Model Answers for IELTS Essays January 2018

Below are two essay questions with model answers that were reported in IELTS writing task 2 in January.

Model IELTS Essays Jan 2018

Essay Question 1: Some people consider price as most important thing to think about when buying product (such as cell phone) or service (e.g. medical treatment). Do you agree or disagree?

It is thought by some people that the price of a product or service is essential to consider before deciding to purchase something. While I agree that people need to consider carefully before spending large amounts of money in order to avoid debt, the necessity of the purchase must play a role in the decision to buy.

It is essential that people take time to reflect on how much money they should spend on an item or service, and whether or not they can actually afford it within their available budget. Over the last few decades, the rise in personal debt has escalated as people are tempted to buy goods and services due to pressure from advertising and the increasingly easy access of credit cards. For this reason, any purchase that is costly and is bought using credit ought to be well thought through, particularly when the item is a luxury item that is not actually essential.

On the other hand, there are circumstances when the cost of a service or item becomes an irrelevant consideration. A typical example of this would be when someone’s life depends on a product or service, such as a new treatment for a disease not offered through normal channels. In such a case, a person’s budget becomes redundant and the expense should not deter someone from proceeding with the purchase. However, these situations are rare and in most circumstances price ought to be considered so that excessive spending is planned and budgeted to avoid serious debt problems.

In conclusion, people should deliberate carefully before spending large sums of money on goods and services, except in cases of dire necessity.

  • Words 275
  • You do not need to write the word count at the end of your essay.  I am stating it here for your benefit.

Essay Question 2: In many cities, many people are living in large apartment blocks. Does this accommodation have more advantages or disadvantages.

An increasing number of people are choosing to live in high rise apartment blocks. In my opinion, although these blocks of flats are often cheaper, they offer cramped living space and can present serious fire risks.

One obvious advantage to living in a multi-story apartment block is that it offers people affordable accommodation in urban areas. With the growth of urban populations, land is becoming increasingly expensive and, as a result, many people are no longer able to afford their own house. Large apartment blocks require a small area of land but can provide a lot of flats which enable people on low incomes to continue living near city centers and near their jobs.

However, high rise apartment blocks usually offer small apartments with no outdoor areas. For families, this can be a problem as each individual member of the family has little personal space which can result in a build up of tension as relationships can become strained. Another problem is that such restricted living quarters offer no space for exercise which is a vital requirement for healthy living.

Finally, one of the worst problems of living in a high rise block of flats is the fire risk that it presents. If a fire should break out in one of the flats, the number of floors in the building means that people can become easily trapped on the top floors, unable to escape the fire. This was unfortunately illustrated by the Grenfell Tower block fire that claimed  71 lives in London in 2017. The speed with which the fire spread through the 24 floors, made it impossible for everyone to escape.

In conclusion, while large blocks of flats may be a cheaper living option, they are lower quality accommodation with serious fire risks.

Words 297

Comments

  1. mohammad says

    There is a viewpoint regards buying goods and take services need to maybe paying more money. Although, taking better service is so important in our life, I think there is a way to get services or buy things with reasonable price.
    On the one hand, people believe taking a best services always gives us more quality options than cheap price services.
    If we buy cheap price goods, it is obviously we cannot count on its quality and performance .It can be damage and not working after a while. For example, some brands of cars have better quality than others so there are more expensive but we can rely on their performance and we do not need regularly to refer to mechanical shops for maintenance. Moreover, paying more money for buying accessories, help us to stay confident not to worry to buy again or come back for changing.
    On the other hand, it should be mentioned that some brands of goods sell their productions more expensive because it is the name of the company display on that .As a matter of fact, people do not need expensive things and can take the same productions and services with lower prices. Also, we know that some productions which are bought by people are not using for long time but just for a few times. For example, expensive women’s/men’s shoes only being used a few times even during a few years for celebrating families events.
    To sum up, in my opinion ,buying services or products with usual price and good quality is most important than expensive one, even though ,some people think buying more pricy goods and services always gives them better experience .

  2. Nedjmeeddine says

    The number of people living in densely populated apartment blocks faced a substantial growth in the last decade. Being a pragmatic solution to the housing crisis made it a good topic to reflect on, stating it’s advantages mainly providing homes for many families with a reasonable price, occupying a relatively small surface, and disadvantages stating the detrimental effect such housing methods had on both physical and mental health.

    One clear advantage apartment blocks offer is the possibility of housing a huge number of people in a more or less small area. Being a great solution to the lack of houses and building land in desired places make such housing options optimal, providing both better deals as they value less and make changing cities for people who look for better jobs or for a home close to the sea more possible owing to the fact that they’re quite available and experience high offer and demand.

    Although housing blocks can present great advantages, this type of housing is often seen by many to be inefficient, because of the difficulty of keeping it clean and maintaining it in a good condition, as a result such blocks often become with time a good environment for the spread of insects and rats, creatures known for their disease transmitting faculties. Another disadvantage apartment blocks have is being crowded and thereby noisy, obliging people to tolerate one anathor24/7 which can present a huge challenge for the normal person, causing people to suffer psychologically, which been proved to lead to other physical illnesses namely high blood pressure and heart failure.

    to conclude, considering large apartment blocks as a solution to the lack of housing properties is often seen to have great advantages, nevertheless, living in such buildings can present a challenge for many specially when such blocks are not maintained properly both in regards to hygiene and infrastructure.

  3. Nedjmeeddine says

    It’s believed by many people that price is the most decisive thing when it comes to either a person buys a certain commodity or choose to pay for a certain service. I do agree that price is relevant and plays an important role as a factor that decides whether a product will sell or not, however, i think that quality plays a major role in the equation of a good deal.

    One evident reason price is the first thing people think about when buying a product or paying for a service is their limited wages. Owing to the dominance of working class to middle class in contrast with a more or less financially free social upper class, many are ought to pay much attention to their spendings as prices are soaring in contrast to salaries which experienced a relatively small increase in the last decade. One example that illustrate the effect of such phenomenon known as inflation to economists is the rise of gas, petrol and gasoline in the USA resulting in an augmentation of all commodities as wages stayed the same, pushing people to think twice about the price before welling to buy something.

    On the other hand, despite price being an important factor specially during the current financial crisis, quality plays a crucial role also, deciding if people choose to spend or not, in another words, a product of a slightly good quality than the competition can sell way better and with higher prices. IPhone products make a great example offering minimum stronger features than the competition, but selling with significantly higher prices

    To conclude, being in such hard times, financially speaking directed people’s aim to making better deals, looking for the best products and services out there, with the most reasonable prices.

    • Just a quick comment. Make sure your body paragraphs are of equal length.

      • Rashmi says

        Hi Liz, this means that if I write one body paragraph for 6 rules, the length of the second body paragraph is also should be written in 6 rules of the answer sheet?

        • It means that body paragraphs are more or less equal. It is not about counting lines. It does not need to be accurate. You can see more or less when body paragraphs are equally developed or when one is much more developed that the other.

  4. Jacky says

    Hi Liz, I love your website. 2 years ago I passed my test with an overall 8 and I studied a lot with your website. It’s very generous of you to offer so much free content.
    For this time I purchased your book ‘ideas for IELTS essay topics’ and it’s an enormous help!! Finding things to write about has been my greatest struggle. Thank you for sharing all your great work.
    Kind regards

    • Great to hear my e-book was helpful 🙂 Good luck in your next test 🙂

  5. Hi Liz,your website so useful to improve my skiils.Thank you.
    Kindly review my essay
    Nowadays,purchase and stay in a large apartment block is becoming increasing popularly.Many people, especially young generation in metropolitan cities live in a large apartment block is an attractive one.There is a lot of pros and cons before deciding to do this.In this essay I am going to write down the benefits and drawbacks of the flat accomodation and try to draw conclusion.

    Let’s begin with the first advantage of moving flats.when buy an apartment in big cities cities is a fact that it reduce your budget.what I mean by this is that the independent hoses are sixty percent expensive than the flats due to more occupancy of land.For low income people the flat accomodation is the best one that they can actually get in with in their budget.

    Secondly, another advantage is that apartment accomodation provides lot of amenities and quick maintenance.For examlpe,in chennai and mumbai including with the flat the builders provide amenities such as children’s playground,park,gym and indoor games, supermarket and even schools.So the people do not need to spend more time on travel to fullfill the above mentioned amenities.

    Huge maintenance cost is the one of the drawbacks of flat accomodation.In other words occupants need to spend huge money to association to take care of water supply equipments,STP,WTP and watchman’s salary and so on.The above mentioned expenses are not in an individual house.

    Another disadvantage is delaying of handing over the property to consumer from the buyer.For instance,few promoters in chennai acquire lot of money from the people and they should not handing over the house in a mentioned time in the agreement.As a result,the personal debt of the consumers increased day by day,few people end their lives.

    In conclusion,people should be deliberate careful before moving to the flat accommodation.They should weigh the pros such as gain amenities and low budget and cons such as delaying of handing over and expensive maintanence.In my opinion,low budget outweigh all negatives.

  6. Aastha says

    Don’t we need to consider just one side in “Do you agree or disagree” essay?

    • You can choose how you answer an Opinion Essay – one sided, balanced approach – both are fine. It makes no difference is the instructions say “Do you agree or disagree?” or if they say “To what extent do you agree?”

  7. Thanx so much more!I am grateful to you and you studies with origin of british education.God keep you up.

  8. pinky prajapat says

    Hello liz,
    thats is my essay please check and give me advice
    In many cities, many people are living in large apartment blocks. Does this accommodation have more advantages or disadvantages?
    In current scenario peoples are more likely tend to stay in large spacious apartments or houses. This accommodation is has both advantages and disadvantages. According to me it has more disadvantages.
    Firstly, It depend on person income and their status. In some cities when person earning quite well they try to purchase big houses or apartment, which is not necessity. People should rent or buy apartment according to the member of family or people with whom they are gone share the apartment. Not according to their choice and their bank balance. When people earns a huge amount of money their quality of life also changes so, to keep their status high and to show people surrounded by them , how much their income is They invest on blocks or apartment.
    I feel in government plays a huge role in this, government should also make a rule, person should only purchase apartment according to the members of the family or according to their necessity not because they have enough money purchase the property. That will help people to save their money and invest in something which will help them in securing their future.
    Secondly, the people who stays in alone in large apartment tend be feel more lonely and spend less time in their houses. It is also important to keep safety in the apartment, when there is one person and a big house it is impossible to take care of the house and keep checks on cleaning and safety. . The smaller, the place it’s clean and safe. When member of the family stay in small apartment they spend more with each other, interact in small conversation, instead in their own comfortable bedroom. But when there is a huge family member they definitely need large blocks. To have spacious and comfortable environment. It depends how many members are staying in apartment , in some cities not more than two members stays in large blocks which is not necessity. When small amount of members stay in a huge apartment tend to spend less time together .

    In conclusion, Staying in large blocks or apartment has their advantages and disadvantages. People to purchase their house depends on the family member or much space is necessity for them, not on their income or on their status.

    • Francis bhatti says

      There are so many grammatical mistakes and most of the content is out of idea. Work on your grammer and increase your exposure to English language. Try to learn the English as your regional language.

      Humble suggestion.

  9. Dear Liz,

    First of all, I want to say thank you as your website and videos help many people. Many of my friends recommended me to read your tips and they are very useful to me. Thank you very much for your generous sharing all the time.

    I just have one question: I was told that in the ielts essay, I should always follow the order: topic sentence – explaination – example. Is the EXAMPLE part compulsive?

    Thank you very much!

    • No. This is not compulsory to have such a format. Your teacher is giving you advice and trying to push you to use a formula. There is no forumla for the content of the body paragraphs. It is highly advisable that the first sentence is a topic sentence which contains the main point. You will struggle to get a high score without that. However, the following sentences might be anything at all that help you explain your idea, present more detail and illustrate your point. There is no fixed order and no fixed content at all. Examples are used when relevant and can be just illustrations of a point rather than statistical examples. It is important that your teacher explains when he or she is giving you advice and recommendation, and when it is a fixed rule.

  10. Giselle says

    Hi, Liz. I am taking the writing course offered by one of the ielts agency here in my country. I’ve seen plenty of sites and videos that recommend the use of the sentence type “this essay will…” However, upon using it in my mock exam, the examiner commented: “don’t describe what the essay will be about”. In the material they provided there are plenty of examples with this type of sentence, so when I confronted her with this she replied that it is not wrong, but rather controversial and she preferred it not being used, which begs the question how to know what the person who will mark your exam prefers. Do you know if this sentence is then to be used or not and moreover if it could affect your mark? Thank you!

    • I do not recommend people to use this phrase. IELTS is not an academic essay for university, it is an academic essay for IELTS and IELTS do not require that sentence. Why would you tell the examiner the instructions when the examiner has the instructions??? If you had learned from me (I completed the IELTS examiner training), you would not have used it. Don’t waste your time learning something that won’t increase you score or isn’t required by IELTS. See the Writing Task 2 Section of this website to learn how to write an introduction, or get my Advanced Lessons and learn how to write every aspect of your essay.

  11. Josephine says

    Hi Liz
    In this question, we were asked whether to agree or disagree but i realised that in your sample answer, you took an impartial stance. Wouldn’t this affect your mark on task response. Please help. My test is on the 7th.

    • It is 100% fine to take a partial agreement for any opinion essay. Get my Advanced lessons for greater detail and training: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

      • You always recommend to use one sided approach but all in your models essays you have used partial approach. Plz upload some essay with one sided approach …. its so confusing

        • One sided approaches are very simple which is why I focus on the more difficult essays. However, I’ll make a note to upload a one-sided approach.

  12. Hi Liz,
    In essay question:- 2, you have provided your opinion “In my opinion” in the introduction, but it hasn’t specifically asked for your opinion. But you haven’t provided any opinion in your earlier published (8 January 2015) advantage and disadvantage essay on “English becoming one language”. I am a bit confused about this. Please let me know.

    Thanks
    Sridhar

  13. Hi Lisa- thanks for all you do could you correct me on this essay:

    The USA should ban the ability to buy firearms, Agree or Disagree? Discuss.

    In recent years, there have been a lot of controversies whether or not USA should legally prohibit the power to purchase firearms. Should the USA put an end to the right to acquire firearms?. In my opinion, the ability to keep and near forearms in USA is not going to be outlawed.

    First off, the right of people to keep and bear firearms in USA was ratified in the Second Amendment in 1791 by their founding fathers. This was passed in their constitution to mitigate a knee jerk reactions which happened to USA when they flew from Europe. So it was enshrined in their constitution that “A well regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed”.

    Second off, it has since become the people’s right to acquire, keep and bear firearms. The National Rifle Association argues that the Second Amendment is not only for militia(Organised group of people) but also for all American citizens. It is their right to acquire firearms for self defence, protection of properties, protection from invaders, corrupt government and to family members and also many Americans today acquire firearms for different purposes such as hunting; to feed their family, sporting activities and for pleasure which they have formed as a relationship. If you prohibit the power to acquire firearms, you might be doing more harm than good to USA and that will mean infringement of people’s right.

    If the power to acquire firearms is outlawed in USA, would there be a decrease in mass shootings?. No I don’t think so. What I believe should happen is actually investing in research to establish why those people that carried out the shootings did. There maybe a motivating or propelling factors that lead to the use of firearms to carry out the attacks. Until the root cause is targeted and addressed, the issue will keep happening.

    Subsequently, a thorough background check could be utilised both on federal and state levels before acquiring firearms.

    • You should not be practising using essay questions that do not come from IELTS. IELTS never have questions specific to one country. Your essay shows me that you have not completed my free lessons which explain about not writing questions, using the right conclusion linking word etc. I don’t offer free marking and I also don’t offer free advice. What I do offer are free lessons and tips which you can find on the RED MENU BAR at the top of the site – over 300 pages for free. Please start learning the right way.

  14. George says

    Hey liz ,
    Can we include rhetoric questions and exclamatory sentences in these type of essays ? If yes , which will be the appropriate paragraph to include them ?
    Thanks for your help .

    • Writing task 2 is a formal essay. Each sentence of a body paragraph provides support in a formal tone for the idea you have presented. You do not use such sentences as you have suggested. Look at how my model essays are written and follow the style and tone.

  15. Hamza says

    Do you have a video lesson on how to construct body paragraph in every type of essay? I’m confused on body paragraph structure with respect to different essay types.

  16. Stephanie says

    Hi Liz,

    Even if you use a balanced approach, would it be correct to have a partial opinion (agree or disagree) and also write why some people may agree or disagree?

    I’m very confused with the approach I need to choose in regards to “discuss both sides and do you agree or disagree?”. Do you have any tips that we can always remember before writing an essay in order to avoid this issue?

    Thank you very much!

    • They are two different types of essays. An opinion essay (agree/disagree) requires your opinion and nothing else. A discussion essay requires you to explain why people have those two different views and also present your own. You can find model essays and tips on the main writing task 2 page (see the RED BAR at the top of the website) or you can purchase my Advanced lessons (link on RED BAR).

  17. sushil says

    Dear Liz. Good evening.

  18. hi Liz
    first of all, thank you so much for your generosity.
    I have a question regarding the second task on this page. the question asks if this type of accommodation has more advantages or disadvantages. on your answer, you have discussed both the advantages and disadvantages and in conclusion, you have written that basically yes they have advantages but they also have disadvantages. not mentioned that advantages outweigh the disadvantages or vice versa. could comment on this
    iyaz, from the Maldives
    going to sit for the exam soon
    really appreciate what you are doing, thank you again

    • As you can see, the “outweigh” is clear: In my opinion, although these blocks of flats are often cheaper, they offer cramped living space and can present serious fire risks. – being cheap is a small advantage compared with serious fire risks (a very dangerous disadvantages).

  19. Hi Liz. I have a little terrible with the argumentative assay. you recommend us for answering by agree or disagree the statement, also you said that candidate can choose a balance approach but NOT discuss both side impartially. I see in the first topic in this page (considering prices) the candidate take the impartially approach. isn’t it??
    I would ask you foe examples explaining the difference between the impartial and balance approach. please!

    Thank you.

    • I think you need to be very careful with your approach. A partial agreement needs to be written very very carefully or it will go wrong and lower your score. Your English contains so many errors that you need to be very cautious of what approach to take. My advice will always be to work within the level of English, not beyond it.

  20. Hi, Liz! Can we follow this same pattern for Speaking test?

    • I don’t understand your question? Follow what pattern?

      • Caroline says

        Should we be as organized as we are in writing when we have our speaking test? Can we also apply the techniques we learned in writing for the speaking part?

        • Writing task 2 is an essay. This is no way is similar to speaking. The writing test is formal. The speaking test is informal. The writing and speaking test also have different marking criteria. They are very different. Go to the RED BAR at the top of my website and look at the main speaking page and the main writing task 2 page – then you can see the difference.

  21. Venkatesh says

    Hi Liz,

    Thank you very much for all the materials and lessons. I recently gave Computer-delivered IELTS, and I felt Writing section was comfortable for me to type instead of writing on paper. In fact, I also had enough time to recheck after I completed the essay. However, I only scored a 6. Earlier, I scored a 7 when I gave paper-based IELTS, this time I felt I did much better than the last time. My essay question was “Some parents think that children should limit the time spent on TV and Computer games instead, spend time on useful things like Reading”. My response was that I agree and I wrote the disadvantages of watching TV and playing Computer games. I doubt that since I did not talk about ‘Reading’, I got a low score. Could I be right, is it essential to address examples also in the essay question?

    • If you decided to miss out half of the essay question by ignoring the topic of reading, it will seriously impact your score. Your task is to address ALL issues presented. Sometimes there is only one and something there are two. Your actual opinion is “I agree that reading is better than watching TV or playing computer games – that is your FULL opinion. Your whole essay will explain your FULL opinion.
      Examples can be provided in many different ways – they do not need to start with “for example”, they do not need to have statistics, but can instead just illustrate an idea. Having just one is fine. See my model essays and see what information I have included.

  22. Dear Liz,

    Keep up the great work
    one quick question for you- in advantage/disadvantage or agree/ disagree essay, can we write our opinion on both sides, like para 1 for agree and para 2 for disagree, even though we agree on one?

    • If someone asks you if you like white or black – what are your choices?
      I like white not black
      I like black not white
      I like black for clothing, but white for wall paint
      The first two are one sided opinions.

  23. Furqan Ahmed says

    Hi Liz! Is there a maximum limit to the number of words? I can’t seem to make my essays any shorter than 350-375 words?

    • There is no upper limit. However, it is recommended to write under 300 words. Your essay will be marked down if there is any unnecessary information or if it lacks focus. Any additional information that is not vital to your aims will lower your score. Also you are marked down on the density of errors. A long essay will offer more errors and will lower your score. You should be aiming for accuracy, not length. Purchase my Advanced Lessons to learn how to write the essay properly: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

  24. Mahesh yadav says

    thanks a lot i am happy with your explanation

  25. Folake says

    Hi Liz,
    I want to know if I have to fill the entire pages to meet 250 words.

  26. In our increasingly over populated world, where the current population is almost as twice as the earth’s optimally sustainable population of 4 billion, according to World Health Organisation, apartment blocks are the way of future human accommodations. Many people in cities choose to live in huge apartment blocks as it is the most viable, if not the only, choice for them. This can be considered the perfect solution to many problems faced by our modern world. Main bases for my views are environmental and personal convenience.

    From an environmental point of view, people opting to live in apartments over individual houses can serve a crucial purpose. If more people decide to live in their own houses, more land has to be cleared and more trees have to be cut down. Consequently, this decision has the potential to overload an already disrupted balance of nature by eventually contributing to global warming and climate changes.

    When individual convenience is considered, shared and hence affordable amenities add to the appeal of apartment life. Living in an apartment where most of the amenities, such as swimming pool, gymnesium etc , are share shared between multiple occupants, even medium income families get a chance to enjoy and benefit. Moreover children who are bought up in an apartment tend to be much more sociable, empathetic towards others and possess critical people skills than children, who grew up in their own house with no or very few neighbours and friends.

    In conclusion, even though apartment live does have its occasional demerits, such as lack of personal space, in my opinion, these are far outweighed by the numerous merits to individual families as well as mother nature. All things considered, apartment living can be considered a viable, if not the best, solution to the problem of accommodating the growing population in cities all around the globe.

    END

    Question: Here i have focused on advantages and almost no disadvantage. I assume thats ok as the question doesn’t specifically as to discuss both. I have written an essay about the side which I think is more.

  27. Doina says

    HI Liz,
    Sorry but previously you adviced NOT to give a personal opinion in an “Adv. and Disadv. Essay”, however at the 5th essey you wrote “In my opinion..” even if the question did not ask for it.

    • This is NOT an Adv & Disadv Essay. It is an Adv outweigh Disadv Essay which requires an opinion. They are not the same. One requires no opinion and the other MUST have an opinion. See my Advanced Writing Task 2 Lessons to learn: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

  28. Nicolò says

    Hi liz are my topics ok? (i totally disagree)

    BP1: – people should take into consideration technical characteristics and their needs first
    – some services or products are too important to take in consideration their price ( medical healthcare and medicines )
    BP2: – Price is often misleading (often products that cost less work better than much more expensive ones)
    – If you buy cheap products, in the lung run you usually tend to spend more than buying an expensive good right away. ( because you might have to repair it or change parts)

  29. mirjan says

    Thanks, Liz it was such a great essay. I truly appreciate your way of explaining.

  30. Saadia says

    Hi Liz thanks alot for your efforts. Ill be giving exam on sat 12th may. You sent an email regarding spaking topics from may to aug. I would like to know if there are any essay topics from may to aug that i can prepare ??

    • Writing does not work in the same way as speaking. The topics will change for each test. So, follow recent topics and common topics to prepare – that’s all you can do.

  31. Priya says

    Thanks loads Liz..Take care

  32. Hi Liz! Thanks for your advance lessons, they are hugely helpful for us.
    I m so puzzled for this thesis statement. please could you say if it is correct for a balance view ( opinin essay)?
    Topic High schools should allow students to study the courses that students want. Do you agree or disagree?
    ths: In my opinion,students ought to be encouraged to pick and choose what they like the most as it drives them to develop their inner potential and learning, but they cannot do it without consulting with their teachers,or parents .

    • Yes, it’s fine. But make sure you fully develop your final point in the body paragraphs that students need guidance.

  33. Arailym says

    Hello Liz,
    I am totally confused, because my english teacher, who is an IELTS expert, says that I can not use personal pronouns as I am writing an academic essay, but I have read a lot of 9.0 band essays and lots of advices from other experts from internet that I actually HAVE to write in subjective form. Would you mind telling me if I should use personal pronouns or not and why?

    • If the instructions ask for YOUR opinion, you must give YOUR own personal opinion which means using “I” or “my”. It is essential that you fulfill those requirements – it is part of the marking criteria. See all tips on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/ – two links relate to giving your own personal opinion in an essay.

  34. ezkabar says

    …which can result in a build-up of tension

    You missed the ‘in’ and most literature would have it as build-up or even buildup.
    Questions:
    Would either of the above errors negate a 9.0 score?

    Is there any bearing on the validity of the opinions expressed as such a passionate and strong opinion on this matter is highly subjective.

    For any able writer, such provocative questions as these easily merit a short dissertation of several 1000 words in length. I guess a short and therefore, poorly justified response is all we have time for with these questions?

    Mind spoken!

  35. Hii lizz
    I tried a completely agree approach to essay question 1- some people consider price before buying a product or service, and I just want to know whether my selection of points for agreeing correct or not.
    Intro-completely agree
    BP1-When people consider price before purchasing something, companies will be forced to reduce their prices in order to achieve more sale.
    BP2-Saving money by choosing cheap products will improve saving habit of people.
    CONCLUSION
    PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHETHER MY TASK RESPONSE IS CORRECT OR NOT.
    THANK YOU

    • This is slightly off topic. It is not about the consequences of people thinking of price first. It is about if you think they do think or price first – this means you explain why they think of price first. If you full agree, then you must explain why people think of price before buying. If someone buys an expensive item without thinking of the cost, it is not because they are trying to influence company policies – that is not the motivation. Think more carefully. Why do you think people purchase items without considering cost.

      • I just made an essay on this topic too and found it slightly complicated. I decided to disagree. My first body paragraph was about the need of considering product quality, and the second body paragraph was safety. I guess it didn’t answer the question but I don’t know what to write for disagree stance. I do hope you respond to my comment. Thanks

        • I’m not sure why you would choose to disagree. Agree = you think price is the most important factor to consider. Disagree – you think price is the least important factor to consider before buying a product.
          To be honest, I don’t think there are many people in the world who think price is the least important factor. Most people rank price quite high in things to consider before buying.
          A partial agreement = price is important, but not the most important thing because there are other factors such as X and Y. In this, you must explain about price, factor X and factor Y. If you ignore price completely, you have failed to address the task and will get a low score for task response.
          I hope this helps. I highly recommend you get my Advanced Lessons to learn more about the right techniques: https://elizabethferguson.podia.com/

  36. Laureano says

    Hi Liz,
    Hope you are doing well.
    I know you are taking a break from IELTS lessons but just in case you can answer this question or maybe some students want to comment on this:
    Many of the opinion essays ask “to what extent do you agree or disagree”
    In these cases, do we have to state how much we agree or disagree (i.e. Moderately, slightly, strongly, etc)??
    Could this question be used to elaborate a balanced opinion essay??
    For instance, in your advanced writing classes there is model essay about free-fee higher education. Thus, the thesis statement could be: “I moderately disagree with free university education to everybody but I consider that some scholarships have to be offered to certain students”
    Thanks in advance and my apologies for taking your time.

    • This is not a question about IELTS. This is a question about English language. It’s your choice how you express your opinion. The examiner wants to see a clear opinion and good language.

      • Laureano says

        Thank you.
        Thus, phrase “to what extent” does not obligate us to use any adverb indicating the degree of agreement or disagreement??
        No more further questions….. I promise

        • There are no rules in the examiner’s book that say you must use certain words in your test. The examiner is looking for a clear opinion, not particular words.

  37. Varun Bhardwaj says

    Hi Liz

    Hope you are well.

    Could you please tell me the maximum reach of words in essay. I think it should be in between 250 – 280. Please correct me if I’m wrong.

    Thanks for your help.

  38. Hi dear Liz.
    You’re really gifted and generous . Your character is appreciated.

  39. Dear liz
    I have a chance to purchase your advanced lessons .
    But In the first essay you didn’t go by the frame you put for the opinion essay.nevertheless it is brilliant.thanks

  40. Thanks liZ.am Josna from India. Thank you for you valuable advices.

  41. Mam;
    I am really a big fan of you .
    Just done with my speaking part.It was fine. I have been thinking. The latter essay you have discussed.you have used fire risk three times in Introduction,body paragraph and conclusion.Isnot it repitetion?

    • Some words will be repeated. Don’t over paraphrase. You need to show the skill or paraphrasing – this doesn’t mean changing all words, all the time.

  42. Thank you Liz for your helpful lessons. I took the academic IELS exam on 20th of January 2018.The topic for writing task 2 was: some people believe that governments are responsible for transporting children during study at school, some others believe that this is parents’ responsibility. give your opinion and support your essay with relevant examples and give reason for your answer.

  43. Gulnara says

    Thanks a lot, dear Liz! Your site was so helpful!
    I took my IELTS on 3 February. Question for writing task 2 was: ”More and more people today want to get things (food, service, news) instantly, without waiting.
    Why does it happen?
    Do you think it is good or bad development?”
    Topics in Speaking were: 1 part: Your current job, Animals (Zoos, favorite wild animal, pets, education about animals), 2 part: Describe Visitors come to your home, 3 part: about visitors generally, hospitality, staying in a hotel vs at home, etc.

  44. JIGNESH says

    Thanks a lot Liz for all your assistance and motivating to Test Taker. You are awasome

  45. Sumaya Sh says

    Essay Question 2
    She wrote 5 paragraphs is that possible?

    many thanks in advance🙂

  46. Dear Liz, This may be off topic but is it compulsory to add a heading to your formal letter in writing task 1

  47. Hi Liz,
    I have a confusion regarding the large apartment blocks meaning…does it only mean high rise building with less space? Or can they also be referred to as spacious multi storyed flats?? Like a large accommodation per floor??
    Also can n e one suggest the answers for 6 the Jan GT lisening part?? Especially 27-30

  48. Hello Liz..
    In speaking part 2 if i have to talk about an art i like then will it be okay to talk about 3 different art i like from past, present and the art i could like in future or do i have to talk about only an art as the question is ‘an art you like’. I am very much confused. My test will be within 2 weeks so could you please help me?

  49. What types of methods company try to increase their sale.
    In 13 January 2018 task 2 essay.

  50. Czarina says

    Thank you so much for all your lessons and practice tests. I have learned a lot and hope to do well in my forthcoming academic test on Saturday and speaking on the next day.

  51. Hi Liz,

    The question is regarding ‘Advantages and Disadvantages’ category. From your blog, I learned this type of question doesn’t require to provide our opinion in Introduction paragraph but I noticed ‘In my opinion’ sentence in model answer essay 2 provided by you. Can you please provide a clear answer of whether we need to write our opinion or it doesn’t require to this kind of essays?

    TIA!

    • Did you see it in a “adv AND disadv” essay? I think not. You saw it in an “outweigh” essay or a “are advs more than disadvs” essay which are different and require an opinion. There are two kinds of adv/disadv essay. See this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-writing-task-2/

      • Thank you Liz,

        The page I referred is ‘when should i provide my opinion’. Under this there are some guess essay questions, and I found for the essay ‘What are the adv and disadv to this?’ and the answer is ‘Not to provide my opinion’ and my understanding was the essay 2 is a similar kind of question and thought ‘my opinion’ is not required. Though there is still some confusion. Can you guide me on this. I have my IELTS exam on 20th of this month and working hardly on the preparation. TIA!

        • I do not understand you question. Can you write it again more clearly?

          • Hi Liz,

            I got a clear understanding after looking at the formats.
            ‘adv and disadv’ – no opinion requires
            ‘are adv more than disadv’ – requires an opinion.
            Thank you for the clarification and your blog is very helpful for the preparation.

            Thank you!

  52. Dear Liz,
    First of all, I need to thank you for keeping such an organised and useful website. I have been preparing to take the IELTS exam and your website is the best.
    I have a question related to the use of inversions in Task 2.
    When I took the CPE exam, I was told to use at least one inversion and I would like to know if it’s ok to use it on IELTS too.
    On my essays, I normally write something like this “Not only are people more worried about saving money, but they are also more aware of the need of consuming less.”. Does it sound too formal?

    Thank you very much.

    • Why are you asking if it is too formal? The IELTS writing test is formal.

      • Thanks for your answer, Liz.
        I asked you if it’s too formal because I don’t normally see inversions in any model answers (here or in IELTS textbooks), even though they are very natural for me to use.
        🙂

        • It’s fine. There are no set rules for what you can and can’t use. IELTS has not issued those instructions. So, use a range of sentences structures and grammar tenses.

  53. Laureano says

    Hello Liz and thanks for your continue guidance
    Doubt about essay No. 2:
    Wondering if it is correct to just mention in the introduction the minor advantage of large flat blocks (cheaper) and, then, write 2 to 3 body paragraphs supporting disadvantages.

    Regards

    • I don’t understand your question. It’s fine to present a specific view / a partial agreement. You are not marked on the opinion you choose. You are marked on how you present and support it. You don’t get a higher score because you choose one side.

      • Laureano says

        Thanks Liz,

        Sorry for not being that clear in my concern.
        Please let me give you a better explanation.
        In the essay example No.2 you chose that there are more disadvantages of living in large buildings, but anyway you used 1st BP to explain the minor advange you mentioned in the introduction (cheaper dwellings). My question is whether it is recommended to spend one paragraph in the advantage (i.e. unchosen option) even though you expressed your choice for disadvantages.

        • When it asks “more than” or “outweigh” you need to show that one is more than the other. Both are tackled. If it asks you “positive or negative”, you can choose just one.

          • Hey Liz thanks for your help.
            I essays that ask for the problems and solutions, can you mention an advantage. For example.
            question: There are many problems faced by people living in the city
            What are these problems and do you think the government can help.
            Answer:.first Bp…Despite the benefits of living in the city, such as affordability and easy access to amenities, they do not surpass the problems. One of the problems encountered is congestion….

            Can you start the first Bp as above.

  54. Thank you liz for such a great job
    But i would like to ask about a phrase in your first essay.
    Is it correct to say ” in such a case” or ” in such case”?
    Thanks for your reply

    • You can say “in such a case” when referring to one. Or “in such cases” referring in general.

  55. Liz , u r a great help..thanks for being so helpful.
    A QUESTION
    You quoted example of GRENFEL TOWER ,it makes me curious to know that is it really necessary that examples should be based on facts and true events or examples can be created and crafted?

    • I often don’t use examples at all because I can’t actually think of relevant examples. So, it’s fine not to use examples. It is also fine that you do not use statistics. You will see that most of my model essays do not actually present data – you don’t get more points because of facts or data. There is no reason to invent data because there is no reason to use data at all.

      • You are so great Liz, how can you give replies to so many comments. You are superhuman I think

        • Unfortunately, with 14 thousand comment not answered, I’m far from being superhuman 😉 I wish I was 🙂

          • In this world, only the Unexpected happens. It is proved beyond doubt now after you replied to my comment. I was not even expecting 1% that you would reply. It really surprised me and I am very very happy also. How on earth I wont be happy if a busy person (almost a celebrity) like you replies to me. I think for the 14000 comments, you require some help. Nowadays, we have these bots answering FAQs or you can give access to someone who you trust to answer some questions for you. Thank you Liz for each and every page of your website and blog. They are very very helpful. I have a test on June 30, eagerly waiting for that. Hope I will do my best and get good score.

            • There is no one else to answer these questions – that is the reason you all come and ask me. If it was easy to find someone who can explain, you would not come to my website. So, there is no one who can help me answer your questions because few teachers understand IELTS. Your FAQ are listed on this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-help-faq/ – over 130 FAQs answered. Good luck on the 30th – see this page: https://ieltsliz.com/ielts-exam-tips-on-the-day/

              • My goodness,☺you surprised me again. I have seen almost everything on your website. It’s been a while now I have been in touch with your website. Regards help, Ya I can understand. All I can do now is only wish you lots of strength and lots of good health. Keep up the great work.. thank you so much…

  56. Hello Liz, thank you so much for your time. My question is, is the essay question asking us to agree/disagree if price of product is more important that service rendered? I’m alityle confused with your approach as regards the balanced view essay

    • It does not ask if prices is more important than service. It asks: Do you think people should consider price before they buy an item or buy a service. Make sure you don’t misread the question.

  57. Hi Liz,
    Please discuss the essay,
    An unusual meal

  58. Olapade Olayemi says

    Liz you are simply the best.
    I am a little bit confused about the first essay. Since you discussed about the two sides of the question, please how will the examiner know your opinion.
    Please assist me since I will be relying on your model.

    • This is called a partial agreement or balanced view. You should not use this approach unless you have been trained.

  59. The second essay was the one i got in the test 8 months back. I got confused regarding its presentation- body paragraphs. I was not able to completely remind the essay question and was not able to put a query after I joined your website. Thanks you Liz for providing a model for this essay

  60. Dear Liz
    noticeable and smart model answers that put us in the examatmosphere and reduce our tension and enhance our spirits for entering the exam.
    with regards Qasim

  61. Emad Helal says

    Hi,
    Thank you for your great help.
    For essay question 2:
    Please, Is this type of essays (adv/disadv) considered from non-opinion type ?
    why you say in my opinion expression, i’m very confused about this point….

    Thanks

  62. hey Liz , thank you for your help.
    I have a question though? Is it a requirement to write …..this essay will discuss..instead of saying in my opinion…for example

    Many city dwellers are nowadays living in apartment blocks. This is convenient mostly for low income earners. However, such accommodation is unfavorable for families and children. This essay will discuss the benefits of living in city apartments, but why it is more unfavorable. (here the ..”.but why it is more unfavorable”…gives my opinion of disadvantages being more than advantages )

    • It is definitely not required to write “this essay will …”. I never use it. If your opinion is required, give it directly. “this essay will…” does not present your opinion and furthermore only restates the instructions which the examiner knows.

      • Okay. Thank you…
        So, I don’t have to write this essay will discuss…in any of the essays regardless of the task?…in addition, can I write my opinion in the conclusion instead of in the introduction?

      • Hi Liz
        There are IELTS expert using “this essay will…..” to give his opinion.I can share with you the reference link over your email because i cannot paste in the comment box

        It creates confusion when 2 IELTS experts contradicts each other!

        • That is correct. It is confusing. Different teachers will tell you different things because each teacher has their own techniques and methods. If the instructions ask for YOUR opinion, writing “this essay will …” does not show your opinion. This means it can’t be used as a thesis statement presenting an opinion. As for using it as a third statement in the introduction – it is not actually required by IELTS to write “this essay will…”. Using “this essay will …” is a suggestion that some IELTS teachers give. You need to distinguish between an IELTS band score requirement and a suggestion. It is a sentence that will not lower your score and will increase your score because it isn’t a requirement.

  63. Thank you soo much for your support and knowledge share. These things are really helpful.

  64. Hi mam,
    If i am not wrong ur answer to agree disagree type has been written as balanced approach.
    Is it fine I equally explain both side or i need to write taking one side more?

    • A balanced view for an opinion essay must show a specific view point with a quantified opinion. At no time can you sit on the fence.

  65. Shajina says

    Thank you so much for all support. I followed all your tips for task 2 .Iam so pleased to say that I got 7 bands in all modules

  66. Hi Liz
    Thank you so much for sharing your wealth of knowledge with us. It is greatly appreciated. In regards to the first essay, in conclusion, you have said- People should deliberate carefully before spending… I am a bit confused with the word deliberate, does not it mean something carefully weighed or considered for example a deliberate action.
    Regards

    • Deliberate is both a verb and an adjective. Your sentence uses it as an adjective and in my sentence is a verb “to deliberate” = to consider / to weigh up.

  67. kirandeep kaur rangi says

    thanks alot mam…..for guidance

  68. Prakash Perumal says

    That “Apartment Essay” was the real IELTS question of 6th January 2018 form IDP. My friend appeared on that question.

  69. Hi Liz
    In second question ,does high rise apartments have more advantages or more disadvantages?Can I write about advantages only?
    Or can I say that disadvantages exceed advantages because it can cause certain problems?

  70. Venugopal T says

    Hi Liz,

    In answer number 2, I see a word “Urban Populations”, isn’t it Urban population? Just like hair , not hairs?

    Please advise.

    Thank you.
    Venu

    • It is possible to refer to the urban populations (populations of various cities around the world). Some uncountable nouns can be used in plural forms: foods, cheeses etc. It is not something I recommend using unless you have been taught.

  71. Vimal Kamothi says

    Hi Liz,

    Thanks for sharing the above model answers. Could you please check the below agree and disagree opinions in the thesis statement ? Is there any change/correction require?
    Topic:
    It has been 40 years since man first landed on the moon. Some people think that space research is a waste of money.

    Agreement thesis:
    While some people consider that putting a man on the moon was a huge achievement that still inspires and interests people today, others believe that sending a man to moon has not changed most people’s lives. In my opinion, I agree that governments have wasted a lot of money that could have been spent on public services.

    Disagreement thesis:
    It is considered that sending a man to the moon has not changed most people’s lives, others believe that putting a man on the moon was a huge achievement that still inspires and interests people today. In my opinion, I disagree that space research is a waste of money, as it showed us that we can achieve anything we put our minds to.

    Thanks,
    Vimal

    • Be careful changing the essay question. This is not about landing on the moon being interesting or inspiring – it is about landing on the moon due to space research and development. If you think space research is useful, your main points will be about the development of advanced technology and acquiring knowledge.

      • Vimal Kamothi says

        Hi Liz,

        Thanks, got your point and corrected. Let me know if this would be fine.

        Agreement thesis:
        While some people consider that exploring space for the development of advanced technology and gaining knowledge is a huge achievement, others believe that it is waste of money as it does not improve most people’s lives. In my opinion, I agree that governments have wasted a lot of money that could have been spent on public services.

        Disagreement thesis:
        It is considered that space exploration has not enhanced most people’s lives, others believe that it is needed for advanced developments. In my opinion, I disagree that the space research is a waste of money, as it provides and develops advanced technology and knowledge with respect to other planets.

        • Again, the essay question doesn’t actually refer to technology or knowledge. You are confusing your background and your thesis. The background is a paraphrase of the essay question – do not alter the meaning and do not add extra information. Just paraphrase it. Then use your ideas to help you present your thesis.

          • wow! you are kind and awesome for taking time to respond with patience.

          • Vimal Kamothi says

            Hi Liz,
            May be I am thinking too much on this and making mistakes. Thanks for your suggestions. I have corrected the background statement. Can you please check if this is appropriate ?

            Background statement and agreement thesis:
            Some people consider that money spent on exploring space is a waste. In my opinion, I agree that governments have wasted a lot of money on space exploration, such as sending man to the moon, that could have been spent on public services.

            Background statement and disagreement thesis:
            Some people consider that money spent of exploring space is a waste. In my opinion, I disagree that space exploration is a waste of money, as it develops advanced technology and help in gaining knowledge on other planets.

            Thanks,
            Vimal

  72. Hello …
    Thanks a lot for your effort Liz
    I have an enquiry … can i write a question sentence in the introduction to hook the reader attention to the topic . ex..

    It is thought by some people that the price of goods and services has a role in their decision for purchasing. Does the price reflect the necessity of buying something or service?. I do believe that people need to censor the cost before they buy anything.

    Is this acceptable or not preferable ??
    my exam will be in a week

  73. Do we have to agree and disagree at the same time? In the two answers above, you talk about advantages and disadvantages altogether. I thought we need to choose one of the two

    • I presented a specific view point which is quantified. Some teachers call this a partial agreement and others a balanced view.

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