HOW to get an improvement.

Watch this video Adam made especially for IELTS-Blog.com users, explaining step by step how you can get feedback from a real IELTS examiner on your personal performance in Speaking – and why you really should do that BEFORE taking the test!

Click here to get your Speaking assessed

Don’t miss your chance to hear from a REAL examiner what you should do to get a higher score. There really aren’t many services online to offer you that, and at such low price. We have so much faith in Adam’s professionalism that we are offering a 100% satisfaction guarantee – you will get your money back if you’re not happy with the quality of the feedback you will receive. But to tell you the truth – out of everyone our examiners assessed so far, not a single person complained (and we surveyed every customer!).

Instead, here is what people are saying:

“​Thanks a lot for the opportunity to take interactive IELTS Speaking test. It was a pleasure for me. ​There is my opinion about the report – it’s amazing. I have never had a so accurate evaluation with ​such detailed analysis of my mistakes. I have nothing bad to add. It’s awesome.”
– Alina from Russia

“​This is as close to a live interview as one can get to train for the real IELTS exam. I really liked the way you structured the report – it is precise, direct to the point and it “screams” how tailored it is to my specific use of the English language. What the report states has a perfect balance between being precise and broad, and it was sufficient for me to understand all the things that I needed to understand, and take the most benefit from it.”
– Rafael from Brazil

You can read more feedback from our users here.

This is why we know YOU will have a great experience, and it will help you get a much higher score.

So, if you are thinking about using our Speaking evaluation service and have any questions, doubts, anything else to say – leave a comment below and we will reply.

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IELTS essay, topic: Unemployment payments encourage people not to seek work (opinion)

This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.

Set 3 General Training book, Practice Test 13

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

Providing a national system in a country where the unemployed receive a regular payment only encourages people not to seek work and puts an unreasonable strain on a country’s financial resources.

Discuss this statement and give your opinion.

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Band 9 Essay

In modern day society, money is a driving force for nearly everyone. Most people aspire to be financially secure and to have the ability to live the life they want. However, not everyone is able to find paid employment, and for that reason in some countries around the world, governments have initiated a system where the unemployed receive a regular payment to enable them to survive. Some people believe it is an excellent idea, whilst others believe that it is exhausting a country’s financial resources.

When looking at the positive aspects of this system, it can be said that it prevents individuals from having a private bankruptcy. When somebody becomes unemployed, he or she will have on-going costs such as rent for a dwelling, bills for water, telephone and electricity as well as the cost of food and several other things. Without a salary, this person will fall into debt, because they will be unable to cover these expenses. A national unemployment payment system will therefore prevent this person from losing nearly everything over time. Without such system, many people would become homeless and would potentially engage in criminal activities to survive. Therefore, one can say that this system is positive. Although stories are heard of people exploiting the system, usually the newly unemployed want to find a job fast in order to become financially independent again, meaning that the government does not have to support them for long.

Although there are positive aspects of this system, one can also say that if the payment made by the government is too high, it will prevent people from looking for work actively. Occasionally, the payment people receive is higher than their potential salaries, deterring them from working and creating an on-going cost for the government. A potential solution for this could be providing free training and employment support to open up new career opportunities with higher income, which would motivate this group to re-enter the workforce.

In conclusion, the unemployment benefits system has positive and negative aspects. Personally, I believe that the positive effects of the system outweigh the negative. The payment must remain on a level that helps people survive without regular salaries, but does not seem attractive to exploit over a longer period of time.

Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Essays

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Sattorbek got Band 8 in IELTS. Here is how YOU can, too

Today’s post is dedicated to success of Sattorbek Yuldashev, who got Band 8.0 in IELTS with a perfect 9 in Listening. In a tradition that goes back 15 years, the winners of IELTS-Blog.com test results competition share their advice to help other test takers score higher.

Sattorbek didn’t keep us waiting – as soon as we asked, he was ready and willing to share his best tips with you:

“First of all, I would like to thank you and your team for organising such events so that all the candidates can have access to high score achievers with their practical advice.

I have 3 pieces of advice for IELTS takers.

#1 Never start your preparation unless you know what score you need and what your current English level is. So, I highly recommend taking a level test of the knowledge of General English and then comparing the result with what you are aiming to score in IELTS.

#2 Learn to predict how keywords are paraphrased in IELTS Listening and Reading tests as the experts don’t usually use the same wording. Note that a word can be paraphrased in more than one way. To understand the common ways, analyse the test after you have finished it. Make a table of key words and their respective paraphrased words from the Listening and Reading. This method not only helps in Listening and Reading, but it is also effective for Speaking and Writing, as candidates will learn how they can avoid the repetition of the same words from the questions.

#3 Do not focus on just doing practice tests. In my firm belief, doing them can help in two ways mainly. First, you will understand the structure of the test and improve the speed of writing the answers. Second, it will help you check your approximate score. Although these two aspects might sound promising, you should bear in mind that overdoing practice tests without analysing their results or without daily practice of General English can only help you increase your score by 1 Band. I am convinced that this improvement in your scores might not be satisfactory (unless your current score is 8.0).

Note: I highly recommend using the books ‘Target Band 7’ for Academic and ‘Ace the IELTS’ for General Training preparation a month or two months before your test.

Thanks again for giving me such an opportunity to share my experience in IELTS.”

Thank you so much, Sattorbek, and congratulations on your success in IELTS!

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IELTS Results competition winners in October 2020

It is always so inspiring to see people achieve great scores in IELTS, because this exam holds the key to a successful future. In October we had 4 wonderful, hardworking people, determined to win, who got outstanding IELTS results and won in our monthly results competition!

Let’s give a round of applause to…

Academic Module – 1st place

• Anne Helena Padmarani from India, Band 8
• Sattorbek Yuldashev from Uzbekistan, Band 8

General Training Module – 1st place

• Rohan Sharma from India, Band 8.5

General Training Module – 2nd place

• Fatemeh Paknia from Iran, Band 7.5

Congratulations! Head over to our Instagram where we celebrate 4 success stories, and join the fun! Winners will also receive their special certificates via email, and winning IELTS results will be displayed in the IELTS-Blog hall of fame – so if you won, please feel free to show them off to your friends!

How did they score so well?

We are proud to say that Fatemeh Paknia used our writing correction service before her exam, and hopefully she will be able to share some tips with everyone.

Learning from other students’ experience is a great shortcut, and when our winners share their IELTS preparation tips, you will be able to get the benefit of that.

What about the other winners?

We would love to hear from them! Their scores are a great inspiration, and their advice can help everyone achieve similar results. Any tips they wish to share, as soon as we get them, will be posted on IELTS-Blog without delay, so everyone can use the same technique and get a better score in their own exam.

P.S. IELTS results competition runs every month, and everyone is welcome to participate. Learn how to enroll here.

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IELTS essay, topic: Do schools still need to teach handwriting and mental mathematics skills?

This is a model response to a Writing Task 2 topic from High Scorer’s Choice IELTS Practice Tests book series (reprinted with permission). This answer is close to IELTS Band 9.

Set 3 General Training book, Practice Test 15

Writing Task 2

You should spend about 40 minutes on this task.

Write about the following topic:

With the increase in computer use, many people feel that schools do not need to put the emphasis that they used to on basic handwriting skills or mental mathematics skills.

To what extent do you agree or disagree with this?

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

You should write at least 250 words.

Sample Band 9 Essay

In recent years, computer use around the world has increased drastically. As a result technological equipment is used increasingly in schools around the world. Many people question therefore whether schools should put much emphasis on teaching students basic handwriting skills and mental mathematics skills.

The use of technological equipment in lessons has increased since the onset of the digital age. Nearly all professions around the world involve computer use and even the simplest tasks are carried out via electronic equipment. Hence, it is important for students to learn how to use technology correctly for their future careers. Electronic devices also offer various learning advantages, as notes and assignments can be completed much faster and more neatly using these tools.

Nonetheless, the practical skills such as using and holding a pen correctly are likewise vital for future careers. For that reason, students have to be taught at early ages how to carry out simple tasks using basic skills, such as writing. It is also essential that a student develops neat handwriting, as in the case of a technological problem the student will have to write by hand. Furthermore, final exams are typically written by hand and thus the student must develop the basic skill of holding a pen and writing with it. Mathematics skills are no different. People will not always have a device with them to carry out calculations and the ability to do arithmetic in the head is a vital skill for operating in today’s world.

In conclusion, I personally believe that schools should keep a balance between using practical skills and using electronic equipment to carry out certain tasks by having student submit assignments created electronically, yet also by having them complete assignments by hand in class and without computers or calculators. This balance is important, as if the focus lies only on one of the two aspects, the student will face problems later on in life.

Go here for more IELTS Band 9 Essays

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