`Essay questionsGender

Some people believe in the traditional idea that the woman’s place is in the home, while others say that idea is outdated and that women should play an increasingly important role in the workplace of the future. What is your opinion?

The family

The education a child receives at home from having parents who are positive role models is more important than the academic education a child receives at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

In many countries there has been an increase in social

problems involving teenagers in recent years. Many

people believe that this is due to modern lifestyles

because parents spend more and more time at work and

have less time to supervise their children. To what extent

do you believe this is true? 

People are now living longer than ever before and many old people are unable to look after themselves. Some people believe that it is the responsibility of families to look after the elderly, while others say governments should provide retirement homes for them where they can be looked after properly. Discuss.

Modern lifestyles mean that many parents have little time for their children. Many children do not get as much attention from their parents as children did in the past. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people believe that the government should ban dangerous sporting activities while others think that people have the freedom do whatever sports they choose. Discuss both views and give your own opinion 

It is commonly thought that it is healthy for adults to maintain an outside interest in order to relax or stay fit. Compare the advantages and disadvantages of 3 of the following sports and pastimes:*tennis *walking *visiting museums *reading *joining a club *going to a gym

Many people want their country to host an international sporting event. Others believe that international sporting events bring more problems than benefits. Discuss both views and include your opinion, supported by examples.

Some people believe that competitive sports have a

positive effect on children’s education; while others believe

there is no place for such sports in schools .

Discuss both points of view and give your own opinion.

"Give reasons for your answer and include any relevant examples from your own experience or

knowledge".

In many countries people working in sport and entertainment earn much more money than professionals like doctors, nurses and teachers. Why do you think this happens in some societies and do you consider it is good or bad?

Some people think that teenagers should do unpaid work

to help society because this will help them to be better individuals and also improve the society as a whole. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this proposal? – lesson on how to write a balanced essay using a 5 paragraph essay structure

Nowadays many jobs are more stressful and the working day is longer. What are the reasons for this? What can employers do to help employees? - model essay with lesson and exercises to help you write the essaySome people think that only staff who worked in a company for a long time should be promoted to a higher position. What’s your opinion? Lesson on coherence and writing better paragraphs including a download of the essayIn many countries people working in sport and entertainment earn much more money than professionals like doctors, nurses and teachers. Why do you think this happens in some societies and do you consider it is good or bad? sample essay with exercises and downloadUnemployment is one of the most serious problems facing developed nations today. What are the advantages and/or disadvantages of reducing the working week to thirty five hours? sample essay with vocabulary exercises and downloadSome people argue that the government should give every unemployed person a mobile phone and should make sure they have access to the Internet. They believe this is the best way of using public money to reduce the problem of unemployment. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Focus on IELTS)

In many countries, children are engaged in some kind of paid work. Some people regard this as completely wrong, while others consider it as valuable work experience, important for learning and taking responsibilities. Discuss. (Cambridge IELTS 3)Many people decide on a career path early in their lives and keep to it. This, they argue, leads to a more satisfying working life.To what extent do you agree with this view? What other things can people do in order to have a satisfying working life?

Newspapers and books are outdated. Why do some people believe this? What is your opinion?  Consumers are faced with increasing numbers of advertisements from competing companies. To what extent do you think are consumers influenced by advertisements? What measures can be taken to protect them?  

News editors decide what to broadcast on television and what to print in newspapers. What factors do you think influence these decisions? Do we become used to bad news? Would it be better if more good news was reported? Discuss. (Cambridge IELTS 1)

Some people believe that the media, such as the press, TV and Internet should be more strictly controlled. Others feel that controls should be loosened to give people freer access to information. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Travel and transport

In cities and towns all over the world the high volume of traffic is a problem. What are the causes of this and what actions can be taken to solve this problem?

 It is said that travel broadens the mind. What can we learn by travelling to other countries? Should we first explore our own countries? Discuss.

In many countries tourism is a major part of the economy, but it also causes environmental damage and ruins the places it exploits. It is argued that tourists should pay an additional tax to compensate for this damage. Do you agree?

In the modern world car ownership is regarded as a right. However, some argue that governments should try to reduce the number of cars on the

road by improving public transport, as the growing number of cars on the road causes traffic congestion and pollution. Discuss

Young drivers are careless and overconfident, and too many are killed in accidents. To eliminate this problem, we could teach children the skills of safe driving while they are at school. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?

Science and technology

Essay questions

Television has had a significant influence on the culture of many societies. To what extent would you say that television has positively or negatively affected the cultural development of your society? (see my sample essay)When a country develops its technology, the traditional skills and ways of life die out. It is pointless to try and keep them alive. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (Cambridge IELTS 3)

We are becoming increasingly dependent on computer technology. It is used in business, crime detection and even to fly planes. What will it be used for in future? Is this dependence on technology a good thing or should we be suspicious of its benefits?

“Telecommuting” refers to workers doing their jobs from home for part of each week and communicating with their office using computer technology.

Telecommuting is growing in many countries and is expected to be common for most office workers in the coming decades. How do you think society will be affected by the growth of telecommuting?

In the future, we will have more and more leisure time as machines replace many of the tasks we do at home and work. Discuss the benefits this will bring and also the problem it will cause.

We live today in an electronic information age. It is easier to be connected by technology yet many people seem no closer to feeling happy in their lives. In what extent do you agree or disagree.

Advances in science and technology and other areas of society in the last 100 years have transformed the way we live as well as postponing the day we die. There is no better time to be alive than now. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?

Space exploration requires vast sums of money. Is the amount of money spent on space research justifiable? Could the money be better spent?

The threat of nuclear weapons maintains world peace. Nuclear power provides cheap and clean energy. The benefits of nuclear technology far outweigh the disadvantages. Do you agree or disagree? Give reasons for your answer. (see my sample essay with commentary)

Some people say that the Internet is making the world smaller by bringing people together. To what extent do you agree that the internet is making it easier for people to communicate with one another?

Subjects such as Art, Sport and Music are being dropped from the school curriculum for subjects such as Information Technology. Many people children suffer as a result of these changes. To what extent would you support or reject the idea of

moving these subjects from school curriculum? (IELTS Practice tests with answers)

Everyone should stay in school until the age of 18. To what extent do you agree or disagree? 

In the past lectures were the traditional   method   of   teaching large numbers of students. Nowadays new technology is increasingly being used to teach students. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this new approach? 

Some people believe that exams are an inappropriate way of measuring students’ performance and should be replaced by continuous assessment. Do you agree or disagree with this view? 

Some people argue that universities should provide students with more practical training for their future career. Should university education be more vocational or academic. Discuss

In many countries schools have severe problems with student behaviour. What do you think are the causes of this? What solutions can you suggest?

Many universities charge higher fees for foreign students. Why do they do this? Do you believe that it is fair?

Most university graduates earn more money than less well educated people. Some people argue that this means they should

pay the full cost of their education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Nothing is more important to a country’s future than education. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Government

Business and finance

It some countries people pay different rates of tax depending on their salary, in other countries everyone pays the same rate. Which do you believe is the best system?

Many people judge success solely by money and material possessions. However, success can be achieved or measured in other ways. Discuss.

Politics

A government has various duties to its citizens, but limited resources. Should defence spending take up a significant proportion of the national budget? Discuss.

One of the most pressing problems facing the world today is overpopulation. What policies do you believe governments should adopt to address the causes and effects of this problem? 

Future plans which is to design prisons for learning and working, with bigger cells containing computers that will enable study and communication, have been criticized for trying to turn prisons into “holiday camps” and “wasting taxpayers’ money”. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Globalisation

Essay questions

Today’s food travels thousands of miles before it reaches customers.  Why is this?  Is this a positive or negative trend? 

One of the major problems facing the world today is the growing number of refugees. The developed nations in the world should tackle this problem by taking in more refugees. To what extent do you agree with this opinion? 

If poorer nations are to develop they will need to invest in health and education. They often do not have the resources to achieve this, so is it the duty of richer nations to provide assistance in these areas? Explain your answer with reasons and examples.

More and more qualified people are moving from poor to rich countries to fill vacancies in specialist areas like engineering, computing and medicine.

Some people believe that by encouraging the movement of such people, rich countries are stealing from poor countries. Others feel that this is only part of the natural movement of workers around the world. Give your opinion.

Differences between countries become less evident each year. Nowadays, all over the world people share the same fashions, advertising, brands, eating habits and TV channels. What are the advantages and disadvantages of this? 

Most countries spend a large amount of money in weapons to defend themselves though they are not at war. They should spend money to help the citizens in poor and disadvantaged countries. Discuss

Environment and housing

Essay questions

The best way to solve the world’s environmental problems is to increase the cost of fuel. To what extent do you agree or disagree? (China writing)

In many countries there is a shortage of housing due to a growing population. Some people argue that new towns should be built in the countryside,

others argue for the regeneration of cities. What are the advantages and disadvantages of the building new towns in the countryside?

The world is consuming natural resources faster than they can be renewed. Therefore, it is important that products are made to last. Governments should discourage people from constantly buying more up to date or fashionable products. To what extent do you agree with this statement?

Health

Essay questions

Recent research shows that the consumption of junk food is a major factor in poor diet and this is detrimental to health. Some people believe that better health education is the answer to this problem but others disagree. What is your opinion? –

“Prevention is better than cure”. Out of a country’s health budget, a large proportion should be diverted from treatment to spending on health education and preventative measures. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement? (Cambridge IELTS 2)

Most developed countries spend a large proportion of their heath budgets on expensive medical

technology and procedures. This money should be spent instead on health education to keep people well. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

The quality of health care a person receives should not depend on the size of their bank balance. The government is responsible for providing a high level of heath care for all its citizens. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Currently there is a trend towards the use of alternative forms of medicine. However, at best these methods are ineffective, and at worst they may be dangerous. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Language and culture

Sample essay questions

Language and Culture

Many historic buildings are being destroyed or replaced. What are the reasons for this? What should be done to preserve these buildings?  

Should museums and art galleries be free of charge for the general public, or should a charge, even a voluntary charge, be levied for admittance? Discuss this issue, and give your opinion.

Several languages die every year and English is becoming used more and more as a world language. Many people feel this is a positive trend and that a world with fewer languages promotes harmony and understanding between people. Analyze both sides of this argument and provide your opinion.

Arts, music and entertainmentAdvances in science and technology have made great changes to lives of ordinary people, but artists such as musicians, painters and writers are still highly valued. What can the arts tell us about life that science and technology cannot? 

In recent years, people watch more   movies from overseas? What are the reasons for this? Should the government give financial support to local cinema to produce local films? 

Music is one of the most important art forms. What is it’s significance in the world today? Do you believe that more modern forms of music have superseded the more traditional forms of music?

One of the functions of art is to challenge the establishment. There should therefore be no restrictions in the form of censorship on artists. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

It is more important for the government to invest in projects that benefit the whole community such as welfare programmes and infrastructure improvements than for it to subsidise activities and institutions for the arts such as museums and art galleries as these will only benefit a minority. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Some people argue that the amount of violence shown in films and on television has led to an increase in violent crimes in society. Do you agree with this argument? Should the government control what is shown on television and in the cinema?

Some people say that young people today do not make good use of their leisure time and that they spend too much time inside watching television and playing video games and that they should rather spend more time outside engaging in physical activities. To what extent do you agree or disagree?

Crime and law

Essay questions

Without capital punishment (the death penalty) our lives are less secure and crimes of violent increase. Capital punishment is essential to control violence in society. To what extent do you agree or disagree? Tobacco and alcohol are drugs that cause addition and health problems. Should they be made illegal? Or should all drugs be legalized?

Crime is nearly always related to the environment in which it occurs. For this reason, international laws and international law courts are unrealistic and will not succeed in reducing crime levels in different countries. Discuss.

The only way to cut the crime rate is build more prisons and make prison sentences longer. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this opinion?