IELTS Essay Ideas for Feb 2017: Open Plan Offices

Here are some IELTS essay ideas for a writing task 2 question which appeared in February, this year (2017)

IELTS Essay Question February

Reported by a number of IELTS students this month in IELTS writing task 2 (academic writing).

Nowadays, some buildings such as offices and schools have open-space design instead of separate rooms. Why is it so? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?

IELTS Essay Ideas (Feb 2017)

This essay question requires you to answer two questions.  The first one asks you to explain why are there so many more open plan offices these days. The second question requires you to decide if this change is positive or negative – it requires your opinion. Below are some ideas for this essay question:

Main reason why open plan is adopted as a common office floor design:

The main reason is, of course, cost. The cost of floor space in most major cities is increasing. Having an open plan design is cheaper. Without the walls and doors, more staff can work in the office space available. Desks are either joined together or separated by just a small amount of room.

Positive Change

  • better interaction between staff
  • less distinction between different levels of staff
  • improves communication between staff and departments
  • more natural light
  • flexible work space for high staff turn over
    • this means that if staff come and go, it’s easy to find a new desk for new staff

Negative Change

  • it is hard for staff to concentrate
  • lack of privacy
  • problems with constant noise which lowers staff performance
  • easy spread of illness
  • increased stress due to feeling of exposure and being watched

These ideas were found on fortune.com 

IELTS Links for a Better IELTS Essay

Click the red links below to open the useful pages:

Keep up-to-date with IELTS essay topics. See my list of Essay Questions for 2017. Also see a Model IELTS Essay Feb 2017 for writing task 2.

See an IELTS Model Essay for Positive Negative Question and also an Opinion Essay Model

See all pages on IELTSliz.com which contain Ideas for IELTS Writing Task 2

Find out about the structure of an IELTS essay, learn How Many Paragraphs you need to have.

Get information about how your IELTS writing score is calculated as a total and also a page of useful Linking Words for IELTS Writing Task 2

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Comments

  1. Jackie Tran says

    Hi Liz,
    Could you please check for me the introduction of the first topic in this lesson please?
    Topic:” Nowdays, some buildings such as offices and schools have open- space design instead of separate rooms. Why is it so? Do you think this is a positive or negative development?”
    My introduction:” a few architectures nowadays are built in open- space styles compare to old- school buildings with divided rooms. This change is to show the creativity of architectors and fresh look for construction industry. I strongly believe this creation is beneficial development.”

    • Be very careful with your paraphrasing and choice of words. the word “architectures” is not correct in English and is not a paraphrase for building. A building is a building – you don’t have to paraphrase that word. Paraphrasing is all about choosing which words to change and which words to keep the same.

  2. dwight Lee says

    Dear Liz,

    When we analyze the thesis to write an essay,
    I think we should know what it is required.

    But the following TASK 2 question is a little bit confusing me . Through googling, most of them are off topic, I am afraid.

    ————————————————-
    Nowadays more and more older people who are looking for work have to compete with younger people for the same jobs.
    What problems does this cause?
    What are some possible solutions?
    —————————————————-

    This is a traditional “problem and solution” type.
    What I would like to ask you is about what the exact ‘problem’ is.

    1. most of them are translating this “Problem ” as ,
    ” older people are competing with younger people for the same jobs ” this is problem and this causes
    a lot of problem..”

    2. But I think, this is requiring us to present the problem as ; ” why older people should be forced out to compete with younger people ” ,not the caused problem by competing with each other.
    Thus, I think the problem should be as follows.
    1. Getting longer the averaged life expectancy .
    So, making older people living , they have been forced to do so…

    2. (possibly..) to spend too much money to their offsprings for educations and economic support results in working longer than before.

    However, most of other writings as the problem are focusing on competing each other and being forced older people to get out of their jobs..

    Ms. liz,

    Please let me know what the apposite analysis is ..

    • You are over thinking this. Be more simple in your approach. There are two questions to answer:
      1. What problems are created when old people compete with young people for job? One example problem is – unemployment rates will rise
      2. What solutions can you suggest to tackle the competition between old and young seeking jobs? One possible solution – a job share scheme so that young people can work along side older people who have more experience.
      Make sure you are answering the question directly. Don’t change the question. This is not a cause/solution essay. It is not about the reasons why old and young people are competing – it is about the problems that happen when old and young compete.

  3. Dear Mam.
    First of all, I would like to thank to you for your great help.
    My exam was on 11February my speaking questions
    What is your name?
    Are you a student or work?
    Do you like children?
    Some other questions then he gave a topic
    Talk about an occasion when you spend time with child?
    When?
    Why?
    What you did ?
    Part 3
    Who can do good care of children mother or father?
    Why do you think mother can do good rearing of there children?
    Why some father do rearing of there children?
    Some more questions about children
    Writing task 2
    In some countries smoking is ban as it is injurious to health similarly some people think that mobile phone should be ban on certain places
    Do you agree to this idea?
    Dear mam
    I have question to ask that my risult has to come on 24 February and now it will come on 3 March why my result delay? ??????
    Thanks mam in advance

    • Thanks for sharing 🙂 IELTS sometimes withhold results for quality checking purposes. You’re lucky if the delay is so short – it can sometimes be months.

  4. My understanding level is weak plz help how to rose it …..

  5. Gagandeep Kaur says

    Hi Liz,
    Thanks for valuable website. I have general test on 04 March. please help me to improve in writing.

  6. fasiha khan says

    hi liz.. ca u telk me if we can get marks in points in speaking like 7.5

  7. Hi Liz,
    I have IELTS test in 2 weeks from today and I am seeking help in writing task for general IELTS
    I was wondering what you have available for writing.

    Thank you
    Omar

  8. Dear Liz!
    I would like to say big thanks to you for your tremendous help for IELTS takers!!! I found your website only two weeks ago,I wish I had known about this site earlier.Despite that, I have found out so many useful information since then. Yesterday I took my speaking test and the other aspects will be on Saturday. I am very grateful for you

  9. Hai Liz,

    I would like to thank you for your great effort in this websites for ielts ppl. I have learned some sample essays in Cambridge ielts 1 to 11 and also other cambridge ielts practicising books. After i have crossed so many sentence structures, many of sample essays posted like question kind of answer framing sentence structure for getting band 7 above.

    For instance, sentence structure 1 .

    “So what can be done? I believe that the problem has to be tackled on a number of levels. ”

    Another sentence structure in question format.

    Task1 letter ie
    “You remember that I was working for that construction company a few miles outside the city? well, I just got so fed up with it – I was working really long hours and, to be honest, the pay wasn’t great.”

    here, they raised some questions in the form of ideas and also they gave some answers to that questions.

    My doubt is this kind of above questions sentence structure boosting our marks if we use it on proper structure or else examiner will think that its really basic sentence structure formation. could you please clear picture about this? and also give some other examples too.

    Thanks Liz

    • I wouldn’t recommend any. Never learn sentences to put in your test – the examiner will notice and put a line through those sentences.

  10. Zuzanna says

    Dear Liz!
    First of all, I wanted to thank you for your help in my preparation to IELTS exam!

    I took it in February (academic) and I would like to share my writing task 2 with you:

    Nowadays people throw broken things away instead of repair them, which is opposite to the past. Why do you think this is the case? What problems does it create?

  11. Morning, I would like to know if it would be possible to get on pdf the 100 essays questions dor IELTS.
    Thank you so much in advance.
    Regards,
    Ana

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