Opinion Essay: Balanced Approach IELTS Writing Task 2

In order to study at university students are required to pay expensive tuition fees. Not all
students can afford them so some people think that university education should be free
for everyone.

To what extent do you agree?

Model Answer

Fees for higher education are expensive and not affordable for everyone so according to some
university should be free for all people, regardless of their background. In my opinion, offering
everyone free university education would be problematic and, therefore, should only be offered to
certain individuals.

Having free university education for everyone would put a tremendous financial strain on a country.
Universities would have no income from fees and, consequently, they would rely completely on the
state for funding. Doing this means taking funds from other much needed areas, such as the health
system, in order to allocate money to universities. For the majority of countries, particularly
developing and underdeveloped countries, this would not be a financially viable option.

Another point to consider is that offering all people free tertiary education would tempt many
people to enter university whether they were interested or not. In other words, rather than
choosing to get a job, some young people would opt for doing a degree to which they would only
half-heartedly apply themselves. This would not only be a waste of a country’s finances but also a
waste of human resources.

Finally, the best solution would be to keep university fees but still offer some free places to gifted
students from poor backgrounds. This would ensure that talented, intelligent students who cannot
afford to pay for higher education would still get educated and trained. As a result, society would
benefit by getting the right people trained and valuable financial resources would not be wasted.

In conclusion, abolishing university fees is not feasible for most countries but offering free places to
particular students who have limited financial means is a much better use of a country’s resources.

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© Elizabeth Ferguson 2015
 Discussion Essay with No Opinion IELTS Writing Task 2

Some people think that children should be taught to be competitive in school. Others,
however, say that cooperation and team working skills are more important. Discuss both
sides.

Model Answer

People have different perspectives on whether schools ought to focus on teaching children to
compete or work together as a team. While some people think that competition is more important,
others consider that it is better for children to learn to cooperate with each other.

Children who learn to compete against each other often do better in school, according to some. In
other words, the competition between students motivates them to excel in their studies or tasks
which consequently produces better academic performance and results. For example, students
generally apply themselves and work harder when they are in direct competition with their
classmates. Furthermore, it is commonly believed that being driven to achieve the best is vital in

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order to succeed later in life when, as adults, they must compete against others in the job market.

On the other hand, it is often thought that it is better if the emphasis at school is on cooperating
with others in a team. People do not live, work or socialise apart from others, so learning how to
work alongside others ought to be taught from childhood. Without these skills, children would lack
the ability to communicate with each other or know how to deal with confrontations and conflicts in
a constructive way. Another reason why team skills are useful for children is that they can learn how
to negotiate with others to complete a task which are useful skills to have for their future.

In conclusion, many people think that children need to become more competitive, whereas others
think that it is best for a child to focus on working together.

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© Elizabeth Ferguson 2015
 Discussion Essay with One-sided Opinion IELTS Writing Task 2

Some people think that children should be taught to be competitive in school. Others,
however, say that cooperation and team working skills are more important. Discuss both
sides and give your opinion.

Model Answer

Although it is sometimes thought that schools ought to teach children to compete, other people
believe that the focus should be on cooperation. In my opinion, I consider that competition helps
children learn the most important skills for their future life.

On the one hand, some people think that children who learn to compete against each other often do
better in school and I agree. In other words, the competition between students motivates them to
excel in their studies or tasks which consequently produces better academic performance and
results. For example, students generally apply themselves and work harder when they are in direct
competition with their classmates. Furthermore, being driven to achieve the best is vital in order to

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succeed later in life when, as adults, they must compete against others in the job market.

On the other hand, it is often believed that it is better if the emphasis at school is on cooperating
with others. As people we do not live, work or socialise apart from others, so learning how to work
alongside other people ought to be taught from childhood. Without these skills, children would lack
the ability to communicate with each other or know how to deal with confrontations and conflicts in
a constructive way. Another reason why team skills are useful for children is that they learn how to
negotiate with others to complete a task. This is an essential skill to learn for their future life.

In conclusion, while people may vary in their opinions, I think that children stand a better chance to
succeed both in school and later in life if they are encouraged to compete against each other.

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© Elizabeth Ferguson 2015
 Discussion Essay with Specific Opinion IELTS Writing Task 2

Some people think that children should be taught to be competitive in school. Others,
however, say that cooperation and team working skills are more important. Discuss both
sides and give your opinion.

Model Answer

Although it is sometimes thought that schools ought to teach children to compete, other people
believe that the focus should be on cooperation. In my opinion, deciding whether to focus on
competition or team working skills should depend on the age of the child.

On the one hand, children who learn to compete against each other often do better in school,
according to some. In other words, the competition between students motivates them to excel in
their studies or tasks which consequently produces better academic performance and results.
Furthermore, it is commonly believed that these skills are essential for children to learn in order to
succeed later in life when they must compete against others in the job market.

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On the other hand, it is often thought that it is better if the emphasis at school is on cooperating
with others. People do not live, work or socialise apart from others, so learning how to work
alongside others ought to be taught from childhood. Without these skills, many think children would
lack the ability to communicate with each other or know how to deal with confrontations and
conflicts in a constructive way.

Finally, in my view, both skills are indispensable for a child’s future but the focus should depend on a
child’s age. While young children need to learn how to communicate effectively and learn to work
with others, older children, who are starting to take exams and be assessed on their academic
performance, would benefit more from competition. Schools, therefore, need to be flexible as to
when to focus on one over the other.

In conclusion, despite people having different views, I believe it would be better for young children
to develop team working skills and older children to become more competitive.

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© Elizabeth Ferguson 2015
 IELTS Advantage Disadvantage Model Essay 1

Some people think that it is beneficial for children to do paid work, while others think that it can
be harmful for children.

What are the advantages and disadvantages of children doing paid work?

Model Essay

Although paid work is thought by some to be a useful experience for children, other people consider
that it can be detrimental. Children can learn about earning money and gain independence from
doing paid work but there are also drawbacks to be taken into account.

Firstly, one benefit of children doing paid work is that they understand the value of money. This also
teaches them not to waste money as they realise the work needed to earn it. Secondly, having a paid
job is advantageous because children take their first steps in learning how to manage and save
money. Many older children, for instance, have a part time job in order to save up for something
they would otherwise be unable to afford. Thirdly, working teaches children responsibility and
independence. These skills help children to develop into self-supporting adults ready to enter society
and the work force.

On the other hand, one problem when children have a job is that it potentially exposes them to
exploitation through slave labour. For example, in some developing countries children are made to
work full time but due to their age are not protected by law. As a result, they are paid negligible
wages for work that can be tough, manual work. Another possible issue is that the time children
spend working prevents them from focusing on their school work. Having a good education is the
key to a successful future so being employed as a child can result in a poor academic performance
which can be harmful in the long run.

In conclusion, while children can benefit from some work experience, it can also lead to exploitation
or lower grades at school.

279 words

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 IELTS Advantages Outweigh Disadvantages Essay 1

Some people think that it is beneficial for children to do paid work, while others think that it can
be harmful for children.

Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Model Essay

Although paid work is thought by some to be a good experience for children, other people think it
can be detrimental. In my opinion, I think that paid work can bring about more problems for children
compared to any advantages it might bring.

Admittedly, there are some basic benefits of children working for money. Firstly, children can
develop an understanding of the value of money. This teaches them that money does not grow on
trees and helps them appreciate the hard work needed to earn it. Secondly, they take the first steps
in learning how to manage money. Many older children, for instance, have a part time job in order
to save for something they would otherwise be unable to afford. Understanding money
management, furthermore, is useful when, as adults, they will need to balanced their finances.

Nevertheless, despite the advantages above, I believe children could face serious drawbacks from
paid work. One potentially dangerous problem is that it exposes them to exploitation, through slave
labour. In some countries that do not enforce children employment laws, they may end up working
under extreme conditions or even in life threatening situations for negligible wages. Starting life in
this way makes it almost impossible for them to escape poverty as an adult. Another obvious issue is
that working may affect a child’s ability to focus on their school work. This is a concern as only with a
strong academic performance can a child hope to advance as an adult.

In conclusion, being exploited or struggling with academic grades far outweighs any of the minor
benefits that could result from children being involved in work experience.

273 words

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 IELTS Alternative Outweigh Essay 1

Some people think that it is beneficial for children to do paid work, while others think that it can
be harmful for children.

Do you think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages?

Although paid work is thought by some to be a good experience for children, other people think that
it can be detrimental. In my opinion, I consider that paid work can bring about more advantages for
children compared to any problems it might bring.

Despite the drawbacks below, I believe the benefits gained by children doing work experience are
extremely useful for their future. Firstly, children can develop an understanding of the value of
money. This is a crucial lesson to learn as it teaches them not to waste money by realising the
amount of work needed to earn it. Secondly, children take their first steps in learning how to save
and manage money. Take many older children, for instance, who have a part time job in order to
save up for something they would otherwise be unable to afford. Learning money management is an
essential skill later in life when they earn salaries and have bills to pay.

Admittedly, there are some issues involved when children do paid work. One problem is that it might
expose them to exploitation through slave labour. For example, in some developing countries
children are made to work full time but due to their age are not protected by law. However, this
situation is rare, only happening in certain countries. Another negative aspect is that the time
children spend working could prevent them from focusing on their school work. Having a good
education is the key to a successful future so if work interferes with their academic performance this
can be a problem.

In conclusion, the critical lessons that children can learn when they work for money will stand them
in good stead when they are adults and clearly outweigh any disadvantages.

288 Words

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