IELTS GT WRITING TASK 2

BAND 9 SAMPLE ANSWERS

1. Many people believe that social networking sites (such as Facebook) have had a huge
negative impact on both individuals and society.
To what extent do you agree?
Social networking sites, for instance Facebook, are thought by some to have had a detrimental
effect on individual people as well as society and local communities. However, while I believe
that such sites are mainly beneficial to the individual, I agree that they have had a damaging
effect on local communities.

With regards to individuals, the impact that online social media has had on each individual
person has clear advantages. Firstly, people from different countries are brought together
through such sites as Facebook whereas before the development of technology and social
networking sites, people rarely had the chance to meet or communicate with anyone outside of
their immediate circle or community. Secondly, Facebook also has social groups which offer
individuals a chance to meet and participate in discussions with people who share common
interests.

On the other hand, the effect that Facebook and other social networking sites have had on
societies and local communities can only be seen as negative. Rather than individual people
taking part in their local community, they are instead choosing to take more interest in people
online. Consequently, the people within local communities are no longer forming close or
supportive relationships. Furthermore, society as a whole is becoming increasingly disjointed
and fragmented as people spend more time online with people they have never met face to face
and who they are unlikely to ever meet in the future.

To conclude, although social networking sites have brought individuals closer together, they
have not had the same effect on society or local communities. Local communities should do
more to try and involve local people in local activities in order to promote the future of
community life.

Comments:
This essay shows you the organization of ideas into paragraphs and also how a clear answer is
given in the thesis statement in the introduction and then supported and explained in full
throughout the essay. You will also see paraphrasing for advantage / disadvantage language
which can be useful for you in other essays. Furthermore, the word length of this essay is typical
for anyone aiming for band score 6, 7 or above.
Words 280

2. Some people think that keeping pets is good for children while others think it is
dangerous and unhealthy. Which opinion do you agree with?
Discuss both options and give examples.
In recent times, pet related injuries and mortalities have sparked heated debates about whether
it is healthy for children to be around pets. In this essay I shall argue that such dangers are
overemphasized and that children receive substantive psychological benefits through having
pets.
To begin with, although exotic pets (e.g. snakes, spiders, apes, etc.) have been known to
occasionally hurt and even kill children, such incidents are so statistically rare as to be
negligible. This is because the overwhelming majority of children have non-lethal cats, dogs,
fish, rodents and rabbits for pets. For example The Child Safety Institute found that over 90%
of children owned the aforementioned pets, and professed that they had never felt in the least
bit endangered by them. Seen in this light, it is clearly unfounded to claim that pets present any
physical danger to children.

Secondly, pets can impact positively upon child psychology. This is because young pet owners
frequently empathize with their pets and perform a diverse range of actions to maintain their
wellbeing (e.g. feeding, grooming, administering medicine, etc.). For example, the Cambridge
Developmental Psychology Unit found that children who had grown up with pets were 30%
less likely to bully others and resolve conflicts through aggression. Consequently, it is
undeniable that a child’s pro-sociality and mental health can be improved through exposure to
pets.

In conclusion, the cited evidence provides strong support for the view that children owning
pets is a good thing. In the future, as more laws are introduced to ban the ownership of illegally
acquired exotic pets, this viewpoint will no doubt surge in popularity.

3. Doing an enjoyable activity with a child can develop better skills and more creativity
than reading.
To what extent do you agree? Use reasons and specific examples to explain your answer?
Parents throughout the world place spend time reading with their offspring to prepare them for
school where their literacy skills are further developed; however, recent research suggests that
focusing on reading at an early age can be detrimental, and participating in fun activities would
be far more beneficial. I am a strong advocate of this approach, and the benefits of it will be
covered in this essay.

A fundamental reason for this is that there is no biological age for reading, and pushing infants
to acquire this skill before they are ready could have repercussions. For example, in the UK,
many boys are reluctant readers, possibly because of being forced to read, and this turned them
off reading. By focusing on other activities and developing other skills such as creativity and
imagination, when they are ready to read, they usually acquire this skill rapidly. In addition,
the importance of encouraging creativity and developing a child’s imagination must be
acknowledged. Through play, youngsters develop social and cognitive skills, for example, they
are more likely to learn vocabulary through context rather than learning it from a book.

Furthermore, play allows youngsters to mature emotionally, and gain self-confidence. There is
no scientific research which suggests reading at a young age is essential for a child’s
development, moreover, evidence suggests the reverse is true. In Finland, early years’
education focuses on playing. Reading is only encouraged if a child shows and interest in
developing this skill. This self-directed approach certainly does not result in Finnish school
leavers falling behind their foreign counterparts. In fact, Finland was ranked the sixth best in
the world in terms of reading.
Despite being a supporter of this non-reading approach, I strongly recommend incorporating
bedtime stories into a child’s daily routine. However, reading as a regular daytime activity
should be swapped for something which allows the child to develop other skills.

4. Today, the quality of life in large cities is decreasing.

Discuss the causes and solutions.
The global phenomenon of urbanization from the beginning of industrialization to the present
day has brought opportunity and prosperity, albeit at a cost in the quality of life. With an
increasing city population, the complexity of the challenges also increases, the causes and
solutions for this are outlined below.

The causes for the decrease in the quality of life are paradoxically the prosperity endowed on
such metropolitan centers. Their growth is largely due to the increase of opportunities on offer,
which in turn increases their attractiveness, essentially they are trapped in a positive self-
reinforcing cycle. However, this eventually leads to a decrease in the quality of life as the city
can experience overcrowding, exorbitant property prices, and increased vulnerability to
terrorist attacks. For example the density of London makes it a more efficient place to attack,
when compared to a smaller city such as Bradford. Therefore, due to continuous growth and
prosperity, urban citizens, especially the less well off, often experience a lower standard of
living.

Considering the solutions, greater investment in public transport would ease traffic congestion,
as would bike lanes. In theory this would reduce air pollution, and possibly improve the
wellbeing of the population if they did adopt a more active lifestyle and cycle to work. To
counter violent terrorist attacks, cities could embark on CCTV installations, so as to closely
monitor for threats. For example, it is said, the CCTV in London has foiled many potential
attacks, and therefore greatly increased the security of its citizens.

To conclude, a wealthy city attracts a large population inflow, which then causes pressure on
existing infrastructure and security. Various solutions exist to mitigate such drawbacks,
nevertheless an indefinite solution has yet to be found.

4. Social media marketing can influence what consumers buy.

Do you agree or disagree? To what extent do you agree?
Since the introduction of social media applications in the early 2000’s the world has become a
much smaller place. Social media applications such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter have
become information sources for a majority of the global market. As such, I would agree that
marketing, which happens to be a source of information accessible on these platforms can
influence the consumers who use them. This notion is further aided by the rise in online retail
stores who conduct the bulk of their transactions online. This makes it easier for the consumer
to purchase from anywhere in the world.

As a consumer on social media, you are constantly bombarded with advertisements of various
products that are specifically designed to catch your attention. This means that most of the
adverts on your news feeds aren’t random and will almost always feature something you have
previously searched online or something currently popular or trending. Given the fact that most
social media users are young consumers who are influenced by current trends and happenings
these adverts will almost always catch their eye.
The habit of sharing, retweeting and liking also ensures that these adverts get around, quite
fast. As such, when an advert does reach your news feed you have already probably seen it on
your friend’s news feed. The truth is, adverts are a form of information and with the age of the
internet, information spreads faster than a wild fire. Therefore, it only makes sense that in the
era and age of technology, globalization and the need to be trendy, social media marketing can
influence what consumers buy.

5. In the modern world it is possible to shop, work and communicate with people via the
internet and live without any face-to-face contact with others. Is this a positive or negative
development?
It is true that in contemporary life people in many parts of the world are able to do their
shopping, work and communicate with each other via the internet. While there are clear positive
aspects of this trend, there are also negative aspects of having less face-to-face contact with
other people.

On the one hand, the internet can be very handy in many ways. Many people use it to keep in
touch with friends and family, using Facebook, Skype or whatsApp to send instant messages
or to enjoy a quick chat. Many also use the internet for online shopping, thus saving time and
petrol on trips to the supermarket as well as hunting around different sites for bargains.
However, it is in terms of work that the internet offers the most potential benefits. More and
more people are working or even studying from home, at hours which suit their own schedules.
Many hours are saved each week by eliminating the daily commute and the stress of coping
with the rush hour.

On the other hand, as social beings, people need personal contacts. Firstly, virtual friendships
which are formed online may not be genuine. The media carries many horror stories of
youngsters who have fallen prey to pedophiles, for example. Secondly, online shopping is not
always appropriate, depending on the item. It is best, for instance, to try on clothes before
buying, and while a bookworm can find almost any book title that they want online, they will
certainly miss browsing the shelves of bookstores. Finally, personal interaction with work
colleagues can generate ideas and avoid misunderstandings.

In conclusion, although there are positive aspects of this trend, there are also aspects of face-
to-face contact which it would be a shame to lose.